Chapter Thirteen
Liv stared at the two-day-old message she’d sent to Arran.
Hey, do you and Lord Jayce fancy accompanying me to Sam and Maya’s Easter egg rolling thing at the ski resort this weekend?
It was marked as read, but not a sausage in return. He must have been too busy to reply. She hovered her thumb over the keypad, wondering whether to prompt him or not. In the end she decided she might as well; the event was only a couple of days away, so she’d need to get them some tickets if they were going.
Any thoughts on the egg rolling thing? I might even treat you to a chocolate egg…
She put the phone down on the coffee table and went back to reading her e-book, but she couldn’t concentrate. Why did she have the feeling that Arran had been avoiding her since their afternoon tea? It had been lovely, and the first time they’d had a whole day just the two of them. He’d seemed to enjoy it too but then had gone uncharacteristically silent all week. Normally they’d text most days with daft stuff to make each other laugh. But while she’d kept up her end of that bargain, Arran had been slow to reply to half the messages and the other half had gone entirely unanswered.
Looking up from her book, she frowned at the wall. She hadn’t said anything dumb when she’d been pissed on the journey home from the afternoon tea, had she? Her blood ran cold at the thought that she might’ve done something stupid in her inebriated state, like tell him that she’d had a crush on him for years (and now it felt like more than a crush) or try to kiss him. But she hadn’t been that drunk that she couldn’t remember stuff. Just tipsy; then she’d slept on the journey home, and Arran had dropped her off at hers in their shared taxi before taking it back to his. Although…had he been a bit quiet at that point too?
The phone buzzed with a message and she lifted it, her heart rising as she took in his name on the screen.
Sorry for the delay. Been busy. Jayce has been asking for you and he’d love to do the egg thing so we’ll meet you there.
She tapped out a quick reply, aware that her immediate response would give away that she’d been desperate to hear from him.
I can pick you guys up if you like?
Contrary to his recent slow reply style of the previous week, the three dots appeared straightaway, followed by:
That’s okay thanks. Got stuff on that morning so we’ll meet you there.
Letting her hand drop into her lap, she paused to think. Arran wasn’t the sort to be moody. He just had a load on his plate. That’s all it’d be.
—
The hills were lush and green and the air crisp as Liv craned her neck toward the terrace at the back of the resort center, watching for Arran and Jayce. She sighed. No sign yet. Whatever they’d had on earlier must’ve run over.
There was a tug on her sleeve and she turned to find Maya holding Elise’s one-year-old son, Jack.
Liv gave Maya a hug, then leaned in to kiss Jack’s cheek. “Hey there, handsome. Sorry your mum couldn’t make it.”
Maya smiled. “But he’s got the next best thing, his auntie Maya.”
“Indeed.” Liv smiled at him, placing her hands over her face to begin a game of peekaboo with Jack. “Where’s Sam?” she asked, as Jack giggled at her antics.
“Over there.” Maya nodded toward where Sam was chatting to his colleagues as they finished setting up what normally served as the baby ski slope for the race. The contestants would go to the top and roll their eggs down the grass.
“Where’s your egg?” Liv asked Maya.
Maya brandished a vibrant-looking hard-boiled egg from her pocket, the shell painted in bright colors by Jack’s hand. “Here he is. We call him Egg Sheeran.”
Liv snorted, realizing why the top of the shell was colored orange, to represent the mop of red hair sported by the egg’s human pop-sensation equivalent.
Maya snatched Egg Sheeran away as if Liv were trying to grab it. “Hey. No trying to poach him, now.” She winked at Liv, clearly pleased with her own egg-related pun.
Liv raised her eyebrow, bringing out her glitter-adorned egg. “Don’t need to. He’s no match for Scarlett Yolk-hansson.”
Maya chuckled. “Nice.” She shifted Jack on her hip. “Shall we go and take our places?”
Liv’s heart sank. “Arran and Jayce aren’t here yet. I hope they’re still coming.”
Maya gestured over Liv’s shoulder. “That’s them coming now.”
Her pulse spiking, Liv turned to see Arran holding Jayce’s hand as they came through the ski center’s back entrance. She lifted her hand to wave, a smile on her face, but before she managed to catch Arran’s eye someone grabbed her from behind and lifted her up.
“Hey, ladies.” Brodie’s voice sounded behind her.
He set her down again and Liv turned to flash him a smile. He hugged her, then Maya. “Hope you guys don’t think you’re going to beat me,” he told them, brandishing his egg, which was painted in an abstract manner.
“Nice,” Liv said, bumping his shoulder. She lifted her head to see if Arran was on his way over but was disappointed to find that he was nowhere in sight.
Brodie slid his arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get our places at the starting line.”
They started walking up the hill, Maya and Jack next to them. Brodie glanced at Maya. “Is Ben here today?” he asked, scanning the crowd.
“Yeah, somewhere,” Maya replied. “He’s been stomping around like a grumpy git, criticizing everything.” She rolled her eyes. “We need to find him a new boyfriend, stat.”
Brodie’s eyes seemed to widen for a moment, then he smiled. “Maybe a bit of egg rolling will cheer him up.”
“Hope so,” Maya muttered, as they neared where Sam stood chatting to said grumpy Big Boss Ben.
Ben was running a hand through his dark, silver-streaked hair as Sam placed his hand on his shoulder to give it a squeeze.
“Hey, dudes,” Maya said, reaching them first. She kissed Sam’s cheek, then nudged Ben’s arm. “All right, Triple B?”
Ben huffed out a breath and Sam surreptitiously shot them a “yikes” expression.
“I will be, when this thing is over,” Ben told them, his mouth drawn into a tight line.
“?’S’up?” Liv asked him. “Not a fan of Easter-themed activities?”
“Nope,” Ben replied, folding his arms. “This whole thing has been a pain in the arse to organize.”
“Okay,” Sam said in a slow breath, putting an arm around Ben’s shoulders. “Why don’t you go get a coffee, and I’ll sort all of this out. No need to worry.”
Ben scanned the large crowd. “Don’t you need my help?”
Maya handed Jack to Sam, stepping closer to Ben. “Look into my eyes…” She gestured around her face, then snapped her fingers, as if hypnotizing Ben. “And you’re under. You’re no longer a stressed-out boss, but a happy chappie off to enjoy a coffee in the café…” She snapped her fingers again. “And you’re back in the room.”
A smile was tugging hard at Ben’s mouth.
Maya turned him around to face down the hill and gave him a gentle push. “Now, off you pop! Only one shot, though—can’t have you jacked up too high on caffeine.”
Shaking his head, Ben started out down the slope toward the café, and Liv was sure she heard a low chuckle escape his lips as he went. When she glanced back at the others, Brodie was watching Ben go.
“Right,” Sam said. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He set Jack down with Liv and Maya, then went to grab his megaphone.
“Good afternoon, everybody! Welcome to the first annual Glenavie egg-rolling event. Please take your places at the starting line.”
The crowd jostled a little for position, and Liv placed her Scarlett Yolk-hansson egg in between Egg Sheeran and Brodie’s abstract egg. As she glanced down the line, she spotted Arran and Jayce, her heart lifting as she gave them a wave. Jayce’s wee face lit up as he noticed her, and he waved back in an overenthusiastic manner. Liv’s heart swelled as she realized how she’d missed seeing him for a couple of weeks. Aw, he’s so gorgeous. I love him to bits.
Arran looked up as he took in the direction of Jayce’s gaze, the sight of his warm honey eyes giving her heart a jolt. He smiled softly and lifted his hand in a wave. Then he darted his eyes to where Brodie was crouching next to her and looked away again. Sam lifted his megaphone. “On your marks. Get set. Roll!”
Liv gave Scarlett an almighty flick and she tumbled down the hill after Egg Sheeran and Brodie’s abstract affair. They all jumped to their feet to cheer on their hard-boiled eggs, some of which ended up felled by large tufts of grass; others sustained race-related injuries such as cracked shells.
The winner was declared—sadly, none of them. But happily, it was a little girl who was absolutely delighted, and even more so when Sam went down the hill to present her with the biggest chocolate Easter egg Liv had ever seen.
The crowd moved down the hill toward the post-race activities, including a bouncy castle for the kids and various stalls featuring the wares of local artisanal food outlets and crafts.
Liv stood next to Maya and Sam, scanning the crowd for Arran and Jayce. Brodie leaned in to tug on her sleeve. “I’m going to get a coffee from the café. Want anything?”
“No, thanks,” she said absently, still on her mission to detect a hot, honey-eyed local artist and his adorable curly-haired son. Brodie moved off and she continued to scan the periphery of the crowd, as Maya and Sam chatted with Jack.
A figure at the edge of the crowd caught her eye. A solitary form who stood at the tree line a little way from everyone else. She frowned, wondering why the guy was so removed from all the activity. Perhaps he’s waiting for someone.
A weird feeling stirred in the bottom of her stomach as she shifted her gaze. Something about that man bothered her. Made her unsettled and uneasy. She looked back at him. Perhaps it was that he was standing so still? And that he was staring into the crowd. The weird feeling developed spikes and rose further into her chest. Was he up to no good?
Squinting at him, she felt like he was familiar somehow. As if he looked like someone she knew from the past, albeit ten years older and softer in the middle.
The spiky feeling in her chest exploded, sending shards of ice into her veins. She grabbed Sam’s arm as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, her heart thumping.
Sam glanced down at her. “What’s up?”
For a moment, she couldn’t answer, the icy shards seeming to have cut her vocal cords.
Sam shifted his head to follow her gaze, landing on the man. He stiffened under her hand. “Holy shit.”
Maya looked up from where she’d been tickling Jack. “Language, Samuel. There are children present.”
Liv turned her head to look at them both. Sam was still staring ahead, and Maya’s face fell as she took in their expressions. Liv knew she must be as white as a sheet because she’d felt the blood drain from her face as soon as she’d realized who was standing at the tree line, watching them.
Maya lifted Jack. “What’s wrong?”
Sam nodded toward the man. “Dave’s here.”
“ What? ” Maya replied, whipping her head around.
Sam made to move forward. “You two wait here. I’ll go and see what he wants.”
Liv gripped his arm, Maya grabbing his other side in unison.
“You’re not going over there without me,” Liv told him, her jaw set.
“Or me,” Maya said, her tone uncharacteristically firm.
Sam covered Maya’s hand on his arm, giving her a squeeze. “You need to stay here with Jack.”
“I’ll get Ben to watch him,” Maya said, glancing around.
Sam’s tone was imploring. “Please, Maya. I don’t want him knowing who you are. He doesn’t get to have a piece of my relationship with you; it’s too important to me.”
Maya’s face softened as she looked him in the eyes. Her expression seemed conflicted, but then she nodded and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Okay.”
Liv let out a breath, relieved that Sam had insisted. They couldn’t have the poison that was Dave seeping anywhere near the good things in the lives they’d created without him. “I’m still coming, however,” she told him, putting her arm through his and registering the relief in his eyes.
They started to move through the crowd as Maya called after them, “I’m keeping watch, though. And my threshold for calling the cops is very low!”
Liv brought herself close in to her brother’s side as they left the edge of the crowd and closed the gap between them. Pressing closer, she felt like the two of them conjoined might act as some kind of emotional shield.
His features came sharply into focus as they approached. Softer around the edges and with more wrinkles, but the same self-satisfied aura. And the same green eyes and dark hair as me. Nausea swirled in her gut, forcing up her heart rate and making blood whoosh in her ears.
They came to a standstill in front of him. He didn’t speak, just surveyed them with an air of condescension, though Liv didn’t miss the fact that she merely received a token glance while most of Dave’s appraisal rested on Sam.
She felt Sam shift next to her. “What are you doing here?”
Dave surveyed him coolly. “What do you think?”
Sam let out an exasperated breath. “How the fuck should I know? I’m not psychic.”
Liv gave his arm a squeeze, attempting to convey to him to play it cool.
“I’m here,” Dave said, his voice dripping with superiority, “because neither of you saw fit to answer your own father when he messaged you.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Sam muttered. “Why would we?”
Dave’s brow furrowed into a tight line. “Because, Samuel, I am your father. And I command a little respect.”
Liv couldn’t help the tiny snort of laughter that escaped her lips. Respect? The man deserved zero respect from anyone. The words I am your father reverberated in her brain, morphing into Darth Vader’s voice. How fitting.
Dave darted his gaze briefly to her, then back to Sam. “When my son is planning to get married, I expect not only my approval to be sought, but to be consulted on the arrangements. What if I’m busy on the date you’ve booked? It’ll have to be rescheduled.”
Liv’s mouth dropped open. All these years, and the audacity of the man still hit like a ten-ton truck. A glance at Sam confirmed that he was mute with shock at that ridiculous statement.
She decided to take over for her brother. “We will do no such thing. You have zero rights here, so check your privilege. You aren’t welcome at Sam’s wedding. Or anywhere near us, for that matter.”
She earned herself a two-second glance that time, before he looked back at Sam, as if his daughter was invisible. “Well?” he said to Sam. “What have you got to say for yourself?”
For fuck’s sake. I’m clearly inaudible as well as invisible. No change there, then.
Sam took a step forward, speaking through gritted teeth. “The same as Liv just said. So stop pretending you can’t hear her, you complete twat.”
Dave’s eyes widened, and he stepped forward so that the two men were only inches apart. “How dare you speak to me like that.”
“I’ll speak to you how the hell I want,” Sam shot back, and Liv realized he was taller and a lot more muscular than their father.
Something flickered in Dave’s eyes, and he shifted back slightly.
Sensing that it was time to retreat, Liv tugged on Sam’s arm. “Come on. We need to get you back to your event.”
Sam stayed put for a second, so she pulled a little harder. He began to shift backward with her. “Piss off, Dave,” he said. “You aren’t welcome at my resort. Or in our town.” He turned to walk with Liv, and neither of them looked back as he put his arm around her to move back into the crowd.
A sense of emptiness filled her chest, replacing the previous spiky feeling. All these years she’d assumed that a showdown with Dave would mean she’d get to say her piece and have him listen. That it might leave her with some sort of closure. But achieving that was impossible when the guy acted as if she didn’t even exist.
Shifting through the throng, they spotted Maya standing with Brodie, the two of them watching with anxious expressions.
Sam ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck. He still gets me so riled up.” He squeezed Liv’s arm. “Are you okay?”
She briefly considered an attempt at explaining how she felt—not riled up, but hollow. However, that would be selfish when Sam was so agitated by their father. She gave him a soft smile. “I’m all right. I’m sorry he was such a dick to you.”
He tugged her in to kiss her forehead as they reached Maya and Brodie. Maya reached out to give her a hug, and then turned to fold herself into Sam’s chest. He held her tightly, closing his eyes and resting his chin on his fiancée’s head as if he was absorbing her essence in order to heal his soul.
Liv watched the two of them wistfully for a second. Then a new, odd feeling overcame her. As if she were the third wheel with her brother and best friend—a sensation she’d never experienced around them before.
Confused, she shifted to the side, and Brodie slid his arm around her shoulders to give her a squeeze. “I hope you don’t mind, but Maya told me that was Dave.”
She shook her head, feeling a little light-headed. “I don’t mind.” Plastering a smile onto her face, she met his eyes. “Has he gone? I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of looking back.”
Brodie craned his neck to peer through the crowd. “Yep. Gone.”
Liv’s shoulders sagged as the invisible weight lifted, and then she spotted Arran coming toward them holding Jayce, with a look of concern on his handsome features.
The edge of her turmoil was softened with his arrival and the soothing sound of his voice. “Are you guys okay? Was that your dad ?” He glanced from Liv to Sam, then back again, taking a step toward her but then stopping as his gaze fell to where Brodie’s arm was still slung over her shoulders.
“Hiya, Lib,” Jayce said, looking a little sleepy-eyed as he reached out for her. Her heart thrummed as she took him from Arran, kissing his soft curls and inhaling his comforting scent. Jayce snuggled into her shoulder and she rested her chin on his head, meeting Arran’s eyes as something warm passed between them. He blinked, his body language slightly awkward as he opened and clenched his hands. He eyed Brodie, who was giving her shoulders another squeeze.
“Yeah,” Liv told Arran, aching for him to hug her. “It was him.”
Arran ran a hand over the top of his hair. “Shit. What did he want?”
“To throw his weight around,” Sam said, his jaw set. “So nothing’s changed in the last decade.”
Arran let out a big breath, darting his eyes back to Liv. “What right has he to throw his weight around?”
“None,” she replied, squeezing Jayce gently. “It’s just his overinflated sense of self talking. Hopefully that’ll be the last we’ll hear from him.” She looked at Sam. “I think he was a bit scared of you. You’re a lot bigger than when you were a teenager.”
Sam managed a small smile as Maya lifted her head from his chest to kiss his cheek.
“Not like me,” Liv continued, smiling back. “I’m still tiny.”
Sam shook his head. “Tiny but deadly. It’s you he should’ve been scared of.”
Arran swallowed, still looking at her. His body language was a little off and he didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands. She met his eyes, feeling their connection. She wished it was his arm around her shoulders.
“Okay,” Sam said with a sigh. “Let’s forget about him. We’ve got an Easter egg-stravaganza to enjoy and I won’t have him tainting it.”
Maya released him, glancing over to Jack, who was on the bouncy castle, being supervised by Ben. “Let’s get mingling.” She smiled at Jayce, still in Liv’s arms. “Want to come bounce with me and Jack?”
Jayce nodded, his sleepy eyes brightening, and Liv set him down for Maya to take his hand. Brodie released Liv in order to walk over to the bouncy castle with Maya and Jayce, toward where Ben was watching Jack.
Sam shifted over to Arran, who took him into a hug and rubbed his back. “Thanks, man,” Sam said as he pulled away, giving Arran a smile. He turned to Liv. “Don’t leave without me. I want to see you into your car.”
She rolled her eyes. “Who’s the black belt here, me or you?”
He let out a laugh and gave them both a wave as he departed.
Liv waited for Arran to dish out her hug too. But he didn’t.
He rubbed the side of his face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded, feeling somehow a lot colder than she had a few minutes before. “Yes, thanks. It was more Sam who was het up.”
Something shifted in his gaze and he began to lift his hand; then he stopped and used it to run over the top of his hair. “As long as you’re sure.”
Why did it feel like there was a chasm between them? She opened her mouth with the intent to somehow voice that question, but then his phone rang.
Arran let out a frustrated breath and lifted it from his pocket. “Sorry. I need to take this. It’s Jess.” He answered it, moving out of earshot. Liv waited for a minute, wondering if he’d come back to speak to her once the call was over. But whatever the conversation was seemed quite animated and was taking a while, so she left the area for the bouncy castle before he clocked her staring at him like an idiot.
The calls from Jess were clearly still a frequent occurrence, and she could feel in her bones that Jess was having regrets about leaving him. It was only a matter of time before they got back together. She knew she should feel happy about that because it would make Arran happy. Yet she didn’t feel that way at all. The idea made her miserable. And what kind of a horrible person felt miserable about their best friend piecing his family back together?