Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
LIAM
“ G ood morning jolly rainbow giant!”
I can’t contain my snort when Lark comes breezing into the kitchen like last night never happened. She’s so cute . This morning she’s dressed casually in distressed jean shorts and a well-worn Echo Cove High “Class of 2014” tee. I’m also completely unsurprised to find her wearing a pair of bright red Converse.
She must have woken up early to do some unpacking because just before I headed out on my usual morning beach run I found her extensive collection of high-top sneakers taking over our mudroom. Every color and pattern you could possibly think of sit in neat rows on my shoe bench and the floor.
“You’re one to talk about rainbows, Red. Don’t think I didn’t notice your little shoe hoard in the mudroom,” I point out. The way she effortlessly moves around my kitchen has me transfixed, but when she goes for the coffee pot, I gently grip her hand. “We’re getting coffee at Coastal, remember? ”
Her eyes light up as she bounces on her toes. “Well then let’s go! I need caffeine, stat , before I get cranky.”
“You mean before you get even more cranky than usual?” I tease.
She flips me off over her shoulder on her way to the door, and the action has me belting out a booming laugh.
If it’s this fun to rile her up on day two, I can’t imagine how much fun it will be in a few weeks or months when I’ve learned exactly how to push her buttons without actually pissing her off. Because I will be learning everything about this woman.
After all, that’s what best friends do.
Our walk into town is mostly silent, but it’s comfortable. Normally when I’m with someone I don’t know well, I feel this urge to fill the silence and the pressure makes me so anxious I feel sick, but with Lark I feel okay just being myself. And being myself means not talking when I don’t feel like it.
We arrive at the small coffee shop within ten minutes, the tiny wind chimes tinkling above the door as we walk in. Within seconds a high-pitched squeal fills the room before someone tackles Lark, sending her back crashing into my chest.
“Hey!” I bark. Two blonde heads whip my way, but only one of them shrinks back at my glare. Lark steps away and turns around to level me with the full weight of her ire. As if I’m going to be deterred by someone a foot shorter than me.
Crossing my arms, I quirk a brow and level her with a glare of my own. “What? No thank you for catching me Liam ?”
She scoffs, mimicking my pose. “I was fine! It’s just Kelsey.”
“If I hadn’t been right behind you, you’d be on your ass nursing a bruise or worse!”
“Oh! God forbid I get a bruise! How would my delicate feminine sensibilities ever cope with an ugly bruise marring my perfect white skin?”
Fucking brat.
We’re making a scene, but if she wants to act like a damn child I’ll treat her like one. “And what about the fact that that’s concrete right there?” I growl, pointing at the ground just outside the door and in the entryway. “What if you’d smacked your head and gotten worse than a damn bruise, Lark? How about you pause and use that beautiful brain of yours for three seconds instead of automatically assuming you’re right.”
Her face flushes at my reprimand, but I can’t tell if it’s anger causing the color on her cheeks or something else. Either way, her eyes soften marginally as she steps closer and lowers her voice.
“Thank you for catching me Liam,” she murmurs sweetly. I must not be able to mask my surprise because she smirks and flicks me in the fucking nipple .
“Ouch!” I stare at her in shock. “What the hell, Red?”
“That’s for being an ass.”
With those parting words, she flips her short hair and turns away, looping her arm through Kelsey’s as they make their way to the counter.
There are several pairs of eyes still on me, so after a deep, calming breath, I smile and wave at anyone nosy enough to still be staring after that mess.
I’ve learned the best way to deter the gossip in a small town is to simply act like nothing happened. The bigger deal you make of something the more newsworthy the locals find it. So without a word I tuck my black ball cap just a little further down on my forehead and move to stand behind Lark in line.
It looks like Kelsey has fled the scene, though how I missed her leaving I have no idea. It’s already after nine a.m. so the shop is pretty busy with people starting their Saturday’s, meaning Lark hasn’t ordered yet.
Ambling up behind her, I get much closer than I need to, hoping to make her uneasy and maybe catch a hit of her perfume again. She’s only been living with me for a day and all I can smell around the house is fresh berries and sweet vanilla.
“Do you enjoy acting like a brat, Red? Because you should know the whole prickly little cactus thing isn’t going to stop me from being your friend and getting to know you better.”
Lark stiffens slightly, just barely glancing over her shoulder enough for me to see the hint of vulnerability that’s slipped into her eyes. Quicker than I can blink, it’s gone, replaced by her usual stoicism.
“It’s not a thing , Liam. This is just how I am. Sorry not all of us can have the natural personality of a damn Saint Bernard.”
Chuckling, I gently pull a lock of her hair. “If I’m a Saint Bernard then you’re a black cat. You’ve got a bad rep for your attitude but are secretly a little softie when you find your people.”
She huffs, waving me off when the barista greets her. They chat like two old friends. Hell, for all I know they are. Even when she steps forward, I stay right behind her. I don’t know what it is about this woman but something makes me want to break down those walls and see just how sweet she can be when she’s not on defense.
When Lark has ordered and there’s a lull in the conversation, I ignore my anxiety about interrupting and gently push her aside, offering my widest smile to the confused barista. “Can I please get an iced americano, a breakfast croissant with extra arugula, and whatever she’s having?”
The barista looks between Lark and I before smiling back at me just as wide. “Absolutely, Liam.” She turns to Lark. “Anything else for you, kiddo?”
Lark rolls her eyes, but I see a minute twitch to the corner of her lips that tells me she’s amused and trying to hide it. “A red, white, and blue scone please.”
After I pay for our breakfast, we move off to the side to wait. Lark opens her mouth, no doubt to sass me again, when the wind chimes clang, alerting everyone to a new arrival. The moment Lark lays eyes on the newcomer, her mouth closes as her eyes widen in obvious shock.
Turning around, I see a statuesque woman looking around the room with a sneer on her face. Coastal Coffee , like every other shop in town, subscribes to the beach aesthetic. Between the sky blue paint on the walls carefully dotted with clouds, tan tile floors that are made to look like sand, and driftwood shelves, it’s cute in a kitschy sort of way. Either way, the decor certainly isn’t worth the disdain dripping from this woman’s expression.
She’s classically pretty, with long legs and even longer blonde hair. But there are small things that remind me of some of the women I used to tattoo out in Hollywood. Brown roots peek out from under the blonde, and her tan is very much not real, judging by the orange tinge to her fingertips. She’s also in flashy designer everything, with labels prominently displayed. When her assessing gaze lands on me, a predatory gleam enters her eyes that makes me violently uncomfortable.
I scoot the barest inch closer to Lark, and the woman notices, tracking the movement with her dark brown eyes. I can tell the second she notices Lark at my side, because her lusty expression instantly lifts into something haughty as she clacks over on her scary-high stiletto heels.
Lark’s been eerily silent beside me, so I wrap an arm around her shoulder and glance down. The look on her face is a mixture of anger and sadness, and I have a feeling I just landed myself in the middle of something.
“Lark Monroe, is that you?” the stranger exclaims in a high-pitched tone. It almost sounds like she’s trying to feign excitement.
I tighten my arm around Lark, hoping it’s enough to lend her support for whatever the hell is happening right now. It seems to knock her out of her stunned silence and she clears her throat, plastering on a fake smile.
“Madisen! Wow, I almost didn’t recognize you with the blonde hair.” There’s an awkward pause where the women seem to appraise each other, and the look on Madisen’s face has my hackles raising.
“Yes, well. I felt like it was time for a change. My beau can’t seem to get enough of the new look, if you know what I mean.” She winks.
Internally, I grimace. This whole interaction reads like some weird, one-sided pissing match. I feel like I need to get Lark out of here, but don’t know how to do so without making things worse. All of a sudden there’s a hand on my arm, and I recoil.
“And who’s this?” Madisen purrs.
Lark goes stiff as a board next to me and pulls my arm tighter around her. My rusty manners kick in and I open my mouth to introduce myself when we’re interrupted by yet another new arrival. Only this one has the girl under my arm practically vibrating with tension. If I wasn’t holding her, I would have no idea she was affected because her face is a stone mask of indifference.
“Baby!” Madisen squeals, throwing her arms around the man I’m assuming is the beau she was referencing.
Lark chokes, looking between the two with disbelief written across her expression.
The man hears her and stiffens, his face going white as a sheet when he lays eyes on my friend. “Lar.”
Madisen’s eyes go big, but something about the action screams disingenuous. Almost like she knew this was going to happen. “Lark, you know my Jakey?”
I swear I feel Lark growl, but the girl has a damn good poker face. At least until she pastes on a sickly sweet smile. “Oh yeah, Jakey and I go way back. Don’t we?”
The man clears his throat and casually slides his sunglasses down over his eyes, doing his best to seem indifferent to the blonde beauty at my side. But the longer these three talk the more I’m able to piece things together.
Lark said she moved back home after her ex dumped her and finding out he was cheating, and I’d bet my next week’s commission that this is the asshole in question. The question is, why is he here in Echo Cove, and why does seeing him with this girl have Lark so rattled?
Madisen plays the airhead and ignores all the tension, smiling brightly and showing off nearly perfect teeth that are just a touch too white. “Jake has some business in Seattle so I figured I’d bring him home to meet Mommy and Daddy! We’re here for the next two weeks, isn’t that exciting?” She playfully hits Lark on the arm. “We used to dream about bringing fiancés home to meet our parents when we were in high school, huh, Larky?”
I can tell it’s taking everything for Lark to stay calm, but luckily the intruders don’t wait for an answer. Jacob tries to pull his fiancé away but Madisen stops him, stamping her foot like a toddler when he tries again.
“Jakey, stop . I never got to meet Larky’s friend here.” She holds out a manicured hand that I ignore. Her smile slips a bit before she fixes it firmly back in place, flipping her pin-straight hair over her bare shoulder. “Madisen King. It’s a pleasure to meet you…”
“Liam Blackwell,” I grunt. The less I have to talk to this chick, the better. Suddenly, an idea comes to me, almost cracking my blank mask. If I can pull this off, not only will it help me get to know my little cactus better, but they say the best revenge is moving on.
A smile finally trips my lips, and I reach a hand out to Jake. He seems confused but shakes my hand anyway, and that’s when I drop the bomb. “Lark’s boyfriend.”
All three of them gape at me in shock, but I just grin like this whole situation isn’t making me anxious. Clearly every shred of dignity and common sense left the building the moment I felt like Lark was in trouble, and I’m not sure what that says about my feelings for her.
The asshole recovers first, sneering at my girl. “Clearly you aren’t all that devastated then, hmm, Lar?”
That must knock her out of her stunned silence because she smirks back at her ex and looks up at me with mischief shining in her powder blue eyes. “What can I say? Me and Liam reconnected when I came home and just…clicked.”
Despite the lightness in her eyes, I can tell from the way she clings to me this is hard for her, so I play along, smiling down at her. I let all the confusion I’ve had over my feelings for her drop, hoping the only visible emotion on my face is my absolute awe of this woman.
Her beautiful eyes glitter but it’s hard to pick out any single emotion when so many are flashing through them. It doesn’ t seem like she’s upset, so hopefully I haven’t ruined any chance at a friendship with her by inserting myself in her business.
Without looking away from Lark, I speak to the couple in front of us. “I wasn’t looking for a relationship when I met my girl, but then I saw her and for me it was love at first sight. It just took her a while to catch up.” I wink, smirking.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Madisen’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise even as she glances to her fiancé in suspicion. “Well isn’t that just precious . How long have you two been together?”
My grin grows even wider but I still don’t take my eyes off Lark when I respond. “Oh I only officially convinced her to be mine yesterday, but we’ve known each other for years.”
Bringing Lark’s hand up to my mouth, I lay a gentle kiss on the back, holding eye contact and vehemently ignoring the sparks that stem from my lips on her skin and make their way through my body. With that I finally glance up to see Jake nearly steaming with rage. His face is all red and blotchy, and even the tips of his ears are bright red.
“Liam, your order is ready!”
The barista’s interruption couldn’t have been timed better, so I give Lark a quick squeeze and offer a condescending smile to the couple. “That’s us. It was so nice meeting both of you, truly. But we’ve got to go if we’re going to have time to do your tattoo, right, pretty girl?”
Lark nods, a small smile on her pretty pink lips as she turns to me. She shocks the hell out of me when she trails her fingers up my chest and pops up to kiss me on the cheek, sending another round of shivers through my overstimulated body.
“Right! Plus, I’ve been waiting to get your hands on me for years .” She glances towards the shell-shocked couple in front of us and winks salaciously. “For the tattoo, I mean. Liam is a practically a god with his ink.”
“Nice meeting you!”
I end the conversation by turning to grab our coffees and food, but I notice Madisen pull Lark aside and say something. I can’t hear the exact words, but the shrill tone of her voice and the sneer on her face let me know it’s probably nothing nice.
Lark spins around with a satisfied smile and sashays to the front door, holding it open with a smile as I approach. Her eyes don’t leave me and she seems to be completely oblivious to the way her ex is staring after her. The undivided attention stirs some primal instinct that demands she not look at any man other than me .
I’m in so much fucking trouble.