Chapter 16 #3
Liv brushed her wet hair enough to get the majority of the tangles out and then put it up in a messy bun.
She couldn’t remember the last time a shower had felt so good.
The manager at the Crystal Ballroom claimed the air conditioner was on, but it certainly hadn’t felt like it.
Less than half an hour after arriving to set up, her shirt had been glued to her back.
And more than once, she’d ducked into the restroom to apply additional deodorant.
Despite the uncomfortable temperature, the event had been a success.
More than one of the Maine Writers’ Guild members had asked for a business card, and after the party, Sheila, the guild’s president, had pulled her aside and let her know how pleased she’d been with everything, from the food to the staff.
Sheila had also promised not only to leave a review but also to pass along the catering company’s name to Linda Rose, who always organized a holiday party for her company in December.
Cell phone in hand, Liv switched off the bedroom light and retreated to the living room where she’d left the air conditioner on full blast. While the setting would make the kitchen and living room colder than she’d prefer if she did that and left the bedroom door open, her room would be cool enough to sleep in later tonight.
Since she’d been alone, she’d spent the last few nights rewatching the most recent season of Starting Point.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d either missed or forgotten from when she binge-watched the season with her friends.
Liv’s plan was to watch three more episodes tonight and the final two tomorrow morning before Matt and his brother got home.
After a slight detour into the kitchen, Liv turned on the television, ready to see Lucinda, her least favorite character in the show, not show up to her wedding.
Even before she watched the episode the first time, she’d suspected Lucinda wouldn’t go through with the marriage.
The character was a gold digger who was always on the hunt for a richer man.
Still, Liv hadn’t expected her to leave town the day of the wedding when there was a church full of people expecting her.
Despite knowing the events on the screen weren’t real, a combination of pity and anger washed over her as she watched first Nick check his watch while standing with his best man and then Lucinda board an airplane. Just as Nick tried calling Lucinda, Liv’s phone rang.
Matt hadn’t specified a time; instead, he’d promised to call when he got back to his hotel. Unless the wedding had been in the morning, it seemed too early for him to be calling now.
For a moment, she considered letting it go to voicemail since getting through three episodes was already in jeopardy, because while the shower had woken her up a little, she was still exhausted.
On the off chance it was someone she wanted to talk to, though she flipped the phone over.
When she saw the name “Emma,” she pressed Pause on the remote.
“I thought you and Brian were going away this weekend?” she asked.
“We were supposed to, but he woke up with some kind of stomach bug. He can’t keep anything down.”
She’d gone through something similar earlier in the year. In her case, it had lasted almost two days. Even after the worst had passed, she’d survived on plain dry toast and Pedialyte for a few days.
“That stinks.”
“You’re telling me. We had tickets to Fenway tonight, and tomorrow we were going on a cruise around Boston Harbor.”
Although they were both avid Red Sox fans, neither had ever been to Fenway Park, and it was on both their bucket lists.
“It’s only July. There’s still time for you guys to go.”
Liv didn’t know when they stopped the harbor cruises, but baseball season didn’t end for a while.
“I know, but we had great seats. Brian has a friend with season tickets. Since he wasn’t using them this weekend, he sold them to Brian for half the price they’d usually cost. He might not be willing to do that again.”
She’d looked at ticket prices and knew that even the crappy seats were expensive.
“But I didn’t call to complain,” Emma said. “What are you up to? I know Matt’s not back yet.”
“Watching television and trying to stay cool.”
“Do you want to meet me at Mack’s? Back Bay is playing tonight.”
She enjoyed listening to Back Bay, a rock band out of Boston that played at clubs and bars around New England. If she weren’t so tired, she would head over to Mack’s.
“Sorry, I have just enough energy left to get from the sofa to my bed.”
Perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, but she didn’t have it in her to put on real clothes and leave her apartment.
“But if you want to come here and watch TV, you’re welcome.”
“Hanging out at your place is better anyway, since it means I don’t have to change. Do you want me to bring anything?”
“Only if there’s something you want.”
When she opened the door ten minutes later, she wasn’t surprised to see Emma dressed in a T-shirt she’d bought during their trip to Orlando a few years ago and striped sleep shorts.
“I wasn’t sure if you had any.” Emma held up a container of ice cream.
She hadn’t been craving ice cream, but now that it was in front of her, she was glad Emma had brought some with her. “Nope. My kitchen is a little bare. Do you want some now or later?” Liv wasn’t quite ready for something sweet, but that didn’t mean Emma needed to wait.
“Let’s hold off on the ice cream. I ate dinner not long before I called you. But I will have something to drink.”
“You know where everything is.” Emma and Phoebe knew to treat her apartment as if it were theirs.
“Do you want anything?” Emma asked as she headed into the kitchen.
“I’m all set for now.”
“So, what are we watching?”
“Starting Point. I’ve been rewatching season three since Matt left. I have five episodes left. I hoped to get in three tonight and the last two tomorrow morning. But we can watch something else.”
Emma snatched a cheese square from Liv’s plate before she sat. “Nah, that works for me. I’ve been wanting to restart the season, and Brian’s not a fan of the show.”
She’d expected that to be Emma’s response.
“What time will Matt be back tomorrow?” Kicking off her sneakers, Emma tucked one foot under her.
If they were going to get through three episodes tonight, they needed to get started, so Liv pressed Play on the remote. “His plane lands in Bangor at ten. His brother is coming too.”
“Wasn’t his brother just here?”
On the screen, Nick thanked everyone in the church for coming before explaining that Lucinda had left town and there wouldn’t be a wedding. If she hadn’t known it was fictional, she would’ve believed Nick truly loved her and was heartbroken. The man’s acting was that good.
“Theo was here. Aiden is flying back with him.”
Emma helped herself to another piece of cheese as she nodded. “That’s right. I forgot you told me he has two brothers. They’re twins, right?”
“Identical. I’m not sure how long he’s staying.”
“Did?”
The opening chords to “Loving You” interrupted her.
Pausing the television again, she grabbed her phone. “It’s Matt.”
“I’ll get the ice cream while you talk to him.”
“Are you back at your hotel already?” she asked after greeting him.
“No, but I wanted to let you know I won’t be back tomorrow.”
“Oh.” A tiny part of her had feared he wouldn’t come back despite his reassurances. Still, hearing him say the words was like a slap to the face. “Okay.”
Should she ask where he was going and when he’d be back or let it go?
“My dad called a little while ago. My mom was in a car accident earlier today.”
Concern instantly replaced the dread his initial comment created. “Oh no. Is she okay?”
“Dad said she’s doing okay but needs surgery. He wouldn’t lie, but I still want to visit her. Aiden’s coming with me.”
Liv understood Matt’s reasoning, and in his shoes, she’d do the same thing.
“I don’t think I’ll be gone for too long.”
“Don’t worry. I get it. Family first. I’d want to see for myself that my mom was okay too.”
“Feel free to stay at my house if you want.”
Matt had made the same offer before he left for Virginia. And as lovely as it would be to have central air and access to a pool, she’d stay at her apartment because being at his house alone would be too odd.
“Hopefully, I’ll have an idea of when I’ll be back when I call tomorrow.”
Ending the call, Liv picked up the bowl of ice cream Emma had brought in for her.
“Everything okay?” Emma asked, a spoonful almost to her mouth.
“Change in plans. Matt’s mom was in an accident, so he’s flying to California tomorrow.”
“That makes sense. How badly was she injured?”
Scooping up some ice cream, Liv made sure to also get some of the whipped cream too. “She needs surgery, but Matt’s dad told him she’ll be fine.”
“Did he say how long he’ll be out there?”
“He wasn’t sure. He thinks he’ll have a better idea tomorrow.”
The peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream melted in her mouth, and she scooped up more before she even swallowed. Peanut butter and chocolate were meant to go together, and she’d argue with anyone who told her differently.
“Look at it this way. Now you have more time to spend with me.”
Emma had a point, and Liv would never complain about spending time with her best friend.