Chapter 59
LIAM
It had happened—London Walker had realized that things had been getting real and she was distancing herself from me as a result. I called it, alright.
What I didn’t do, however, was call her out on it.
At the moment, she was going back and forth with herself about wanting to get close to me versus stopping any emotional connection between us.
I knew what she was doing and why, but if I was being honest with myself, it was becoming fucking exhausting.
All along, I’d known that I was several steps ahead of her in the feelings department and I wasn’t about to just give up. But God Almighty, it was frustrating to know that I’d choose her over and over again but I had to wait and see if she would ever choose me.
Lorelei wrapped her arm around London’s as we walked into the games night, using her free hand to motion discreetly at a group of guys standing around the kitchen counter. Although they were a few steps away from us, I could hear what she said when she bent her head closer to London.
“If you want to go shopping, Daniel, that’s the blond one, and Xavier, the cheeky redhead, are single. Have fun.”
I felt a frown overtaking my entire face, wondering if she would actually go over there. She and I were in a weird place right now, but we were over the part where we hit on other people. That was the first thought that popped into my head.
But I was wrong.
London stopped walking to observe the guys from a distance. Then she turned to Lori and smiled. “Thanks. I like cheeky redheads. I might just go see how Xavier’s doing tonight.”
Without even a look back at me over her shoulder, she took off toward the kitchen and my mouth just about dropped open. What the fuck?
“That’s okay, man,” Jerry said from my side. “I have someone awesome I’d like to introduce you to. I met her while you guys were in Texas and I knew immediately that you’d hit it off with her. Come on.”
He grabbed my shoulder and started pulling me with him, and after a beat of trying to decide if I should resist, I finally let myself move with him. The house we were at tonight was smaller than the place where the barbecue had been held, but it was also a lot more cozy.
Everything was open concept and spacious, the flow easy from the front door, to the living and dining areas, to the kitchen and the entertainment area beyond.
The lights had been dimmed for ambiance, but they were bright enough that I could see London march fearlessly over to that Xavier dude and introduce herself to him.
My teeth ground so hard that my head started hurting. Jerry clapped me on the back and stopped walking, waiting for me to look at him. When I did, there was a serious gleam in his eyes and a worried knit to his brow.
“Hey, man. Leave her be. This chick I’m about to introduce you to really is awesome. You’re going to love her. She’s a lot like London, actually. Hell, for a lot of the guys here, she is their London. Give it a chance?”
I exhaled slowly, my gaze roaming around the first floor of the house as I made my decision. Once again, the people Jerry had brought us to seemed pretty cool, friendly and open to inviting outsiders in.
Laughing with a group of guys in the corner was a raven-haired girl with the body of a wasp and the smile of a porn star. Her lips were shiny and full, but the sound of her laughter carried across the room, easy, melodic, and feminine.
She pretended to kick one of the guys in the shin and rolled her eyes, and suddenly, I knew this was the chick Jerry meant to introduce me to.
He followed my gaze and confirmed my suspicion.
“That’s Bailey. She grew up in Alabama and we met her at a beach party this weekend.
Lori couldn’t stop raving about her. Last girl she hit it off with that well was London. ”
I drew in a deep breath and finally dropped my chin in a nod. “Alright. I suppose there’s no harm in meeting the girl. Let’s go.”
Jerry chuckled. “There he is.”
He patted me on the shoulder and took off toward the group, introducing me to everyone—including Bailey.
She smiled as she stuck her hand out toward me.
“The infamous Liam Jones. You know, I’ve only spent a couple hours with your friends and I already feel like I know everything there is to know about you.
It’s nice to be able to put a face to the name. ”
“Did they tell you that I’m deathly afraid of kombucha?” I asked with a smile, but my heart was just really not in it.
Bailey eyebrows swept up and her smile widened. “Really? I can relate. If you ask me, that stuff comes straight from the devil himself. There’s no way humans are meant to ingest it.”
I chuckled and released her hand after giving it a brief shake. “We’re probably in the minority about that opinion. I wouldn’t say it too loud if I was you.”
“Let them argue.” She took a quick look around as if she was searching for the hordes coming after her with pitchforks, but when none came, she turned her ebony gaze back to mine. “Nah. I think we’re okay. Do you want to grab a drink, Liam Jones?”
I nodded and followed her to the kitchen, realizing that Jerry had been right about her. She did seem pretty awesome, and if London and I hadn’t started what we had, I definitely would’ve been interested in getting to know Bailey in a whole different way.
As things were though, I reckoned I’d get to know her as a friend. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see London was enjoying getting to know Xavier too. I just didn’t know if her intentions were as platonic as my own.
“So,” I said as she handed me a beer. “I heard you’re from Alabama. How long have you been in Miami?”
“It’ll be three years this summer,” she said, cracking open her own beer instead of handing it over to me to do it.
“Wow. You’ve got three years on me, then. How’re you liking it so far? I’m not sure yet if I’m staying, but I’m trying to get a feel for the place.”
She shrugged and smiled with full lips as she thought about it.
“You should stay. I think you’re going to grow to love it here.
I sure have. I still miss home, and whenever I have a visit planned, I get ultra excited, but then I get there and I find myself counting down the minutes until I can come back. ”
“I know exactly what you’re talking about,” I said, chuckling as my head shook. “I haven’t even been here very long, and once I knew there was a trip planned back to Texas, I couldn’t wait.”
“And then you got there?”
“And then I got there.” I lifted my bottle to hers and she clinked with me. Looking right into my eyes, she took a long sip.
“So, Liam Jones.” She flashed me a knowing half-smile as she jerked her head in London’s direction. “What’s going on with you and that blonde you keep sneaking glances at when you think I won’t notice?”
“You noticed, huh?”
She laughed and arched an eyebrow at me. “Boy, I would’ve had to be blind not to. She’s obviously not your girlfriend or you wouldn’t be over here with me, but there’s something there.”
“Maybe,” I said. “It could also be nothing. She’s just a friend.”
“You know, Liam. I have many friends. Some have looked at me the way you’re looking at her right now. I’ve even looked back at them that way myself. Whatever is going on between you, she’s not just an anything.”
I sighed. “You may not be wrong about that, but it takes two to tango.”
“Only takes one to rip off that band-aid and be honest about the fact that friendship isn’t enough anymore.”
“Right again.” I glanced at her and smiled. “I’ve already done that, though. At least, I’ve started to. I can’t move too fast or she’ll bolt.”
Bailey brought her beer closer to her lips, a devilish smile spreading on them. “Well, you let me know how that works out for ya, Liam Jones. It might not feel like it to you right now, but there are plenty of other fish in the sea. When you finally figure out what exactly she is to you, call me.”
“I’ll do that.” Before I could even ask for her number, Jerry and his friends started pushing furniture against the walls, and the next thing I knew, we were all sitting down on the carpet in the living room.
“We’re going to play truth or dare,” Lorelei announced, grinning at Jerry and the guy the house belonged to. “Unless you’re all too chicken.”
“This game is so high school,” London complained lightly as she went to stand beside Lori, who smiled at her and shrugged.
“That’s why it’s so fun,” she said. “Now sit your ass down and let’s do this.”
Somehow, I found myself next to Xavier while London was with Lori and Jerry at the other side of our circle. Not that it mattered. She’d been putting distance between us all day. This was nothing compared to the emotional walls she was putting up.
Jerry’s friend kicked the game off with a lame truth question and then we were off, laughing like teenagers and cringing at some of the dares that came out.
Xavier had to suck on an actual egg—this had been from Bailey.
The woman herself had to stand on one leg while belting out a girl-power anthem of her choice, and after that, Lorelei had to speak truthfully about what her first impressions of Jerry had been.
Around and around we went until finally, one of Xavier’s friends targeted London. She smirked at him. “Dare.”
“Fine. I dare you to kiss the guy in this circle you would most like to go out on a date with.” He winked at her and my heart started pounding.
As I watched her slowly get up, I had no doubts that she would choose me, and frankly, I couldn’t wait for it to happen. Just as I’d thought, once she was standing, she came directly toward me, but at the last second, she turned to her left and went to Xavier.
My heart dropped to my stomach. Wow. Okay then. The last few weeks really have meant nothing to her.
As it always seemed to go with her, I was just another guy that she was ready to shut herself off from. For some absurd reason, I turned to watch as she leaned down and brushed her lips across Xavier’s cheek. Batting her eyelashes at him, she pulled away.
It was like she wasn’t even aware I was right there, and honestly, even if she was into him, I couldn’t believe she’d done that right in front of me. My blood started simmering in my veins, everything inside turning to stone.
I was officially done playing nice. In fact, I was done playing at all.