Chapter 73
LIAM
As I climbed out of the shower, the first I’d had in days, I knotted a towel around my hips and I had to admit, I was feeling a little more functional now that I wasn’t covered in an oily layer of depression and grief.
Losing her had been hard, even harder than I’d thought it might be and I’d been expecting the worst, but at least I didn’t smell like the inside of a hairy armpit anymore. Any change was bound to be an improvement.
I strode out of my bathroom and walked over to my closet, still not sure about what I was about to do, but I couldn’t not do it either. Today was the day I was having lunch with my dad, and as apprehensive as I was, I knew I had to get on with life eventually.
This was what that looked like—forcing my ass out of bed and having a meal with the man who currently owned my future.
All week after I’d gotten back to Houston, I’d been so upset about everything that had gone down with London that I could barely breathe at times.
I didn’t really talk to anyone, distracting myself by reading my new books in my bedroom and blasting not-sad music.
Anything I could stand to listen to that wasn’t depressing had made it onto my playlist, so long as there was never silence.
Zachary and Bryce had knocked a few times, trying to talk to me, but I kept telling them I was busy. While I didn’t blame them for what had happened, I didn’t want to talk about it.
London didn’t love me. Or even if she did, she didn’t love me enough to need me in her life. That sucked.
Fuck, I’d needed that girl around me for at least the last decade. Everything was lighter, better, and more fun when she was around. Food was more flavorful, I did my job better, I was more creative, and confident, and outgoing, and I could find a way to enjoy just about anything.
I couldn’t go back knowing that she didn’t need me too. When I reached my closet, I looked over the last few options available to me and eventually chose a pair of khaki shorts and the underwear with the least amount of holes in them.
As I put them on, I glimpsed my phone lying on my nightstand. I’d had a few missed calls and texts from her, but I hadn’t returned the calls or read the texts.
I knew they could be about work, which made me feel slightly guilty, but not enough to actually call her back. London had gutted me, and besides, I didn’t want to keep playing her games. I couldn’t. I didn’t have it in me.
Giving up wasn’t in my blood, but I was doing it now. I was letting her go, and unfortunately, that meant that I had to leave her and her family’s company, and go be with my father like I promised I would if it all went to hell.
Well, it’s officially gone to hell, so…
I exhaled a long, heavy breath as I pulled on one of my last clean T-shirts. I hadn’t taken everything I’d owned to Miami, but I’d pretty much worked my way through all the clothes I’d left here.
Tomorrow morning, I’d either have to find the will to do laundry, or I’d have to go shopping. Neither of those things were very appealing to me. Thankfully, that’s a tomorrow problem. I don’t have to deal with it today.
As I was fastening my watch, my phone started ringing and trepidation crept through me. As did a horrible pang of longing. God, I want it to be her. I also wouldn’t be able to stand it if it is. How is it possible to feel both of those things so intensely at the same time?
I strode over to the nightstand and my heart stammered when I saw it was her father calling, but not her.
Talking to him was going to be almost as hard as it would be to speak to her, though.
That man had done so damn much for me, but if this meeting with my dad went well, I would be sending Nate my resignation by this afternoon.
Sighing heavily as I reached for it, I wished I had been able to set my conscience aside and just ignore him too, but I couldn’t do it. I cleared my throat, then hit answer. “Hey, Nate. I know I owe you an explanation and an apology, I just…”
“There’s no need for either of those things,” he said in that deep, fatherly timbre that he’d perfected probably before I’d even been born. “Abigail has been with London. She told us about what happened.”
My heart threatened to slam to stop and the tips of my ears grew hot with shock while the rest of me ran cold. “She did? Does that mean you’re firing me?”
“No, but I don’t want you to make any quick decisions either.
” He paused for a beat, but I knew he wasn’t done yet.
I’d been able to hear it, so I waited him out.
“London loves the hell out of you, son. She left Nashville the same morning you did and she’s barely gotten out of bed since.
She’s not eating. Abi’s been trying, but London is just too devastated to do much of anything right now. ”
“Which is exactly why I have to leave,” I said, even though it hurt like absolute, fiery hell to say the words.
“I need to just go work for my dad and let London heal so she can move on. Hopefully, she’ll find someone who doesn’t cause her so much confusion.
Someone she doesn’t have to go back and forth on so much. ”
“Liam—”
“I love her enough to let her go.” My stomach froze over and the part of my heart that had remained imploded, but none of that made it any less true.
“I want her to have everything she could ever want, and that’s not me.
I know that now. I gave it my best shot, but not every story has a happy ending. ”
“Son, go fix things with your dad. I spoke to him earlier this week and he was very excited that you called. Go have your lunch and start reconciling with him, but don’t let us go.
Don’t throw away your career in the process either.
London loves you, we love you, and I know you two will work through this. ”
“I don’t know about that.” Not this time. “I don’t think I’m what she needs, Nate.”
“You’re exactly what she needs and you both know it. You’re also exactly what I want for my girl, and that’s largely because of the way I know you love each other.”
I hesitated for a long beat, too scared to hope, but too hopeful to just let it go. “I’ll think about it.”
“If you decide you’re willing to stick around, call me. I have a plan.”
“Of course, you do.” I chuckled and drew in a deep breath. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll talk to you after. I won’t keep you hanging for too long.”
“Give my best to your dad. He really was happy to hear from you, son. I’m glad you reached out.”
After he hung up, I shook my head and wondered about what he’d said, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I had to meet my dad in ten minutes, and if he’d really been so excited, I didn’t want to be late.
We were meeting at a burger joint down the block from their house, and to my surprise, my always-too-busy father was already waiting when I arrived. What was more was that he grinned when he saw me walking in, rising to his feet and opening his arms to embrace me.
I couldn’t remember the last time he’d genuinely looked happy to see me, much less actually stand up to give me a hug. Apprehensive but deciding to roll with it, I let him pull me closer and gently thumped him on the back as we hugged.
“It was good of you to call, Liam,” he said, his voice a touch raspier in person than I remembered.
On the other hand, there were tiny hints everywhere that he was aging.
The wrinkles around his mouth were deeper, his eyes somehow a little sunken, and his skin seeming a little more papery.
It wasn’t so obvious as to be alarming, but it was a definite reminder of how long it’d been since I’d last seen him.
“How’re you doing, old man?” I asked as I slid into the chair on the opposite side of the booth from him. “You look alright.”
He chuckled. “That’s mighty kind of you to say, son, but we both know it’s not true. I look like hell. I feel better, though.”
“What exactly happened?” I realized in that moment that I’d never pumped my sister for details. All she’d said was that he’d had a health scare, had been in the hospital for a while, and had changed. “I’m ashamed that I don’t even really know.”
“Pneumonia nearly got me, the bastard, but I beat it.” He looked out at me through brown-green eyes, the same as my own except that I had blue where he had a deep, golden brown.
“Being cooped up in a hospital bed for so long really gave me time to think, though. I owe you an apology, Liam. Do you mind if I start with that?”
In an attempt to mask my surprise, I rolled my lips into my mouth, just staring back at him for a moment before I finally managed to speak. “I don’t mind, but uh, you do?”
“I do.”
Well, maybe Bella was right and he really has changed after all. He definitely seems kinder.
Part of me wanted to tell him not to bother with the apology. I didn’t need that, but I was curious to hear what he had to say. He smiled, eyes hooked on mine as he took a sip of his water and swallowed before continuing.
“I was hard on you, growing up.” A faraway sort of haze drifted across his eyes. “It’s funny, but my own dad was a tough nut to crack. I always told myself I wasn’t going to become like him, but I realized while I was in the hospital that what I became was even worse.”
He refocused on me. “I know I wasn’t supportive when you told me you wanted to go work for Nathan, but you need to know that I’m darn proud of what you’ve built, Liam. I’m also proud of the way you love that Walker girl and how you’ve found a way to stick with her no matter what.”
My eyes flew wide open. “You know about all that?”
“About how you’re loyal to the core and the best friend anyone could ask for? About how you’re the most dedicated employee Nate has got and so hardworking that sometimes, he worries about you? Yes, Liam. I know about all that. Your sister and Nathan have both been keeping me in the loop.”
I sighed. I hadn’t been expecting him to know anything about any of this, but I supposed I couldn’t be too surprised.
Bella worked for the man and he’d been Nathan’s friend most of his life.
Of course, they would’ve told him what was going on.
There was no reason to keep anything from him, then, so I decided to just go with the truth.
“Then you must also know that it’s all gone to hell in a handbasket. We had a deal, so I’m all yours.”
“We did have a deal.” He shrugged. “Only if it all really did blow up, though. That’s just not the way I see what has happened. It hasn’t blown up, Liam.”
“Really?” I frowned. “How do you see it, then?”
“Well, for starters, Nathan doesn’t want you to leave. He hasn’t let you go. So I need to consider that. You also haven’t failed over there, but even if you had, I don’t want you to feel forced to come work for me. Not anymore. There will always be a spot for you if you want it, though. Know that.”
My jaw felt a little unhinged. “And that was only for starters.”
He chuckled and inclined his chin. “There’s also your relationship with London. Love like that lasts a lifetime, son. It doesn’t just go away. Neither does the passion and the knack that you’ve obviously got for your job over there.”
“London might not agree with you on that,” I said, but I was starting to wonder if giving up was the right thing to do after all.
If both our fathers thought that we could and should go the distance, then how was I supposed to just let her go? I knew we could go the distance too. I just didn’t know if she wanted to, and that was where I ran into some trouble.
“Did they tell you what happened?” I asked cautiously. “Everything that happened?”
Dad hesitated before he nodded and dragged a hand through his solidly silver hair that used to be as dark as my own. “Son, we have all said things we don’t mean. Don’t hold her to that moment of weakness. If you love her, you have to go after her.”
I was so shocked at the ferocity in his tone that I almost fell off my chair, but by the time lunch was done, not only had I started healing my relationship with my father, I’d also decided to call Nathan back.
When he picked up, I took a deep breath, mentally grabbed my balls, and jumped right back in. “Alright, Pops. What’s your plan?”