Trusting Liam

  I started to say no when Liam looked directly into my eyes. “Kennedy,” he said in a tone that left no room for discussion—and to my horror, I followed him outside without another look at Mr. Smooth Talker.

  “What is wrong with you?”

  “Did you have fun throwing that temper tantrum?”

  My mouth popped open again as my eyes widened. “Are you fucking kidding me? Who the hell do you think you are? Liam, I haven’t even spent half a day with you between last year and Wednesday, you can’t just come in and act like you have any say in my life! And the fact that you think you can makes you look not only overly confident, but fucking creepy! You do. Not. Know. Me.”

  “I beg to differ,” his deep voice rumbled. His cocky smile had vanished as soon as we’d stepped outside, but the way his eyes were boring into mine made it clear he would do the last five minutes over again if given the chance.

  “What if I wanted to do something with that guy? What if I wanted to do something with any guy? You can’t stop me! You can’t just shove yourself into every conversation I have with a member of the opposite sex.”

  “Kira didn’t seem to mind.”

  “Kira’s delusional and wants us to be together!”

  Liam stepped close—too close. I stumbled back a step, but he put his hand around my waist and pulled me close enough that our chests were touching. “Tell me honestly: Did you want to go out with him tonight?” I immediately opened my mouth to respond, but he spoke before I could. “Honestly, Moon.”

  I stood there staring into his captivating eyes for a few seconds as I tried to figure out what to say. At that moment, I couldn’t even remember what he’d asked. All I could think of was the way his smell was putting me in a daze, and how familiar it felt being pressed up against him—and it shouldn’t have.

  “Moon,” he prompted again, and I shook my head as if to clear it.

  “No. I wouldn’t have gone out with him.”

  “So I helped you, then.”

  Placing my hands on his chest, I put the slightest pressure there and whispered, “Please let me go.”

  Liam immediately released me, but I didn’t move more than a couple feet from him.

  When I spoke, the anger and shock were gone from my voice, and I hated that I sounded disappointed. Because although it may have come across to Liam as being disappointed in him, I knew it was because I was somewhat upset that he’d actually let go of me. “Just because I would have said no, you did not have the right to answer for me. Liam, we don’t know each other. The way you acted in there . . .” I trailed off as I tried to find the right words. “It was too much . . . it was too much for me. All it did was confirm why I do not want to have anything to do with you.”

  Liam nodded a few times, but the intensity in his eyes never died. “I know, Kennedy.”

  I stared at him for a moment longer, then turned to go back inside without saying another word. I couldn’t figure out how to say good-bye, or how to ask him to leave me alone when all I wanted was to be held by him again. A few feet from the door, Liam’s voice had me stopping abruptly.

  “He’s married.”

  Turning around, I looked back at him with my face pinched in confusion. “What?”

  “Jeff.” Liam gestured to the doors behind me. “The guy who was talking to you. He’s married.”

  My head jerked back, and I turned to look at the windowed doors like Mr. ST would be standing right there. “No, he—he doesn’t wear a ring.”

  Liam huffed out a laugh when I was facing him again, and studied me for a few seconds before admitting, “It bothers me that you even checked, because I know that means a part of you was interested. But he is, in fact, married. I was actually there when he and his wife came in and signed up. And every weekend when I’m here sparring with my dad, they’re here together—and the wedding ring is back on. He always hits on the girls working the drink station.”

  “You’re serious?”

  He shot me a sympathetic smile, which quickly fell. “Like I was on Wednesday, I’m going to be completely honest with you. If you still want me to leave after, I will. A good friend of mine is having a party this weekend, and I was coming in here to ask if you and Kira wanted to come with me. When I heard Jeff, I just . . . well, I took it too far. I know. But I don’t like the guy, and didn’t like the way he was looking at you. The party isn’t even tonight, and before you say anything, I’m not going to ask you to go somewhere with me tonight.” Liam glanced at his watch and took a step back. “I only came over here to talk to you two, but now I have to get back to work. Talk to Kira, and if you want to go, let your uncle know. He’ll get ahold of me.”

  I just nodded and took another step toward the doors of the gym, but once again, he stopped me.

  “Kennedy.” When I looked back at him, I was surprised to find him looking unsure of himself. “Kira’s not the only one.” With that, he turned and got into his car and drove off; and I just stood there trying to figure out what he meant.

  It wasn’t until I was almost back to the drink station that I remembered what I’d said to Liam. “Kira’s delusional and wants us to be together!”

  As much as his parting words had my lips curving up into a smile, I knew that all they really meant was that I had to keep reminding Liam that nothing would come of us.

  June 5

  Liam

  I’D MADE IT back to work quickly, the entire time wondering why I hadn’t been able to leave Kennedy without that last confession. As if I hadn’t pissed her off enough in the minutes before, I knew those last words were going to make her avoid me if I ever saw her again.

  I knew I needed to tell Eli I’d tried, but doubted that the girls would go anywhere with me, though at that moment, I couldn’t figure out a good enough reason for why they would’ve said no. Instead of heading right to his office, I stepped into mine and bit back a groan as soon as I was inside.

  Leaving the door open, I took the few steps over to my desk and looked at the woman waiting for me in my chair.

  “Aren’t you going to shut the door?” she asked, her voice sultry as she ran a finger along the top of her low-cut shirt.

  “No. Not today, Cecily.”

  Her eyes widened and she blinked rapidly a few times before cracking a smile and laughing. “Funny.”

  “I’m serious, I need you to go.”

  Cecily’s face fell again; this time when she tried to cover it, there was worry in her eyes. “If you’re having a rough day, I can always help you out. You should know that by now.”

  Stepping back to the door, I gestured toward the hall outside my office. “You need to go.”

  “What is your deal the past week?” she asked, her tone harsh as she pushed away from the desk and stood to walk over to me. “I haven’t heard from you at all, and now that I’m here waiting for you, you’re just going to send me away like a damn dog?”

  I didn’t say anything, because there was nothing to say. Normally telling her to leave wouldn’t have been an issue, but it was obvious she knew things between us had ended if she was getting mad.

  After a few silent seconds of her waiting for a response, her eyebrows slanted down in frustration and she turned to leave my office.

  Not more than three seconds later, Eli came walking in doing a slow clap. “That was the best thing I’ve heard all week.”

  I scoffed and walked over to my desk to sit down, and he followed. “I guess it was time I start following office rules, or something.”

  “Or something.” Eli winked and leaned back to stretch in the chair. “So I just got a call from my nieces.”

  My head snapped up from where I’d been looking at my computer, and my eyebrows pulled together. “Did you?”

  “Why do you sound surprised? You were just with them.”

  “Uh . . .” Well, considering the conversation that just went down, I have every reason to sound surprised. “Not surprised, more interested in what they had to say. They didn’t exact
ly give me an answer.”

  “Really? She said you invited them to a party this weekend and told me to give you their numbers.”

  “And by ‘she,’ you mean . . . ?”

  Eli shot me a weird look and shrugged. “Kira. Why? Can you even tell the two apart yet?”

  Seeing how one of them always looked at me like she hated me, yeah, I could—but that was just another thing that Eli didn’t need to know. “Only when they have their name tags on, but I’m pretty sure your other niece isn’t my biggest fan.”

  “Ah, yeah. Kennedy’s very . . . cautious when it comes to men, I guess you could say.”

  “I hadn’t noticed,” I responded before I could stop myself. Eli just laughed.

  “Well, she definitely has her reasons. Give her a little while; she’ll come around. To be honest, I have a feeling you’ll connect with her more than with Kira,” he said as he stood and walked toward the door. “You two are a lot alike, and she’ll be good to have around you—I’m hoping she knocks your ego down a few notches.”

  If only he knew.

  “I’ll send you their numbers. Take care of them this weekend.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I waited until he was out of my office, then leaned back in my chair and blew out a relieved breath. Kennedy might not have called him, but Kira wouldn’t have known to call Eli if Kennedy hadn’t told her about this weekend. Whether or not Kennedy was ready, or wanted it, I was going to chase the girl who was already consuming my mind.

  6

  June 11

  Kennedy

  “WHY DO I have a feeling you won’t be ordering anything, and you would rather be talking to my sister than to me?”

  I turned around from where I was washing a few blenders with my forehead scrunched in confusion, but my face immediately fell when I saw Liam standing on the other side of the counter from Kira. Both of them were staring at me with expectant expressions—though somehow Kira’s seemed a little more hopeful.

  After hanging out twice with Liam and his friends last weekend, and then meeting up with him and a few other friends at a bar on Wednesday, it was safe to say that my attempts at keeping Liam away were failing. Not just failing. “Crashing and burning a fiery death” would be a better way of describing them, because Liam still wasn’t stopping his advances, which meant he wasn’t getting too discouraged, if at all. And, unfortunately for me, I wanted the advances to stop just as bad as I wanted them to continue.

  I was a mess.

  “Kennedy?”

  “What?” I asked quickly when I was brought back to the present.

  Kira’s lips curved up in triumph, and she gestured behind her. “Liam’s inviting us to a bonfire tonight.”

  “Ah. That’s nice. I’m tired, but thanks for asking, I’m sure Kira will have fun.”

  Liam’s expectant expression didn’t falter, and I was left wondering if he believed anything I said and did around him—as I had so many times over the last week and a half. No matter how many times I told him I didn’t want to be with him, stepped away from him when he got too close, flirted with his friends, and acted as if he was nothing more than a nuisance, he seemed to always look at me with an expression that let me know it was only a matter of time until I stopped pretending.

  “Oh, I’m sure I will . . . just like I’m sure you will too.”

  My eyes shifted to my sister and narrowed. “I’m not going.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  Kira turned to look at Liam and flashed him a smile. “We’ll be there.”

  Liam nodded at her, and slowly walked around the circular drink station. I knew when he stopped directly behind me, but I refused to turn and look at him until he said my name.

  “Moon,” his deep voice rumbled, and I shut my eyes and quickly prayed for strength.

  Turning around, I kept my annoyed expression as I waited for whatever he would say. When nothing else came from him, I repeated, “I won’t be going tonight.”

  A sly smile crossed his face as he nodded and backed away—like my one sentence had been the only thing he needed to hear from me. “See you tonight, then,” he said confidently.

  “Liam!” I harshly whispered when he turned. “I said I won’t.”

  “Heard you the first time, Moon,” he called over his shoulder, and I stood there with my mouth open as I watched him leave.

  “Why does he do that?” I asked when Kira stepped up beside me. “Why does he act like he knows me so damn well?”

  Kira sighed, but she sounded annoyed. “Probably because when it comes to Liam Taylor, you’re kind of transparent.”

  “I am not transparent. I tell him exactly what he needs to know . . . that I don’t want him or to be near him.”

  “You may say those words and have the body language, but nowhere in the tone of your voice or in your eyes do they agree with what your lips say. Or, at least, I think that’s how Liam put it last weekend.”

  My head whipped to the side, and I shot her a look. “He said that? When?”

  Kira still wasn’t facing me, her forehead was scrunched in confusion and she was mouthing what she’d just told me. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s how he said it.”

  “When, Kira?”

  “On Sunday after that party at his friend’s resort or whatever it was. You were your normal bitchy self when we were leaving, and I started to apologize to him, but he just laughed and said that.”

  “Seriously?”

  Kira’s only response was to raise her eyebrows in confirmation. “Besides, he knows just as well as you and I do that you will be at the bonfire tonight. No matter how much you want him to stay away from you, you can’t stay away from him.”

  “That’s not true, Kira, and I only end up going to all these places because I don’t want to be left at the condo alone!”

  She turned and elbowed me when someone cleared their throat near the register. “Keep telling yourself that when you’re with him tonight,” she said as she walked away to help the customer.

  “I must say, I’m surprised you’ve held out this long.”

  I turned back to find Kristi standing in front of me, exactly where Liam had just been. “What?”

  “With Liam.”

  My brows slanted down over my eyes, and I shook my head once. “I don’t—what?”

  Kristi smiled and rolled her eyes. “It’s not hard to see that he has his eyes set on you. Anyone could’ve seen it from that first day he ran into you here. I’m going to be straight with you and tell you that for him, girls are more of a . . . when-he-wants-them type of thing. And Liam is incapable of loving anyone who isn’t family.”

  “I don’t believe in love.”

  “Well then, looks like the two of you would be perfect if you wanted to be with him, and if he was the kind of guy who did relationships. But I can honestly say, I haven’t seen a girl turn him down since sometime in high school. Once he has his mind set on a girl, it’s only a matter of seconds before he has her. It’s disgusting, really. But like I said, I’m surprised you’ve held out this long.”

  Lovely. “Well, I won’t be giving—”

  “We’ve all made bets.”

  “I’m sorry . . . what? Who has?”

  “Everyone who works here,” she said matter-of-factly. Like the fact that they were bidding on my will to continue pushing away her brother was nothing more than what day of the week it was.

  “Well, I hate to break it to everyone, but it won’t be happening. Your brother already knows that.”

  Kristi drummed her hands against the countertop for a few seconds before backing away and saying in a singsong voice, “If you say so!”

  As if I wasn’t already having my own problems trying to stay away from him, I now had every person I knew in California waiting for me to give up and give in. If only they knew I was doing it to protect myself because of a past that still felt too present . . .

  If only I could remember my reasons for nee
ding to stay away when he was near me.

  EIGHT HOURS LATER and I was at the fucking bonfire. And trust me . . . it wasn’t by choice. Honestly. Kira and I had sat down and had a long talk when we’d gotten home from work about why I couldn’t be with Liam—as well as why I wouldn’t be with him. Because as I’d come to find out while talking with her, there were differences between the two.

  Kira had actually seemed sympathetic once I laid it all out for her, and finally agreed to stop pushing the whole thing on me. An hour later, after more talking about work and California, she’d asked if I wanted to go out to dinner since our only other options were ordering in or going to the grocery store. We’d already ordered in almost every night that week, and on a Thursday night, grocery shopping was the last thing I wanted to do.

  Well, second to last, as I’d come to find out another thirty minutes later after we’d gotten ready and driven to the restaurant—a restaurant that at that moment was conveniently and suspiciously disguised to look like the beach with a bonfire not far in the distance.

  Unfortunately for me, Kira had immediately gotten out and taken the car keys with her.

  So I was now standing there surrounded by a few people I’d met over the previous week, and many others I was almost positive I’d never seen before. And what made it even better? Kira had taken off an hour before because Zane had called her, as I’d found out from Liam. Which meant that not only was I stuck at the beach until Liam gave me a ride home, I was also wondering if I actually loved or hated my twin, and contemplating all the ways to shatter and destroy her beloved phone. All the while trying not to go cross-eyed from the one-sided conversation I was a part of.

  “You look like you could use another one of these,” a gravelly voice said in my ear, and I turned to look up at Liam. He was standing just off to my side holding a beer in his hand, and right then I wouldn’t have cared if he were offering me sand. I would’ve taken anything from him if it meant I got a few seconds of distraction from the guy in front of me.