All or nothing (Love in chaos #1) - Missy Johnson Page 0,68

make it up to you later…”

I pull into the parking lot beside the restaurant where the party is being held and weave along the rows of cars, trying to find a free spot. Even if Liv didn't know about the party, she'd be wondering by now, because the only free space I can find is right next to her mom's car. Liv finds it hilarious.

“If she knew you ruined her big surprise—”

“That’s not fair,” I protest, texting her mom to tell her that we’re here. “You know I can’t keep secrets from you.”

We get out of the car and start walking. Liv’s hand grips mine as we near the entrance.

“Let’s just get this over with,” she mutters. “You know I hate being the center of attention.”

“Then you’re probably going into the wrong profession,” I point out.

She makes a face at me. “Someone has to keep you in line.”

Liv—still in college—has one more year left until she starts law school. I know part of the reason she wants to study law has to do with that creep who took advantage of her back in high school. Awhile after we got back from the cruise, she spoke with a counselor who encouraged her to speak to the police. Unfortunately, with the time that had passed and the statute of limitations, there was little that could be done.

Whatever the reason behind her decision to go into law, I know her sharp eyes and clever tongue will rip her opponents to shreds. She has the quick wit and mental acuity to take on any challenge, one of the many things I love about her. Which is why I’m ready to make her my wife.

“Ready?” I ask.

“No.”

I chuckle and push through the door anyway.

“Surprise!”

Liv clings to me as people jump out from everywhere. My phone chimes amidst the commotion. I let go of Liv’s hand as people step forward to embrace her and step back to check the message. It’s from Liv's father, telling me his flight was delayed and now he’s stuck in traffic.

“Who is it?” Liv asks.

“Claudia,” I say, thinking on my feet.

We’d invited Claudia along, since it’s her birthday too, and she has nobody to celebrate it with. Well, aside from the dog who she took full custody of about six months ago. The two of them are inseparable, and I'm glad I could do a little something to make an old girl happy.

Liv’s eyes shift to someone behind me. Her mouth dropping open.

“Oh my God! Jake, what happened?”

I turn, my eyes widening when I see Jake approaching. Liv reaches for him, dabbing at his busted lip and bruised eye socket. I frown, because although I knew Jake would be here, we still weren’t back to where we were by any stretch of the imagination.

To his credit, he had been working hard to try and fix some of the damage he caused. Mason, being the good guy he is, forgave him for blackmailing him, but I’m not sure I’m there yet.

“Nothing,” Jake mutters, gently coaxing Liv away. “I'm fine.”

Her reaction shows what an amazing person she is. Even though she and her brother still aren’t on the best terms either, her first instinct is to help him.

“You're not fine. Did someone attack you?” she demands. “What's going on?”

“You should see the other guy,” he jokes.

Liv frowns and glances at me. She has this way of looking at me that lets me know exactly what she's thinking. I nod and kiss her on the cheek.

“Jake, can you do me a favor and take me to pick up Claudia?” I ask.

He blinks at me. “Uh, yeah. Okay.”

I take Jake's elbow, steering him away from the crowd and back towards the coat check, taking my almost finished drink with me. Once we’re safely outside and in his car, I grab the ice from my glass, place it into a clean handkerchief and hand it to him. He presses it to his face, wincing as I place the glass in the glove compartment for safe keeping.

“Okay, no bullshit,” I tell him. “What happened?”

Jake sighs. “I tracked down Mr. Handon,” he admits. My eyes widen at his words. “Things might have gotten heated.”

“I'll bet,” I murmur. “What were you thinking?”

“I guess I wasn’t?” he sighs. “It’s Liv’s birthday, and I started thinking about how fucked my relationship is with both of you. And then I started thinking that it was all his fault. That son of a bitch messed around with Liv, and he's probably done it