me carry my luggage into my apartment. I knew he was probably just as busy as I was, probably much more so, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t hurt.
I pushed him away and I had no right, but I still wanted him. I wanted him to tell me I was an idiot and that I was making a stupid decision. But he was smarter than that.
I walked into Rock Bottom and immediately saw Kennedy sitting at the bar. I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her, and she squealed as she looked over at her shoulder at me.
“Never leave me again.” She was so serious as she said it, but I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Never.”
I climbed onto the barstool next to her, and I waved at Chloe who was serving someone at the other end of the bar.
“I’m so freaking glad you’re home.” She took a sip of the soda that sat in front of her. “I need all the details.”
A bartender I didn’t recognize stood in front of me, and I quickly ordered a vodka soda.
“There aren’t really any details.” I looked around the restaurant, but I didn’t see Liam or Tucker.
“Says the vodka soda.” She was staring at me like she was dying for me to spill the tea.
I rolled my eyes at her. “It’s been a long day.”
“Sure.” She took another drink. “Tucker said Liam’s been extra moody since you all have been home.”
“What’s that got to do with me?” He hadn’t been extra moody when I left him. Sure, we had barely spoken the entire car ride home, but things were weird.
“Oh. I don’t know. You two have had so much sexual tension that it makes everyone around you a little hot and you’ve just spent a week alone together in fake love.”
“Whatever.” I took a long sip of my drink just as Chloe made her way over to us.
“Couldn’t you have at least gave Liam a blowy while you all were gone? He’s already getting on my damn nerves.”
I almost spit out my drink. “Really, Chloe?”
“Oh my God. You did?” She stopped wiping down the bar and looked at me with pure delight on her face.
“No. I didn’t.” I answered quickly. Too quickly. It even sounded like a lie to me.
“You’re lying.” Kennedy pointed at me, and she looked as tickled as Chloe. “I can always tell when you’re lying.”
I didn’t want to lie to her again, but I also didn’t want either of them to make a big deal out of it. Because it wasn’t a big deal. What happened, happened and that was the end of it. We didn’t need to hash out all the naughty details.
Or any of the other details for that mattered.
“It isn’t important.” I tried to wave them off, but they weren’t having any of it.
“Isn’t important?” Kennedy looked at Chloe before looking at me. “You always give me the deets and now that it’s with Liam fucking Gentry, you’re going to hold out on me?”
“Will you please keep your voice down?” I looked behind us, but there still wasn’t a sign of him.
“He’s here.” Chloe nodded toward the back of the restaurant. “In his office, if you want me to get him.”
“No.” I put my hand on top of hers to stop her.
She and Kennedy both looked up at me.
“Oh shit. You caught feelings.” Chloe said it like it was the worst possible outcome.
“No. That’s not it.” I shook my head, but we all three knew I was lying.
They always knew when I was lying.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kennedy was serious now, but this wasn’t happening. Not here. Not now. Not where Liam could walk out at any moment.
“Can we not do this here?” I looked around the beautiful bar. “We’ll talk about it later.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, Liam stormed through the door to the bar and he looked pissed. He had a clipboard in his hand and the couple bartenders behind the bar gave him a wide berth as he opened one of the bottom cabinets and started rummaging through it.
“Speaking of the devil,” Chloe said only loud enough for us to hear, but I still picked up my glass and chugged the rest of the vodka.
I wasn’t prepared to see him. He looked as handsome as ever, but there was something about him that seemed different. It was as if there were two different Liams and this was the one I barely knew. This was