Wounded

by Abby Brooks

  Liam can be anything he wants and these people will support him. His appeal isn’t the image a team of stylists and publicists have built for him. He is the appeal. His talent. The light that shines in his eyes as he sings. The way he draws out the notes until you feel them resonating deep within your soul.

  When he’s done playing, people swarm him. He catches my eyes, his gaze piercing through the crowd and finding me as if I’m the only person in the room. He stands, smiling and holding up his hands in apology, as he pushes past the people around him and rushes to me. Sweeps me up in his arms. Kisses me while the crowd murmurs around us.

  “You were magnificent,” he says. “I’m so proud of you.”

  I stare up at that handsome face, lost in more emotion than I know what to do with. “You’re amazing,” I say when I want to say I love you. I need you. I want you.

  Liam shrugs. “Pretty much.” And then he drops me a wink, wraps his arm around my waist, pulls me close, and turns me towards the crowd.

  “I can’t believe people actually wanted my autograph.” I sweep into my living room and drop onto the couch, rubbing the muscles in my jaw. “I smiled so much my cheeks hurt.”

  Liam sits next to me, beaming. “Ready for your next performance?”

  “God, no.” I run a hand through my hair. “That is just too much for me,” I say as I lean into the arm of the couch and put my feet in his lap.

  He pulls off my socks, using his strong thumbs to massage my arches. “You sure?” he asks as I moan and drop my head back. “You didn’t seem to mind the attention while it was happening.”

  “I can’t be sure of anything with you doing that,” I say, letting my eyes slide closed.

  “Oh yeah? What about this?” Liam leans forward and kisses my ankle.

  “That feels surprisingly good.”

  “And what about this?” He kisses his way up my calf and stops at my knee.

  “I don’t know, it’s hard to tell. My pants are definitely in the way.” I lift my head off the back of the couch and meet his eyes.

  “Well that won’t do, now will it?” And with that, he undoes the button at my waist, slides down the zipper, and helps me wiggle out of my jeans. When I’m naked and stretched out on the couch in front of him, he kisses up along my inner thigh.

  “What about that,” he asks as I moan.

  “That’s good.”

  “And this?” He spreads my legs and draws his tongue across my clit.

  “That’s…” I lose the word as he lowers his mouth to me again. And then, after he’s naked and hard and moving inside me, I lose myself completely.

  LIAM

  “You staying for dinner tonight?” I wipe sweat off my forehead with my forearm as a cool breeze rustles through the trees behind the house. Fall has officially descended on Brookside and I’d go so far as to call it downright chilly. When it’s not blazing hot. Michael was right. The weather here might be as drunk as he is.

  “Probably.” Michael stares at the dark clouds churning in gray skies. “You think we can get these last few pavers down before the rain comes?”

  “We’ve only got one row left. I’ll work in the rain if I have to.”

  “I don’t know, man.” Michael slides his hands into his pockets. “This looks like it’ll be a pretty wicked storm.”

  “Then why don’t you stop slacking off and get a move on? Lazy ass.”

  Michael shakes his head. “Imagine that. Liam McGuire calling me an ass.” He smiles and puts his work gloves back on. “You think Lexi is gonna be here tonight?”

  “It’s a Saturday, isn’t it?” I grunt as I slide a paver into place. “She and Michelle will both be here.”

  Michael doesn’t respond, his face carefully expressionless. He can try and hide it all he wants, but he’s got it bad for Lexi. So bad he’s even been cutting back on the drinking on the nights he knows she’s coming over. I teased him about it once but he got so defensive it wasn’t worth it. I dropped that topic like a hot rock. Whatever’s going on there, it’s his business and he’ll share when he’s ready.

  We slide the last paver in place just as the first fat raindrop drops out of the sky, leaving a big wet splotch on the stone at my feet. “We did it,” I say, beaming.

  “Almost. We still need to seal them in place, but the hard part’s done.”

  The sky opens up on us, dropping a tsunami’s worth of rain on Bailey’s brand new, almost finished patio. I’m drenched before I can make it the few steps to the door.

  “You’re soaked!” Bailey looks up from a big pot of chili she’s got simmering on the stove.

  “But it’s done.” I shake water out of my hair.

  “Like done, done?”

  Michael wipes his hands. “Not completely. There’s still one more step…”

  “Whatever,” I say, interrupting him. “You know how your brother likes to point out all the negative stuff. It’s done enough that it looks like a patio.” I grab Bailey’s hand and pull her to the window, twisting open the blinds just in time for a streak of lightning to light up the sky.

  “I can’t believe you actually did it.” Bailey looks up at me and I could eat up the adoration in her eyes. I’d build a thousand patios just to see her look at me like that again.

  Michael clears his throat and pulls open the fridge. “Yeah. Sure. I’m totally glad to have helped.”

  Laughing, Bailey crosses the room and pulls her brother into a hug. He stiffens at first, but then softens, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips as the refrigerator door swings shut.

  “Thanks, little brother.” Her voice is barely a whisper, as if she’s afraid speaking too loud will ruin the moment.

  “It’s all good, sis.”

  I turn my attention back to the window, watching the rain run between the pavers. There’s more to the moment than just a patio. Whatever was broken between them has started to heal. I’ve watched it happen over the last several weeks, but this might be the first time I’ve seen them acknowledge it.

  Or, I’m feeling sappy because the project will be finished tomorrow and I’m seeing hearts and rainbows everywhere.

  “Lexi coming?” Michael asks Bailey.

  “It’s Saturday, isn’t it?” She rolls her eyes and goes to check on the chili.

  “Could you two be any more alike?” Michael shakes his head. “I’m gonna go get cleaned up.”

  “What was that all about?” Bailey asks as he leaves the kitchen.

  “I gave him the exact same answer when he asked me if she was coming while we were outside.”

  Bailey lifts the spoon from the chili and blows on it. “He’s got it bad, doesn’t he?” She lowers her lips for a taste and then bobs her head, humming in approval before offering me a bite.

  “Oh, damn woman. That’s good.” I take the spoon from her and help myself to another taste. “And Michael? He had it bad a month ago. Now he’s just plain whooped.”

  “Can you just imagine if they got together? My brother and my best friend?” Baily grins.

  “They’d be trouble together.”

  “That’s for sure. But I think they’d be good together, too.” Bailey’s phone vibrates from its place on the counter and she reaches for it while I steal another spoonful of chili.

  “Everything okay?” I ask.

  Bailey reads the text. “Looks like Lexi and Michelle have to bring their kids. Flakey babysitter issues.” She grimaces. “Think that’ll ruin the night? Should we cancel?”

  “For me? Hell no. I love little people. I always thought I’d make a great crazy uncle someday.”

  Bailey makes a face. “Just the idea of having kids freaks me out. Those few years when it was just me and Michael were enough of a preview that I’m not in any hurry to get that show on the road.”

  I nod, trying not to look overly interested. She never talks about the time after her parents died. Hell, after all this time, I still don’t know how they died, only that it was sudden, tragic, and really di
d a number on her and her brother. It’s funny. I’m falling hard for this woman. Fast. And I know so little about her past I wouldn’t be able to pick out her story from a stranger’s. Shouldn’t I know all the things that make her who she is? Not just the little ones, but the big ones, too? And really, of the two, aren’t the big ones the most important?

  “What about for Michael?” she asks, interrupting my thoughts. “Think it’ll be weird for him?”

  “If he’s the least bit interested in dating a single mom, he better get right about being around kids.”

  “Who’s interested in dating a single mom?” Michael asks as he comes around the corner, all showered and shaved.

  “Gee, I don’t know,” I reply, wrapping my arms around Bailey’s waist and pulling her towards me, her back pressed against my front. “Who do I know who has it bad for a single mom?” I rest my chin on Bailey’s head and grin at her brother, even as my mind keeps chewing on the realization that Bailey’s still keeping herself separate from me.

  Bailey twists out of my arms. “You’re all wet from the rain, Liam. And look at that,” she says, pointing at her brother. “Is that a blush I see happening right now?

  I head down the hall to get cleaned up as Bailey and Michael laugh in the kitchen. I stop in my room—well, Michael’s room really—and grab some clothes, pausing in front of Bailey’s closed bedroom door. If we’re falling for each other as hard as we seem, shouldn’t I be allowed to go in her room? Maybe spend one night curled up against her? Wrapping my arms around her and breathing her in before we fall asleep? Isn’t that part of being in love? Letting people into all the places that not everyone gets to see?

  I shower and shave, the tattoos on my arms a reminder of who I used to be. Or who I really am, I’m not sure. Am I really done with that part of my life, or is this time here in Brookside with Bailey and her friends just a tiny blip of happiness in my otherwise miserable existence?

  The fact that I don’t readily know the answer to that question sends my stomach swirling down the drain with the water. If what we have is real, I need Bailey to open up to me. I need her to show me the parts of herself that she keeps hidden. And, for that matter, she needs to learn all the things I don’t want people to know about me as well.

  I’d rather she offer up the information without me having to ask, but there really isn’t any harm in asking. And really, maybe that’s all she’s been waiting for. For me to be interested enough to ask. Just as I make up my mind to bring up our pasts, thunder rattles the windows and someone shrieks in the kitchen. I laugh as I flip off the light in the bedroom. If I believed in signs, that one would be an ominous one indeed.

  BAILEY

  “You’re so lucky you weren’t at work today.” I maneuver my beast of a truck onto the road, inwardly cursing the lack of power steering.

  “Yeah?” Lexi sounds distracted. “How come?”

  “It was one of those days that makes you proud to be a nurse in the same instant that you regret it with every last ounce of your soul.”

  “Oh, no. What happened?”

  “A school bus collided with a tractor.”

  “Oh God. Enough said.” There’s some noise on the other end of the line, some bumps and rustles. “How are you?”

  “Tired. Ready to drop. But happy to know I helped save some lives.” I flick on a turn signal and throw my weight into the steering wheel. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting ready.” Lexi sniffs. “Are you going to be okay? I know how those kinds of days stick with you.”

  “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” I shiver and burrow deeper into my sweater. I don’t know if it’s because of the chill in the air or the memory of the day. “What are you getting ready for? It’s seven o’clock on a Friday and Gabe doesn’t have play dates this late.”

  “About that…”

  My eyebrows meet my hairline. “Something tells me I’m either going to love or hate what you’re about to tell me.”

  Lexi clears her throat, a sure sign she’s nervous. “I’m going out with Michael tonight.”

  “Michael, as in my brother Michael?”

  “Yep.” Lexi pops the p at the end of the word.

  “I knew it! I told Liam just the other day that you guys would be dating before the first snowfall.”

  “You’re not mad?” Lexi couldn’t sound more relieved if I told her I won the lottery and would pay for every last thing Gabe needed for the rest of his life.

  “Why in the world would I be mad? My best friend and my brother? I’m thrilled!”

  “I just know how rocky things have been between you and Michael. I’d hate to get in the way now that you guys are on the way to fixing whatever was broken between you.”

  “How could you get in the way? Lex! It’s like…” I pause and chew on my bottom lip. “I’m almost afraid to say it out loud. In case I jinx it.”

  “I get it.” A smile warms Lexi’s voice. “With things between you and Liam going so well and with Michael being at the house almost every weekend…”

  “It’s like the curse is broken.” I say it all in one long rush, desperate to have the thought out of my head and terrified that saying something will mess things up.

  Lexi laughs. “There is no such thing as curses, Bay.”

  “Says the woman who’s never had to live with one.” Water droplets fall from the still wet trees and I turn on my windshield wipers to wipe them away. “I’ll let you go so you can get ready in peace.”

  We say our goodbyes and I drop my phone in the seat beside me, finishing the drive home feeling lighter than I have in a long time. Lexi will be good for Michael. Maybe help him cut down on the drinking. It’s been hard, the last few years, watching him drown his hurt in alcohol. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to say something, but pain is pain, and Michael is Michael, and who am I to judge how he deals with it? Especially when he’s made it so obvious he blames me for everything.

  When I pull into my driveway, all the windows on the front of the house are dark and it sets my nerves on edge. I’ve gotten used to coming home and having to remind Liam that the lights do come equipped with off switches and that electricity costs us peasants money. Where could he be? Obviously, he’s not out with Michael, and the only other people he knows around here are Lexi and Michelle. I hope he’s not sick.

  Disappointment and worry churn in my stomach as I climb out of the truck. The wind blows, sending a chill shivering down my spine and catching several pieces of paper that go dancing out across the yard. Looks like the trash bins have been knocked over again, although the wind doesn’t seem strong enough to be the culprit. I think a family of raccoons must have moved in nearby. It seems like every other day lately, I’m coming home to find my house looking like a junkyard.

  After righting the bins and chasing down the random bits of paper floating around the yard, I slide my key into the lock and push inside the house, surprised to find it not fully dark, but lit with a faint, warm light instead. Every surface has at least four candles on it, the flames flickering in the breeze coming through the open door. My stomach growls as I smell food, and damn if the table isn’t set for two, with several unopened Styrofoam containers covering the counter behind it. Music comes from the den. Liam at the piano. The song is achingly familiar even though I don’t recognize the melody.

  I close the door behind me and drop my purse on the floor as Liam begins to sing. I follow the sound, a sailor caught in the siren’s song, and wander into the den. I cross the room and lean on the piano, staring down at Liam’s fingers dancing around the keys.

  It’s not until I hear my name, followed by a few dissonant chords chased away by a melody so soulful that it takes my breath away that I understand what I’m hearing. This is a song he wrote for me, inspired by the first time we had sex. My ass on the piano, the keys crying out with each thrust of his hips. My jaw drops as I meet his gaze, his eyes twinkling with wicked humor. The song is beautiful and raw, just the way we are when we’re
together.

  “I think I’ll die if I ever hear that on the radio,” I say when he’s done.

  “Nothing to fear there. The powers that be won’t let this anywhere near my brand.”

  I furrow my brow. “Maybe you should stop worrying about your brand and just be who you are.”

  Liam locks his gaze on mine. “Sounds easy enough, except I’m starting to realize I don’t even know who I am.”

  “I think I do.” I pull him up from the bench, thread my fingers into his hair, and pull him in for a kiss. “And I think I like you.” I kiss him again. “Actually, I know I like you.” Another kiss. “Yep. I definitely like you.”

  Liam presses his forehead to mine. “Good. I definitely like you, too.”

  “Liam?”

  “Yeah?” He slides his hands up under my shirt, dragging his fingernails across my skin.

  “I’m hungry.”

  He leans down, kissing along my jaw, nuzzling into my neck. “Me too,” he whispers.

  “For food.” I press my hands into his chest and look up at his startled face. “Well, for you too,” I admit. “But food first.”

  Laughing, Liam leads me into the kitchen and proudly points to all the food on the counter. “I know better than to think I can cook anything worth a damn, but I wanted you to come home to a warm meal.”

  I survey the spread as my mouth waters. “How am I ever going to choose?” I ask as I open each container in turn. “These are all my favorites!”

  “I know. Michael helped me decide what to order.” Liam takes a plate out of the cabinet and starts scooping large spoonfuls of everything onto it.

  “I like thinking of you two hanging out all day.” I wonder if Liam knows Michael and Lexi are going out.