by Autumn Reed
“Well, I would have to be off my trolley to agree to your proposition.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I said, “I didn’t want to drive your car anyway.” Frustrated by my own childishness, I leaned back against the headrest and focused on the passing palm trees. Why did I let him get to me?
“Haley, don’t be mad. I was just playing with you.” Liam’s voice sounded sincere, and my frostiness started to melt just a little. But, before I could respond, he continued. “Of course, you would look bloody fantastic in a bikini.” And we’re back to winter.
In less than ten minutes we were pulling into another parking garage. We took the elevator to the twentieth floor—the top floor of the building—where Liam swiped a keycard. The elevator opened, revealing a small carpeted foyer leading to several sets of dark gray, almost black, double doors. After swiping the card for another scanner and inputting a code at condo 2020, he held one of the doors open. These guys are really into their security systems.
Stepping over the threshold, I almost gasped. The entry opened into a large living room with soaring ceilings and windows that stretched for two stories. The view was stunning, the city just beginning to light up as the sun set behind the distant mountains.
I followed Liam toward the kitchen where he tossed his keys on the counter while loosening his tie. “Make yourself at home.” Ha, right.
I tried not to gape at my surroundings; simple met opulent in a play of light and dark in furnishings, fabrics, materials, and lighting. Thanks to the layering of textures and different metals, it somehow managed to feel modern without being cold. I imagined it was all incredibly expensive and hesitated to touch anything.
“Wow, this apartment is quite posh,” I said, adding a British accent on “posh.”
Where did he get the money for this place? I didn’t know anything about the San Jose real estate market, but this apartment was nothing less than impressive. Between the loft, Jackson’s uncle’s estate, and now Liam’s apartment, I was starting to think that private security generated way more income than I ever expected.
Liam smoothed a lock of his dark brown hair, ensuring it was perfectly placed, and grinned. “It’s not bad, huh? Just wait until you see the pool!”
Great . . . a pool. If he mentions the word bikini one more time, I might scream.
Liam led me up a flight of stairs before we emerged on the roof. At first I only saw wood decking and potted plants, but as we continued walking, the swimming pool came into view. It covered a large portion of the roof and stretched to the very edge of the building. Lounge chairs lined part of the patio, and lights beneath the water illuminated the rectangular pool, casting an inviting glow on the outdoor space.
I grinned, delighted by the unusual rooftop retreat. “This is amazing.”
“You’re welcome to use it any time you wish. It’s mostly private and usually quiet since only the penthouse owners have access.”
I stood gazing at the skyline and the illuminated pool before glancing up toward the sky. I had hoped to see stars, but with all the light pollution, it was practically impossible. Feeling hungry, I looked toward the door. Following my line of vision, Liam headed that direction.
He spoke in a playful tone as he held open the door to the stairs. “Let’s make dinner; I promise to behave.” I wasn’t sure he could even if he tried. He must have seen my raised eyebrows, doubting his ability to do so.
“Brilliant. I’m not that much of a wanker, am I?”
I shrugged my shoulders and smiled, allowing him to imply my answer before snickering.
Back in the kitchen, Liam had kicked off his shoes and was tying a white apron around his waist. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like an apron?”
I shook my head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
He smiled. “Well at least remove your jacket and shoes.” He paused. “Come on, I dare you.”
After taking off my shoes and blazer, I faced him across the large marble island. He tapped at his phone briefly before music started playing through the space. The music was unusual, sung mostly in Portuguese, with a relaxing beat. Some of the songs had a subtly seductive rhythm, but mostly, they struck a nice balance between soothing and stimulating.
Liam’s home was inviting, as was his manner, but I felt out of my depth. I hoped my discomfort wasn’t completely obvious.
“What kind of food do you prefer, Haley?”
Trying to drum up a little enthusiasm, I replied, “Whatever you’re preparing!” Considering he was kind enough to cook for me, I wasn’t going to be picky.
He rolled his eyes dramatically. “How disappointing. I didn’t take you for one of those girls who says whatever she thinks the other person wants to hear.”
I could feel myself getting agitated, and I sighed heavily. “I’m not, Mr. Snap Judgment. I’m just not very particular, but Italian is my favorite.”
Liam stood, wheels turning momentarily and then sprung into action. I caught a glimpse of his fridge and pantry as he grabbed supplies from each; both were extremely well organized, complete with glass containers and labels.
He pulled the cork out of a bottle of white wine. “Good. I hope you like chicken piccata with sautéed vegetables and linguine.”
I twirled my hair. “That sounds delicious and complicated. Really, you don’t have to go to any trouble for me.”
“No trouble at all. Especially with such a lovely and feisty sous-chef.”
He busied himself, washing zucchini and extracting pans from the cabinets. His beautiful cookware was in pristine condition. If I hadn’t witnessed him use it, I probably wouldn’t have believed he ever actually did. After melting a little butter, he added garlic to the pan, and my stomach growled.
Water boiled, the skillet sizzled, and music played softly in the background. Liam cooked without a recipe, moving gracefully through the kitchen, the large marble island between us and the gas stove at his back. Seeing Liam so relaxed in the kitchen made me start to question my assumptions about him. Maybe there was more to him than flirting, stylish suits, and an exotic car. I hated to admit it, but he was kind of adorable like this.
Sitting at a bar stool chopping zucchini, I felt myself begin to relax in his presence.
I shouldn’t have said it, but I couldn’t resist. “So, do you cook for all of your lady friends?”
His gray eyes twinkled with amusement. “Well, I wouldn’t say all of them. Why, are you jealous?”
I rolled my eyes and turned back to chopping vegetables.
Liam walked over to me and took the knife out of my hand, setting it on the counter. Standing close enough to get a whiff of his cologne, he said, “Look, Haley. I’m starting to think we got off on the wrong foot.” He twirled his ring a few times before continuing. “Yes, I date. And yes, that sometimes allows me to show off my skills in the kitchen. But it’s not like I’m making breakfast for a new girl every morning.”
Tongue-tied, I gaped at him in silence. Why is he telling me this? Does he actually think I’m jealous?
After a few moments, Liam returned to his task and I went back to chopping. Hoping to change the subject to something much safer, I asked, “Where did you learn to cook?”
He smiled. “Ina Garten.”
“The Barefoot Contessa? I watch her on PBS, but I don’t cook like a professional chef.”
He laughed, the sound full and easy. “I have taken a few classes, but I’m by no means a professional. Most of what I know is from trial and error.”
“Do you cook many traditional English foods?”
He pursed his lips. “Have you had many English foods?”
I shook my head. Does he not realize I practically lived under a rock until a few weeks ago?
“Apart from fish and chips, most English food is bloody awful.”
With dinner ready, I grabbed our drinks and followed Liam to the table. He set down the plates before pulling out a chair for me. I was half surprised he didn’t light candles as well. I admired the perfectly arrang
ed meal; golden-brown chicken rested atop a stack of steaming linguine with vegetables scattered around the plate.
I took my first bite of chicken piccata and almost sighed aloud from the pleasure of it; lemon, garlic, and buttery flavors mixed together in a rich sauce that melted in my mouth. Distracted by the delicious meal, I let my guard down ever so slightly. Maybe Liam and I did have the ability to coexist in relative peace, especially if the situation involved food.
“Okay, Haley, I think it’s time we got to know each other better. I’ll ask you a question and then you can ask me one.”
Relative peace, ha. I clenched my fork, nervous about what type of questions Liam would ask. But, he didn’t give me a chance to disagree and started in.
“I’ll begin with an easy one. What’s your favorite food?”
“Chicken parmigiana.”
“Good. Now your turn.”
“How long have you lived in the U.S.?”
“Since I was 14.”
“Why did you—”
Liam cut me off with a tsk. “You have to save it for your next question. My turn. Will you let me teach you how to play tennis?”
“How do you know I don’t already play?”
He chuckled, “Call it a hunch.”
“Fine. I don’t, but I would like to learn. So, yes. Why did you move to the U.S. when you were 14?”
“I came here to live with Uncle and Jax after my parents died.”
My stomach immediately dropped. I couldn’t imagine how awful it must have been to lose his parents and then move halfway around the world. It also explained why Jackson and Liam seemed more like brothers; they practically were.
“What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?”
With a straight face, I responded, “I had dinner with a wealthy, quasi-British, gray-eyed playboy.”
He grinned. “Oh, so you noticed my eyes, huh? I knew there must be something you liked about me.”
I just laughed in response. Is it possible that I am starting to find his charming flirtation endearing?
“Why move here to live with Patrick and Jackson? Are you related?”
“No, but Uncle was very close to my dad and he accepted custody of me. Jax was already living with him by that point, so we became a not-so-big happy family. Although, the happy part took a while. Jax wasn’t particularly fond of me at first, something you two seem to have in common.”
My cheeks heated. “What? I—”
Liam cut me off again. “Haley, don’t bother trying to hide it. I know that you’re not my biggest fan right now. But I’m persistent, and I will change your mind about me. I promise.”
I trembled slightly at his certainty. The prudent part of me hoped he was wrong; I was likely better off keeping him at a distance. Liam was the kind of guy who saw too much, pushed too far. And I wasn’t sure how long my defenses would stand up against his charming assaults.
Progress
“I had a feeling I’d find you out here.”
I started at the sound of Knox’s gravelly voice. Closing my sketchbook, I turned to face him; shadows fell over his face, the sunlight fading as dusk settled in. My fingers itched to reopen my sketchbook and preserve the moment on paper.
“What can I say? As much as I love the loft, I miss being surrounded by nature. But this little patio garden reminds me of home; it’s peaceful out here.”
Surrounded by the brick walls of neighboring buildings, the garden felt like an oasis, a retreat. Small and intimate, the plants were carefully chosen for maximum impact—a mix of native trees, shrubs, and flowers. In the evening, subtle outdoor lighting made the place even more magical, and the smell of jasmine perfumed the air.
He sat down in the chair next to me. “I know what you mean. When Theo suggested it, I’m sure I scoffed a bit. But I have to admit that even I escape out here now and then.” He held a finger in front of his lips, “Don’t tell Theo I said so.”
Laughing softly, I said, “No promises. I have to keep something to use against you.”
“Oh yeah?” I found myself staring as Knox ran his fingers through his hair. Not for the first time, I wondered what it would feel like to replace his fingers with my own. Were the strands as soft and silky as they appeared?
“Haley?”
I snapped my attention from my mini daydream back to Knox. “Yes?”
He studied me, a bemused expression on his face. “Never mind. The reason I came out here was to give you this.” He handed me an envelope with the Zenith logo on the front.
I opened the envelope, surprised to find it filled with dollar bills in denominations of twenty and fifty.
“That is for your first week of work. We decided it would be best to pay you in cash for now since you’re trying to stay off the radar. You can open a bank account later on, if you want.”
Flipping through the bills, I pulled out several and held them out to Knox. “Here, consider this my first payment for the clothes and everything else you’ve bought me.”
He folded his arms, refusing the money. “No way, Haley. I want you to save every penny of what you earn. I don’t need your money; neither does Theo or any of the other guys. So don’t even think of offering it to anyone else. Consider every purchase a gift, okay?”
Standing up, I paced a few steps before turning back to Knox. “No, not okay. I’m not your responsibility; I want to contribute.”
Knox just sighed. “You do contribute. You help with the cooking and the dishes, and you pick up around the house. And you even keep Theo entertained. That’s worth more than a little money spent, trust me.”
I didn’t agree, but I knew how stubborn Knox could be, and I wasn’t going to win this argument tonight. “Ugh, fine. But this conversation isn’t over. I’ll find a way to repay you eventually.”
“Sure,” he said, noncommittally. Standing up, he continued. “Now let me show you how to use the safe in your closet so you have someplace to stash your cash.”
Leading the way to my room, Knox stopped suddenly and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Here’s the fake ID Jax made for you. Hopefully you won’t need it, but we didn’t want you walking around without some type of identification.”
“Thanks.” The ID looked remarkably professional. I posed for the picture over a week ago and hadn’t given it any thought since. But now, seeing my name and photo on an official-looking California driver’s license, I felt relieved and yet, uneasy. I didn’t even want to know how Jackson pulled this off.
After Knox taught me how to use the safe, he left to work in the garage. I placed the money in the safe and then reset the passcode, repeating it several times in my head to make sure I would remember it.
It was strange to think of the almost five hundred dollars sitting in the safe. I’d never had access to that much money at one time before. Of course, it helped that my job paid so well. I knew from browsing Help Wanted ads that either Zenith paid all their part-time administrative employees exceptionally well, or the guys made sure that my hourly rate was well-above average. Either way, I was grateful. After calculating the amount of money it would take to travel to San Francisco and live on my own for a while, I knew that every dollar counted. At this rate, I might be able to make the trip sooner than I expected.
That thought gave me a glimmer of comfort. In the back of my mind, I’d kept expecting Dad to show up with a smile on his face, assuring me that the last few weeks were just a simple misunderstanding. But the longer I went without contact, the more certain I was that the safe deposit box in San Francisco was my last remaining tie to him.
I felt like I was living my own personal catch-22. I had to stay off the grid in case someone other than my dad was looking for me. But staying hidden made it unlikely that even Dad would be able to track me down.
Knowing I didn’t have any control over the situation with my dad at that moment, I transitioned to something that I could control. I needed to reach out to Jessica before she
went crazy with worry. I didn’t know what her mom had been told, but if nothing else, Jessica knew about the house fire and the disappearance of both me and Dad.
Thankful for the laptop that Theo loaned me, I created a new e-mail account and sent her a short message.
Hey Jess,
I’m sure you’re worried about me. I can’t tell you where I am right now, but I’m safe. I promise. Please don’t tell anyone (even your mom) that you heard from me. I’ll explain more later.
Love you and miss you,
Your Elena to my Caroline
P.S. I’ve quite possibly met the most attractive guys ever (they even rival the Salvatore brothers). You should be jealous.
After hitting send, I lay back on the bed. An overwhelming feeling of guilt and relief hit me at the same time. Guilt, because I should have contacted Jessica at my first opportunity. Relief, because just sending a message to someone from my old life felt like a tangible connection to that part of me. For once, it felt like the fact that I couldn’t reach out and touch anything from the last eighteen years of my life didn’t negate its existence.
I hoped that my references to The Vampire Diaries—Jessica’s favorite show—would at least relieve some of Jessica’s worry. Things couldn’t be that bad if I took the time to mention the Salvatores. Right?
I heard a ding from the direction of my phone, diverting my attention.
Chase: Sorry to bail on you last night. Hope you had a nice dinner with Liam.
Me: Thanks! I’m still waiting for that Carcassonne rematch.
I smiled at the thought of the latest board game Chase had introduced me to.
Me: See you soon?
Chase: Hopefully this weekend. Have a good night.
Me: Thanks. You too.
I put my phone on vibrate and started getting ready for bed. Even though I had been receiving random texts from some of the guys for the past week and a half, it still felt strange. I was used to having one friend and talking to her face-to-face or through e-mail. One of these days, I might actually initiate a conversation by text, but I was still too insecure to do so. I didn’t want to bother any of the guys with a text if it wasn’t an emergency.
