Sure Bet (Out of Left Field #1)

28. Liam

Chapter 28

Liam

“ Y ou didn’t need to come,” Brooke said. “It’s weird for you, right? It feels weird.”

It took over a week to realize that the keys on the entryway table belonged to someone who didn’t live in the condo. Shana tossed them into the junk drawer, believing they were mine. I took them out and hung them by the door—nobody else lost their keys in the chaos of old receipts, rubber bands, and pens dead of ink. Brooke spotted them on the hook and recognized the Star Wars keychain this morning on our way out.

“It’s not weird.” I assured her that it was fine to drop the keys on our walk to brunch.

She glanced up at the striped awning above the doorway outside of Sam’s pub. “Okay. I’ll just leave them at the counter. He doesn’t come in for early service, anyway. Are you sure it’s not?—”

“It’s not weird for me.” An honest answer. My hand rested on her lower back like an anchor. “You need to drop something off for your ex. It happens.”

I think. Aside from a spare toothbrush, an article of clothing, or something else inconsequential, I had no reason to speak to the women I’d been with once things fizzled out.

“We’re adults, Brooke.” I pinched a lock of her hair between my fingers, twisting it and watching the curl bounce back. I loved her hair—always had. This morning, it fanned over my pillow as she slept beside me, and I admired her peaceful, hushed breaths. So no, I wasn’t worried about dropping off the last tie to her ex.

I cupped her neck, urging her forward as I whispered in her ear, “It’s my taste on your tongue, is it not?”

“Oh, god.” Her eyes shuttered closed as she nodded. “Yeah. Okay. You’re still incorrigible.”

I pointed to the blush across the bridge of her nose. “And you’re horny. We’re a filthy pair of deviants.”

She puffed a laugh. “Okay. I just don’t want to cause drama over a non-issue, you know? My birthday morning changed everything, Liam. It’s when I knew.” She gestured between us. “This is special.”

I hummed. “It was the blowjob, wasn’t it?”

She groaned and rolled her eyes, but her smile didn’t drop. “No. When Sam showed up and said he wanted to get back together and that he’d made a mistake, nothing happened. Nothing, not even a flutter in my chest. But with you, my entire body lights up, my heart lights up.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, suddenly feeling a little less okay. “That’s why he stopped by?”

Her brows pinched as she rushed, “Well, he had the gift, and we had a tradition of birthday breakfasts, so maybe he hadn’t intended on telling me that.”

Oh, he intended it. A guy wouldn’t go through the hassle of dropping by with a thoughtful, meaningful gift and just happen to find himself stepping into words of encouragement to give the relationship another go. I had no doubt of his intentions.

“He would have come by regardless, I think. I mean…” she trailed off, likely noticing the clenching of my jaw. “I’m sorry. I should have mentioned that. I just… There was a lot to process that morning, and honestly, I haven’t thought of it since.”

I kissed her cheek and encouraged her inside. The sooner she got this shit out of the way, the sooner we would be done. The hungry beast of insecurity eating at my guts would be sated. “I get it. Just drop the keys and let’s go eat.”

The heavy oak door opened with a baleful groan. A few patrons lined the bar, but even offering a brunch service, the place was mostly empty. It looked different in the sober light of day.

Brooke glanced over her shoulder to give me an apprehensive smile as she stepped inside. Why was she so fucking nervous? Jesus. It was making me nervous.

A man stood behind the counter, his bright red hair like a flame. Not Sam. I puffed a breath and watched the door swing shut as Brooke called out, “Hey, Mark!”

I scrubbed a hand over my face and dropped my head back to stare at the overcast sky. Don’t ruin the weekend with a bad mood.

She tried to play down her excitement for tomorrow’s gala, brushing it off as no big deal, but I caught her talking to herself in the bathroom mirror as she brushed her teeth and had a mock conversation about her graciousness in accepting the award and grant.

Today was supposed to be a leisurely day with no plans, expectations, or stress before tomorrow evening’s gala.

Brooke didn’t want Sam. I knew that. He posed no threat, and she wasn’t an asshole who would make me think he did. Sam wasn’t the problem. Brooke wasn’t the problem, either.

Don’t fuck this up. Do not fuck this up. She wants you. For whatever reason. She wants you.

For now.

Don’t fuck this up, please. Anything but this.

A car horn blasted in the distance, startling me, but not as much as my name called from the alley.

“Liam?” Sam approached cautiously, pulling a satchel over his shoulder. “Why are you here?”

Tension hung heavy in the air despite the wide-open sidewalk.

Good fucking question.

“Brooke is dropping off your keys.” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “She’s inside.”

Sam tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stared at the cracks in the concrete. “Yeah, I told her when she texted me this morning to drop them by whenever, but there was no rush.” He kicked at a loose piece of gravel with his toe. “Honestly, I was too embarrassed to go back to her place—your place—when I realized I left them. I considered them a sacrifice I willingly made to keep a shred of dignity.”

I puffed a slow exhale and nodded. “I get it.”

He snickered, kicking harder at the ground. “You get it?”

I shrugged, shoving my hands into my pockets, too. “You remember my brilliant speech about relationships, but you must have forgotten the part about my life falling apart. Until recently, dignity was something I had little of.” I pursed my lips, rocking on the balls of my feet. “Still might not have much of it, to be honest. The fact you listened to anything I said was poor form.”

He chuckled. “I guess I failed to use critical thinking skills that night.”

The tension weighing between us lifted a bit, easing the pressure from my shoulders.

“I also get that.” I fixed my gaze on a group of pedestrians crossing at the light. “I didn’t know who you were that night, but I put it together the next day. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused.”

Sam snorted, his attention focused anywhere but on me. “No, you’re not.”

“Fuck. Fine, I’m not sorry you broke up with her.” Was fucking elated, actually.

A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “What are the odds, huh?”

“Brooke could probably tell you,” I said earnestly.

His posture relaxed slightly. “Yeah, she was always the brightest in the lab.”

“She’s the brightest in any room.”

He rolled his eyes and laughed. “Okay, man. I get it; you’re into her, and she’s into you. In case you didn’t make that clear by stepping out of her bathroom in a fucking towel.”

Goddamn, I deserved a medal of honor for not laughing. I bit my tongue and shrugged.

The gray sky split with a streak of blue in the distance, the clouds parting with a sliver of sunlight. The day didn’t feel so dreary.

He sighed, scratching the stubble along his neck. “At least I had the candy man to pat me on the back and tell me it was going to be okay as I fled down the stairs. He gave me a bag of Jolly Ranchers, so it wasn’t all that bad, I guess.”

The last thing I expected from Brooke’s pit stop at her ex’s pub was a hint of camaraderie. I could relate to Sam’s self-deprecating humor, and though I doubted my presence at his establishment thrilled him, he hadn’t been an asshole.

I would have been an asshole if roles were reversed, one hundred percent.

“For what it’s worth, I am sorry for causing you upset.” I meant it, even if I was grateful for the outcome, but I kept that part to myself. “That makes me likable, right?”

“Don’t push your luck. You already got her.” With another heavy sigh, he added, “For what it’s worth, I didn’t want her to settle. She deserved more than settling. So. I’m glad she’s happy.”

I blinked, stiffening. “Wait, you dumped her because…”

He blushed and pushed up his glasses. “She shouldn’t settle. You were right, Liam.” He gestured to the pub. His eyes focused on the door like he didn’t want to go inside after all. “I settled with this place, with leaving a job I loved, with… life. She deserved better than that.”

Oh… oh, shit. She had it wrong the whole time.

The door groaned as it opened, and Brooke emerged with a smile that dropped the moment she registered my company. “Oh. Hi. Sam. I didn’t think you’d be in this early.”

She tugged on her jacket zipper, fiddling with it as her eyes anxiously darted between her ex and me.

He combed through his hair with a swipe of his fingers, shifting his weight from one foot to another, just as uneasy as her. “Yeah. Inventory.” Clearing his throat, he gave a quick nod before heading toward the door. “Thanks for dropping the keys.”

“No problem,” she called to his back. “Goodbye, Sam.”

He halted at the door, slowly turning and giving his hair another swipe. “Or see you later.” He shot me a brief smile. “You guys are welcome anytime. I still consider you a friend, Brooke. And he’s not so bad.”

Sam disappeared inside. “What happened?” Brooke’s wide eyes met mine. “And how did you pull that off?”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and hauled her to my side, where she belonged. “We’re in agreement about the state of what you deserve, Brooke.”