Tell Me It’s Right (Sweetspire #1)

Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

GRACIE

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a suit before.”

I regret the words the second they’re out of my mouth because I have actually. Once. Nearly ten years ago.

At his mother’s funeral.

Liam doesn’t seem to notice though. He presses his lips together in a bashful smile and readjusts his hair.

We’re some of the first to arrive, along with the rest of Liam’s family. I crane my neck back to take in the massive hotel before we step inside. A night here is probably worth a month’s rent. But the Brookses wanted to make a splash with this launch for True Sweets, and apparently the Brooks mansion was far too small for that.

With most of the attendees coming down from New York, I’m surprised they kept it in Jersey at all. Liam’s dad said it was something about showing they’re proud of their roots or whatever.

I’m even more surprised Liam agreed to come. Of course I said yes when he asked me to go with him, and despite how uncomfortable I am as we walk through the doors, I do everything I can to appear at ease. I can feel the tension in Liam’s body, wound tight like a spring, so one of us needs to keep it together.

The ballroom is an explosion of color when we step inside. Long, narrow tables with fancy gold place settings and name cards stretch through the vast space, and obnoxious backdrops for photos appear every few feet along three of the walls. A small stage sits at the far end of the room with the new True Sweets logo behind it in neon pink lights.

“Oh good, you’re here!” Christine smiles at us before finishing her conversation with a waiter in a black and white uniform. She points to the back corner, and the man disappears that way. “Wow, you two look great.” She hugs Liam, and he stiffens and awkwardly pats her on the back. “And Gracie! I’m so, so glad you could make it.” She throws her arms around me next, and when she pulls back, I brace myself for what I’ll find on her face.

But her smile seems…genuine.

Not that any of the Brookses have ever been outwardly hostile to me, but after getting those bits of information from Casey, I can’t help but wonder who he picked that up from. Who here secretly thinks I’m a downgrade from Liam’s previous girlfriend.

“We’re set up out back too,” says Christine. “That’s where your brothers and Makayla are, last I saw. The influencers and VIP guests are set to arrive first in about half an hour to get started on content, and we’re having a private cocktail party for them. Everyone else should start trickling in about an hour after that. We’ll be serving dinner in here later, but the drinks and snacks are already set up outside if you’re hungry!”

“Everything looks amazing, Christine,” says Liam.

Her shoulders detach from her ears with her exhale. “Really? Good. I have to hunt down the DJ, but I’ll see you two later!”

We wave as she hurries off through the same door the waiter used earlier.

“I thought this was Makayla’s event,” I mutter once she’s gone.

Liam presses his hand to my lower back to lead us outside. “Mak’s always been better at dreaming things up than carrying them out. And this.” He raises his eyebrows and glances around at the disco balls, human-sized pink feathers, and walls covered in flower arrangements. “Has Christine written all over it.”

The terrace has a similar look—giant pink flamingo floats in the pool, tables overflowing with decorative containers of candy, and backdrops designed around the True Sweets logo obviously intended for the influencers to post with.

“Look who showed up.” A tall, dark-haired man slaps Liam on the back. It takes me a moment to recognize him as Liam’s older brother. They look nothing alike aside from the color of their hair. I can’t tell if it’s the sharp cheekbones and jaw that give him that haughty air, or if it’s the way his nose seems permanently angled to the sky.

“Taylor,” Liam says unenthusiastically.

“Might as well grab one of these.” Taylor raises the beer in his hand. “Gonna be a long night.” With that, he heads over to a pretty blonde woman standing at the bar. A few others are scattered throughout the space—a woman in a pink floor-length gown who I think is Makayla, along with her husband, judging by the way she’s hanging off his arm, Asher, who’s currently flirting with the female bartender, and a woman with a clipboard and an earpiece who’s pacing around and inspecting every detail.

“Casey?” I ask.

Liam shakes his head. “No kids. He and Georgina—Makayla’s daughter—are sharing a babysitter tonight.”

The only other noticeably absent Brooks is the Candyman himself, and if Liam isn’t going to bring him up, I sure as hell won’t.

Hailey also isn’t here yet, but considering what Christine said about the influencers—and what Liam’s told me about her basically being the face of this new campaign—I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.

“You want something to drink?” Liam offers.

“Sure.”

He kisses my temple before heading for the bar, and I pace along the outskirts of the pool, taking it all in. The terrace has a gorgeous view of the ocean, and with all the sparkly decorations and disco balls around here, I’m sure it’ll be quite the sight to see come sunset.

I stop at the railing and take a deep breath of the salty air, letting it put me at ease. The breeze makes it cold with just this silk slip dress, and I pull my wrap tighter around my shoulders.

Footsteps pad quietly on my right, and I turn, expecting Liam, but it’s Asher who offers a smile that looks more like a grimace as he steps up beside me.

“Hey, Gracie.”

“Hi.”

He finally did away with the strange near-mohawk he had going all summer. I almost didn’t recognize him without it. Now he’s left with little more than a buzzcut, and it looks like he’s trying to grow a mustache. He chews on his lip and shoots a look over his shoulder before leaning against the railing and facing me. “So I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“Oh?”

He tugs on the collar of his shirt. “About Miles.”

My stomach drops, and I turn back to looking at the water. Thankfully, I haven’t had to see him again since that night. But of course I’ve thought about it. Admittedly less so once Christine assured us she’d handled the legal side of things, and after weeks passed without hearing from him, my anxiety about the situation finally relented.

Asher swallows audibly and shifts his weight, that usual carefree, frat-boy swagger of his noticeably absent. “I was shocked when Liam told me what happened. I had no idea. And I just wanted to say I’m really sorry. You didn’t deserve that. And I guess I wanted you to know that he and I…well, we don’t hang out anymore.”

The look in his eyes is earnest, almost pleading, like he’s looking for my forgiveness. Not that he needs it. I never blamed him.

“Thanks, Asher.”

I think that’ll be it, but he doesn’t walk away. I peek at him sideways, but he isn’t looking at me. His gaze is trained on Liam, who’s currently taking two drinks from the bartender.

“He’s happy with you,” Asher says quietly. “Happier than I think I’ve ever seen him.” He turns back to me with a rueful smile. “And I know our family is capable of scaring off the best of people, so I guess I’m saying I hope you won’t let them. You’ve got me in your corner, at least.”

“You better not be trying to steal my date,” Liam says as he approaches.

Asher smirks and takes a step back as Liam hands me a glass of champagne.

“Getaway car will be out front in five,” says Asher with a wink before he takes off to the bar.

“What’d he say to you?” Liam asks as he sets his drink on the rail and slips off his suit jacket.

“Nothing bad.”

Liam wraps the jacket over my shoulders and gives me an unconvinced eyebrow raise.

I laugh. “I promise. How are you doing?”

“Me?” He frowns and sips his beer. “Fine.”

“That was really convincing.”

“So I’m counting down the seconds until it’s acceptable for us to leave. Sue me.”

“So you don’t want to take a picture with the flamingos?”

He scowls. I smile and bat my eyelashes.

“Have you even tried the new candy yet?” I ask.

“Yeah.” He scrunches up his face. “Foul.”

“Is it really?”

He tilts his head back and forth. “Okay, so it was pretty good. You want some?” He grabs the collar of the jacket around my shoulders, pulls me a step closer, and reaches for the inside pocket.

“You did not shove some in your pockets for later,” I whisper.

He smirks and pulls out a handful of gummy bears. “Want one?” he asks as he pops one in his mouth.

I can’t help but laugh. “No, I don’t want your pocket gummy bears.”

He shrugs and eats another. “You want me to go get you some fresh ones?”

I shake my head and eye the stairs that lead to the rest of the grounds. Liam follows my gaze.

“You hatching an escape plan?”

I shrug innocently. “No one will probably notice we’re missing until all the guests are arriving, right?”

Liam throws his arm over my shoulder and steers us that way. “Have I mentioned that I love you?”

We pace around the grounds, admiring the flowers, landscaping, and ocean views. Eventually we come across a small gazebo lined with flowers and string lights, and I huddle against Liam’s side for warmth as we slide onto the bench. He drapes my legs over his lap and runs his hands up and down them.

“We can go back inside if you’re cold.”

I shake my head and wind my hands around his torso. “I’m just going to steal all of your body heat.”

He chuckles and kisses the top of my head. After a moment, he murmurs, “Thanks for coming with me today.”

“Of course.” I debate the wisdom of my next words, if I want to risk ruining this moment, but I’ve been dying to ask since it happened, and it’s just never felt like the right time. “Can I ask you about something?”

He nuzzles his face against the side of my neck. “Mm-hmm.”

“It’s something Leo said at the party.”

He pulls back, a hint of concern drawing his eyebrows together. “Okay?”

I stare at my hand on his thigh. “What did he mean when he said you promised you’d never go there with me?”

He takes a deep breath and tilts his face up to the sky. “Oh. That.” He says nothing for what feels like a long time, but when he rolls his head to look at me, there’s a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Leo has always been perceptive,” he says, as if that answers everything. “Even in high school. Or maybe it was just obvious. Where my attention was. I guess he wasn’t worried while I was dating Hailey, but she and I were broken up for a good six months during your freshman year. That’s when he gave me the talk .”

Freshman year ? “I—I didn’t think you noticed me back then.”

“Gracie.” He says my name like a prayer, like a promise. He tucks his knuckles beneath my chin and tilts it up. His eyes are soft as they trace over my face. “I’ve always noticed you.”

I try to fight my smile, I really do, but it feels like my heart is doing flips in my stomach the way it always does when he looks at me like this. “So what you’re saying is my stupid, embarrassing crush on you was noticeable.”

He stares at me. Blinks. Stares some more.

I shove him lightly on the shoulder. “Oh, don’t pretend to be surprised.”

He shakes his head as if stunned, and a slow, disbelieving smile grows. “Gracie, I—I had no idea.”

I cock my head. “Really?”

“Really.” That smile turns into a full-on grin as he brings my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. “How long?”

“How long, what?”

“How long did you have this crush?”

My face burns, and I purse my lips and look away. “Don’t make me say it.”

“Please.”

There’s something about the quiet, sincere quality of his voice that makes me turn. And the look in his eyes…it’s almost like a younger version of him is looking at me right now.

“I don’t even know,” I say quietly. “Pretty much always.”

His smile turns soft, tender, as he brushes my hair behind my ear. “Yeah, it was pretty much always for me too.”

I have to break the eye contact because this conversation is veering into dangerous territory. The kind that might make me do something stupid like sneak off somewhere so I can tear off all his clothes.

I clear my throat. “Have you and Leo…”

He shakes his head.

I was hoping Leo would’ve reached out to him by now. Maybe it was na?ve of me to think the rift this caused would be so easily fixed. But the guilt from it is a constant presence in the back of my mind. Not just for hurting Leo—because that’s the worst part. I can tell he isn’t angry . He’s hurt —but also for being the reason Liam’s lost access to his closest friend.

“I don’t want you to worry about it. I mean it. We’ll work it out.”

He seems so calm, so certain. I settle in against him again, and he kisses the side of my head as his arms wrap around me, blocking the worst of the cool breeze. And I think I could sit here like this with him forever. No matter the amount of lingering guilt, I can’t find it in myself to feel sorry. Because nothing about this feels wrong.

His gaze is trained on the horizon, a thoughtful look on his face as his eyebrows pull together. I run my hands up and down his arms.

“What’s on your mind?” I murmur.

One side of his mouth kicks up in a smile that’s not quite happy, not quite sad. “My mom.”

My hands pause.

“She used to love things like this,” he says. “You could never really tell she came from money, except at these kinds of events. She always made it look so natural. She… I think she would’ve really liked today.”

Slowly, he pulls his gaze back to me. I push the hair from his eyes, then leave my hand cradling the side of his head.

“You don’t talk about her much, so I’ve never wanted to bring it up in case you didn’t want to… But I want you to know that I’m here if you ever do want to talk about it. About her.”

He smiles. “I think she would’ve really liked this—you and me—too.”

I rest my head on his shoulder and trail my hand down to interlace my fingers with his. Admittedly, I don’t remember a lot about his mom. I remember her always being kind to me and how well she got along with my parents. That she and Liam had the same smile. But now I wish I’d paid more attention. “You know, I think she is here. In her own way.”

He lets out a slow breath. “You think so?”

“I do. I don’t think she’s missed anything. I think she’s been with you for it all.”

His hand tightens around mine as he rests his cheek against the top of my head. “Sometimes I think I can feel her,” he says so quietly I almost can’t hear him, but I don’t miss the choked-up quality of his voice. “Or it seems like she’s sending me signs.”

“Have you felt her today?”

“I have.” He laughs a little. “I feel her right now, actually.”

I nestle in closer, close enough to hear his heart beating in his chest, to feel the way our breaths sync up.

“I think she’d be really proud of you, Liam,” I whisper. “I know I am.”

We sit there for what feels like a long time, listening to the waves crash against the shore and the music from the party gradually grow louder in the distance.

“We should probably head back,” he says after a while.

I nod. He tightens his hold on my legs before I can move to stand though.

“Just…a few more minutes, maybe.”

I smile and relax against him. “A few more minutes.”