Because where else would you take garbage on a date but to the dump?
Then I put my car back in drive and head to see my heart.
EMMA
As Thomas pulls up in front of Liam’s house, my hand wrings my wrist. We’re supposed to meet to go over our final presentation for civics.
After he and Rowan grabbed me in class last week, I’ve been a nervous twit around them.
“Emma, are you getting out of the car?” Thomas inquires.
When did he get out of the car?
“Ye-yeah,” I mumble, stepping out of the backseat and making my way to the large ornate door.
“Welcome, Miss Bishop, Master Liam will be with you shortly,” a voice says as the front door slowly opens.
What the fuck? Rich people and their rich people shit.
I step inside and look for the person, but see no one. Then, the voice sounds again, making me jump. “Can I get you anything?”
“She’s all set, Geoffrey. I’ll take it from here. You scared the poor girl.”
Turning in the direction of the person speaking, I’m met with the gaze of a beautiful woman. She walks with a grace only seen in high society, but her smile is welcoming, and her resemblance to Liam is apparent. I’m just not sure if she’s his mother or sister.
“Sorry about that, Emma. Liamon and his dad are all about their damn high-tech toys. I’m Calista Washington, Liamon’s mother.”
I begin to stretch out my hand when she envelops me in a hug, her petite frame towering over me.
“Uh, hi. I’m Emma,” I start, then remember she said my name. “I’m here to work on a, um, project with Liam and August.”
She pulls back from the hug, “Yes, I remember him mentioning that. He’s in the shower. I’ll take you to where the boys always meet when they come over.”
I follow behind her until we reach the end of the hall. Liam’s mom opens a door on the left, and my mouth falls open.
The place looks like the lounge of a club, not some hangout spot. At least ten monitors are mounted to the wall, a blue neon sign is lit that says ‘Monsters at Play,’ and every gaming console known to humankind sits at designated spots around the room. PacMan and Mrs. PacMan machines sit on the far side, next to air hockey and foosball tables. My eyes keep scanning, and I land on a six-lane bowling alley. A fucking bowling alley.
Jesus.
“See what I mean about their toys,” Mrs. Washington whispers in my ear, knocking me from my stupor. “You can put your bag over there on the table and help yourself to some snacks until Liamon arrives. Maybe he’ll even cook for you. That will be a real treat,” she says before turning and leaving me in a daze.
Cook? Liam cooks? I mean, I guess I don’t really know much about him other than he can be a dick when he’s ready. Well, he used to be a dick. He hasn’t been one lately.
I walk to the large table and place my bag down before making my way to the kitchen area with the snacks. First, I grab a bottle of hibiscus pineapple ginger iced tea and my favorite brand of chocolate-covered Oreos, trying not to overthink that either Liam and I have similar tastes or he has my favorite foods in his house. Then, I head back to the table and sit down, pulling out my work while waiting for him or August to arrive. I don’t have to wait very long before I hear someone approach, causing my attention to shift toward the sound in time to see Liam walk through the door with a hesitant smile on his face.
“Oh good, you saw the snacks I got you,” he says, answering my question as his hand reaches up to put his still-damp hair into a bun.
His movements draw my attention to his biceps as they work his hair off his shoulders. They flex when his arms widen, exposing a tattoo I can’t make out from this distance. My gaze travels down his body, and like a perv, I stare at the bulge in his lounge pants.
Lord, he’s not even hard.
Liam clears his throat, snapping my focus back up to his face. I can feel the heat growing against my skin. Liam’s once timid smile is now cocky.
“Wy’s running late.” He begins walking toward me. “We should get started on the outline until he arrives,” he suggests, taking his seat.
Nodding in agreement, I start back in on my work, trying and failing to ignore his proximity. I squirm when his hand accidentally brushes mine as he pulls his books out.
Shaking off the feeling, I refocus on my research. That lasts about twenty minutes. I can feel Liam’s eyes boring into me. Tilting my head, I peer over at him and confirm he is indeed studying me, his brows furrowed in contemplation as he bites his lush bottom lip.
Fuck. Why do they look so inviting?
“I-I need to get something off my chest.” His words pull my attention from his delectable mouth to his gold-flecked eyes.
“Go ahead. I’m listening,” I encourage, halting my typing.
He coughs, clearing his throat before he speaks. “I need to apologize.”
I sit back, ensuring I don’t cross my arms and making sure I don’t appear like I’m being defensive or dismissive because he does need to apologize. He and Rowan both do, but I don’t want to be a bitch about it and refuse to hear them out. Especially if I end up having to marry these fools.
“That day. Actually, both of those days. I…” He pauses, trying to collect himself, then takes a deep breath and continues. “The night of the party, I was out of line. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I won’t give you any excuses, but I’d like to explain the why. It will also explain that day in the hallway.”
I clench my jaw at the memory. One minute I was grabbing his shoulder, and the next, he had me by the throat. I dick-punched him for that bullshit.
“That night. After we made our Selections, I was so suspicious of you. Everything I dug up led to nothing, but our dads wanted you as part of the process. It made no sense to me, and because of that, you were a great unknown, and I needed to be the level-headed one. August and Karl are gone for you, and Rowan is pigheaded, which leads him to be impulsive. I needed to protect my family,” he explains.
I can understand his apprehension. New girl moves to some exclusive town and becomes part of some exclusive bullshit practice. I’d have questions too. However, it still didn’t give him the right to be a fucking tool. I want to say that, instead, I wait for him to continue.
“When we were ten, Karl and I were kidnapped. Well, Karl was successfully kidnapped, but I was able to get away.”
My body freezes to the spot. I don’t even blink as I work to process his words.
“The same organization that took you, they took us too,” Liam continues, and my gut twists.
Fucking Elise!
Guilt at my mother being the reason they were taken gnaws at me. I bite the inside of my cheek, drawing blood in an attempt to stay my knee-jerk visceral reaction. I want to jump from this chair and throw something. No, I want to find the bitch who birthed me and kill her. Instead, I count and focus on Liam as he details what happened.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.