“I’m just thinking about your time. I’m sure it’s better used working than cooking.”
His brows snapped together. “I know how to make use of my time.”
Holding up both hands, she replied with a sigh, “Sorry. Just trying to help.”
“Thanks, but it’s not necessary.”
His tone was still grumpy, which should have been a cue for her to back off. But because it bothered her that he seemed to be having so much trouble with his work, she couldn’t resist offering a suggestion. “Maybe if you give yourself goals…you know, revise three pages before getting out of your chair, or try to do ten pages before calling it a day. That’s the way I organize my study time.”
“And I’m sure that’s all very well for you, but it’s not the way I work.”
“Yes, but—”
“Look, I’ve got it covered, okay? Now, do you want pizza or should I cook something?”
“I’m not hungry,” she said, deliberately opening a textbook.
“You should eat something.”
Her response was curt. “I don’t need you to tell me when to eat.”
Their terse words seemed to hang in the air for a long minute. And then Liam shook his head. “This is no good. You’re stressed, I’m stressed—but we shouldn’t take it out on each other.”
Still stinging from the tone he had taken with her, she wanted to remind him childishly that he had started it—but he was right. Snarling at each other would not help either of them.
She nodded, but couldn’t resist adding, “I
was just trying to help. The way you’ve been helping me.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. It’s just not going very well, you know? I’m having a hell of a time figuring out what to do with this book. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m going to be able to do this, after all.”
His uncharacteristic expression of self-doubt dampened her anger even more. “Of course you’ll be able to do it, Liam. I have complete faith in you.”
He sighed heavily. “Thanks, Annie. I’m sure you’re right. I’ll figure it out, eventually. It’s just been more difficult than I anticipated. I’m really sorry I’m interfering with your studying. Maybe I should just—”
“Order a pizza,” she finished for him quickly. “With mushrooms, black olives and green peppers.”
Nodding, he turned toward the kitchen, leaving her to return to her studies until the pizza arrived.
Trying to focus on her notes, she chewed her lower lip. She knew what Liam had been about to say when she’d interrupted so hastily. He’d been on the verge of suggesting that he should leave, go back to New York, perhaps. And while it was probably true that she would study more easily without him here, when it came to having him say the words, she’d realized abruptly that she wasn’t ready for him to go.
He would leave eventually, she reminded herself. He’d said from the day he’d arrived that he wouldn’t be staying long. She had even been privately relieved to hear that at the time.
It was hard to keep his presence secret, hard to concentrate entirely on her studies while he was here and difficult for both of them to handle the stress of their careers without occasionally turning on each other. She supposed that was only normal for two people cooped up in such close quarters under such difficult circumstances.
But she still wasn’t ready for him to leave. She wasn’t sure she would ever be entirely ready for that, no matter how diligently she tried to prepare herself. And if they reached a point where she did want him to go—what would that say about the future of their relationship?
Anne was startled awake at three o’clock Sunday morning by the buzz of a cell phone. Groggy and disoriented, she started to fumble for her phone, then realized that Liam had already answered his own.
He said only a few words, then she heard him end the conversation with, “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
She’d been asleep less than three hours, having turned in at just after midnight, when she’d been unable to study any longer. She pushed her hair out of her face to peer at him when he pushed back the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “Where are you going?”
“Sorry to wake you. That was my aunt Maura.”
She frowned. “Your father’s sister? The one in Ireland?”
“Yes. Dungarvan.”