Left (Left 1)

“But you won’t?” Phoenix whispers.

“Nope. I got your Daddy to keep that from happening to me. That’s what best friends do. Keep you together like glue.”

He gives a solemn nod and goes quiet. I’m not sure if we handled it right. I don’t know how to tell him what I don’t know. Anger burns hot in my belly. I want to take a tire iron to something fragile and hear it break. Liv rests her hand on my knee. The rage filters from me. She’s my sieve sifting out the bad things so I can keep the good. A spark flickers inside me. My cock twitches. Fuck. It’s been a long time. I’m a red-blooded male, and Liv Cole is one sexy woman. Unlike the trend, she’s voluptuous with thick thighs, wide hips, and an ass I’ve alw

ays wanted to palm. She has to be at least five foot eleven because I’m six foot two, and she comes to my shoulder. I bite the inside of my cheek until I taste the metallic flavor of blood.

Three years without sex is a long time. When I was neck deep in work, I didn’t notice the needs I wasn't fulfilling. Now that the business is thriving, I’m noticing a lot of things I’ve missed. Like the fact that my dick wants to be inside my best friend. I roll down the window praying the air will blow away my lustful thoughts long enough for me to regain sanity. She’s a constant for my kids and me.

Sex only complicates good friendships, and we both have boatloads of issues to go through before we could think about anything real. Not that I wanted to go down that road again. Or do I? Liv removes her hand, and I instantly miss the warm weight. The kid’s questions had my mind drifting into the twilight zone. I’m not thinking properly. I concentrate on the road. We pull up to the house and unload.

“Well guys, Livy has to get back home—

“You’re not staying for dinner?” I ask shocked.

“I don’t want to wear out my welcome.” The smile on her face doesn’t reach her eyes. I frown.

“That’s not possible. I was going to make my Mom’s Shepard’s pie, your favorite.” We're second generation Irish. Every couple of years my mom and dad return to the small villages their parents immigrated from.

She bites her bottom lip. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I just don’t want to make things more complicated.”

I roll my eyes, grab her hand and pull her into the house with the kids trailing behind her like baby ducks. I like the vision more than I should. The kids’ questions made me think about things better left alone. We’re fine. I don’t need a woman in my life.

“Okay guys, shoes off and go get changed over to play clothes. Livy will help you get your things ready for tomorrow while Dad gets a snack set up.”

“Yay!” They run toward their rooms. Liv moves to follow, and I grab her wrist. “What’s going on with you right now?”

“Just wonder if we’re confusing them with me being here all the time.”

“They love you.”

“And I love them, but look at what they were saying today," she says.

“They're kids.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t want to fuck them up, Hous.”

“And you think I do? They’re fine. They have a life filled with people who love them and stability. That’s what kids need.”

She tilts her head to the side, and I know regardless of what I say, she’s going to stew over this. I run my hair down her soft curls. Her mane has grown exponentially over the past few years. She went through a transitional stage after the wedding that wasn’t. I think it was her coming into her own. It looks good on her.

“You trust me?”

She sniffs, blinking. “You know I do.”

“Then we’re still in this together, doing it our way. We understand better than most, trying to fall in line and go the traditional route isn’t always best.”

She nods, but the distance between us remains. I don’t like it, but I if I push she might shut down. Avoidance is a technique she’s skilled at and will deploy at in a heartbeat. I run my knuckles down the side of her face and force myself to step back.

***

A sense of dread hits me as we walk from Phoenix’s bedroom. Liv remains aloof. I pull her away from their bedroom and further down the hall.

“I don’t want you to leave like this, Liv.”

“Like what?”