Once Upon a Friendship

Taking the stairs in case the elevator stopped on the second floor and Gabi happened to have her door open, he showed up at the coffeehouse just after Marie had closed for the night. He helped clean up. Something he’d done a time or two before. She didn’t ask him why he was there.

Or act as though anything was amiss.

They worked. She sent her employee home. Turned off the lights out front. And carried the cash drawer back to the office, where she’d count the day’s income, make a deposit slip, put it in a bag that would lock automatically and drop it into the safe under a brick behind her desk.

Only a key at the bank would open the bag. Liam knew all the secrets.

“Talk to me,” she said before she’d counted a cent.

He nodded toward the cash on her desk. “Count.”

“You take the twenties.” She pushed them in his direction.

He counted. So did she. Fifteen minutes later even that work was done. And he was

still there.

“Gabi doesn’t know I’m down here.”

“Duh, Connelly. I wasn’t born yesterday. You’d be upstairs, snagging whatever she’s making for dinner if whatever you have to say was for both of us.”

“You don’t seem shocked.”

“By what?”

“That I’m here to talk to you without Gabi knowing.”

“I’ve got eyes.”

“What does that mean?”

“There’s something going on between the two of you. Gabi and I have already talked about it. It was only a matter of time before you came to me, too.”

“This is serious, Marie.”

Her smile fell away. “I know. I’m just trying to pretend I’m not scared to death.”

“Listen.”

She nodded, that compassion of hers—something he’d counted on more than she’d probably ever know—shining all over him.

“It’s pretty much written on the wall that I’m going to jail.”

She took a breath, as if she was going to object, but he held up his hand. Reminding her that she’d just agreed to listen. He needed to get this out.

“I’m feeling things for Gabi.” He’d expected the announcement to sound cataclysmic. It didn’t.

Marie hadn’t even blinked yet.

“I realize that it’s just because of all that’s going on, and her helping me, me needing to rely on her, but...”

“I don’t...” Marie looked at him and fell silent. “But she’s going to get hurt, Liam. We all know that.”

He didn’t know it anymore. But he couldn’t tell her it wouldn’t happen. Because he didn’t feel as though he knew himself all that well. So much had changed. Outside of him. But inside, as well.

“Anyway, I love you both, you know that.”

She nodded. And didn’t say another word. He needed her to. He hadn’t told anyone he loved them since he’d held his mother as she’d died.