Bad Boy Rich

“You’re making a choice to leave me.”

“No, I’m making a choice to give Mom the best care she can possibly get.”

Our words fall silent—only the noise of the boys in the garage tinkering away at the broken cars can be heard.

I turn my body to face him, bridging the gap between us. Liam is an extremely good-looking guy. Dirty-blond hair tied up into a messy bun to keep away from his light green eyes. They never changed color upon his mood, and maybe that’s why he had this way of making me feel safe; the calming effect he had over me when I stared long enough and allowed him to climb into my soul.

The side of his face is smeared with grease, hiding the one dimple that sat on his right cheek. Such a cheeky dimple, cute and adorable.

“I never expected to make this decision, you know. I wish it was different, I really do.”

How I wished it was different. Alaska is home. The only place I had ever known. I had only left the state once—a joy ride that went wrong resulting in Mom having an almost-heart attack that her fifteen-year-old daughter would do such a thing. Aside from that, I knew no different. A big city with crime, corruption, and God knows what else. I wasn’t that daredevil anymore—Los Angeles terrified me.

Liam places his hand on top of mine, rubbing the tips of my knuckles with his calloused fingers. “And us?” he asks with a croak.

“We’ll just be us. Why does it have to change?”

“Because you’re thousands of miles away. You don’t even own a cell.”

I nudge his shoulder, welcoming the small joke. “Yes, I do. So, it’s not fancy and one of those so-called smartphones. It still works.”

“I believe Vanilla Ice called from the nineties and wants his brick back,” he snorts.

“That’s what he said about your outfit.” I laugh, pinching the fabric of his baggy navy overalls which he wore to work every day.

“I’ll miss you, Milly.” Placing his arm around me, he kisses the top of my head, his lips lingering enough to warm my icy skin.

I would miss him terribly. In hindsight, I probably should have married him. Then I wouldn’t have to move. We could have lived in his parents’ basement, oblivious to all that lay ahead. If only he didn’t scare me with the kids talk, the desire to start a family and a big one at that. It wasn’t in the cards for me. Kids…singular or plural.

A lonesome tear fights through my pride and falls onto his forearm. I wipe it with my hand, watching it mix with the grease that clung to his skin. Damn it—I didn’t want to cry in front of him, and this is the second time today I had broken down.

“It’s only a plane ride away. This is my home, it’ll always be home. Don’t think of me gone forever…”

“I won’t.” He gulps, pursing his lips and thinking with his eyes. “Just don’t forget me when you get there.”

I touch his hand and lean in, placing my lips on his. Everything about his kiss is home; warm, inviting, and connects with my heart in ways I never imagined. The familiarity of his gentle touch made me ache all over. What if he forgot about me?

“I could never forget you,” I tell him. “Good guys like you are a dime a dozen.”

“And you’re my lucky penny.” He winks.

I stand up while he continues to sit on the bench. He had offered to take me and Flynn to the airport but I refused. Saying goodbye is hard and having crowds of people watch me break down into a blubbering mess isn’t something I was fond of doing. We had a proper farewell last night with dinner and lovemaking while his parents sat in the den and watched re-runs of Mash.

Resting my hands on his shoulders, I wrap them around his neck knowing the boys in the garage were watching from where they stood.

“Take care of yourself, one day I’ll be back and it’ll be like I never left.”

His endearing smile hides the pain as his heavy gaze tells me everything I need to hear at this moment. “You’ve got my heart, Milly.”

“And you’ve got mine, Liam Dean Davies.”

One more time, we allow ourselves to lose each other in a goodbye kiss. It might have been my imagination, but his kiss was more forceful this time, unlike his normally gentle and relaxing manner.

Time ticked at a fast and demanding pace. We had only minutes left and this kiss—though deep and full of emotions—would be our last.

In a world full of promises, I could be optimistic and know that he’d always be around. But inside that world lay doubt. With everything riding on my shoulders, I would now carry the weight alone. I had no choice but to succeed.

For my brother who had no one else.