“Hey, it’s me.”
Liam.
The sound of his voice brings back a whole other world. I place my things down, worried I might carelessly fall apart from the tone of his voice.
“Hey.”
Silence falls between us, and not wanting to play on the obvious, I bring in the small-talk to try to repair what I so easily broke. “How have you been?”
“Good, I guess, considering. I’m dating someone.”
“That’s quick.”
Shit. I shouldn’t have said that, and trying to retrace my stupidity, I tell him, “I don’t mean it’s quick, I mean that you…” I roll my eyes at my mumbling and just say, “… never mind.”
It suddenly dawns on me that Phoebe told me Liam was seeing that Sienna girl only a day after he got back. I don’t have the right to question Liam’s fidelity, but his new relationship doesn’t add up either.
“I slept with her while I was still with you. I missed you… not that it matters now. I just needed to tell you that.” The pain in his voice subsides, almost to relief.
There’s a slight ping, a wave of hurt from hearing that. None of it matters now, though. The damage is done, and the universe plays its part. It’s not my place to reprimand him when I played the same card he did.
“Wesley’s not good for you.”
“Liam, please.”
“Listen to me. Do you remember the time we watched that program on serial manipulators? They had personality disorders, and that dad was jailed for murdering his wife?”
I remember the episode, yet don’t appreciate the link between a murderer and Wesley.
“C’mon, Liam. I know he’s done bad things, but people change.”
“Milly, listen to me. You’re in danger. Please, just walk away from him. It’s not about pride here, I’m genuinely worried.”
I smile into the receiver, ignoring his desperate pleas. Liam always protected me, and his worries are nothing but concern. It’s Liam being Liam.
“I can take care of myself. Listen, I should go. Keep in touch, okay?”
“Milly—”
“Liam, just don’t. Please don’t,” I beg, softly.
With a heavy sigh, he says goodbye, reluctantly, until the sound of my cell beeps informing me the call has ended. I stare at the screen for minutes, sad to say goodbye on such terms and wishing he could just let his anger toward Wesley go.
There isn’t much time to dwell on his words as I make a mad dash for my car, racing home so I can change and head over to Wesley’s.
I can’t wait to see him.
Finally, I will be getting those much-needed answers to the questions that will either make or break our relationship.
Chapter Nineteen
Wesley pulls out all the stops to woo me tonight.
Outside, on the patio, sits a small, round table with two wicker chairs. Two candles sit on the tabletop along with some fancy china, positioned perfectly next to the pool wit
h a view of the city lights. It’s beautiful, romantic, and another side to Wesley Rich that I haven’t seen.
I expect that a maid would serve us, so I’m surprised when I find Wesley in his kitchen, busily marinating the chicken with his bare hands and swaying his hips to a jazz tune that sounds slightly familiar.