“So…” I look at Liam. “Got the wedding bug yet?”
He turns around and grins, pointing the utensil at me before going back to the stove. “The real question is, do you?”
“I’ve been planning my wedding since I was five years old,” I admit, but back then, it was more of a Disney dream with me being the princess and finding my Prince Charming. “But,” I add, “I don’t want to get married until I graduate. Just one more year.”
Liam plates the eggs and toast and sets them in front of us. He looks at me incredulously. “Is that a hint?”
I quickly shove food in my mouth and shrug.
“Marriage is a big deal,” he says. “I’ve already been divorced once. You sure you want that baggage?”
His phone buzzes on the bar, and I see it’s his dad calling. “Are you going to answer that?” I ask, knowing his dad doesn’t call him very often but has more now since Victoria came into the picture. Liam broke the news to him about the divorce but left out all the dirty details.
Liam silences it. “I’ll call him back later. I’m having breakfast with my girl.”
I take a sip of tea and look at him. Studying his face, I take in the scruff on his chin, the way his bottom lip has an indent, and the way the corners of his mouth naturally turn up. “That divorce wasn’t your fault. That was a business arrangement.”
“So you’re saying I still have a chance for a happily ever after?” He’s joking with me, the mood staying light and playful.
“Maybe a ten percent chance,” I throw out.
“Ten? That’s insanity. I think it’s more at ninety.”
I giggle. “You quite confident, aren’t you? So tell me this…do you want kids?”
Liam stills, and it feels as if all the air has been sucked out of the room. He looks at me, then back at his plate. After a minute, I interrupt his thoughts.
“You don’t have to answer that. Forget I asked.” I reach forward and grab his hand.
“Kids are a big step. I always thought a family wasn’t something I wanted or deserved. After what my mother did to my father and me, I vowed I wouldn’t. I didn’t want to bring a child into this fucked-up world to have their heart broken like mine was. But, when I look at you, for the first time, I can see a future. I imagine the wedding, the house, the dog, the kids. All of it.”
I swallow hard at his confession. It warms my heart to hear him say those things. The room suddenly feels hot, and my skin prickles with goose bumps.
“I don’t want to lose you because I know there’s a future for us, which scares the shit out of me. I’ve never, ever felt this way about anyone in my life. Only you, Maddie.”
Tears swell in my eyes, and when I blink, they trail down my cheeks. “Liam…”
“But that’s not the answer you were looking for.” He clears his throat. “Yes, I’d have kids with you, Mads. They’d be smart-asses like you and hardheaded like me, and all know how to dance or play football.”
I move onto his lap, nearly straddling him in the barstool.
“There’s no rushing forever,” I say, pressing my forehead against his as the emotion takes over. I’m a sopping mess as I kiss him, wishing I could express how much he’s always meant to me, but it’s like my words won’t come out. Once again, he’s left me utterly speechless. His strong arms hold me close to him, and he slides his lips across mine when his cell phone goes off again and silences it. It pings with a voicemail afterward, pulling us both away.
Liam grabs his phone, and he looks confused.
“Who is it?” I ask.
He turns it around and shows me it’s his dad again. “I guess I should see what’s going on. He never calls me like this.”
I nod, and he helps me place both of my feet on the ground. As he listens to his voicemail, I watch Liam’s face contort. He stands with wide eyes, and I know immediately something isn’t right.
“Listen to this.” Liam places the phone on speaker and replays the message.
I cover my mouth with my hands as Liam’s dad speaks frantically. “Liam. There was a house fire, and we lost everything. Your stepmom and I weren’t home when it happened, thankfully, but there’s nothing left.” His dad chokes up, and it nearly destroys me. “I’m okay, but I wanted to let you know what’s going on before you find out some other way. I don’t know what happened. We’re staying at Aunt Ruthie’s house until we can figure out what to do next. Call me when you can.”
He clutches the phone in his palm and begins pacing. “Fuck. Do you think this could be a coincidence? After the Mercedes blew up, I’m not so sure. I don’t trust anything anymore, not since Victoria tracked down my dad.”