The Rebel (Red's Tavern 2)

“I thought the worst,” I said.

Liam frowned. He stood up and I followed after him. He was covered in dirt from head to toe, and he looked completely exhausted. My pounding heart finally started to slow.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“I got your voicemail,” I said. “I wanted you there so bad, but I figured I’d take the celebration to you.”

I held out the drink, nodding at him.

“You brought me food?”

“Most of the actual food sold out, but this cake is incredible,” I said. “And this is the strawberry-mint virgin cocktail.”

He almost looked sad as he took the items from me. Sad like he didn’t think he deserved it. “You are too nice to me,” he said quietly.

“You keep saying that,” I told him, shaking my head. “Stop it. I’m exactly as nice as I want to be. Now what the hell happened tonight?”

“I’m just not feeling great,” he said quickly, then took a long sip of the drink. “Fuck, this is delicious.”

“Thank you, but also, I’m not buying that,” I said. “Tell me what happened.”

He took a deep breath in. “My ex is an asshole, but I’m only in this situation because it’s completely my fault. That’s all, and I don’t want to talk about it any more.”

My jaw clenched. “I thought it might have been something to do with him.”

Liam shook his head. “It’s also just me, though,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been out here gardening like an idiot in the middle of the night. I don’t even know what to do with myself.”

My heart panged with sympathy. “Well, I know what to do,” I said.

His eyes flitted up to meet mine, confusion on his face. “And what’s that?”

“Start simple,” I said. “When you don’t know what to do with yourself, you’ve got to start with the simplest things.”

“Is this where you’re going to tell me to get a therapist or something?” Liam asked.

“No, although I’m pretty sure you might benefit from one,” I said. “A lot. That’s your own journey, though. I’m talking really simple. When’s the last time you ate?”

He glanced away from me, biting the inside of his cheek. “Um… I had half a protein bar at breakfast.”

“Fuckin’ hell, there’s your first problem,” I said. “Food and water is your first step.”

“I didn’t realize that’s what you meant by simple,” he said.

I let out a long breath. “Come inside and get cleaned up. I’ll help you,” I said, reaching out and resting a hand on his dirt-caked bicep.

“Jesus, Red, I’m not that bad off, I can clean myself.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Attitude, much?”

He sighed. “I don’t want pity.”

“It isn’t pity, for fuck’s sake,” I said.

“You’re right, you’re right,” he said. “I just—I don’t want to burden you with my bullshit. You know?”

I frowned at him. “What if I want to be here? What if I want to help you clean off? You ever think about that possibility?”

Something in his eyes changed. He stopped looking so self-defeating and finally, his expression seemed to open up a little.

“I’ve told you, I don’t do things I don’t want to do,” I said. “Usually after a long shift at the bar, I want to go home, put my dogs to bed, and then sleep. Maybe jerk off, at some point. But I came here instead, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

“Okay,” Liam finally said, his voice a little quiet. He cleared his throat. “Okay.”

He crossed over and turned off the big floodlight. He led me back into his house, where Bandit was happily lounging on the couch. I headed over to the kitchen, expecting Liam to go on and take a shower. But when I turned around again, I saw him standing at the beginning of the hallway, seemingly frozen. He’d put his drink and cake down on the counter, but was making no progress toward the shower. His eyes looked vacant.

Christ. He really was in a bad place.

“Fuck it, I’m coming with you,” I said, heading over to his side. My heart was twisting in my chest seeing Liam like this. I kicked off my boots, grabbed his hand, and pulled him down the hallway, going into the small bathroom and turning on the hot water.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said, but I acted like I couldn’t hear him.

I pulled the Red’s Tavern T-shirt off over my head and chucked it to the floor, then started unbuttoning my pants.

“I don’t recommend that you get in this shower with all your clothes on, but I’m about to put you in there in thirty seconds, clothes or not,” I told him. I pulled down my jeans and underwear in one motion, then took off my socks.

I was standing bare naked now, staring at Liam. “Time’s running out. Twenty seconds left now.”

Then finally, like a miracle, I saw the hint of a smile appearing on his face.