“Damn it. Damn it!”
Sam didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud until the bartender and the couple to his left gave him a wary look.
Liam, on the other hand, didn’t look at all surprised.
“So just one question,” Liam said as he took another sip of his whisky. “Exactly which one of you was going to tell me that you’ve been dating?”
There it was.
The bomb that Sam had been avoiding since the day he’d seen Riley’s skinny, sexy legs in those damn soccer shorts over ten years earlier. He’d been expecting a thunderbolt or maybe an earthquake.
At the very least, he’d been prepared for an up-front encounter with Liam’s knuckles.
Gathering his courage, he turned to look at his best friend, braced for disgust, anger, betrayal, or all of the above.
Instead he saw …
Curiosity? Maybe even concern.
“It didn’t go well,” Sam muttered, tipping his glass to his lips and staring straight ahead.
Liam thumped a hand lightly against the magazine article. “Nah. Really?”
“Why aren’t you more mad?” Sam asked. “Or are you just saving it until we step outside?”
“Well, I am a little mad. Mad that you didn’t tell me. And I’m mad that Riley apparently wants to barbecue your balls for some reason.”
“But you’re not mad that we … you know …”
“Screwed? No. I mean, I’m totally repulsed. But angry?” Liam considered. “I don’t think so. I guess I figured it was bound to happen some way. The way you were always trying so damn hard not to look at her when the rest of the pervs openly stared.”
Sam’s world tilted a little bit sideways. “But you told me never to touch her. You made me promise.”
Liam frowned. “When?”
“Over ten years ago! Right after I met Riley for the first time.”
His friend tilted his head, clearly trying to remember. “Huh.”
Huh. Huh? I’ve spent the past decade putting aside my own happiness for something you can’t even remember?
But …
Was that fair?
Had Sam ever gone to his best friend and said, “Look, I’ve got feelings for your sister. Thoughts?”
And after he’d acted on those feelings, had he called up his friend and said, “Punch me if you want, but I’m in love with your sister, and you’ll have to deal.”
Sam choked a little on his whisky.
Love?
Love.
Wait, that wasn’t right. Sam didn’t do love.
Did he?