Bloom

Percy tosses me a knowing look. “I think I see why.”

***

I brush past Liam on my way back to my workstation. It’s a mess. Between my extended lunch break and the orders I’ve filled since Leanna left, it looks like a disaster.

“To what do I owe this surprise?” I toss him a smile.

The one he offers back is weak. The corners of his lips barely move. “My last appointment of the day canceled, so I thought I’d drop by to see how your

day has been.”

“Busy.” I sum it up in one word.

Rubbing a hand over his jaw, he exhales. “Look, Athena. I’m just going to come right out and say this.”

My head pops up, and the scissors in my hand drop to the table with a thud.

He’s here to dump me.

Can you dump someone you’re only sleeping with? Is that a thing?

I steel myself for his next words. Pasting on a brave face, I stare him straight in the eye. “What is it?”

“I like you,” he begins, raking his hand through his hair. “You’re sweet, and you’re a lot of fun.”

I’m that and more, but maybe he hasn’t bothered to notice.

I don’t offer him back any compliments because I’ll reserve those for the next man I sleep with.

Who am I kidding? I don’t want there to be a next man, at least not yet.

I like Liam. Hanging out with him is fun, and the sex is incredible.

I’m not ready to lose all of that since it just started.

His phone dings. Fishing it out of his pocket, he holds up a finger. “Give me a minute. I need to check what this is.”

I’ll give him a minute or ten or twenty thousand. I’ll give him whatever he needs if it means I have extra time to brace myself for what is about to happen between us.

I watch as his fingers fly over the screen of his phone.

When my phone chimes, I drop my gaze to it hoping that he’s not dumping me via text when he’s standing less than three feet from where I am.

I open the text message from Jeremy and stare at the attached picture.

He’s got Cassidy in his lap, and she’s holding tightly to the small bouquet of pink roses I handed him earlier. I tucked a plastic unicorn figurine in the center of it because I knew she’d love the extra surprise.

Tears threaten to flood my eyes.

I love my family and regardless of what happens between Liam and me, I have them. I will always have them.

I rest my phone on the table.

“Who is that?”

I look up to find Liam craning his neck to get a better look at my phone’s screen.

I twist it around so he can see the picture. “My brother and my niece.”