The Lies That Define Us (Us 2)

“Share?” I squeaked.

“Oh yeah.” He smiled confidently.

I stood there, stunned, unable to even eat the delicious cake I held because Liam had turned my brain to mush. After a lingering moment, while Liam went about his business cutting more slices of cake and I stood there blinking stupidly, I finally regained my wits and moved out of the way.

I found Talia sitting on the stone wall facing the ocean, and I joined her. Her blond hair whipped around from the wind, and she caught it in her hands, drawing it over one shoulder.

“You don’t want cake?” I questioned her as I swung my legs over the side of the wall.

“No,” she shook her head adamantly. “Unfortunately the sight of any food makes me pretty nauseous. Even cake. Which is such a tragedy.” She frowned at my plate with a look of longing in her eyes.

“Sorry,” I slid a little away so my plate wasn’t practically right under her nose.

“S’okay.” She smiled, rubbing a hand over her flat stomach. “Little Bean is worth it.”

“When did you guys find out?” I took a bite of cake, suppressing a moan. The vanilla cake was the best I’d ever tasted, and the frosting was so fluffy it felt like little clouds floating in my mouth.

“About a week ago, but we only went to the doctor today to confirm it.” She ran her fingers through her hair and smiled out at the water. “I hope he or she loves to surf as much as Ollie and I do.”

“You surf?” Surprise laced my tone.

“Oh yeah.” She nodded eagerly. “Have you tried yet?”

“No,” I shook my head, shoveling another bite of cake into my mouth.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “I can’t believe Liam hasn’t gotten you out on a board yet.”

I shrugged. “Liam’s busy, I’m busy,” I reasoned.

She stared me down, with a look that said, Come-On-Girl. “I know that boy would teach you if you asked. He likes you, and Liam doesn’t like most people.”

“How did he end up friends with you guys?” I questioned. It was a story I’d wanted to know for a while. Liam didn’t trust easily, so how had he let his new friends into his life after what happened with Spencer and Kennedy?

Talia laughed and shook her head so her hair fell forward shielding her face. Looking at me, she raised her brows. “Have you met Ollie? The guy is relentless when he wants something, and he saw something in Liam that made him want to be friends with him. Ollie… He’s loud and outrageous, but he has such a kind heart. He likes to take care of things, make them better, and I think he saw that Liam needed healing. So he forced his way past Liam’s defenses and they ended up best friends. Ollie was already friends with Jeremiah and Brady, so they kinda forced their way in too.” She shrugged like it was that simple. At my crestfallen expression, she added, “It took a long time, though. It wasn’t like they were best buds overnight. If I could have a dollar for every time Liam told him to fuck off...” She turned then, so her legs were straddling the wall. “I can tell he’s let his guard down with you, and much quicker than normal. That’s a win for you, Ari. You must be special, because I can tell you that since I’ve met him I’ve never seen him look at a girl the way he looks at you.”

“Really?” I speared another bite of cake, even though I was full and didn’t want another bite. I’d simply wanted an excuse to look away from her.

“Oh yeah.” She looked at me like I was crazy. “Liam’s the furthest thing from a player. In fact, Ollie thought he was gay for a long time.”

My eyes widened.

“Oh yeah,” she continued on, “he doesn’t chase girls like Brady, and Jeremiah does date every now and then. But Liam rarely even looks at a girl.”

I knew why. I understood after what he told me about Kennedy, but still, it surprised me.

“What are you guys talking about?”

“Ah.” I jumped and Liam’s hand shot out to steady me and keep me from falling to my death. Literally.

He chuckled and sat down beside me, taking the plate with the half-eaten cake from my hands. “Didn’t mean to scare you, Tiger, but I take it you two were talking about me?” He raised a brow and waited, slowly raising the fork to his mouth.

“No, of course not, stop being conceited,” Talia covered easily. I was still too busy staring at Liam.

“Sure.” He swallowed the bite of cake and frosting covered his lips. His tongue swept between his lips, wiping it away. “Mmm, that’s good cake.”

I swallowed thickly and he smirked.

“I’m going to see if Ollie has any Cheetos left.” Talia said, making her exit and leaving the two of us alone. I watched her walk away, my eyes narrowed on her for leaving me alone with Liam. I didn’t know how much he’d overheard of our conversation, and the last thing I wanted to do was have him bring it up.