Once Upon a Friendship

For the first time since she’d arrived that evening, she took in a completely easy breath. Held it. And relaxed as she let it go.

Then she looked into Liam’s blue eyes and wanted...more.

“Our friendship is my rock.” She laid it on the line for him. And meant every word, in spite of a longing she couldn’t explain. “Romantic involvement... If it didn’t work out, there’d be no way to go back to what we had.”

Her cheeks burned as she heard the words come out of her mouth. No one had said anything about romantic involvement. They’d kissed. Almost chastely. For a second or two.

“But...you responded to my kiss. You feel things...between us...too.”

Her breath left her body at his too. But too much was at stake. “It’ll pass, Liam. It’s just all the change. You moving in here...like Tamara said, we’re practically living together.” Not that the proximity seemed to have had an effect on Marie. Or him with Marie. “And with you being disowned, kicked out of your apartment, losing your job...and me taking on the biggest case of my life. I’ve never represented anyone who even came close to making the front page news before. Plus there was the car vandalism and the threats. And then the fact that with me representing you we’re spending time alone together. And that’s not even taking Tamara into account. That was a really emotional thing for us to share. It’s natural that we’d get a little out of whack.”

“It’s messy,” he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. So he wasn’t as sure of himself as he wanted her to believe.

The knowledge brought a bit of comfort to her.

“So...if we’re both aware of the situation, we’ve talked about it now and we both agree that we don’t want to take it any further...we’re good then. Right?”

He didn’t answer quickly enough. And her heart started to rush again.

“I can’t ever be one of your women, Liam. I would never be okay with you looking at other women—wanting them—when you’re with me. And even if you weren’t, I’d probably think you were...”

He didn’t flinch. “I’d let you down, and you’d get hurt and I’d get hurt and things would change.”

She nodded. “So we’re good? It happened. We kissed. And it’s done.”

“We’re good.” He smiled.

She tried to. “We’ve been through a lot these past few days, Liam, and with me as your attorney, we’re experiencing it together rather than just you experiencing it and me hearing about it later. That’s all this is, you know. They call it proximity.”

Was she trying to convince him? Or herself?

“I’m sure that’s all it was.” He crossed his arms, his shoulders more relaxed.

And as if a dam had been built, preventing her from seeing him as anything but a friend and a client, Gabi suddenly remembered something else. “I meant to tell you, I talked to Gwen Menard today.”

He chewed on his lower lip like he did when he was starting to focus on something.

“She said that Matheson’s attorney came forward this morning with a financial report that would rival anything the CIA could have built. He’s been taken through such a wringer by his ex-wife, in her attempt to take him for all he has and keep his children from him, too, that there’s no stone left unturned in his life. He’s no longer a person of interest.”

“I can’t say I’m happy to hear that. But I’m not surprised, either. I can’t keep pretending my father’s a man of integrity.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s a thief, Liam.” It was as though they were back in college. He was in their dorm room, needing something no one else gave him. And she needed to give it to him.

They were back. Her and Liam. With room for Marie.

“So, we’re agreed that the way to handle the press is to say nothing to them directly, and I’ll write my articles,” he said. “And you’re going to get with my dad tomorrow and get him to drop the charges.”

“Correct.” Relief flooded through her. They were good. She could do this. Life was going to be just fine.

Liam’s hands were back in his pockets. He was frowning. “I have to be honest with you, Gabi. Just in case...well...so we don’t get messed up here...with our...understanding and all.”

Her heart started to pound. Again. “Okay.”

“I agree with you completely. I want and need only friendship from you.”

“I know, Liam. Believe me. That’s what I want, too.” It was. She was certain of that.

“But when you smiled just then, I thought you looked beautiful.”