The Ending I Want

I feel like crap because I know I hit a raw nerve.

“Don’t worry about it.” Eddie’s voice comes in my ear. “Liam’s touchy about his family. I won’t go into his personal business because it’s his shit. He’ll tell you if he wants you to know. All I will say is that Liam’s dad is a walking waste of good oxygen.”

“Oh. He never said anything.” But I never asked because I didn’t want to talk about my family.

I glance back at Liam, who is now talking to Lee.

Eddie follows my stare. “Liam was raised by his grandpa, Bernie. Top bloke. You’ll love him.”

He was raised by his grandpa. What about his mom and dad?

I want to ask Eddie more, but I know he won’t tell me. So, I’ll just have to wait until Liam is ready to tell me—if that ever comes.

But would I ever tell him about my family?

I already know the answer to that one, and it’s a solid no.

Cam puts a plate of burger and fries in front of me, bringing my attention to it. I didn’t even realize he’d gone to get them.

“Is that one Liam’s?” Eddie points to the plate with a burger and overflowing fries next to mine.

“Yeah,” I answer.

“He won’t miss some chips.” Eddie leans over and grabs a handful of fries from Liam’s plate, taking nearly half of them.

I chuckle.

Eddie then quickly eats them, and he’s just finishing them off when Liam comes back and sits on his stool next to me.

“All right?” I carefully ask him.

“Yeah, I’m good.” He smiles and gives my thigh a squeeze.

I immediately feel better.

He looks down at his plate and frowns. “Hey, Cam, are you skimping on the chips to save money, you tight bastard?”

I glance at Eddie, and we both start laughing.

We’ve finished eating. I’m on my third beer, and the bar has filled up with people.

“Okay, Boston, it’s time. You’re up.” Liam nudges me.

“What? Sing now?”

“Um-hum.”

I start to feel sick, and it’s not from the food or beer. “I don’t know, Hunter.”

“Come on.” He gets to his feet. Taking me by the hands, he pulls me off my stool.

“Go on, Taylor,” Eddie encourages.

Liam told Eddie and Cam all about the list of things I wanted to do—except for the sex stuff. Thankfully, he didn’t tell them that. And he didn’t go into the details of why I have the list either, which was another thing I was thankful for.

“You’ve got this, Boston.”

I stare up into Liam’s beautiful green eyes. “No recording this, and no laughing, promise?”

I hold my little finger up to him for a pinkie swear.

He laughs and wraps his little finger around mine. “I promise. Now, go get ’em, tiger.” He smacks me on the ass.

Shaking my head at him, I turn, and on wobbly legs, I walk toward the stage where the band is waiting for me.

The lead singer, Lee, holds out a hand, helping me up onto the stage.

“Hey, I’m Lee. You’re Taylor, right?”

“Yeah. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too. So, you want to sing with us tonight, huh? Just one song?”

“Definitely one song.” I laugh.

“Okay, so do you know the words to ‘I Touch Myself’ by Divinyls?”

“Um…” I roll through my mental song list. Isn’t that song about sex? “I’m not sure if I know the lyrics.”

“Don’t worry. I have the sheet music. Liam chose it for you. He was very insistent that you sing it.”

“Oh, he was, was he?” I meet Liam’s eyes across the bar and watch as a massive grin spreads across his face.

“Here are the words.” Lee hands me a sheet of paper with the lyrics on it.

I let my eyes scan the words. Holy shit.

This song is about a woman making herself come while she’s thinking of the man she wants.

Bastard.

I glare at Liam across the room.

The smile on his handsome face gets bigger. I have the sudden urge to wipe it off.

I can’t sing this.

“And here’s your mic.” Lee hands me a microphone.

“Thank you.”

“You ready to do this?”

Nope. “I guess…”

Liam is so going to pay for this later. He can forget hair-pulling and fucking later. At this rate, dude is going to be sleeping alone with only his hand for company.

I blow out a breath and put the microphone to my lips.

“I’ll count us in, and then we’ll start playing. You count to sixteen in your head and then start singing. Okay?”

“Sixteen. Okay.”

My heart starts pounding, and nerves are swimming in my belly. My palms start to sweat around the microphone.

You can do this, Taylor. No fear.

The band starts to play. I shut my eyes and begin counting. When I reach sixteen, I flick my eyes open, stare down at the first words, and then I start to sing.

Oh my God, I’m singing. In a bar filled with people.

I’m singing in a bar full of people, and…I’m actually not that bad.

Hell yeah. I’ve got this.

By the time we reach the chorus, I’m totally into it, shaking my hips and ass on stage and belting out the words. Liam, Eddie, and Cam are all cheering me on. People in the audience are singing along. Some are even getting up from their seats and dancing.

My confidence is soaring.

Maybe Liam was actually onto something with this song.

I feel awesome!

He’s totally getting a blow job later.