| |
WITH A SNAP OF HER fingers, Ciara teleported a cigarette from Henry’s flat into her hand. She brought it to her lips. Snapping her fingers again, a small flame appeared on her fingertip, and she lit the cigarette.
She wasn’t a smoker. She had stayed away from cigarettes until Theo’s death. Then she had tried one. Smoking had helped soothe her nerves. For a while, she had been addicted, but since her return she had only smoked whenever she was stressed.
Shawn and Henry made her stressed.
Shawn should have kept his mouth shut. Ciara felt bad for Iris and guilty because of Shawn’s words. There was no team Ciara, only team Iris. Shawn, as one of Liam’s best friends, should have known that.
“I didn’t know you smoked.”
Ciara spun around and saw Liam standing a few feet from her. She blew out the smoke. “When I’m stressed.”
Liam stepped closer. “Smoking kills.”
“A lot of things kill.” Ciara brought the cigarette back to her lips.
Liam furrowed his eyebrows, a mix of disapproval and concern on his face. “What did Henry say?”
Ciara hated the softness in his voice. It still worked on her, soothing her. Hell, it was better than the cigarette.
“Why do you think Henry said anything?”
“You were talking to him before you walked out.”
Ciara prayed Liam hadn’t heard anything. “He didn’t say anything,” she lied. She finished the cigarette and got rid of it with a snap of her fingers.
“If it wasn’t Henry, it was Shawn.” Liam was eyeing Ciara, and she was painfully aware of it. And aware of how close they were standing.
Ciara shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
“And nothing makes you stressed enough to walk out and smoke?” Liam shook his head, not believing one word. “I’ve seen you in stressful situations, yet I’ve never seen a cigarette in your hand. Not until now.”
It made Ciara think about the night at Tubbs’s house with Liam. She wished he hadn’t reminded her of it. Somehow thinking that night made her feel guilty. She had held a soon-to-be married man’s hand, and she wasn’t entirely sure if it had been just a friendly gesture.
“Shouldn’t you be at your party?”
Liam ran his fingers through his hair, letting them linger at the back of his head. “It’s a little too crowded.”
Ciara felt like an idiot for wanting to run her fingers through Liam’s hair. It was longer than it had been when they had been dating.
The longer style suited him.
“Well, someone’s likely looking for you already, so—”
“Why are you trying to push me away?” His brows knitted together, and his lips thinned into a line.
Ciara opened her mouth to answer, but she couldn’t get the words out.
At first she had kept a distance, so Iris wouldn’t be jealous. But then she had seen that shirtless man. Ciara wanted to tell Liam, but she didn’t expect him to believe her.
If he had been just a friend in her eyes, she would have told him without hesitation. She didn’t want to accept she saw him as anything more than a friend. Not so soon after Theo’s death.
“So, you are doing it.” He paused. “You’re avoiding me. It’s not just my imagination.” Hurt laced his voice.
Ciara would have preferred him to be angry. Anything but hurt by her actions. “Look, I don’t mean to avoid you or whatever.”
Not at first, she hadn’t. But the more her feelings grew to be a tangled mess, the more she preferred to stay away. The cheating thing didn’t make it any easier, either.
“Then why are you doing it?” Liam sounded desperate.
Ciara sighed. “I don’t know. I guess it’s just weird.”
“Being around me?”
Ciara shook her head. For a moment she processed her thoughts, so she didn’t say anything she could have regretted. “It’s weird being shoved back into my old life when nothing is the same.”
Liam tilted his head to the side and furrowed his brows. “You think it’s weird being my friend?”
“In a way.” Right after the words slipped past her lips, she cursed herself in her mind. It was too easy to talk to Liam, and she had to learn to keep her mouth shut.
They were both silent—Ciara cursing herself and Liam deep in his thoughts.
“So, do you still—”
Ciara didn’t want to hear what Liam was about to say. “It’ll take some time to get used to everything. I’ve only been back a bit over two months. Minus the weeks I was in America.”
“You’ll have time to readjust.”
Ciara shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself. “I suppose.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m staying for now. It doesn’t mean it’s final.”
Liam’s eyes widened. “You’re thinking about leaving already?”
“Not anytime soon. I’m staying until we deal with the witch hunter problem.”
“And then you’ll leave?”
“I’ve considered it,” Ciara admitted.
Liam gestured towards the building where Henry was likely playing beer pong. “Does Henry know?”
“There’s nothing to know. I’m not about to leave yet.”
The frown remained on Liam’s face, as if permanent. “What do you have in America that you don’t have here in England?”
“Work.”
“You transferred.”
“It can happen again.”
Liam opened his mouth, but it took a moment for the words to come. “So, you’d rather live in the States or in Canada?”
“I don’t know.”
They both went silent. To Ciara’s surprise, it was comfortable. Not awkward like it had recently been.
Eventually, Liam started talking. “Iris said you’ve been busy. With Jesse?”
“I’ve been helping at his gym.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “He doesn’t seem like the type to own a gym.”
Ciara smiled. “I know. Who would have thought back in school.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not dating him, though, if that was your real question,” Ciara clarified.
“I was thinking about it,” Liam admitted. “Iris said you’ve been super busy with him, so I naturally assumed...” He sighed, turning to gaze up into the night sky.
“Nothing like that.” Unless you count sex.
Liam hesitantly turned his gaze back to her. “Will you still help Iris with the wedding planning?”
“I’m not saying no.” Ciara turned to face Liam. “But you should be the one helping her. It’s your wedding, too.”
“You think I don’t do enough?”
“You don’t,” Ciara said. “I think Iris thinks so, too. Sometimes she wonders whether you even care about the wedding. And you should care about your own wedding.”
“I’ll try to do better.”
“Good.” Ciara was glad the wedding conversation was over. It would have become uncomfortable if it had gone on.
“You still don’t have a flat?”
“I’m going to go see one next week,” Ciara said. “Jesse’s friend is renting one, so we set up a meeting for Tuesday.”
“Is it far?”
“No.”
“Should we expect a housewarming party soon?” Liam asked. “I hope it’s not this crowded, though.”
Ciara could tell Liam didn’t mean to say the last part, but she didn’t mind. Instead she smiled at the comment. “Let me at least see the flat first.”
Liam smiled back. “Alright then.”
“Should—”
“Could you stop avoiding me now?” Liam looked straight into Ciara’s eyes.
The gaze was intense, and Ciara swore her breath hitched in her throat. An overwhelming feeling of warmth washed over her. And she hated it.
She cleared her throat. “I can do that.”
Liam smiled so brightly it reached his eyes. “Good.”
Ciara noticed Liam was about to continue. He had a concentrated look on his face—as if he was pondering whether he should open his mouth.
Ciara didn’t want to hear what was on his mind. She didn’t want him to ruin everything. “We should go back upstairs, don’t you think?”
Liam let out a small, disappointed sigh. “You’re right.”
Once Liam and Ciara made it back to the flat, Iris pulled Liam away. Shawn appeared at Ciara’s side within a second, instantly apologising for his behaviour.
Ciara told Shawn to relax. She wasn’t annoyed at him anymore. The fresh air and the cigarette—and the talk with Liam—had done wonders.
She glanced at Iris and Liam, seeing them hug one another, and wondered if she should have told him about the shirtless man. She should have, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that.
He was happy with Iris. He wouldn’t believe Ciara.