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MAE
THREE YEARS LATER
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“HEY, MAE! CAN I TALK to you?” An air of apology surrounds Angie, and I wonder what she can possibly have to say to me after all this time.
“Do you want me to stay?” Liam asks, his hand squeezing mine in comfort.
“No, I’ve got this. Go say hello to Nicole and her beau,” I tease with a mischievous grin, while he growls in annoyance. He’s having a hard time getting on board with his little sister’s new relationship—a whirlwind affair similar to ours—and it’s the cutest thing I’ve seen with his frustrated huffs and protective comments.
Of course, everything about Liam is cute to me, so this reaction to Nicole’s love life is just another side to adore.
Once he’s gone, Angie cautiously continues, “Hey... I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked, not since the incident a couple years ago, but I wanted to let you know you were right.”
Confused, my head tilts to the side as I try to decipher her sheepish expression. “About what?”
“About Frederick. It’s been almost fifteen years since you told me how you felt about him, but you called him on his bullshit from the very beginning. I should’ve listened to you back then, instead of... Well, you know.” She waves her hand in the air, refusing to fully admit her wrongdoing.
“Instead of cutting me off? Turning our mutual friends against me?”
At least she has the grace to flush under the pointed questions. “Yeah... There’s really no excuse for it except to say I was young and dumb in college.” And at our ten-year reunion a couple of years ago. “So, I’d like to apologize. Frederick and I are in the middle of a divorce because I’m finally done putting up with his bad behavior, and I wouldn’t be dealing with this mess if I hadn’t treated you so poorly. I asked for your opinion, and you were trying to be a good friend.”
In the past three years, Liam’s helped me move past the belief that I need to silence myself. I know that no matter what he’ll be by my side, which has encouraged me to be more vocal again.
Despite my parents. Despite Angie.
But an apology is nice even if it would’ve been more helpful a decade ago.
It’s more than you’ll probably ever get from Mom and Dad.
“Thank you. I appreciate your apology, and I’m sorry to hear about your divorce.”
“Yeah, it’s super messy, but Naomi and Kayla are helping me through it,” she says. “You should join us tonight! I know you’re here with someone, but the four of us can catch up like old times.”
Hell no.
“Thanks, but I’ve already made plans for the evening. My husband and I are getting to know his sister’s boyfriend better.” To hear Nicole tell it, fiancé may be a better descriptor, since it seems like they’re practically halfway down the aisle already.
“Oh... Well, if you change your mind, come find us!” Angie smiles encouragingly, and we part ways on friendlier ground than I expected. I don’t think I can ever trust her—or Naomi and Kayla—to become friends again, but it’s good to have closure.
Spying Liam standing stiff as a rail next to an animated Nicole and her man, I hustle over to ease any rough patches in the conversation. A position I would’ve loathed before meeting the Kennedy family, but now know is a special gift of mine.
Liam and Nicole have both boosted my confidence when it comes to speaking up—to the point where we’ve even had arguments, and I didn’t run away crying in self-recrimination.
I trust their love and affection for me, have faith that I can’t ruin it with one word or conversation. Especially after meeting the rest of the Kennedys.
“I hope I haven’t missed much.” Sidling next to Liam, I loop my arm through his and grin at Nicole, who’s got her own guy close at hand.
“Just my big brother being extra obnoxious tonight. Could you have a word with him please? Maybe in Mingen where it’s quieter, and you can talk him into loosening up?”
I can’t believe she just suggested what I think she did. I never told Nicole exactly what happened that night Liam and I got together, but she jumped to the right conclusions about our illicit encounter. And now she’s asking me to... what?
Work my feminine wiles on her brother? Seduce him into not acting like an overprotective bear around her boyfriend?
“What do you know about Mingen?” Liam asks, his spine straightening even more—a feat I didn’t think possible with how stern he looks at the moment.
“Am I missing something?”
Nicole pats her man’s arm and shakes her head. “I’ll explain later.”
Liam turns to me. “I think you need to explain now. Excuse us.” We hurry out of the room, my heels clicking across the laminate flooring as I try to keep up with his longer strides.
“Hey, slow down. You know these shoes are new, and I can barely walk in them, let alone run.”
“Sorry.” Liam slows us to a halt just outside the building. “My emotions are all over the place tonight. Why did Nicole mention Mingen like that? Did you tell her what we did?”
“Of course not. I mean she knows we did something... obviously. Because we left the dance on rocky ground and came back the next day as an item. All I told her was that we went to Mingen to hash out my doubts about a relationship; she guessed the rest.”
He rolls his eyes and sighs before a reluctant smile tugs at his lips. “That girl. She causes so much trouble.”
“I know, but we love her anyway.”
“Mhmm... Though I’m definitely loving you more at the moment, especially in that dress.” His gaze drops to my plunging neckline, reminding me of our slight delay at the hotel earlier, when he’d fucked me against the door right as we were about to leave.
I’m living the perfect happily ever after like in all the books I love. Liam’s a romance hero come to life, despite his denial. But after witnessing the addictions that run through his family—the ones he warned me about and other subtler ones—I know the truth.
He’s done the hard work of healing the trauma of his family’s legacy, though he can’t quite shake his vice.
Me.
And even if it’s selfish, I wouldn’t have it any other way.