by Sandi Lynn
“I know. So we better enjoy it while we can.” She smiled.
“There’s something I need to talk to you about, Sophie.”
“What about?”
“I’m leaving tomorrow for California.”
“For how long?” she asked as she licked her ice cream.
“I don’t know. For a while.”
“Because of Avery?” She looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes.
“How do you know about that?”
“I overheard Daddy talking to Mommy one night about how upset you were that she didn’t want a relationship with you.”
I sighed. “I’m going to California to clear my head and to think about some things. I’ll be back, so don’t you worry.”
“Do you want my opinion, Uncle Liam?”
I smiled as I shook my head at her. Sometimes, holding a conversation with Sophie was like talking to an adult.
“Sure, kiddo.”
“I think Avery loves you and when the time is right, she’ll tell you. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t love you? You’re an awesome uncle.” She smiled.
I tilted my head and then leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Miss Sophie. I think you’re an awesome niece and I love you.”
“I love you too and so will Avery.”
“I hope so, buttercup.”
“I hope the baby is a girl. I want a sister,” she said out of nowhere.
“What if it’s a boy?”
She sighed. “A brother would be okay. But a sister would be the best!”
“Promise me something,” I spoke to her.
“What?”
“Promise me that you’ll be very close to your brother or sister, like me and your dad are. There’s nothing greater than the bond between siblings. You’ll always have each other.”
“I will be. I’m going to be the best big sister in the world.”
“I know you will be, Soph.”
We finished our ice cream and walked home. As soon as we stepped inside, I knelt down and gave her a big hug and kiss.
“Be good for your mom and dad and I’ll see you when I get back.”
“I’m going to miss you, Uncle Liam.” A tear fell from her eye.
“I’ll miss you too and when I get back, we’ll do something really fun together.”
“Okay.” Her little arms tightened around me.
I said goodbye to Oliver and Delilah one last time and headed home.
Chapter 39
Avery
It was Saturday morning and I decided to go home to Danbury for the weekend. I needed to talk to Claudia and Lisa and I needed the comfort of my childhood home. I packed a bag and climbed into the car I had rented.
Pulling into the driveway, I shut the car off and stared at the Tudor-style home with the white vinyl siding and black shutters. Suddenly, the front door opened and Claudia stood there, trying to figure out who was in her driveway. I climbed out of the car and smiled at her. She yelled for Lisa and came running out to me with open arms.
“Avery, what a surprise!” she exclaimed.
It didn’t take more than two seconds for me to break down in her arms, sobbing like a child. She held me tight.
“Oh, baby. What happened? Liam?” she asked.
I nodded my head and she took me inside the house.
“Tell us what happened,” Lisa spoke sympathetically as she handed me a tissue.
“I blew it. I know I did. He told me he loved me and I turned my back on him and told him to leave. I’ll never forget the look on his face. He was so hurt. I hurt him. How could I do that?” I started to cry again.
“Calm down,” Lisa said as she rubbed my back. “Crying like this isn’t going to help anything. It’s only going to leave you with a bad headache and you’ll feel worse. Dry your tears and I’ll get you a glass of wine.”
Claudia handed me another tissue and I dried my eyes and blew my nose. Taking in a deep breath, I began to calm down as I took a sip of the wine Lisa handed me.
“There’s something else I need to tell you. I had dinner with John and it didn’t go so well.”
“I knew it was only a matter of time before the two of you would talk. What did that little fucker say to you?” Claudia asked as she took hold of my hand.
“He told me that a child wasn’t part of his life plan and that he was a very selfish man with little emotion and he didn’t want me to turn out like him.”
“Smartest thing that man has said since I’ve known him,” Claudia spoke.
I let a small smile cross my lips when she said that.
“So how did you leave things with him?” Lisa asked.
“I told him goodbye. I only went to see him to put closure on my past with him. If I want to move forward with Liam, I had to settle things with John. I needed the answers to my questions and I needed to hear him say them.”
“Understandable and very wise, Avery,” Lisa spoke as she kissed the top of my head. “So do you think you accomplished that with John?”
“I think so.”
“Do you feel you are mentally ready to enter into a relationship with that fine young man named Liam?”
“I love him. I’m in love with him. I realized that with my past relationships I was so desperately seeking a male to love me that the first sign he was interested in me, I attached myself to him, both physically and emotionally. I was choosing anyone who looked my way. I wasn’t hurt that they didn’t love me, I was hurt because of the rejection, and that’s what I held on to. I never cared about those other guys. But Liam is different. I felt things with him that I’d never felt before.”
“Like what?” Lisa asked as she poured more wine into my glass.
“I don’t know how to describe it. I felt like I’ve known him my entire life. He’s kind, generous, funny, and just overall amazing. He would do anything for me. You know those flowers John sent me for my birthday?”
“Uh-huh.” Claudia frowned.
“Liam told me that he was surprised I didn’t throw them in the trash. I told him that I wanted to, but the flowers were too pretty to throw away. The next day, he sent me the same exact arrangement with a card that said he hoped I would feel more comfortable looking at them knowing they weren’t from John.”
Lisa put her hand over her heart. “I’m telling you, I’d go straight for that sweet man.”
“Will you stop it? You sound like a teenager with a schoolgirl crush,” Claudia spat.
Lisa and I both laughed.
“I lied to you both about last weekend when you asked me to come home for a visit.”
“What do you mean?” Claudia asked.
“I spent the weekend on a yacht with Liam. It was just the two of us and we had the best time together. We sat in the sun and drank wine all day. We played a couple of games. We went on a Jet Ski. We talked a lot and we had the best sex.”
Claudia shook her head. “If you had such a great weekend, why did you push him away and make him leave?”
“Because he told me that he was in love with me and he wanted a relationship. I freaked out. I wasn’t thinking with a clear head. I was scared.”
“Scared of what?” Lisa asked.
“Scared because I felt the same way about him and all I saw in my fucked-up mind was disaster and heartbreak. It was actually Liam’s brother, Oliver, who made me see that I needed to settle my past with John if I wanted to move forward with my future.”
“Hmm. He sounds like a smart man. But I do believe that I’ve been telling you that since you were a teenager,” Lisa spoke.
“Well, that doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you are in love for real and you have a chance at a beautiful life with Liam.” Claudia smiled as she placed her hand on my cheek.
“I’m scared to see him. I hurt him in such a deep way that I’m so frightened he won’t forgive me.”
“Aw, sweetheart. If he loves you like he says he does, he will welcome you with open arms. Call him right now.”
“You can.” Lisa smiled as she picked up my phone, pulled up Liam’s number, and hit the call button. “Here. See how easy that was.”
“Oh my God.” I grabbed the phone from her hand. It went straight to voicemail and I hung up. “It went straight to voicemail.”
“Try again later.” Claudia smiled as she ran her hand down my hair.
We went to dinner and talked some more. I tried calling Liam a couple of more times, but it kept going to voicemail. As I was lying in bed, Claudia walked into my room.
“Still can’t get ahold of him?”
“No. It’s weird. It’s like his phone is off or something. Maybe he blocked me,” I spoke in a panicked voice.
“He didn’t block you, sweetheart. Maybe his phone broke and he just hasn’t gotten around to getting a new one yet. Listen, I want you to head back to New York tomorrow morning and go to his house. Tell him how much you love him and how much you want to be with him.”
“What if he slams the door in my face?”
“Do you really think he’d do that?” She softly smiled.
“No.”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll make you some Belgian waffles in the morning and you can head back after breakfast.”
“Okay.”
She kissed my forehead and walked out of the room. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep, but all I could think about was Liam.
Chapter 40
Avery
I dropped off the rental car and took a cab to Liam’s house. My stomach was a nervous wreck and I found myself shaking. Knocking on the door, I stood there and waited for him to answer, but he didn’t, so I knocked again. When he didn’t answer, I tried to call his phone for the millionth time today and it still went straight to voicemail. I had now become worried. After knocking a few more times, I turned around and hailed a cab to Oliver’s house. If anyone knew what was going on, he would.
As I knocked on the door, Delilah answered.
“Avery,” she spoke in shock and gave me a hug. “Come in.”
Oliver walked down the stairs. “Avery. How are you?” He walked over and kissed my cheek.
“I’m okay. Hey, I’m sorry to drop over unannounced, but do you know where Liam is? I’ve been trying to call him for the past couple of days and his phone goes straight to voicemail. I just went to his house and he wasn’t home.”
Oliver gave me a small smile. “Come up to the living room.”
I followed him and Delilah to the living room, where Sophie was watching TV.
“Avery!” she spoke with excitement as she jumped up and gave me a hug.
“Hi, Sophie. How are you?”
“Good.”
“Sophie, can you—” Oliver started to speak.
“I know. I know. Go to my room so you can have a grownup conversation.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. She looked at me and asked me to bend down so she could whisper in my ear.
“I told Uncle Liam that you’d be back.” She smiled.
I patted her head and she went upstairs.
“Can I get you a drink?” Oliver asked.
“A glass of wine would be fine. Thank you.”
I took a seat next to Delilah on the couch and she took hold of my hand. “How are you really doing?”
“I’m okay now. Where’s Liam? I really need to talk to him.”
“Liam is in California,” Oliver spoke as he handed me the glass of wine.
“California? Why?”
“He said he needed to get out of New York for a while and clear his head.”
“Oh.” I looked down in disappointment and my heart started to hurt something awful.
“Did you put closure on your past?” Oliver asked.
“I did and I need to talk to Liam. I just hope it isn’t too late.”
“It’s never too late.” Delilah smiled as she gave my hand a squeeze.
“Go to him. I’ll give you the address where he’s staying. He rented a house on the beach in Malibu.” Oliver smiled.
“I don’t think I can. My job—”
“What’s the one thing Tim is afraid of?”
“Losing Wyatt Enterprises as a client,” I replied.
“Exactly. Go to California and don’t give your job a second thought. It’ll be there waiting for you when you get back.”
“You’re right.” I pulled out my phone and looked at the flight schedule. “Shit. The next flight out is tomorrow morning at eleven o’clock. All the other flights are booked.”
“See, Delilah. It’s instances like this when I need my own plane.”
“Don’t worry. Liam will still be there no matter what time you get in. Plus, it’ll give you a chance to talk to Tim first before you leave,” Delilah spoke.
“And if he gives you any problems, you are to call me right away.” Oliver winked.
I took in a deep breath. “Thank you, Oliver. You have done so much for me and I need to repay you somehow.”
“You’re welcome. You can repay me by making my brother happy. That’s all I want.”
“That won’t be a problem because it’s all I want. I love him so much and I need to apologize to him. I can’t believe how stupid I was.”
“We’ve all been there, Avery. You’re not alone.” Oliver sighed.
I gave him and Delilah a hug goodbye and went home to pack for my trip to California.
****
Liam
As I sat in the warm sand, I stared out at the Pacific Ocean. The waves were fierce today and the weather was hot. The first night I was here, I met up with Ian and Rory. We had a great dinner and great conversation. Both of them could tell something was wrong, so I ended up telling them about Avery.
“Liam, over here. The burgers and dogs are almost ready,” Luke yelled across the beach.
I got up, dusted the sand off my shorts, and joined my friends, Luke, Lily, Cameron, and Sierra for a picnic.
“You know, I did the same thing you’re doing,” Luke spoke.
“So did I,” Cameron chimed in.
“What’s that?”
“Left town to clear my head.” Luke smiled.
“Let’s just say we both know how hard it is when the person you love rejects you,” Cameron said. “But look at us now. We’re with them and we couldn’t be happier.”
“In the end, things always work out, bro.” Luke winked.
“Not in my case. Avery is so stubborn and dead set against any kind of relationship.”
“So was Sierra.”
“So what was Sierra?” she asked as she hooked her arm around Cameron.
“Dead set against any kind of relationship.”
“Yeah, I was. But I ended up swimming in a nasty, dirty lake to him.”
“The lake wasn’t dirty, Sierra.” Cameron chuckled.
“Yes it was. But I loved him and it was all worth it.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Fate, my man. Fate plays a serious role in our lives. Sometimes, people don’t get that,” Luke spoke as he set down the plate of hamburgers and hot dogs on the table. “If you’re meant to be with Avery, it’ll happen. Trust me.”
I was happy that my friends had more optimism than I did.
“The band is playing at the bar tonight,” Luke announced. “And I want everyone to be there. First round of drinks are on me.”
“Oh, we’ll definitely be there.” Sierra smiled.
“You coming, Liam?” Luke asked.
“Sure. I’ll be there.”
After we ate, Lily and Sierra went swimming while we men sat on the beach, popped open a beer, and talked.
“You need to move out here, bro.” Luke smiled. “Why don’t you and Oliver open up another office here?”
“We’ve talked about it. It’s not out of the question.”
“Now all we need is to get Collin’s ass out here more,” Cameron spoke.
“The four of us should go on a man’s trip. You know how the women
are always going off for a girls’ weekend? We should meet up somewhere and do something for a few days,” Luke suggested.
“And do what?” I asked.
“We could go camping in the mountains, do some hiking, some fishing. No women allowed. Just us guys.” Luke smiled.
“We wouldn’t have to worry about Sierra. There’s no way in hell she’d even want to go. But it sounds like a good idea.”
We all held up our beer bottles and clanked them together.
Chapter 41
Avery
I stepped inside the law firm and went straight to Tim’s office. His door was open and he was sitting behind his desk sipping on a cup of coffee.
“Tim, do you have a second? I need to talk to you.”
“Sure, Avery. Come on in.” He looked at me with a frown. “Why are you dressed like that?”
“I need to take some time off.”
With an arched brow, he said, “I don’t believe that’s possible. You have a lot of cases going on right now. Is there a problem? Did someone die?”
“No.” God, this was hard. I didn’t know how to tell him that I was flying out to California to tell someone I was in love with him.
“Avery, I’m sorry, but it’s not possible right now and you practically just started. You don’t have vacation yet.”
“I know and I’m sorry, but this is really important.”
“You need to tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m flying out to California. I made a huge mistake with a guy and I need to tell him that I love him.”
He waved his hand in the air. “Wait a minute. You want time off so you can go tell a guy you love him?”
“Umm. Yes.”
“Have you lost your mind? This is a law firm. You’re a lawyer. You have cases. This guy can wait.”
“No, actually, he can’t. I hurt him deeply, Tim, and I need to make things right. I need to make things right before it’s too late.”
“Avery, end of discussion. You can’t leave. What would the other employees think if I just let you take off like that with no notice?”
I took in a deep breath. “It’s Liam Wyatt.”
“What’s Liam Wyatt?” he asked.
“The man I need to go tell I love. He’s in California right now because of me. Because I hurt him.”