“You make it sound like a chore,” Liam says defensively. “I was the very first Ruby Lynn Hayes fan.”
The statement stuns me. He couldn’t possibly mean that. I was just his brother’s girlfriend, ignorant of all of Connor’s red flags until it was too late.
I’d end up alone at the end of the night, just me and my guitar, until Liam would inevitably join me. He was therewithout fail, every single time. Eventually, I’d end up there on purpose, but he never knew that.
“You like Froot Loops?” Aiden asks, glancing at my handheld shopping basket. He doesn’t wait for my answer. “Me too!”
“He’s a big fan,” Liam says. “He’ll talk your ear off if you let him.”
“I don’t mind. In fact, what’s next on your list? We can finish shopping together,” I offer.
“I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than hang out with me and my kid at the grocery store.”
“Nope. What’s next on the list, little man?”
“Hmmmm…” Aiden purses his lips and scans the page, his nose scrunching. “Broccoli.”
I place my small basket inside Liam’s full-size shopping cart and crouch low. “Hop on.”
“Like… a piggyback ride?”
“Yep. If we’re gonna go to the veggie section, we’re gonna make it a fun adventure.”
Aiden beams and climbs onto my back, wrapping his arms around my neck. I stand a little wobbly at first and hop to adjust his position. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
Along the way, Aiden points to a few items not on the grocery list, and I toss them into the cart. I can feel Liam’s scowl boring into the back of my head, but I don’t have a single fuck left to give. This is the most fun I’ve had in ages.
Wow—that’s pathetic.
By the time we get to the veggies, Aiden’s picked out a box of fruit snacks, chocolate chip cookies, some kind of protein bars his dad likes, and a box of freezer pops.
I let Aiden down somewhere near the produce as Liam tosses the broccoli into the cart. Liam steps beside me, both of us reaching for a bag of baby carrots. Our fingertips brush, and my body reacts like it always does when hetouches me, yearning for more. His green eyes bore into me, and everything around us fades into the background. I can see every detail of his handsome face up close, from his perfectly trimmed beard to the freckles dotting his forehead and nose.
This isn’t the Liam I left behind ten years ago. Standing before me is a grown man, his face worry-lined and aged to fucking perfection. How had I never noticed how long his eyelashes are? Or the perfect curve of his cupid’s bow?
His throat bobs, and his eyes dart to where our hands are still touching. He drops the carrots before picking another one for himself.
Neither of us acknowledges the moment, carrying on like nothing happened… just like we always do. I often wonder if this attraction is one-sided, but then he gets a little too close, and Iknowhe has to feel it too. How can he not when he looks at me with so much fire in his eyes?
Wordlessly, Liam pushes the cart over to the bakery, stopping in front of a display of ready-made cakes and treats. He grabs a slice of cherry cheesecake and sets it inside my basket—my favorite.
My brow furrows. “What’s that for?”
“Consider it a welcome home treat.”
I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts me off.
“Did we get everything?” he asks, eyeing Aiden.
Aiden nods and pockets the list.
When we arrive at the checkout, I reach into the cart to grab my basket, but Liam gets there first. He unloads it onto the conveyor belt along with all of his items. I reach for a divider, but he puts it right back into position.
I narrow my eyes at him and replace it, not caring if I seem like a brat.
He takes it away again, but he doesn’t put it back in its place.
“Liam. I can buy my own groceries.”
