Page 6 of Never Less

Chapter three

Liliana

At the sound of the back door closing, I turn, the water swirling around me. My first thought is that Nate had a change of heart and decided to join me, but the figure standing in the shadows is a little taller, and his shoulders are much broader.

Marcus.

My stomach flips. I expect to feel disappointed, but instead I’m intrigued. Sure, it would’ve been nice if it’d been Nate, but I really like Marcus. We have a lot of things in common, and I always enjoy our conversations.

“Changed your mind?” I ask.

“Just thought I’d put my feet in for a few minutes.” He sits near the built-in steps and lowers his legs into the water. “Great temp, huh?”

“Mmhmm. Not too chilly, not too warm.”

“And a clear sky.” He juts his chin upward. “Too bad there’s so much light pollution around here.”

“Have you ever seen the sky without any?”

“Oh, plenty of times. Used to take Nate camping at least three weekends every summer when he was younger. I’ll never forget the first time he saw the Milky Way. Kid was stunned.”

I hum. “I’ve never gotten the chance to.”

For the first time since he came out here, Marcus actually looks at me. His brows are furrowed. “Nate’s never taken you?”

“Camping?” I wrinkle my nose. “You know damn well I hate all that stuff.”

He laughs—the full-belly kind that lets you know it’s a real one. “Oh, I’d never forget. But I’m not talking about backpacking or camping.”

“Oh?”

“All you’ve gotta do is wait for a clear night and then drive out into the country. Get somewhere that you can pull off the road safely, turn off your headlights, and let your eyes adjust. It’s magical.”

“I… never thought of that.”

“No? Nate used to beg me to take him out at night. Loves the stars, you know? I never thought he’d stop.”

“I guess we got busy,” I say quietly. My gaze drops to the water, and I find a rippling reflection of regret and hurt staring back at me.

Yeah, my work has taken up a lot of my time, but it’s been worth it. Starting a fashion consulting business with little cash and few connections was hard. I lost track of the amount of all-nighters I’ve had to pull, but I did it. Things are running smoothly now.

I can’t deny that it took a toll on my relationship with Nate, but he’s been busy, too. Ever since graduating from college, he’s been gone every other weekend for work. And the weekends he is home, I’ve always made sure I’m free to spend time with him.

Still, it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough, and it’s beginning to look like I never will be.

“Maybe a little too busy?” Marcus prods.

I bristle. “Sometimes that’s just how life has to be.”

At my sharp tone, he raises an eyebrow. “You think I don’t know that?”

“No, I…” I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I know you didn’t mean it that way. Nate has just been getting on me about how much I work, and it’s hard to deal with sometimes. God, especially since he works just as much as I do. We’re just on different schedules.”

Marcus nods, watching me curiously. “That sounds difficult, Liliana. I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.” Immediately, the guilt sets in. I shouldn’t’ve snapped at him. “I’m just tired of him bullying me for doing the same thing that he does. We’re both passionate about our jobs, you know? And I’ve always put in an effort to make time for the two of us when I can, but…”

Shit. I really shouldn’t be getting into all this with Marcus. Nate asked me to act normal this weekend. I’m pretty sure that doesn’t include spilling all our problems to his dad.

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