Page 90 of Rivals Next Door

“You’re what?” he asked.

“Er… thanks for looking out for Liam,” I said and then slammed the phone down into its cradle. I stared at the office phone with horror. Crap! I just hung up on him. Now he’d really think I was a bitch. Groaning, I rubbed my forehead to ward off an impending headache.

33

OLIVIA

I stared up at the apartment complex that Alex said he owned. It was upscale and secure, and it made me feel better to know that Liam was safe at least. My heart pounded as I stepped out of the car and nodded to my driver. I was so wracked with nerves that I couldn’t drive myself here.

The impending confrontation with my brother weighed down on me. I hadn’t seen him in months because he refused my visits, and the thought of facing his resentment and anger made my stomach churn. However, I had to find out why my brother resented me once and for all. There was going to be a new addition to the family. My brother would be a part of his or her life. The Brentwoods would stick together and be happy even if I had to hold us together with freaking paperclips and duct tape.

Squaring my shoulders with determination, I marched up the steps and made my way to the second floor. Outside the apartment, I paced as I mentally pumped myself up to face my stressor before I knocked.

The door opened, and I was face to face with Liam. My eyes moved over his face, taking in his hazel eyes that were so much like mine and his high cheekbones—“the Brentwoods coveted feature” as Mom called it. His hair had grown out significantly since I last saw him with the strands brushing his shoulders. He towered over me by quite a few inches, so my neck got tired after a while of standing there just staring up at him.

Liam snorted. “Are we just going to gawk at each other?”

Blinking out of my stupor, I said, “You don’t look surprised to see me.”

With a sigh, he stepped aside and gestured for me to come inside. “Alex gave me a heads-up.”

I stepped in and took in the room. It was spacious with a high ceiling and large windows. The furniture was all modern and sleek.

“So you two are besties again?” I instantly regretted the irritation in my tone. It was just so frustrating to know that I’d been the one bending over backward to help him, and he resented me for it.

Yet Alex was back in his life for a few minutes and he was able to get through to Liam so easily. Was I that awful of a person that my ex-boyfriend and my brother despised me? My lower lip wobbled at the thought, but I snagged it between my teeth and prayed that I didn’t start crying. Pregnancy hormones were a real pain in the ass.

Liam shrugged. “Alex and I have just always clicked. When I saw him again, it didn’t even feel like a decade had passed.”

I continued to gawk at my brother because he looked damn good. He’d even put on weight. His eyes weren’t glassy and unfocused as they’d been since he was a teenager because he wasn’t as high as a kite. His clothes were clean, and he sounded… sober.

“You… You look great, Liam. I bet Mom would love to see you.”

His shoulders hiked up. “I’m not ready for a family reunion. I talk to her on the phone, but I’m not?—”

“Okay, that’s fine,” I said quickly because he seemed to be getting agitated, and I wasn’t sure why.

There was a long, awkward pause and I stewed in the weird silence. I didn’t know how to talk to my brother and that was sad.

“So, why are you here, Livy?” he finally asked. “To scold me for fleeing rehab again? Or maybe you want to tell me what a disappointment I am to the family. Wait, I bet you’re here to give me shit for getting involved with gangsters that one time.”

Fury bubbled in my gut at the reminder that he’d put me and Mom in danger by being so reckless. However, I swallowed that anger. I’d seek answers for that debacle when we were on better terms.

“I didn’t come here to scold or argue, Liam. I just wanted to see for myself that you’re alright.” I threw my arms up. “Why would you think I came here for any of that?”

His face twisted into a dark mask and he snarled. “Because that’s all I ever get from you people!”

I scoffed. “You people? Liam, we’re your family.”

“You haven’t been for a long time,” he spat.

My jaw hung on its hinges. I was about to respond with anger, but then I saw the hurt in his eyes and my heart broke. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “Okay… maybe I’ve been going about this all wrong for years.”

I was talking to myself, but Liam rolled his eyes and replied, “Yeah, you’re a great listener.”

I glowered at him for his note of sarcasm. “You know, in order for me to listen, you have to actually say something, which you haven’t been doing. Talk to me, Liam.”

He glared at me, matching my ferocity, and I was relieved to see it. I was glad that the life in him hadn’t been completely demolished by his years of substance abuse. With a loud sigh, he turned and walked away. After an eye roll, I followed him and we ended up in the kitchen.

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