Page 12 of Unpredictable Flames

“At least I was there. So much for protecting the country and its citizens.” Jake squared up to Liam, and I realized that Jake was subtly bigger than Liam.

Liam scoffed, casually draping his arm over my shoulder, and I felt Jake tense beside me. His jaw clenched with restrained emotion, but there was nothing he could do. Cole had no idea about Jake and me, and if he were to find out, he definitely wouldn’t approve.

It wasn’t like Cole didn’t want Jake and me together. He was just scared that because of Jake’s track record with women, he would hurt me, and frankly, I feared the very same thing.

“Come on, Liam, let's go talk,” I interjected, eager to escape the tension between Jake and Liam. I led Liam to the backyard, hoping for a moment of privacy.

Thankfully, Cole intervened, pulling Jake into the house. “Coffee?” he offered, steering Jake away from the awkward encounter on the porch.

Jake hesitated for a moment before nodding, his eyes lingering on me for a brief moment before disappearing into the house with Cole.

Alone with Liam in the backyard, I sat on the massive swing set Jake had in his backyard.

“A fucking swing set, and a pool. Who the fuck does this guy think he is?” Liam mockingly laughed.

“Just sit down, Liam.” I pulled on his shirt, and he shrugged, sitting on the swing beside me.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the fluttering nerves in my stomach. “So, Liam,” I began, searching for how to explain things to him.

“Let me guess, you and flame boy over there have some history?” Liam said coldly.

“History is a strong word,” I sighed. “He’s someone who is very dear to me and I would appreciate it if you could ease up on the teasing.”

“Ease up?” Liam scowled. “All I did was try to have a conversation with the man and he dared to step up to me?”

“In his defense, you did look down on the fact that he’s a firefighter. You literally just called him flame boy.”

The scowl on Liam’s face grew, but he didn’t say anything.

“Liam?” I reached out to hold his arm.

“So, what are you trying to say to me right now?” he asked sternly.

“I’m saying that all that we are is a simple fling. We only ever see each other when you come back from active duty.”

“Last I checked, you were the one who told me that you didn’t want any kind of relationship. So what’s changed?”

“Nothing’s changed —”

“Bullshit.” Liam said, cutting me off. “I see the way he looks at you, and the way you defend him. That’s definitely not someone who is just a friend.”

“Jake is my brother’s best friend and that’s all there is to it.”

Liam scoffed. “Do you really believe that Lily?”

“Liam, I’m not going to lie to you. I think you’re an amazing person.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Liam exclaimed. “How stupid do you think I am?” He stood up from the swing and turned to face me. His usual warmth and calmness disappeared into thin air.

I began to fidget with my fingers as he raised his voice. I wasn’t really a fan of confrontation.

“Do you really think I’m going to sit here and listen to your bullshit ass excuse of a breakup speech?”

“Liam, please try to understand me,” I pleaded.

“I’m not going to do shit. You know, at first I kept talking to you because I wanted to get closer to your brother. But now, it’s definitely not worth it.”

“How dare you talk to me that way!” I spat, standing up from the swing as well. “I wanted to be nice and explain things to you, but now you’ve pissed me off. You can never be half the man Jake is so how about you just get the hell out of here!”

---