Page 87 of Tell Me It’s Right

The wind kicks up, blowing my hair in front of my face, but Liam catches it before I have the chance and tucks it behind my ear, then leaves his hand against the side of my face. Quietly, he says, “You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. But I do think you should tell them the truth. They’re your friends. I’m sure some of them feel like they don’t have their lives as figured out as it seems too.”

A begrudging smile forces its way onto my face. “When did you get smart?”

He scoffs and smiles back. “I’ve always been smart.”

We stay like that, smiling and sitting a little too close, but I can’t bring myself to move. Even though we’re out in the open and anyone could see us, maybe that’s part of what makes it fun. Liam leans an inch closer, and my breath catches.

“How’s the dragon book?” he murmurs.

“I’ve been having a hard time focusing on it,” I admit.

His smile grows. “Need me to narrate for you again?”

I laugh, then movement over his shoulder catches my attention. I lurch back and suck in a sharp breath. “Liam.” I squeeze his arm then point behind him.

He turns as the two figures walking along the path swim into view. I thought something about that walk looked familiar. Leo and Keava are walking hand in hand, each holding an ice cream cone. They haven’t noticed us yet, but they’re getting closer.

“Come here.” Liam jumps to his feet and reaches a hand toward me. I take it, scrambling and leaving my shoes and book behind as he pulls us a few yards away beneath the pier. The hot sand burns my toes as we run, and I let out a breath of relief at the temperature change once we hit the shaded area.

My heart hammers in my chest as I poke my head out. I don’t know why I feel so…guilty. It’s not like we were doing anything. But still. Despite how much time together Liam and I have been spending for work, if Leo sawthat, there’s no way he wouldn’t find it suspicious.

Keava and Leo turn onto the pier, close enough now that I can hear their laughter.

Liam doesn’t let go of my hand, but he puts a single finger over his lips as their footsteps sound overhead.

“…that’s exactly what I told him!” laughs Keava. “But you know he never thinks before he jumps, and…”

They keep walking, and I watch their shadows disappear through the cracks.

I finally exhale once they’re gone.

“Close call,” Liam whispers.

I laugh quietly and nod, the adrenaline still flooding my system.

He rakes a hand through his hair and cranes his neck like he’s trying to see where they went. “They’re hanging out on a bench down there.”

I eye our abandoned belongings. In perfect view from the end of the pier. This end of the beach is empty enough that if we went out there, even just to collect our things and leave, all it would take is Leo or Keava glancing over here for a split second for them to see us. All six foot whatever of Liam is kind of hard to miss.

When I turn to Liam again, he’s already looking at me.

“You want to wait it out until they leave,” he concludes.

I shrug. How long could it possibly take them to finish a few ice cream cones?

This is getting ridiculous.

I’m not sure exactly how much time has passed, but the sun is now setting on the horizon.

We’ve resumed our earlier position—me sitting with my arms propped behind me, Liam’s head in my lap, though it took only a few minutes for him to start snoring.

I knew he was overworking himself, but he must have been even more exhausted than I realized if all it took was a few moments of quiet for him to pass out.

I lightly run my fingers through the soft strands on his hair, and he hums low in his throat for a moment before the quiet snoring resumes. I smile and leave one hand on the back of his head.

I can’t see the end of the pier from here, but no one has come or gone since Leo and Keava went down there, so they must still be on the bench. Being all romantic and googly-eyed watching the sunset, if I had to guess.

Maybe we should’ve made a break for it.

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