Page 37 of Chase Our Forever

“Didn’t sleep a lot last night,” I lie, because I surprisingly slept well last night. Liv and I sat on the porch swing out front for what felt like hours. For some of it, we each read our books, but for the majority of the time, we talked about little things. About the gossip she’d already heard from the people here in Sutten and how she walked into a few of the small shops on Main Street and discovered we had a bookstore right in town.

It was a refreshing night full of small talk, and somehow, it left me at peace. So at peace that when sleep finally found me last night, no dreams plagued my mind.

Mom reaches out and runs her thumb under my eye. “You know, even though you’re thirty-five, I still know you. You came out of me. When you’re tired, your under eyes get dark and baggy. They’re not dark or baggy right now. Now, stop lying to your old mother and tell me why you’re quiet.”

I grunt, my eyes scanning the crowd once again. “You’re not old. You’re in your prime.”

This makes my mom laugh. “You know, if you had a problem with Liv going off on her own with Reed, you should’ve said something.”

My eyes whip to my mom. I anxiously look around, hoping none of the rest of my family heard her. Luckily, Dad has joined in on checking out the face paint, and both Jace and Finn are too busy locked in conversation with their wives to pay attention to my conversation with Mom. “I don’t have a problem with her going off with Reed at all. Like I said, she’s free to do what she wants on her day off.”

“Then why have you said almost nothing since the moment she left with your brother?”

I rub at the back of my neck. “I’m always quiet. I’m your closed-off, tortured son, remember?”

My own mother rolls her eyes at me. “Whatever you say, dear. I won’t make you admit that watching Liv leave with your brother bothered you. But you’re being alittleobvious that you keep looking around for her.”

I run my hand over my mouth as I try to hide my frown. I thought I’d been more inconspicuous about my search for Liv in the crowd, but apparently, I hadn’t. Nothing gets past Mom. “Only because Clara so badly wants Liv to help her pick out a pumpkin.”

Mom nods, but I can tell she doesn’t believe me in the slightest. “Weird. All I’ve heard is how excited Clara is to pick out a pumpkin bigger than her cousins’.”

I clench my jaw at her words. Technically, Clara hasn’t mentioned looking for Liv yet, but it’s only because we’re still waiting in line. I know by how much the two of them talked about picking out and carving pumpkins this week that Clara will be disappointed if Liv is too busy with Reed to make it to the pumpkin patch.

Mom opens her mouth to respond, but something catches her attention over my shoulder. She smiles, her eyes finding mine once again. “I guess Clara will be relieved.”

Her words pique my interest. I turn around and find Liv heading in our direction.

My nostrils flare when I see the way her arm is looped through Reed’s. Or maybe it’s the carefree way she throws her head back at something he says to her as they get closer to us. It seems that somewhere along the way, they collected more people to go pick out pumpkins with us. Pippa, Camden, Cade, and Marigold—Pippa’s brother and his fiancée—join us in line for the hayride.

“Have fun?” Mom asks, looking between Reed and Liv.

Liv cradles a giant stuffed pumpkin to her chest. She nods, looking at Reed for a moment before meeting my eyes. “We had a lot of fun. Reed even won me this pumpkin. I thought Clara would love it.”

My only answer is a small growl. Am I jealous of my brother winning a fucking stuffed pumpkin? Surely not.

“How’ve you been, Livingston?” Camden asks, stepping forward to shake my hand. He’s been in Manhattan for work recently, and before that, things had been so hectic I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks. We try to get together once a month or onceevery other month at Slopes to have a beer, but it’s been longer than normal due to both our schedules.

“Staying busy,” I answer, trying to avoid looking at Liv when that’s all I want to do. From the corner of my eye, I see her and Reed have some side conversation I can’t make out.

Camden nods, clearly understanding I’m not much in the mood for conversation right now. I sigh, realizing I need to say hi to everyone before my daughter comes barreling right at us.

“Livvy! That giant pumpkin for me?” She bounces up and down in front of Liv, barely able to contain her excitement as she looks at the stuffed pumpkin in Liv’s hands.

“It is for you, Clare Bear. Your Uncle Reed won it for you.”

Reed smirks and tilts his head. “I won it for Livvy, but I love that she wants you to have it.”

I can’t help but let out a disgruntled sigh at his use of the nickname. That’s Clara’s nickname for Liv and should be off-limits to him.

“I love it!” Clara cheers, taking the stuffed toy from Liv and holding it tight to her chest.

“Have you guys been having fun?” Liv asks, her eyes trained on me and only me.

I stare right back at her, hating that I missed the warmth of her gaze on me the two hours she’d been off doing who knows what with Reed. Hating that I know I shouldn’t give a damn who my nanny spends time with during her free time but knowing I’ve obsessively thought about her and Reed from the moment they left.

“A blast,” I answer sarcastically, needing to look away from her before admitting to her—and the rest of my family—I hated every second of knowing she was enjoying the festival alone with my brother.

Liv doesn’t let my sour answer dull her mood. Her smile only falters for a fraction of a second before her eyes move to Clara,who dances around with the stuffed pumpkin. She taunts her cousins with it, clearly thrilled she got something. “Good,” Liv gets out, her voice quiet.

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