Page 82 of Liam

"Liam is right," Ethan said. "Maybe Skylar and Chad have an open marriage and Skylar is into you. Chad might not be trying to mess you up. Maybe he wants his husband to be happy."

"I amnotgetting into bed with Chad's husband. Especially not if my doing so would make Chad happy as wellas his husband. That prick isn't getting any gratification from me."

"Doesn't sound like a convincing final answer," I said, feeling soothed by a bit of normalcy. The banter was good. It was pulling my focus away from Jamal.

"What about you and Jamal?" Ethan asked me.

And I was pulled right back into it.

"We're not together anymore."

"The paralysis?" Owen asked.

I glared at him. "Fuck, no!" My ears heated as the level of my voice escalated. "That has nothing to do with it!" Owen had fucking pissed me off. "I don't care about his damned wheelchair! And you are a fucking asshole for thinking it would be an issue for me!"

Owen held up his hands. "Sorry. I assumed. I was wrong. I'm sorry."

Noah set his hand on my arm to calm me.

"What happened?" Ethan asked.

"He broke up with me, then days later told me stuff about himself." I gripped my glass. The condensation ran down my hand to my wrist. I was going to be as vague as possible. "He asked me to consider what he told me because he wants to get back together with me."

"What are you going to do?" Ethan replied, not pressing me to reveal more details.

I shook my head as tears pooled in my eyes. "I don't know." I shuddered through a breath and for the first time since I'd known any of these men, I ugly wept in front of them.

The sounds of my despair filled the snug.

"Shit." Noah leapt from his seat, came to me, and put his arm around my shoulders. Even to Noah, my breakdown would be unexpected. I'd kept so much of my sorrow locked down over my lifetime, after believing, as a child, no one cared. I'd put on a show of being someone who didn't displayany emotions other than the love I shared with my three best friends.

My separation from Jamal was tearing me apart.

"I love him beyond what I ever thought possible," I managed through tear-dampened lips.

Ethan and Owen gathered around me, joining Noah in consoling me. Owen and I might have our differences, but none of them wanted to see me hurting.

And Iwashurting.

I'd concluded that Jamal's delaying his admission was driven by fear. That shocked me. That he hadn't trusted me. I thought we'd been building something stronger than that.

I wasn't sure I could find my way around that.

Chapter Eighteen | Jamal

The grilled cheese sandwich sizzled in the frying pan, the butter turning it golden brown. It was the first of many. There were quite a few hungry mouths at the centre today. I'd managed to work a deal with a local grocery store whereby I could get the groceries I needed to feed the kids at a discount. It was a fabulous win. I was keeping the food simple, which most of them preferred.

"Not quite so much butter," I said to Avery, who was helping me.

I slid the cooked sandwich onto a plate, cut it in thirds, put the next piece of bread facedown in the pan, added the cheese, and capped it off with another piece of buttered bread.

To keep the gooey cheese sandwiches from getting cold, Avery was charged with ferrying them over to the table as we made them. I would keep making more until the kids slowed down.

After the tenth sandwich hit the table, it looked like they'd had enough. I clicked off the stove and rolled my wheelchair around to face the table. "Amber, can you wash up, please?"

"Sure thing, Mr. K."

"Thank you."

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