Page 51 of Tide Over

I let my eyes linger on him for a moment longer, noticing that he does seem lighter today.

Like his storm might be passing.

“What jobs do you have today?” he asks, turning to meet my gaze.

I think for a moment, running through the never-ending list that’s been piling up. Now that the rain and wind has passed, my phone will probably be blowing up with calls for help with various tasks. I’d like to get as much done as possible before dinner at Mom’s tonight.

I rub a hand over my face. “Probably just working around town on storm cleanup. There are a few elderly people a littleways out of town that I like to check in on after bad weather. Make sure their yards are clear and that everything's alright.”

A soft smile spreads across Liam’s face, his eyes warm as they meet mine. “I’ll help.”

I chuckle with a smile of my own. “You want to work on your time off?”

He lets out a quiet laugh, turning back to gaze up at the skylight. “I’ve been working on your house pretty much every day, and you’re more than capable. Better use of my time to help someone who isn’t just trying to get free work from a roommate.”

I laugh, jostling Miss Bobber where she lies on my chest. “Asshole.”

He turns back to me with a smile. But it slowly fades as he looks into my eyes, and the sparkle in his is replaced with desperation. “But… it’s an outlet,” he says quietly.

I nod, lifting my hand to run my fingers along his jaw. “Let’s go to work then.”

I pull into Mom’s driveway just as Mason comes around the corner of the house, dragging a large bucket with a rope slung over his shoulder, heading towards the tree in the front yard.

“What…” Liam starts, watching Mason as he surveys the tree before him.

I put the truck in park and shake my head. “Who knows.”

As we climb out of my truck, Mason immediately drops the bucket and rope, grabs a toy truck, and runs over to us with wide eyes and excitement. “Liam! You work on a metal island?? Does it sink? Do you sleep underwater?”

I wince, glancing at Liam, who looks at me with amused confusion.

“I did my best to explain the rig to him, but…” I shrug. He’s five with a wild imagination and a short attention span. I did the best I could.

Liam chuckles and turns back to Mason. “It’s held up over the water by big poles that go all the way into the ocean floor.”

Mason’s eyes widen even more as he processes this, and I can almost hear the gears turning in his head. He looks like he’s on the verge of a mental overload.

“So… how do they get the poles out there? Does the metal island float all the way to the middle of the ocean? Does a submarine carry it? Or does a plane bring it there? How deep is the ocean?”

Liam and I share a glance, and I wonder how deep we should try to go into this explanation. I gesture for Liam to take the lead, and he rolls his eyes at me with a smirk.

“Those are good questions,” Liam says, nodding at Mason. “I’ll ask, and let you know.”

Mason nods in approval, then proudly holds up his toy truck, filled with dirt. And probably worms. “I got bait, Uncle Theo.”

I bite back a laugh and nod. “Awesome, bud. Keep up the good work.”

“Oh, I will,” he says seriously, then turns and drops back into the dirt with his trucks, apparently forgetting about his rope and bucket adventure.

I wonder if Heather has any idea what he’s up to…

As we turn to head inside, my heart rate picks up. The idea of being around my family with Liam, after everything that’s changed between us, has been building in the back of my mind all day. And now that we’re here, it’s hitting me hard. I have to try to play it cool, like I didn’t have my lips wrapped around his cock yesterday morning.

I push the door open, stepping inside as Liam trails behind me. We didn’t actually talk about how each of us are feeling about coming to spend an evening with my family after what we’ve been up to the past couple days. But I can feel the apprehension in him. He’s still getting to know my family, and now… well. We’re dealing with a whole new dynamic that only we know about.

A fire crackles in the wood stove as we enter the living room, the cozy warmth of the room mixing with the comforting smell of supper in the air. Grandpa is sitting on one of the couches with Isla reading a book, and Mom, Heather, and Chris are in the kitchen.

“Hey,” I say, and all eyes land on us.

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