Page 16 of Baby For My Ex's Brother

"Okay, out with it. What happened with Liam?" Her voice is hushed, but there's an edge of concern that cuts through the noise.

I hesitate, cradling the stem of the wine glass that's just been placed in front of me, watching the deep red liquid swirl. There's so much I want to tell her, yet there's this inexplicable desire to protect what happened—or rather, what almost happened—in Liam's office.

"Nothing… nothing happened," I start, my eyes lifting to meet hers before darting away. "I mean, not really."

Jackie isn't buying my response. She already knows me too well, and can read the unspoken tension in my posture, the way I'm avoiding her gaze.

But there's one thing I can share, something safe, something true.

"It's just that I know Liam," I confess, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. "From before."

"Before?" Jackie's eyebrows knit together in confusion, then smooth out as she waits for me to continue. There's an opennessto her expression, a willingness to listen without judgment. "How do you mean?"

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the secret I've been carrying. The wine in my glass looks like it could be a pool of liquid courage, but I know it's just fermented grapes.

It won't change the facts.

"I dated his brother," I confess, and the words feel like they're dropping stones into the still waters between us. "For about three years."

Jackie blinks, clearly taken aback by this revelation. "You what?"

"His brother," I repeat, finding a strange solace in the confession. "And during that time… Liam kissed me once. At a family gathering."

The silence that follows is heavy, loaded with the echoes of the past. Jackie's mouth forms a small 'o' as she processes what I've told her.

"Shiloh, I hadnoidea," she finally says, her voice tinged with shock.

I nod, a humorless laugh escaping me. "I didn’t even realize this Liam was that Liam until after I took this job. He and my ex have different last names, and I just assumed, I don’t know. I feel so stupid now."

"Wow." Jackie leans back, absorbing the information. "That’s... complicated."

"Understatement of the year," I say, managing a weak smile. I reach for my glass of wine, taking a sip to moisten my suddenly dry lips. The rich flavor doesn't quite mask the bitter undertones of the situation.

Jackie watches me carefully, her gaze sharpening. "And he's been mean to you? Is that it?"

I nod, swirling the wine in my glass. "Yeah. Pretty mean, and I don't know why. It's like he's got it out for me."

"Maybe you need to be reassigned," Jackie suggests gently. "There are junior attorneys who—"

"No," I cut her off, more forcefully than I intend. My fingers tighten around the stem of the glass. "No, I... I want to stick with Liam."

"You sure?" She looks at me, her expression a mixture of surprise and concern.

"Yeah." I exhale, trying to ease the tension knotted inside me. "I can handle him."

"Okay." Jackie's demeanor softens, the lines around her eyes crinkling with empathy. "You know, Liam is a complex guy. He comes off as cold and cruel, but—" She pauses, searching for the right words. "He's actually extremely kind once you peel back the layers."

"Kind?" The word feels foreign as it rolls off my tongue.

"Believe it or not," she says with a nod. "Just buried deep under that gruff exterior. I mean—he’s at a weekly dinner with his mother right now, and a guy who visits his mom once a week can’t be all that bad."

I consider the possibility that there's more to Liam than his brusque dismissals and icy glares. Maybe there's a reason he's so guarded, a reason he keeps everyone at arm's length, including me.

Jackie leans in closer, her voice dropping to a hushed tone that's almost conspiratorial.

"I shouldn't be telling you this," she begins, her eyes holding mine with an intensity that makes me sit up straighter. "But I swear you to secrecy, okay?"

"Okay," I whisper back, curiosity piquing.

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