Page 66 of Baby For My Ex's Brother

"More?" Nadia echoes, her voice rising with a mix of incredulity and hope. "Shiloh, from where I'm standing, it sounds like you guys are already more than just—well, you know. I mean, he paid for your apartment—"

A bitter laugh escapes me. "No, it's not like that. He's rich, Nadia. He throws cash around like it's nothing. Apartments, gifts... it doesn't mean anything to him." My heart twists painfully at the admission. "He does whatever he wants. And I don't know why he acts the way he does toward me."

"Shiloh, money or not, people don't just buy apartments for someone they don't care about," she insists, but I can hear the caution in her tone.

"Maybe he cares, but not in the way I want him to." The words come out choked as if admitting it makes it real—makes the hurt tangible. "It's like I'm just this... diversion for him."

"Have you talked to him about all of this? Asked him straight up what he wants?" Nadia’s voice is gentle, probing.

I shake my head, even though she can't see it. "I can't. What if he says I'm just reading too much into it all? What if I ruin what little we have?" Fear clutches at my chest; the possibility of losing even the scraps of attention Liam gives me is more terrifying than I want to admit.

"Shiloh, honey, you deserve to know where you stand. You're worth more than being someone's maybe." There's steel in Nadia’s voice now, the kind of conviction that always made me feel braver.

I let out a long breath, feeling the weight of her words. She's right. I've spent so much time worrying about the future, about Liam, that I've been too scared to just live in the moment. "Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to him. I need to know one way or another."

"Exactly! And come on, spill the tea. This is all exciting." I can almost see the eager glint in Nadia’s eyes, her love forjuicy stories never waning. “Even if things don’t work out… you should enjoy this while you can.”

"Fine, fine," I relent, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the nerves twisting inside me. I start to detail my tangled interactions with Liam, but I leave out the bits that are too intimate, too raw to share even with Nadia.

"Promise me something?" Nadia's voice softens. "Whatever happens with Liam, don't lose yourself. Remember our dreams, okay?"

"I promise," I whisper, clinging to the familiar comfort of our shared goals.

"Good. Now, I can't wait to live in Dublin with you next year. It's going to be amazing." There's an unspoken hope in her words, a gentle push for me to keep moving forward, no matter what happens with Liam.

"Me too, Nadia. Goodnight." As we sign off, a sense of determination settles over me. One day soon, I'll face Liam. I'll find out if there's a chance for something real between us, or if I'm just chasing shadows.

But tonight, I let myself dream of Dublin and the promise of new beginnings, far from the complicated web of emotions that Boston holds.

Chapter twenty-seven

Shiloh

It’s my birthday, whichmeans I’m dressed to the nines—exactly how I like.

I stride into the high-rise building, my heels clicking a determined rhythm on the polished marble. Today, I'm twenty-three and feeling every bit of my age—like I've just leveled up in the game of life. My outfit is a carefully chosen armor: a chic blouse coupled with a skirt that's playful yet professional. It's a big day.

After all, I've got plans to corner Liam once everyone leaves, to finally say... something.

I reach for the elevator button but then pause. The usually bustling atmosphere feels oddly muted today. Curious, I tap my foot, waiting for the elevator doors to part. When they do, I step inside and press the button for our floor.

As the doors open again on Aegis Legal Group’s office, I'm greeted by silence.

Where is everyone…?

The sporadic click of a keyboard from somewhere far off is the only sound disrupting the stillness. It's eerie—like walking onto a stage after the audience has left.

"Odd," I mutter to myself, and I pick up the pace, my heart doing a weird little skip—not from fear, but from an inexplicable sense of anticipation.

I round the corner, my desk just coming into view outside Liam's office, and that's when I see them. Jackie, leading a cluster of secretaries and a couple of paralegals, all huddled around my workspace. What the—

"Surprise!" Jackie's voice cuts through the silence, and suddenly the air fills with colorful balloons. The crowd parts like they're unveiling a masterpiece to reveal a cake so stunning it could be a centerpiece at an art gala, surrounded by an array of flowers vibrant enough to shame a rainbow.

"Happy Birthday, Shiloh!" they chorus, and I can't help but let out a startled laugh, my earlier trepidation melting away under their warm smiles.

"Guys, you shouldn't have," I say, but the grin stretching across my face betrays my true feelings. Jackie steps forward, her own smile a beacon of mischief and genuine affection, and envelops me in a hug that feels like coming home.

"Of course we had to," she insists as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then she hands me a card. “Open it whenever you want. Happy birthday, Shy.”

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