“I think that’s everything,” Kieran said as he set one large suitcase onto the floor of my bedroom.
“Thank you.” Paige raised to her feet, she’d been kneeling, looking through a box, and gave Kieran a smile. “I could’ve carried that up the stairs, it’s not that heavy.” She shifted her gaze to me and narrowed her eyes with a smirk.
“I don’t want you to overexert yourself, not until we confirm everything with the doctor.” What if she really wasn’t supposed to conceive and this was some fluke? She was holding the most precious gift I’d ever receive, and I couldn’t help it if I’d become a little overprotective.
Kieran laughed when Paige rolled her eyes at me. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be the same way when I have a kid.”
“You’ll have to actually have sex at some point… you know… to have a baby.” Liam’s sarcasm came with a lopsided grin as he walked into the room.
Paige blushed and Kieran’s smile dropped as he said, “You’re a dick.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Liam laughed and Kieran shook his head.
“Taking Mom to church, let us know how it goes tomorrow.” Kieran gave both Paige and I a hug before he turned to leave. “Go easy on them.” He punched Liam in the shoulder just as he walked out of the bedroom door.
“You think that kid could get laid? Twenty-six-year-old virgin… it’s not right.” Liam eyed me. “And you two… you think you could use a condom, for fuck’s sake?”
Paige’s eyes went wide with shock and I laughed without humor. “Don’t worry, we’ll get our own place soon.”
Paige had gone pale and I wanted to punch my asshole of a brother.
“Thank you for letting me stay here.” Paige’s voice was too timid and it pissed me off.
“Don’t thank him… he doesn’t deserve it.”
Liam wouldn’t talk to me after I told him Paige was pregnant. He’d finally come around at the shop a few days ago and asked me how I’d felt about everything. I told him the truth… that I was scared, that I wanted this, that I loved her and wanted to do everything right… for her… for my child.
It’d been a little over a week since we’d first found out, and tomorrow we had an appointment with her doctor. The last time I went with her to that clinic it had been to end a life. The past few days the voices stirred, just a few here and there. Paige worried for me, but I’d told her that I was fine, that it was bound to happen every now and then. I wasn’t cured, but functioning. And Liam worried about me, too, worried that this baby could ruin my progress, set me back again… but he just didn’t have faith. Not in God, not in himself, and certainly not in me. I wrapped my fingers through Paige’s and she looked up at me. The panic I’d seen in her eyes faded to a soft powder blue and her cream cheeks stained with pink.
“I actually came in here to tell you guys something.” The corner of Liam’s mouth twitched. “Ronnie’s girlfriend’s boss, he’s selling the loft above his antique store, just a few blocks down, I put in a bid and they accepted my offer.”
A small sound of surprise parted Paige’s lips and my stomach turned. “You don’t have to move out, you own Avenues, Liam. If it’s that big of a burden we’ll—”
“I’m not moving out, you guys are, in a month. It will be ready then. The place is huge, three bedrooms, studio space… I thought you guys would like it better without my ass around.”
“We can’t afford that.” My brows furrowed as his smile spread to his eyes.
“I know, but I can.”
“Liam?” Paige was breathless. “You don’t need to—”
“It’s already taken care of. When you guys get on your feet, you can take over the payments. It was dirt cheap, considering the square footage, but it needs a lot of work, Kieran and I can help make it livable.”
The pain in my throat was impossible to speak around.
Can’t take care of her, not on your own.
“Liam, I…” I shook my head, warding off the voices. I felt that guilt threefold. “I’m not your problem anymore… I can do this, you didn’t have to—”
He held up his hand and swallowed. “Our dad was a piece of shit. We didn’t get the childhood we should have… I tried… but I’m no father figure, and fuck, I struggle, too, but I want to do this. I have the money. The shop has taken off, you’re a partner, so is Kieran, it’sourmoney.” He stepped toward me and clasped my shoulder. “I know you can take care of your own… but so do I.”
I pressed my lips together in order to keep myself in check. Maybe he had faith in me after all. This was too much, but goddammit, I was grateful. Paige squeezed my hand, and I lowered my gaze from Liam to her. Her irises were sapphire, filled with a hundred facets of unshed tears. “Thank you,” she whispered and Liam nodded.
I raised my free hand to his shoulder and gripped it as I said, “I’d be dead without you. I only hope to be as good of a father to this child, as you were for me.”
His jaw clenched. “You’ll be better.” The strain in his voice was evident as I released my hold.
Paige moved quicker than Liam was prepared for. She dropped my hand and wrapped both of her arms around his waist. He stood stiff for a few seconds and then pulled her into a hug. I laughed quietly at the awkward posture of his shoulders. Once she let go, the room went quiet for a moment. The weight on my heart lifted as Liam gave Paige a sideways smile.