Page 89 of Back to Willow

“That is not the point, young man,” I scold. “Liam is a friend. You can’t treat him like that.”

“He made you cry!”

“And? What have I told you about meddling in adult conversations?”

“To not stick my nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Exactly! Now, Liam’s a friend, and it’s not your place to be rude.”

“A friend?” he enquires, tilting his head.

Oh?

“What do you mean?”

“I heard Uncle Jake and Nana at the park. He is your boyfriend, and you didn’t tell me!”

Oh god, those two forget that Dylan understands a lot more than they realise.

“What did I tell you that Liam was?” I press, crossing my arms over my chest.

“A friend,” he grumbles.

“And have I lied to you before?”

“No.” He looks down, suddenly interested in pressing the tip of his foot against the wooden floor.

“Then there you have it,” I answer him. His shoulders sag with the finality in my voice. “Now, let’s go apologise.”

“What? No,” he exclaims when I motion for him to reopen the door. “He…he made you cry!”

“Baby,” I call before crouching to his height. He immediately comes to me, grabbing my face as he usually does. “We used to be best friends, just like you are with Abby. But I hadn’t seen him in years. There was a lot we needed to talk about—we still do.”Because I still haven’t told him the whole story.“I was emotional, but it wasn’t his fault.”

“You promise?” I nod with a soft smile. “Alright, then.”

The determined look on his face makes me chuckle before I stand and bring him with me to the front door. Outside, the three of them, who seem to have been talking in a hushed tone, stop completely upon seeing us. Jake looks proud while Nana seems amused. The only one who is as nervous as me is Liam.

“Go on,” I tell Dylan, slightly pushing him forward.

He stumbles on his feet before looking back at me with widened eyes. When I nod in encouragement, he takes a few steps forward and starts, “Well, sorry.”

Dylan’s head is turned to the side, letting me know he is not even looking at Liam. He doesn’t mean it. Liam’s mouth opens, and I raise my hand, cutting him off.

“Dylan,” I warn.

“I’m sorry for being rude, I guess,” he mumbles, an ounce of annoyance palpable in his voice.

This boy.

“Jake,” I reprimand when I notice him covering his mouth and poorly hiding his chuckle. “Do not encourage this behaviour. You’re worse than him!”

“What did I do? I kept quiet,” he whines.

“I already apologised,” Dylan whines, looking at me expectantly.

Everyone else just seems amused, even Liam. But still, I don’t give up the fight. He needs to understand he can’t be rude.

“Not properly, I—”

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