Page 70 of So Bad It Must Be Good

“We really liked you a lot for the position, but another applicant had way more experience. However, we have three locations and if you’d be interested and willing, there is a lower-level position at our New Benton location. It’d give you the kind of experience we’d be looking for the next time a position opened up.”

“O-oh.” Kayla took a deep breath and willed herself to focus. This was her life. Her real life, and yes it sucked that Liam wasn’t going to be a part of it, but that didn’t change the reality of her future. It was still going to be there. She still had to build it.

“Let me tell you a little bit about the responsibilities, and then if you need some time to decide, we can give you a few days.”

So Kayla listened to the description of the job. It did feel a little bit like a demotion from her position at Gallagher’s, but it would also be a position she got all on her own. The location was farther away than the one she’d applied at, but she could move.

She could do anything. It was her life to build. Part of her wanted to decline and to go home and hide in her bed. Pine over Liam. Pine over leaving Gallagher’s.

But she had changed these past few months, and when she and Liam had told each other their I-love-yous, she’d said that he’d been a part of her change. She’d needed him to make that next step, and even if she didn’t have him for this next, next step, it would be stupid to regress just because he wasn’t here.

He certainly wouldn’t go cry in his house every night because things hadn’t gone according to plan. No, he was somewhere out there determined to fix everything.

“If you need time to consider—”

“No, I’d love to take the job. It sounds perfect.”

“Wonderful. I’m going to pass all your contact information to Jess over at the New Benton location, and she will get in touch about start dates and training, if that sounds good.”

“Yes, thank you. Really. I’m very excited to start.”

“Welcome to Tiffer’s, Ms. Gallagher. I think you’ll be an excellent addition to our team.”

“Th-thank you. Goodbye.”

Kayla clicked and stared at her phone until Dinah grabbed her and gave her a little shake.

“You got the job!”

Kayla looked up at her cousin, who was grinning widely. “Well, not the job, but a job. A good start.”

“That’s awesome, Kay.” Dinah didn’t let go of her arm. Instead, she rubbed a palm up and down it, a reassuring gesture. “A good start is exactly what you need.”

Kayla agreed. It was absolutely what she needed, but she couldn’t seem to help it. She just burst into tears.

* * *

Liam sat in the waiting room at the hospital breathing slowly and carefully. He wanted to fidget and pace, but Mom was doing enough of that for both of them. And considering the way Grandma was glaring at her, Liam didn’t think he needed to add to it.

Aiden was missing, and Liam knew that was half of Mom’s worry. Liam was counting down the minutes before Mom asked him to go on a search.

Something that sounded far too much like Kayla’s voice in his head whispered about how unfair that request would be.

Which was fucking stupid since Mom had asked nothing of him today. Why was he already trying to defend himself against it?

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, raking his fingers through his hair, trying to just breathe. It was all he could do. He had no control over what was happening with Dad. No control over where Aiden was. He couldn’t do anything.

He couldn’t fix anything. And that made his throat close up so tight he couldn’t breathe. Mom stopped pacing and took the seat next to him, sliding her hand across his back in a comforting gesture.

It helped his throat open up, helped him manage a breath. That’s what family did. Reached out and comforted each other.

“You did it, right?”

The jolt of hurt hit fast and unexpected, like missing a nail head and smashing your finger with a hammer. You should have been paying more attention. You should have seen it coming.

But there you were, smashed, painful thumb throbbing and all you could do was accept this as your reality.

He clenched his jaw, too many feelings fighting for prominence so he simply nodded sharply. Yes, he had done exactly what Mom had asked, more thoroughly than she could even imagine.

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