Page 81 of Exposé

"I assumed." Tucking my hand into my pants pocket. "Cops have a certain look." I turned my attention towards him as he eyed me. "Isn't that right?"

He nodded, then shot his doe-eyed gaze towards Ava, his heart on his sleeve.

Callie was right... he does have a thing for her.

How does she get this information?

"Did you get your bratwurst?"

Ava nodded. "Now we're on to the strudel, you?"

Liam smiled softly, and my cheeks twitched as a burning shot across my chest, the pastry losing its fluffy shape in my clenching hand.

"I haven't had one yet. Still trying to decide what beer I want." Liam chuckled, his eyes sliding over to me and then back to her.

"I don't recommend theCreepy Crawler," I said, tilting my head to the side.

Liam's brows shot up, his hand running down his chin. "Oh yeah? Why is that?"

"Tastes as it sounds."

He gave a slight nod. "Noted." With a sigh, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug, drawing my hand away from her lower back. "I'm glad to see you out with a smile, Ava."

"Smile?" She feigned examining her body while touching her lips with her free hand. "What smile?"

The corners of my lips lifted, then fell as I concealed it.

"Let me have a bite, Ava? I want to see if it's worth it this year."

He grabbed her wrist and fed her strudel to his mouth, setting my teeth on edge as she pulled it away with a shaking hand.

"It tastes the same way it does every year, you big oaf." She slapped him across the shoulder with a radiant smile, her teeth braces straight and white. "Get your own."

He licked his lips free of crumbs, and my fist closed around my pastry as I drew in a deep breath through my nose.

"I think I might." He laughed, and yet the wrinkles around his eyes deepened as he strode away.

Claiming territory that isn’t yours, big boy?

"He must be a good friend." I placed my hand on the small of her back as she fixed the paper around her pastry and bit into it again, her head bobbing.

"I've known him for a while."

"You two came here together before?"

She shook her head and swallowed as I tossed mine into the trash. "No. We always see each other around here, though." She dropped the pastry to her side with an exhale. "In fact, you're the only one I've been with here since..."

Ava quieted as she glanced at a large, gnarled tree with a bench beneath.

Since when, my little recluse?

"Since your breakup with Darrel?"

Her brows narrowed as she pulled her gaze away from the tree and shook her head. "Never mind." Her eyes brightened as they landed on the stage across the field, where the German band settled beside their instruments. "Heeey.Do you want to listen to the band?" She grabbed my forearm and dragged me toward the front of the stage. "They're supposed to be awesome this year."

The lead singer wrapped his hand around the microphone and announced the name of the band as she finished her strudel.

"Does that mean they aren't good all the other years?"

---