Page 12 of The Dating Coach
He turned to look at me, something vulnerable in his expression. "When did you get so wise?"
"Sometime between failing organic chemistry and becoming guardian to a teenage runaway," I said, attempting levity.
"About that." His expression shifted, becoming businesslike. "We need to talk about Mia's schooling situation. She can't go back to her old school, not with everything that's happened."
"I've been thinking about that too," I admitted. "She's going to need somewhere with good swimming facilities. She swims competitively, like I do. It's important to her."
"Swimming facilities," he repeated, as if filing it away mentally. "Okay. We'll find something that works."
"But the applications, the transcripts, getting her enrolled mid-semester..." The logistics felt overwhelming.
"One crisis at a time," he said firmly. "First, we get through your makeup exam. When is it again?"
"Five and a half weeks." The number felt both endless and terrifyingly close.
"Okay. We should start with your organic chemistry tutoring sessions soon. Mia can hang here whenever she wants – the guys will love having someone new to destroy at video games. And maybe..." He hesitated. "Maybe we can look into legal options? There might be ways to protect her without your parents being able to force her into conversion therapy."
"We?" I echoed.
"If you want," he said quickly. "I mean, I'm not trying to overstep—"
"No," I interrupted. "We is... we works. We sounds good."
“But Liam,” I continued, “you’ve already done so much for me. I can’t shake the feeling that I owe you—and I hate feeling indebted.”
He ran a hand through his hair and offered a half-smile. “Well, if you don’t want to feel indebted, maybe you could return the favor.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And what favor might that be?”
“I want you to teach me how to pursue someone I’m interested in.” His cheeks colored slightly, which was endearing enough to make my heart skip. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’ve never had to work for anyone’s attention before. I’ve spent years being passive, letting women approach me instead of going after what I want. Now I’m starting to realize that passivity isn’t going to work anymore. There’s this girl, Hailey, and I lost her because I was too passive—and now she’s engaged to my friend, Gabe.”
The irony was almost laughable: the campus golden boy womanizer needed dating lessons from me.
"You want me to teach you how to hit on women?" I asked, making sure I understood correctly.
"I want you to teach me how to show genuine interest, how to pursue someone without being pushy or entitled, how to prove that my intentions are worth trusting." He met my eyes directly. "I want to learn how to be more than just a pretty face who waits for things to happen to him."
There was something vulnerable in his admission, something that suggested this was about more than justromantic success. This was about agency, about becoming an active participant in his own life instead of a passive recipient of other people's choices.
"So, we both get what we need," I said slowly. "You help me pass organic chemistry and keep Mia safe. I help you learn how to actually pursue someone."
"Mutual benefit," he agreed. "A business arrangement between two people who desperately need what the other can offer."
I studied his face, looking for signs of deception or hidden agendas. But all I saw was sincerity, determination, and maybe a hint of the same desperation I was feeling.
"Okay then," I said, extending my hand. "Business partners."
His palm was warm and slightly callused from hockey, and the touch sent an unexpected jolt through me. For a moment, we stood there, hands clasped, an electric charge crackling between us—nothing to do with business arrangements or mutual benefit.
Then I pulled my hand back and reminded myself that this was about survival, not sparks. About protecting Mia and saving my academic future, not about the way Liam's eyes seemed to see more than they should.
"We should check on Mia," I said, stepping back.
"Right. Yes. Mia." He seemed to shake himself. "Fair warning – if Frank's adopted her, she's about to be fed enough carbs to fuel a marathon."
Walking back downstairs, I tried to process the shift in my perception of Liam Delacroix. The cocky hockey star facade was just that – a facade covering someone far more complex andconflicted than I'd imagined. It was dangerously appealing, this glimpse behind his perfect mask.
In the kitchen, we found Mia at the center of attention, laughing at something Frank had said while twirling an impressive amount of pasta on her fork. Henry was teaching her some complicated handshake, and for the first time in days, my sister looked like a teenager instead of a refugee.
