Page 22 of Booked for the Holidays
After settling with the bartender, I turn my attention back to Wiley and Juniper but as luck would have it, Juniper has left Wiley to talk to another friend on the other side of the bar.
As I approach, Wiley gulps back the rest of his beer just in time for me to set a fresh one in front of him.
He eyes it with interest before looking up at me.
“Liam Hargrove.” I extend a hand, and he cautiously takes it. It’s clear he knows who I am and the heartache I’ve caused his friend.
“Wiley Cooke.”
“Brought you a fresh beer. Nutcracker Stout, right?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?” He glances around.
“I’m very observant.”
He eyes my glass of whiskey.
“No offense, but you look like you drink cocktails I can’t pronounce.”
“Are you calling me pretentious, Wiley?”
“Um, not in a mean way.” His eyes snag on my watch. “Just you’re fancy and stuff.”
“I appreciate what you’re doing for her,” I say.
“What do you mean?”
“Pretending you’re on a date.”
He smirks, but I catch the way his eyes flash with panic. Nervously, he picks up the beer I offered and takes a drink, his hand shaking when he returns it to the pub table. “W-we’re not pretending.”
“So, you let your date get her own drink?” I motion to Juniper at the bar with her friend.
“Maybe. And what exactly are you doing here?” he challenges.
“I’m here to prove something. To her—and to myself.” I pause, gauging his reaction. “She might be pretending with you, but I’m not pretending with her.”
Wiley crosses his arms, skeptical. “Nice watch. Bet it costs more than my car.”
I glance at the watch face. I don’t buy much for myself—never cared about cars or suits or flashy toys. But watches? They make sense to me. Precision. Craftsmanship. A promise that time, at least, can be measured and mastered. Which is more than I can say for the chaos in my chest every time Juniper looks at me like she hates me.
“I’m not here to play games. And I know you have another agenda for the night.” I lift my brows, then nod my head toward the blonde across the room.
“Listen, man, Juni’s not a fan of yours, so maybe you take the hint and move on.”
“Can’t. Not when I’ve spent a year wishing I could take back the moment I let her go.”
He sighs, conflicted. “Shit, man, I can’t compete with that.”
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to.”
“I know, but Juni asked me to?—”
My brows lift at his near confession.
He sighs. “She’s going to kill me.”
I pat him on the shoulder. “You did good, Wiley. I’ll deal with Juniper.”
