Page 49 of Love in the Darkness

“Are you?” She looked at me carefully. “You seem brighter and louder than I’ve ever seen you, actually.”

I swirled the ice and lime in my glass, then looked over to catch her examining me. “It’s funny,” I said quietly. “I do feel stronger. But Liam’s a little overprotective, so I keep second guessing myself, taking it easy and being super careful.”

Angie’s entire face softened under her new Australian tan. “Aww, he really loves you.”

“Yup. He really does.”

She pushed the flower arrangement to the side, then reached out to pat my hand on the table. “You guys will figure it out. I promise.”

“Oh, damn.” I dug out my phone to check the time. “I should likely go. Can I see you again tomorrow?”

“That’s the big party. But we’re here for a week. Let’s set up dinner with the four of us.” Her eyes sparkled naughtily. “You’ll let me give Liam the third degree, right? Make sure he’s good enough for you?”

“Sure thing. As long as you don’t mind that I’ll be giving Matt royal hell for stealing my best friend away like a thief in the night.”

“Can’t wait.”

After I hugged her goodbye, I jumped in a cab and rushed home, but Liam wasn’t there.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

* Liam *

After positively killing it at the gym, I felt refreshed. As much as I adored long slow walks with Kayla, they weren’t always very aerobic. I usually leaned her against a tree to make out with her every ten minutes or so.

As I left the gym, I pulled out my phone to text Kayla that I was coming home, and got a message saying that she had left.

It was great that Angie was in town, and she wanted to catch up with her friend. But I wondered why she would bother leaving the apartment. I could feel overprotective urges rising up, and tried to talk myself down.

I sent her a message back.

“Hey baby, please tell Angie I said hello. Since you’re out, I’m going to check on Gwen, then pick up groceries on the way home. Hope to see you soon, and have a nice time.”

Gwen and I had always dropped in on each other without calling first, but since her new boyfriend lived in the building, I sent her a text.

“Warning – your big little brother will be knocking on your door in a few minutes. Hope that’s okay?”

I received a reply seconds later.

“Sure – I’ll leave the door unlocked, because you love it when I do that.”

Shortly after, I knocked then walked into her apartment to find her sprawled on the couch with a magazine.

“What if I was a burglar?” I said sternly. “What if I was a creep with a weapon?”

Tossing her magazine on the table and sitting up straight, Gwen shrugged. “If you had a weapon, you could’ve just broken in anyway.”

“Why must you annoy me so much?” I chuckled, plopping on the end of her couch.

“Because you are amusing when that little vein in the side of your forehead puffs up and starts twitching.” She flashed me a grin. “How’s it going?”

“Amazing.”

“And how is Kayla?”

I grinned even wider. “Also amazing. Things are great. I mean, this is the longest we’ve been apart in weeks.”

“What?” She froze and looked at me very oddly. “Say that again, but slower.”

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