Page 8 of Liv Parrish

“I’ve seen a few of those around.” That’s about as vague as I can be without being downright rude. The entire subject leaves a bad taste in my mouth, not that I have anything against the military. Quite the opposite, but sometimes it feels as if I’ve lost more than I thought I would when Luke joined the Marines. As if to drive that point away, I take a sip of my hot chocolate, scalding my tongue in the process, causing me to flinch and inhale sharply. Shit!

“Easy does it. Are you okay?” His concern is kind of sweet. A girl could get used to this.

“Sure, it’s just a little hot.” And then I blush like an idiot. He smiles at me and then shifts his attention back to his own cup.

My phone which has been lying silent most of the night takes this moment to start vibrating, causing it to skid across the smooth surface of my small coffee table. Ren's name flashes on the screen and Riley doesn’t miss a beat.

"You want to get that?"

"Do you mind? I won't be long, promise." I reach for the device, intent on silencing it one way or another.

"Go for it." He relaxes back into the sofa, and I answer the call.

“Hey Re– “

“Good, you’re still awake. Oh my God, Liv. You will not believe the night I had. Remind me to never go out with an accountant again. Dull as a bag of bricks. I swear I almost yawned in his face at one point. And the restaurant he chose! There was absolutely nothing on the menu that sounded remotely appealing. You would think–”

“Whoa, Ren, so you’re okay?” She snorts at that.

“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Okay, just checking. I have company. Do you mind if we continue this tomorrow morning?” There’s a pause before she responds in slow, measured words.

“What do you mean you have company? Who’s there with you?”

“I mean I’ve … uh.” Shit, how do I explain this? I glance over at Riley who’s smiling into his mug of hot chocolate. I’m pretty sure he heard the entire conversation; the way Ren was carrying on. “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Gotta go. Bye.” I hang up as quickly as my finger can find the red icon on the screen and then place my phone back on the table. “Sorry about that. I should have let it go to voicemail.”

“Hmm, voicemail seems to be your thing tonight. But it’s not a problem, she’s your girl, and that sounded like some date. You should have let her tell you the rest of it. It could have been entertaining.” Yep, he definitely heard.

“Not really. All her dates tend to be some variation of that conversation. The guy is either too boring to bother with or too overbearing to tolerate. The restaurant never serves the kind of food she likes even though she’ll eat just about anything, and if things do go further, it’s usually a huge disappointment. No spark or connection. At this point I think she’s more likely to find a unicorn than Mr. Right.” That gets a chuckle out of him.

“Does she date often?”

“She does. I don’t know where she meets all these guys.” It’s true, her work is her passion but somehow, she still manages to have a very active social life. Unlike some people.

“What about you?” he asks. I meet his gaze, his pale blue eyes intent on my face.

“What about me?” But I know what he’s asking.

“Do you date often?” I almost snort at that, but Ren proved it’s never an attractive sound. Funny sure, attractive never.

“No.” I heave out a sigh. “I’m kind of a homebody. I don’t go out much. Mostly it’s just work or hanging out with Ren and Evan. He works with Ren. They are both doctors and run the clinic downstairs.”

“Cool, and what do you do?” There’s genuine interest in his expression, not like he’s trying to pry out all my secrets, so I start rambling again.

“I work at a youth center not far from here. It’s a place where kids can spend their afternoons doing their homework or just hang out. We provide tutoring and meals too. For most of them home is not exactly a safe environment so that’s what they get at StopGap.” I clamp my lips shut, because honestly, I could go on about the center for hours if left unchecked. I love my job and the kids who steal your heart as easily as breathing. They might be considered at risk but it’s all the more reason to give them this safe space, even if it’s temporary as the name implies.

“Wow, I’m impressed. Is that where you were coming from the night you found Heath?”

“Yes, I don’t usually work that late, so he was lucky I found him. Although, I’m sure someone else would have–”

“Don’t even say it. You know the chances were slim to none that someone else would have taken care of him the way you did.” I don’t meet his eyes this time. I know what this city is like, the dangers all around us. I’ve seen first-hand what people are capable of, especially with the young and innocent. So, I just shrug my shoulders and finish my drink. Then I turn to him again.

“It’s getting pretty late, and you probably need to be up again in a few hours.” I know that was not subtle, but I feel like I’ve shared enough for one night, even if Riley is easy to talk to and I’ve enjoyed his company.

“Yeah, I should get going, but I enjoyed hanging out with you. We should do it again some time.”

“Sure, I’d like that.” I smile, because he’s just being polite and I’m not going to make it awkward for him. He does a pretty good job of looking sincere though.

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