Page 69 of Right Number

I stood in the living room with my arms wrapped around myself as the tears silently fell. “Oh, honey…we heard the whole thing,” Bree said as she came up and pulled me into a hug. Sarah was quick to follow. With the two of them hugging me tightly, I cried even harder.

After a few moments I heard Liam awkwardly clear his throat. “Maybe I should go now.” In all the excitement, I’d completely forgotten he was there.

Sarah abruptly pulled away from the group hug. “No! You can’t go now! You need to tell Anna the reason you came by today.”

“It can wait,” Liam answered quickly.

I looked up at Liam as I wiped my eyes on my sleeve again. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must’ve been like for him to be trapped in the kitchen with Bree and Sarah while I had a showdown in the next room with Mason—the guy I broke things off with Liam for. “I’m so sorry, Liam. Sorry about today…sorry about everything.”

Bree fully released me from her hug and glanced over at Sarah. “We’re out of coffee so Sarah and I are going to go grab some.”

Sarah looked confused. “We are? But I just made…”

“Yes, Sarah, we are,” Bree said with raised eyebrows as she nodded her head. “You and I are going to go get some. While we do that, Anna and Liam can stay here and talk. Privately.”

“Right! Yes! Out of coffee!” Sarah rushed over to the door where she threw on her coat and grabbed her purse. Before Liam or I could say anything further, Bree followed suit and they both scampered out the front door.

As the door clicked shut, I turned to Liam. “So…” I had no idea what to say.

Liam reached up and adjusted his beanie. “So, that was Mason?”

“Yeah,” I said softly. “Do you want to sit?” I nodded toward the dining table.

Liam nodded. When we were seated, he put his elbows on the table and leaned into them. “Bree and Sarah filled me in on the situation,” he started before turning to look at me. “I just wish you’d been honest with me from the beginning that there was someone else. I know we never talked about being exclusive…or defined our relationship, but I would’ve liked to have known. I would’ve told you if there’d been someone else.”

I felt about two inches tall as Liam spoke. What’d started as a good situation had ended up with all three people getting hurt. I took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry, Liam. I’m not sure what else to say, but I never meant to hurt you.”

Liam was silent for a few moments and I started to worry that, in addition to hurting two people that day, I’d also completely ruined relationships with both of them. Instead, Liam surprised me by reaching across the table and taking my hand in his. “Don’t worry about you and me, Anna. We’ll be all right,” he said with such sincerity I could feel myself instantly start to relax. I knew I’d hurt him, but at least I hadn’t completely ruined our friendship. Liam pulled his hand away from mine and leaned back with a half smile. “You know, it’s funny how things end up working out.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, having no idea what Liam was talking about.

“I came by to follow up with you after last night and see if you wanted to talk about…what happened.” I could feel my cheeks flush as I remembered the whole Oliver situation and drunkenly rambling to Liam about being sorry. “I also wanted to tell you about something else that happened last night. There was a gallery owner from Seattle at the show. She was in town on other business and just happened to hear about the Spring Art Show. To make a long story short, she loved the painting of you, Anna.”

“Of course she did, Liam. It’s incredibly beautiful,” I stated honestly.

“Thank you,” Liam replied softly. He glanced away before looking back at me. “She loved it so much we agreed to meet earlier this morning before her flight so she could see a few more pieces of mine. She wants me to come to Seattle for a show. While I was in the kitchen with Bree and Sarah, the gallery owner messaged me to say she already has interested buyers.”

“Liam! That’s amazing! I’m so excited for you!” I genuinely was. No one deserved something so wonderful to happen to them more than Liam. He was so talented, and such a genuinely good person. It was also nice to hear that something positive happened to someone at the Spring Art Show.

“I appreciate that,” he said with a smile. “From now until graduation, I’m going to work on a few different pieces and then…well, I haven’t really had a solid plan for after graduation, but now I think I’m going to move to Seattle. Give things a try there and see if it’s the right place for me.”

“I have no doubt you’ll take names and kick ass in the Seattle art scene. It’s been a crazy-eventful twenty-four hours for you!” I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It really has been.” Liam paused. “Listen, the gallery owner wants to buy the painting of you for her personal collection.”

“Really? The one from the show last night?”

“Yes. I haven’t given her an answer…”

Liam trailed off, so I asked the obvious question. “Why not?”

“Well, I really painted it for you and I…I would like for you to have it,” he said quickly.

“Oh, Liam…” My hand flew up to my chest and I took in a big breath. It was such a remarkable and kind-hearted gesture. I really shouldn’t have been surprised. It was exactly the kind of thing Liam would do.

“Unless it would be weird.” Liam shifted in his seat as if he was nervous. “What I mean is, the original intent behind giving you the painting was from a different time, but I would like for us to at least be friends, Anna.”

I gave Liam a huge, genuine smile and it was my turn to reach across the table to hold his hand. “I would like that very much. Thank you, Liam.”

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