The Ending I Want(24)

“Yeah. I’ve never been good at sharing either, and I definitely don’t want to share you.”

“Well then…we’re agreed. For these next two weeks, we sleep with only each other.”

“Agreed.” His hand slides up my thigh, gripping the top, and then he presses his lips to mine, kissing me hard.

“Wow,” I say breathless when he releases me. “You always close all your deals that way?”

“Only with hot list-making Bostonians.” He gives a boyish grin. “Talking of lists, we’re here.”

“What? Where?” I turn to look out the window as the car comes to a stop.

“Cam’s—my friend’s bar. We’re eating here, and then you’re going to cross another thing off your list.”

“I am?” I turn back to him, my brow raised in question.

“Yeah—sing in public. Cam has a resident band. Tonight is open mic night, so it’s the perfect opportunity for you to cross it off your list.”

“Oh…I don’t know. I was thinking that I’d maybe do one thing a day. And the hair constitutes as one thing.”

Liam laughs. “Stop being a chicken.”

“I’m not being a chicken. I was the one who put it on my list, wasn’t I?”

“So then, what’s the point in waiting? Do it now.”

He’s right. What’s the point in stalling? It’s not like I have the luxury of time.

“Okay, let’s do it.”

He smiles wide. “This is going to be epic.”

“It’s going to be terrible. I’m a really awful singer.”

“And that’s why it’s going to be epic.” He flashes a grin at me.

We get out of the car with Liam telling Paul to take off and that he’ll call when he needs to be picked up.

Then, holding my hand, Liam leads me into Cam’s Bar.

There’s music playing when we enter. Sounds to be a cover of a Kings of Leon song.

“That’s the band you’ll be singing with, The March. Lee over there is the lead singer and guitarist.” He nods at a dark-haired guy who’s currently singing into the microphone. “You can either sing with him or go solo. Your choice.”

“I’ll be solo when I start singing because my voice will clear this place out.”

Liam snickers. “Come on, let’s go see Cam and get you fed.”

The bar is really nice. Modern and trendy with a warm feeling to it. And I’m relieved to see that it’s not too busy either. Less people to humiliate myself in front of.

“Cam,” Liam calls to a guy further down the bar.

Smiling, he walks toward us. He’s Megan’s brother. I can tell immediately. He’s as good-looking as she is beautiful. He has the same black hair and contrasting blue eyes as she does.

“Hey, man.” He reaches over the bar to Liam, and they do that handshake-and-half-hug thing that men do.

I see Cam’s eyes go to me. I smile at him.

“Cam, this is Taylor Shaw from Boston.”

“Hello, Taylor Shaw, from Boston.” He reaches over the bar to shake my hand. “Can I get you guys a drink?”

“Beer for me,” Liam says.

“I’ll have the same,” I tell Cam.

I take a seat on a barstool, and Liam takes the seat beside me.

Cam puts two beers in front of us.

Liam picks up a menu and hands it to me. I scan it and decide on a burger and fries, or chips as they call them here.

“I’ll have the same,” Liam tells me. “Cam, can you have Nancy rustle us up some burger and chips?”

“Will do.” Cam disappears into the back.

“Nancy’s the cook here. Makes the best homemade burgers you’ve ever tasted in your life,” Liam tells me.

I take a sip of my beer.

“Hey! Hunter’s here, and he is not alone.”

I turn to the voice approaching. A guy with chestnut-brown hair, who is about the same height but not as built as Liam and more lithe than muscular, is walking toward us.

Liam gets up from his seat. “Eddie, mate.”

They do the handshake-and-half-hug man thing.

“Where the f*ck have you been hiding?” Liam says to him. “Feels like ages since I last saw you.”

“I’ve been busy at the hospital. You missed me, you soppy bastard?”

“With all my heart.” Liam chuckles, slapping a hand to his chest.

Eddie’s eyes come to me. “And who is this beauty you’ve brought with you?”

Liam puts his arm around Eddie’s shoulder and looks at me. “Eddie, this is Taylor Shaw from Boston. Boston, this is Eddie, one of my oldest mates. Ugly as f*ck, but someone’s gotta love him.”

“Fuck you very much, Hunter. And Boston, eh? What is someone like you doing with this degenerate?” Eddie flicks his thumb in Liam’s direction.

“He sat next to me on the plane, and I haven’t been able to get rid of him since.” I grin.

“Sounds like Hunter. He was like that in school. First day I met him, I just couldn’t shake him off. He’s like a bad smell. He’s been following me around ever since.”

“So, you guys met at school?” I ask.