The Ending I Want(28)

“Oh my God!” I’m laughing so hard, imagining a sixteen-year-old Liam serenading his girl to win her back. “So, did he get back together with Sophie?” I ask, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes.

“Nope.” Eddie chuckles, shaking his head. “The neighbor who had called the cops told her and her folks what had happened when they got home. Sophie wouldn’t even look in his direction after that.”

“Aw, poor Liam.”

“Don’t feel too bad for him. He had a line of chicks waiting to shag him after they’d heard what he had done. For some reason, they all thought it was really romantic, putting his heart out there and singing to Sophie. Hunter got laid a lot that year,” Cam tells me.

“He always was a lucky bastard when it came to women. Present company included,” Eddie says, making me blush.

I hear Liam’s song coming to a close, so I turn to the stage, watching and listening as he murders the end of the song.

And when he’s finished, Cam, Eddie, and I all start cheering and clapping. I stand up on the edge of my stool and whistle loudly.

Liam gives his microphone to Lee, jumps down off the stage, and walks over to me.

“You were great!” I beam at him.

He slides his arm around my waist and presses a kiss to my temple. Then, he takes his seat beside me. “So, you told her then, you pair of bastards.”

“Of course we did.” Eddie smirks.

“I think what you did was really sweet.” I turn in my seat to face him. “Singing like that to try to win your girl back? No one has ever done anything like that for me.”

He slides his hands up my thighs, parting my legs, ensuring my skirt is still covering me, he tugs me closer, so I’m all but straddling him. “I’d sing for you, Boston.”

That puts a smile onto my face and sends a flutter in my chest. Then, Liam leans in and presses his lips to mine, and that flutter turns into a swarm of butterflies. His hands move around the outside of my thighs until they are on my ass, and he pulls me onto his lap, so I’m actually straddling him. Thank god my skirt is knee-length or everyone would be getting a good show right now.

His kiss deepens, setting my insides on fire. And for a moment, I forget where I am with all the people around us, and I just revel in the feel of his tongue in my mouth and his hands on my ass.

“Okay, enough of the PDA. I don’t have a lap-dancing license. And you’re making Eddie jealous.”

I break away from Liam’s mouth, panting, my cheeks instantly flushing.

Liam grins at me, touching the pink with his fingertips. “Everything I’ve already done to you, and making out in a bar embarrasses you.”

Smiling, I shake my head at him. Then, I disentangle myself from him, sitting back on my own stool. But he doesn’t let me go completely. He takes ahold of my hand, holding it against his thigh.

“So, do I get that beer or not?” Liam lifts his chin at Cam.

“One beer coming up,” Cam says.

“I’ll have another beer,” Eddie tells Cam. “I’m just gonna go take a piss first.”

“Taylor, you want anything?” Cam asks me.

My beer is nearly finished. If I keep going this way, I’ll be marking off another thing on my list—getting wasted and puking.

I pick up my beer and finish the last of it off. “Yeah, I’ll take another beer,” I tell Cam.

Cam gets three bottles out of the fridge. He pops the caps off and puts them down on the bar. Then, he seems to freeze. His eyes are fixed on something over the top of my head.

He darts a look at Liam and then says, “I didn’t know he was coming in tonight.”

Who came in?

Liam frowns and then turns to where Cam’s staring.

The look on Liam’s face…is one of pure anger. His whole expression darkens. His jaw clenches tightly. I can feel the tension pouring off him.

I follow his stare. There’s a blond guy, about six feet, standing there. I’d say he’s in his thirties, but it’s hard to see him properly from here.

The guy seems to hesitate. Then, he makes a decision and walks toward us.

“Jeremy.” Cam lifts his chin in greeting.

“I just came to pick up Nancy after her shift,” Jeremy says.

“I’ll let her know you’re here.” Cam casts a nervous glance at Liam, who is just staring at Jeremy like he wants to kill him.

Jeremy is looking at anything but Liam.

And I have never felt so uncomfortable in my life.

Cam reluctantly leaves to get Nancy.

There’s a horrible, tense silence. Then, Jeremy seems to pluck up some courage and turns his face our way. “How are you doing, Liam?”

“I was doing just f*cking great until about thirty seconds ago,” Liam says, through clenched teeth.

“I won’t be here long. I’m just picking up Nancy.”

“I didn’t realize Nancy was your type, her being single and all. And I thought she had better taste but clearly not.”

I expect Jeremy to be angry, but he doesn’t look angry, just sad.

“Look, Liam…it’s been seven years. Don’t you think it’s time we bury the hatchet?”

“No. The only place I want to bury the hatchet is in your face.”

Oh Christ.