To Have It All(28)

“My girl,” Matt preened as he whizzed by me. Gone was the macho tough-guy persona from moments before, now he was acting like a teddy bear. That wasn’t hard to understand, Pimberly could make even the manliest men soft-hearted—I knew this from personal experience. When he picked her up, he continued walking further into the apartment away from the door. I guess he didn’t much care if Max wanted him there or not. Alice, cutting a quick glance at me, pursed her mouth, more like saying sorry, but not really sorry.

Matt wrapped Pim up in a big hug as he held her head to his shoulder.

“She’s fine, Matt,” Alice asserted as she ran a soft hand over Pim’s head. “Now say goodbye. We have to go.”

“I fucking hate this,” Matt muttered quietly.

“Language, Matt,” Alice scolded as she smacked his arm.

Hearing Matt curse, I felt some relief. At least if little Pim started babbling the f-bomb, I wasn’t the only one to blame. I stood watching them, my hands in my pockets, as they spoke softly to Pim and each other before Matt noticed me gawking and narrowed his stare at me.

“You want a picture or something, Max?” he grumbled.

“Matthew,” Alice groaned after letting out an exasperated breath.

I hadn’t realized I’d been staring, but I was. Everything happening didn’t feel like it was happening to me, but it was, even though I felt like an outsider looking in.

“What? This fucking guy spends two days with her and wants to watch me like I’m some asshole that could hurt her.”

Letting out a snort, I decided not to comment. I was feeling defensive, and it made no sense. I wasn’t Max. I wasn’t a douchebag like him, and Matt’s anger was not directed at me. But at the same time . . . I was Max, and someone being a dick to you still gets your hackles up. Just keep your cool, Liam, I told myself.

“Can I get anyone water or . . .” I stopped, realizing what an idiot I sounded like. What the hell was I doing? Offering beverages?

“No, we’re leaving,” Alice replied quickly. Then looking at Matt, she tugged on his shirt sleeve. “Come on, Matt. Waverly wouldn’t want us here.”

Handing Pim to Alice, he kissed the back of her head one more time. “Goodbye, baby,” Alice hugged Pim tightly before setting her on the floor.

Matt fixed his narrowed eyes on me, his stare conveying nothing but anger. “I haven’t forgotten, Max,” he growled. “If it were up to me, I’d never let you lay eyes on this little girl ever again.” Pointing a firm finger at me, he continued, “Do us all a favor, Max. Sign the fucking papers. We all know you don’t want her, and you certainly don’t deserve her.”

When he barged out of the apartment, Alice lifted her chin in indignation as if telling me she agreed with him before she followed Matt out. Letting my shoulders sag, I stared at the open door. I felt deflated. Bearing the burden of all the hate for Max was becoming a bit too much to carry. How could he live like this every day?

“Oh no,” Pim exclaimed, her hands on her cheeks. I snorted out a chuckle as I picked her up and went to the door to close it.

“Oh no is right, little sweetheart,” I sighed.



“What are we doing here?” Helen asked as she slid in the restaurant booth. After I slipped Pimberly in the high chair the hostess had brought over, I sat across from her, placing the gift bag I’d brought beside me. The truth was, I had a plan. However, I also desperately needed to get out of that apartment. The last few days had been a whirlwind with this body switch and dealing with Max’s train wreck of a life. I needed something good. Coming to the diner was killing two birds with one stone.

“You got a problem with a free breakfast?” I grumbled.

“I brought you groceries this morning. We could’ve made breakfast.”

“Helen,” I sighed. “It’s a long story. Just drop it.”

“Damn, you’re grumpy,” she poked at me. “Just goes to show you can take an a-hole out of the body but you can’t take the body out of the—” she paused and shook her head. When I raised one brow at her, letting her know she sounded like an idiot, she glared at me. “You know what I meant, Liam.”

“You have a way with words,” I said dryly.

“What’s in the bag?” she queried, changing the subject.

“It’s nothing,” I dismissed her, shrugging one shoulder. “Something I picked up last night while I was out.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, our waitress, Mary, approached. “Morning,” she chirped, a bright and friendly smile strewn across her face. Wearing her usual uniform with her hair pulled up, she looked exactly as she had the last time I’d seen her. “Look at this little beauty,” she cooed as she bent to Pimberly’s level. Pimberly stared at her, before her eyes fixed on the pad of paper in Mary’s hand and she grabbed for it.

“No, no,” I tsked.

Mary stood, giving me a wink, waving her hand. “That’s okay. I’ll grab her some paper and crayons we keep in the back.”

“That’s nice of you.” The woman was good through and through.

“You guys know what you want to order or do you need a few minutes?”

I looked to Helen. “Think she’d eat a cheeseburger?” I asked, tilting my head toward Pim.