He nodded, frowning as he took the pan and slowly put it away. By the time he turned back to me, he was himself again, a gentle smile on his lips. “I’ll try. Ready to pick out a game?”
The knot in my stomach loosened. “Yes!”
Liam led me upstairs and opened the linen closet door with a flourish.
“Wow, it’s huge.”
“That’s what she said.”
I burst out laughing. “Oh my God, you didn’t.” My heart melted a little. I didn’t think it was his MO to make middle school penis jokes. I’d asked him to act normal, and he was. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him to show my appreciation, only our lips touching. He held my face, deepening the kiss, and warmth flowed through my body, pooling at my core. Jeez, I couldn’t even keep up with my own body’s wild reactions. Liam stood no chance.
The linen closet really was huge. A walk-in with linens to the left, cleaning supplies and a big first aid kit straight ahead,and board games filling the shelves on the right. He had all the classics, as well as a few that were new to me. I scanned the shelves with a hum, but I knew my pick. Knew it the second he opened the door. “How about…Connect Four?”
“Sure.” He pulled out the game, and we went back to the kitchen. “I have an idea,” he said. “I don’t want to make light of it, but you said you want me to know and it’s hard for you to talk about it. What if we play for info? The winner gets to ask the loser a question.”
Oh. I wasn’t prepared for that. I did want him to know, though, and this could be a safe way to tell him. Lighter than just spilling my darkest secrets to him. And if my baggage was too much for him, better to find out now than after I was even more attached. Or if he looked at me with disgust or—stop it, Jenna.
“Look at me, Firefly,” he murmured.
My breath caught at the intensity in his eyes.
“You can say no to the whole thing, and you can also pass on any question. No pressure.”
“Let’s do it.” I was going to win anyway.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jenna
“Holy shit, what are you, some kind of master Connect Four champion?”
I laughed. “Tyler’s five years younger than me. It’s one of the few games we could play together.”
“Ask me a question.”
Hmm. I knew he was going to ask about Brian, but still, maybe if I made his questions less personal, he’d spare me. “If you could spend the day with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?”
“That’s easy. My team. I’d give anything for another chance to see them. Talk to them, tell them how I check in with their families, and that I’d do anything if they needed me. Apologize.”
“Liam,” I whispered, reaching across the table for his hand, my throat tight and my heart heavy. “I love that you take care of their families, and they’d love that too, but you have nothing to apologize for. You did everything you could to keep them safe for as long as you were with them. You’re allowed to leave.”
He shrugged, his eyes shiny with tears he didn’t try to hide. “We were a team.”
I couldn’t just sit there while he looked like that. I walked around the table and wrapped my arms around him. He leaned his head on my chest, his arms around my waist. I ran my fingers through his hair, and after a long moment of him being more open and vulnerable than I would have expected, he tilted his head up to look at me, his eyes dry but swirling with emotion.
“Thank you, Firefly.” He straightened up and brushed his lips against mine in a quick kiss. “Want to play again?”
“Sure. I’ll go easier on you next time,” I teased.
“Don’t be so cocky. Maybe I’ll beat you.” Liam’s confident smirk was cute, but even though he played like he was drawing up a wartime battle plan, I still beat him easily.
“What’s your dream vacation?” I asked.
“Italy, with you.”
Happiness bubbled up in my chest. With me! “Have you been there before?”
“Twice. With my family when I was a teenager, then with my team when we were in northern Africa and got a week’s R and R. It’s incredible. There are these spas on the coast with beautiful beaches and hot springs. There’s so much history to explore, and the food is so fresh and delicious. I’ll take you to Pompeii and to the street vendors in Naples where I had the best pizza of my life.”