“Seriously?”
“Seriously. You shouldn’t let her phase you. Nobody believes what she said about you and Liam.”
“Obviously somebody does.”
“Okay, nobody with two brain cells and an opinion that matters worth a damn believes it. Truthfully, I feel sorry for her.”
That was the absolute last thing Riley expected. “For her? Why?”
“Must be sad to live your life thinking everything is about checks and balances. Not that I’m surprised. That’s how her entire family has always worked. None of them could ever fathom why anybody would do anything for someone else without expecting something in return.” She tugged Riley to sit down on the edge of the fountain. “Anyway, you were upset and all your buttons were pushed, so I presume you went to confront Liam?”
Riley finished the story. “He just left. And he had a right to.” Now that her fury had begun to wane, she could see that. He deserved her gratitude, not her defensive bitchiness. “I’m not sure I could’ve handled it any worse. I sure as hell could've handled it better. As you said, he did a kind thing. A necessary thing, to his mind. I can see that. But however well-intentioned his motives were, he still blatantly disregarded my wishes. Jesus, he could’ve at least asked.”
“What would you have done if he had?”
Riley sighed. “I’d have fought him tooth and nail.”
“Which he undoubtedly knew. So he pulled his whole alpha male routine and did what he thought was best, which was completely counter to what you wanted, and he didn’t apologize for it. Would you have still been pissed if you hadn’t run into the thunder cunt?”
That surprised a laugh out of her. “The what?”
Autumn shrugged. “Bitch isn’t a strong enough word. So would you?”
“I probably would’ve been more rational about the whole thing, but yeah, I’d still be angry. He completely doesn’t understand my position on this. There’s no way he’d see that my stance is meant to protect his reputation as much as mine. God, the last thing I want is to hear anyone smear his good name.”
“Did you tell him that?”
“Well…no.”
“Why the hell not?”
Riley fisted a hand around the medallion and dropped her gaze. “Because I was embarrassed…and ashamed. And just enough of me wondered if someone who mattered believed any of the horrible things Amber said.” And she hated it. Hated that she was still as much a victim to those feelings now as she had been years ago.
“Sweetie, don’t you think he’d understand?”
He’d been trying. She knew he had a righteous temper when roused, and instead of fully losing it, he’d tried to be rational and get at what was really going on. He'd known this wasn't just about him paying for her mom's apartment. Beneath the pissed off and the hurt, Liam had still seen that there was something else. Because he knew her. And she’d shut him out.
Da
mn it.
“I need to apologize.”
“Good girl.” Autumn gave her a squeeze. “You’re too good together to let something like this split you up.”
God, she hoped Liam still thought so. “He was really angry.” She looked over her shoulder at the fountain’s lazy trickle. “Maybe I should wish for some back up.”
“Can’t hurt.”
“Got any change? My purse is back at the pharmacy.”
Autumn dug out a nickel. “I feel it’s worth mentioning that there is no correlation with the actual monetary value and the importance of the wish.”
“Thanks.”
Riley rubbed her thumb over the face and considered, for just a moment, making a wish to save her business. She’d spent the last year pouring her heart and soul into the place, and it wasn’t out of the woods yet. There were things still to be done to get it back on track, but they were things that would be done either way once the repairs were complete. It was time she spent some heart on something else.
I wish for a second chance with Liam. Please let him leave that door open.