“That’s not their business.” Liam dropped on the nearest lounge chair across from Stax, glaring. “It’s not yours either.”
“You know what strangers are good for, Liam Cane? Fresh eyes to help put things into perspective. What harm would it do for you to hear about what mine see? It might help.”
“Why would you want to help me? A stranger.” Though it wasn’t as if he could talk to anyone else. His parents didn’t understand any more than his friends did. And he couldn’t explain it, because Dani’s secrets weren’t his to share.
“We’re not really strangers, Liam. You belong here. You’ve made a home. Good friends. You respect this land and you always have. It suits your nature far more than the fast-paced life you left behind. She isn’t the only reason you’d stay.”
He wasn’t wrong. Liam loved his family, but anytime he thought about going back to the crowded cities and busy freeways, he felt a migraine coming on. As far as the business, he’d read all the status reports from his sister and given his advice when requested. But she didn’t seem to need his presence to get things done. If anything, she was thriving in her role without him.
Dani wasn’t the only reason he stayed, but she was the one that made it feel like home. If they went their separate ways, no view would ever be able to compete with that loss. “She’s the only one that matters.”
“That is a good and honest answer.”
Liam threw Stax a steely look. Why was he telling him this? “You’re not a reporter, are you?”
“Definitely not.”
“Then why are you asking people about me?”
“You believe in Kaya’s gut feelings, don’t you?”
“I do.” And if her spot-on instincts and the way she’d befriended Dani hadn’t won him over, the fact that she always threw Jace off his game definitely would have. “Are you saying you’re like her? That you wandered into my house last night and got a vibe about my money and my personal relationships?”
Stax pursed his lips, his serene mask slipping to reveal true irritation. “You and your little group have serious trust issues, are you aware of that? Ask Nicholas about me if you need a reference before taking my advice. My personality might rub the wrong way, but I never cause undeserved harm and rarely stick my nose in where I’m not needed.”
He hadn’t meant to insult him. “I’m not the best host at the moment. Forgive me.”
“Accepted.” The apology instantly returned the smile to his face. “Your mood is understandable. You keep running into the same wall, and each time it gets taller, thicker and harder to get over. I’ve been considering your situation, thinking of a way you could change the landscape enough to wake up your oblivious sleeping beauty before it’s too late for both of you.”
“Any ideas?” Liam sighed. He really was feeling desperate. “I’m willing to try anything at this point.”
“Throwing away your plans is the first step. That’s what started this mess in the first place, isn’t it? You fell in love so you set a goal, put all the pieces exactly where they should be on the board, and then wait, wondering why you can’t win the game. You didn’t take into account the other player. Or her heart.”
The words jolted Liam. Maybe he was like Kaya. “There you go being a fortune cookie again.”
Stax smirked. “You make me laugh. It’s a gift of yours, putting other people at ease.”
“Not doing me a lot of good at the moment,” Liam murmured wryly.
“Yes, the situation is rather dire. Between the two of you and your long list of rules, phobias and trust issues, you may lose what you have and the possibility of what could be. Neither of you want that.”
Stax leaned forward, watching Liam through his curtain of hair. “Her desire for you isn’t a question, if you were still doubting it. It burns around her like a flame. But no matter how much she wants you, you have to know she’ll fight giving in to it. She doesn’t believe in that fairytale you have waiting at the end of your game yet. And why would she? She’s been lied to before. So much that part of her isn’t sure it really exists.”
Liam had lied to her too. “So your fresh perspective says I’m as screwed as I thought I was? Thanks. That was helpful.”
“Without her inhibitions lowered? Probably. And no, I’m not referring to last night’s drinking episode.” He bared his teeth again in a wicked semblance of a smile. “But I can help with that.”
Any goodwill he’d been feeling instantly disappeared. “She wouldn’t lower anything around you, and how the hell do you know what happened last night? Did you ever actually leave the property?”
Liam yanked his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Nick’s number. He thought it was only fair to warn his friend that he was having Stax arrested.