Page 52

Maya fetched out a couple of mugs. “I suppose plan B could have been to put a toilet on his other foot. Create some symmetry.”

Liv laughed as she clearly imagined the boy waddling along the street with a lavatory attached to each leg.

They took their drinks to the table, where Liv shot Maya a look. “Spill it.”

Maya paused. “What, the tea?”

“Yeah. Well, no. Not literally. Spill what’s on your mind.”

Maya blew her fringe out of her eyes. “I called Hana.”

Liv paused, mug en route to her mouth. “And?”

Shrugging, Maya lifted her cup. “And nothing. She fobbed me off, didn’t even mention the message. Said she was stressed.”

Liv frowned. “That’s a shame. She’s dragging it out.”

“I know.” Maya sipped her tea. “I don’t like having proper conversations. I don’t want to do it anymore.” Every time she decided that confronting people was the answer, this sort of thing happened. Like when she’d gone back to the Tavern that night and witnessed the soul-raking sight of the guy she had been in love with kissing her close friend. Avoiding conflict was a much happier option.

“Maybe give her a bit more time, then contact her again.”

“I’ll see.”

Maya eyed Liv. She’d been thinking a lot about Sam, especially since that rigmarole the previous evening whereby he’d created an excuse to get dropped off out of Cat’s sight. He clearly didn’t want Cat seeing her, which was weird. Cat knew Maya was giving him a lift, and in any case, why would she mind? Sure, there was no love lost between the two of them, but it wasn’t relevant. Plus it was strange that he was keeping secrets from his girlfriend about his other job. It’s not like he was a spy or a hit man.

Maya cleared her throat. “Sam and I stopped by Arran’s on the way home last night.”

Liv’s eyes lit up as bright as the neighborhood houses all decked out for the holiday. “You did?”

Maya smiled, taking in that reaction. “Yeah. His studio’s fantastic.”

Her eyes were infused with a definite sparkle. “I know, right? I love his stuff, he’s so talented.”

Maya sipped her tea, feigning nonchalance. “He’s handsome, isn’t he?”

Liv smiled. “Yeah.”

Maya gave her a nudge. “You’ve still got a thing for him.”

Liv pushed her glasses up her nose. “Maybe I still like him. But he was always with Jess, and now they’ve split but it’s left him kind of broken and he doesn’t seem interested.” She paused. “I’m not sure if he’s uninterested in relationships in general, or just uninterested in me.”

Maya shook her head. “It can’t be that he’s not interested in you. You’re hot AF.”

Liv smiled, and sipped her tea, avoiding Maya’s gaze. “How’s that brother of mine doing?”

“Funny you should ask,” Maya said, setting down her cup and eliciting raised eyebrows from Liv. Maya was aware that whenever Liv mentioned Sam, she normally wouldn’t engage. But things were changing. “What’s the deal with him and Cat? I’ve worked out that he doesn’t want me picking him or dropping him off from home because he doesn’t want her to see. And their relationship seems odd . . .” Pausing, she thought for a moment. She didn’t want to break Sam’s confidence about the butler job. “Like he keeps things from her. Because he’s afraid of her reaction.”

Liv paused, her eyes widening. Then she clattered her cup onto the table and leaned in. “I’m so glad you said that. Yes. That’s them all over. The whole relationship is up and down like a journey over the Rockies, and Cat’s the driver.”

Maya took a breath, absorbing the fast rate of Liv’s speech. Liv was clearly relieved to be speaking about this, and with a guilty jolt, Maya realized that Liv must have been trying to get this off her chest on numerous occasions in the past. But Maya would merely make a couple of half-hearted interested noises and then change the subject—all because of her stupid pride and anger that Sam had abandoned her in favor of Cat. What a shitty friend I’ve been. “Go on.”

“She manipulates him into doing what she wants and gaslights him if he notices anything,” Liv continued, gripping her mug. “She’s really selfish and self-absorbed, but it’s as if he’s blind to it. I think she’s a narcissist.”

Maya raised her eyebrows, her pulse picking up. “Have you said anything?”

Liv shook her head. “Not in years. I learned my lesson back when I sat him down and tried to tell him how it was from the outside looking in, but he wouldn’t have it. He didn’t speak to me for a week. Then I realized I had to keep quiet or it might come between us, and then there’d be no voice of reason at all in his ear.” Liv’s eyes were shining, and Maya felt worse than ever that she hadn’t let her talk about it before.

Reaching over, she squeezed Liv’s hand. “What did you say?”