"If you've got somethin' to say, say it."
Braden turned around and walked to his side of the bar, asking, "Why didn't you want me to know?"
"For all I knew you did." Liv shot back at him, in an irritated tone.
Appearing confused, he questioned, "How?"
"You were there," she replied with a laugh.
He stared at her for a moment before looking down at the bar.
"Don't you think I would have said somethin'?"
"And what would you have said?" she questioned with a smirk, thinking 'this should be good'.
Wrinkling his brow in thought, it appeared he didn't have an answer.
Liv could have let it go seeing as she made her point but instead, she hopped out of the chair and stepped to her side of the bar.
"Who would you have said somethin' to? Me or Kieran?" she asked, taunting, "Four years later when Kieran introduced us at Pat's party? Would you have pulled me to the side? Or would you have caught up with him later?"
"I don't know."
Scoffing at his answer, she assured, "It doesn't matter anyway. It was a long time ago and like I said, it's not a thing."
Braden lowered his voice almost to a whisper, reminding, "You were a virgin."
The way he said 'virgin' made her laugh as she realized why he felt bad.
Relieved it was guilt that he was struggling with, Liv shared, "Give that conscience of yours a break. You can't steal something that's willingly given," then winked at him, and headed to her room.
~
Stretched out on Liv's couch, Braden couldn't get himself back into the right frame of mind. There was some guilt in knowing he was her first and how it played out, but all he could think about was the smell of whiskey in a car, and kisses that turned needy along with heavy breath. Frustrated from his thoughts, there was nothing he could do about the growing tension as he lay there.
Trying to get comfortable even though he knew it was going to be impossible at this point, Braden rolled on his side. Staring across the living room, he could faintly see down the hallway to Liv's bedroom door. Focusing on it, he wondered what she was doing in there. Was she laying there thinking about that night too? Maybe she was reading. What if she was, and it was a book like he saw on her kindle. If it was, how wrong would it be if he went in there and offered her a helping hand? That's what friends do right, they help each other?
Braden sat up. Continuing to stare down the hallway, he thought about how close he was to Liv. Every Thursday he spent the night on her couch. After drinking and playing games at her table, pretending her body was the furthest thing from his mind. As he stood up, he thought about a girl he didn't know and how she eased his pain. He took one step forward. One step before thoughts of the woman he knew and how broken she was when he held her, caused him to sit back down.
M 10 H
The little bell over the door rang as Liv entered Legacy Ink. She wasn't two steps in when her cell phone buzzed in her hand.
B: I think you forgot something.
Drawing in a deep breath, she ignored the text and continued into the shop.
"Rough morning?" Jimmy laughed from behind the counter as Liv gave him the finger and continued to the back.
Throwing her purse on the chair, Liv noticed Penny was right behind her.
Pursing her lips up into a smile, Penny asked, "So...today is pajama day?"
"Sexy, right?" she sarcastically replied, pulling a black elastic band from around her wrist.
"Are you alright?"
Nodding, Liv replied, "Without a doubt, beautiful."
Penny scowled a bit then gave a weak smile as she walked out of the room.
Pulling her hair up into a ponytail before looping it around to make a loose bun, Liv continued to ignore the buzzing of her phone. She dug through the desk drawers until she found a black and white patterned handkerchief. Folding it, she made herself a wide headband that covered the top of her barely brushed hair. As she stepped over to the mirror she grabbed her lipstick out of her purse, thankful she at least had the
Braden turned around and walked to his side of the bar, asking, "Why didn't you want me to know?"
"For all I knew you did." Liv shot back at him, in an irritated tone.
Appearing confused, he questioned, "How?"
"You were there," she replied with a laugh.
He stared at her for a moment before looking down at the bar.
"Don't you think I would have said somethin'?"
"And what would you have said?" she questioned with a smirk, thinking 'this should be good'.
Wrinkling his brow in thought, it appeared he didn't have an answer.
Liv could have let it go seeing as she made her point but instead, she hopped out of the chair and stepped to her side of the bar.
"Who would you have said somethin' to? Me or Kieran?" she asked, taunting, "Four years later when Kieran introduced us at Pat's party? Would you have pulled me to the side? Or would you have caught up with him later?"
"I don't know."
Scoffing at his answer, she assured, "It doesn't matter anyway. It was a long time ago and like I said, it's not a thing."
Braden lowered his voice almost to a whisper, reminding, "You were a virgin."
The way he said 'virgin' made her laugh as she realized why he felt bad.
Relieved it was guilt that he was struggling with, Liv shared, "Give that conscience of yours a break. You can't steal something that's willingly given," then winked at him, and headed to her room.
~
Stretched out on Liv's couch, Braden couldn't get himself back into the right frame of mind. There was some guilt in knowing he was her first and how it played out, but all he could think about was the smell of whiskey in a car, and kisses that turned needy along with heavy breath. Frustrated from his thoughts, there was nothing he could do about the growing tension as he lay there.
Trying to get comfortable even though he knew it was going to be impossible at this point, Braden rolled on his side. Staring across the living room, he could faintly see down the hallway to Liv's bedroom door. Focusing on it, he wondered what she was doing in there. Was she laying there thinking about that night too? Maybe she was reading. What if she was, and it was a book like he saw on her kindle. If it was, how wrong would it be if he went in there and offered her a helping hand? That's what friends do right, they help each other?
Braden sat up. Continuing to stare down the hallway, he thought about how close he was to Liv. Every Thursday he spent the night on her couch. After drinking and playing games at her table, pretending her body was the furthest thing from his mind. As he stood up, he thought about a girl he didn't know and how she eased his pain. He took one step forward. One step before thoughts of the woman he knew and how broken she was when he held her, caused him to sit back down.
M 10 H
The little bell over the door rang as Liv entered Legacy Ink. She wasn't two steps in when her cell phone buzzed in her hand.
B: I think you forgot something.
Drawing in a deep breath, she ignored the text and continued into the shop.
"Rough morning?" Jimmy laughed from behind the counter as Liv gave him the finger and continued to the back.
Throwing her purse on the chair, Liv noticed Penny was right behind her.
Pursing her lips up into a smile, Penny asked, "So...today is pajama day?"
"Sexy, right?" she sarcastically replied, pulling a black elastic band from around her wrist.
"Are you alright?"
Nodding, Liv replied, "Without a doubt, beautiful."
Penny scowled a bit then gave a weak smile as she walked out of the room.
Pulling her hair up into a ponytail before looping it around to make a loose bun, Liv continued to ignore the buzzing of her phone. She dug through the desk drawers until she found a black and white patterned handkerchief. Folding it, she made herself a wide headband that covered the top of her barely brushed hair. As she stepped over to the mirror she grabbed her lipstick out of her purse, thankful she at least had the
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