#would y'all be happy if i just dumped the ending in text and never drew the comic again ??

[genericpuff]

Wait and see? Who do think you are? Neil Gaiman?

LMAO ??? This just in, apparently you have to be Neil Gaiman to not want to spoil your ongoing longform works with your audience, wtf 😆

[let-me-write-shit]

Somebody To You: 4

I post a new chapter every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!

Warning: implied smut

Word Count: 4,806

Click Here For Previous Chapter & Other Completed Stories

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CHAPTER FOUR

“If you two don’t stop eye fucking I’m gonna have to call HR,” Andy whispered with a smile in Zoey’s ear, hip checking her as he passed.

Zoey forced her eyes off of Brett from the other side of the bar and felt around her chin to make sure she hadn’t drooled. Two weeks had passed since they had slept together and the sexual tension between them only seemed to grow. Flirting only barely seemed to get her by and Andy consistently pointed out that she was staring again.

“Why don’t you just fuck in the storage room and be done with it? Y'all are making me horny just looking at you two,” Andy dumped ice into a shaker and started mixing a drink for a patron.

Zoey finished weighing out the last of the liquor for inventory and looked at him incredulously, “Why would you put that in my head? Do you think anyone would notice?”

Andy stopped what he was doing and stared at her in disbelief before rolling his eyes dramatically and finished the cocktail. She had gotten her set schedule after the first week, having the same schedule as Andy and work overlapping typically by the second half of Brett’s shift, except Mondays. Mondays were her only early shift day with Brett, ending at 9 PM, and were usually slow, so the night seemed to drag. Luckily, with her new schedule she’d be off Tuesdays and Wednesdays and she works late shift the rest of the week which means more patrons and more tips. And since she worked at a high end bar, most people tended to tip really well. A little cleavage helped, too.

The only downside to working nights was that no one was really home during the day. The only time the girls had was around dinner to catch up and chat, and they had weekends during the day time if no one made plans. But, Aurora’s been really busy with photo and video shoots, interviews, and meetings, and even though Nancy didn’t work a typical nine to five office job, she was still really busy piecing her work together in her room or out of the apartment for a meeting or to prepare fo some kind of deadline with her manager. 

Luckily, her hours matched up with Harry’s schedule pretty well, even though he was on the other side of the country. At night, he obviously had a show to perform, usually while Zoey was at work, but the rest of his day typically consisted of either traveling, small meetings with his tour team, rehearsing, or all three. Still, he always found time to respond to her texts.

Their friendship was strange because they’ve only known each other for two weeks (three if you count the one day they spoke when she first moved in), but it feels like it’s been much longer. She often had to remind herself that he doesn’t know her family and never met Michael, Katie, or Jess whenever they talk about her home life, which was often.

At least once a day, without fail, Harry would ask her to tell him more about Jess, or a memory that she was fond of growing up. The questions always came at the perfect time and he seemed genuinely interested to hear what she had to say, engaging in the conversation. It helped Zoey to talk about Jess - it made her feel as though her best friend’s memory wasn’t fading. That someone cared enough to learn and talk about her in a positive way.

A brief phone call with her family made her realize this when her mom started crying that she missed Zoey and compared her daughter moving across the country to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis losing their daughter in a car accident; that she doesn’t get to see her anymore. Zoey knew she didn’t mean for it to be so insensitive, but her mom got an earful after that. 

During a text conversation with her little sister, Katie, Zoey was filling her in on her outings with her new friends and a simple ‘you deserve to have nice friends again. Jess would have wanted it. I’m happy for you.’ made her bawl, though she’d never tell Katie that. Instead, she ran to Harry to talk about it.

She noticed during one of their chats the week prior that Harry was the only person she’d talk to about Jess without crying. And to prove her point, she had a quick catch up with Michael, and just the memory of the three of them together made her get emotional. It could have been because Harry didn’t know her personally, or because he’s been through similar situations, but she was grateful for the opportunity to involve Jess in a conversation without sobbing by the end of it. 

Herself and Harry had started doing this thing where every time they were being hard on themselves or feeling particularly down, they’d send each other a GIF, video link, or text of a random quote from ‘The Princess Bride’, which always seemed to keep them in check.

Brett started making his way over to her and she hastily got back to work, having some banter with a few of her regulars and grabbing them another glass of beer when she felt a firm hand on her lower back. She drew her attention upwards to Brett who grinned at the men and charmingly joked, “Hello, men. Zoey treating you alright?”

“As always,” they nodded, holding up their newly filled glasses, “She’s our favorite server here.”

“They’re only saying that because I give them beer and let them talk shit,” Zoey smiled at them, shooting them a friendly wink.

“See what I mean? Can’t ask for much else,” one of the men laughed.

Andy overheard the conversation and in passing added a, “she’s just an angel, isn’t she?”

But the men must not have picked up on the sarcasm because they responded, “Yes, she is! Makes no sense why you’re single.”

“Relationships?” Zoey fed into them, “No way. I just got out of a four year relationship. I don’t need to be trapped again so soon.”

It’s not that she didn’t enjoy her relationship with Michael. She did, and he was a lovely guy. It was just her way of communicating with her patrons; by mirroring and matching. It’s how she was able to bond and build relationships so quickly, especially with her regulars. These two in particular loved to talk shit on their wives, so Zoey found ways to add to the conversation without antagonizing the subject. And her favorite trick when having these conversations was to turn their mindset around before they left. Little things to make them ease up on their spouse. Something along the lines of ‘That’s a nice shirt. Did your wife get it for you? She’s got great taste, you look amazing in that!’ or ‘Your wife made you spaghetti for dinner? Lucky guy, I don’t know many women who know how to cook anymore’. Usually little white lies like that made them feel better about their wives without her actually having to say ‘shut the hell up and be nice to your wife, you old dingbat’ and she usually got better tips by the time they left.

The men raised their glasses in agreement to her statement and Brett turned his head to the side, wordlessly asking if he could borrow her for a moment. They stepped towards the back of the bar, doing a quick once over to make sure Andy didn’t need more assistance before he leant against the edge of the counter cooly and asked, “Are we still on for tonight?”

“Yeah. Your shift ends at 9 PM, too, right?” she asked, earning a nod. She continued, “Okay, everyone else will probably take a little longer to get there. Jake and Melissa are gonna be picking up some food, and Andy left a few things at his apartment he needed to grab. So you can always head over with me after work, or meet me there later.”

Nancy had flown back home over the weekend to celebrate her friend’s wedding and spend time with family, and Aurora had gone to Virginia for a shoot where Harry was coincidentally doing a show in the town over which allowed her an opportunity to see him in concert and spend some time with him before he left for the next city in the morning, so Zoey used the empty condo as an opportunity to invite some new friends over for a game night, with her roommates knowledge, of course. All of her friends worked with her on rotating days, so they were used to the hours.

“I’ll just go with you. It’ll be easier that way,” he said casually before his lips twitched upwards, “You know, if you wanted alone time with me, all you had to do was ask.”

“Shut up,” Zoey giggled, playfully hitting his chest.

The rest of their shift steadily got more quiet, slowing out to only six patrons in the bar by the time their shift was over. Andy, Brett, and Zoey clocked out and headed towards the employee parking lot around back. 

“I’ll call you when I’m five minutes away. You better not miss my call to let me in ‘cuz y’all are busy humpin’ on the kitchen counter,” Andy shook a key at them with an eyebrow raised, causing the two to laugh.

“I don’t screw where the food goes,” Brett responded, “but the couch is a different story.”

“Nasty,” Andy scrunched his nose at them before getting in his car and starting it up.

Zoey led Brett to her car, slipping into the driver's seat as he rounded to the passenger side. A few stray hairs had fallen from her messy ponytail and she smoothed them back, turning the AC on low fan. Evenings in May seemed to be fairly cool in LA so far. The stereo bluetooth automatically connected to Zoey’s phone and began playing ‘Are You Bored Yet’ by Wallows, which startled her, quickly turning down the volume. Being in such a confined space with Brett made her nervous. He had a distinct smell of beer and coconuts, which seemed like an odd mix, but somehow it worked. She could really stand a few shots right now to ease the tension. Too bad she was driving.

“So what’s the deal with your roommates? They out?” Brett asked as they pulled onto the freeway.

“Yeah, Nancy’s with her family and Rory is in Virginia for work. She might actually be with Harry right now, though,” she noticed the time, doing quick math and realizing it was Midnight on the east coast and Harry was probably done with his show by now, remembering he said he had some kind of after party planned with a few of his band mates and tour members, which she thought was weird for a Monday night.

“Wild that you’re all friends with him. But it seems like everyone knows everyone in LA, so I shouldn’t be surprised. So what’s his deal? Are they dating?”

When he put it that way, she did find it a little crazy. She never put too much thought into the fact that she knew Harry Styles, let alone was on a friendly communicating basis with him. She supposed it was just because of the timing when they met, she wasn’t in the right headspace, so by the time they started getting close, the shock and exposure to him had already sunk in and didn’t seem new.

“Uh...kinda? I don’t know, it’s complicated,” Zoey responded. 

And it was true. She honestly had no clue what was going on between Harry and Rory. Honestly, she didn’t even think they knew what was going on with each other. She couldn’t blame them, though. They were both super busy at the moment and their hangout today would only make it a total of five times they’ve seen each other in person. She wasn’t even sure if they had an actual date yet or not.

Brett nodded and a moment of silence filled the car. She felt him staring at her and he shifted his body towards her letting his elbow rest on the center console, his muscular arms so big that they lightly brushed against hers. She did a triple take, the pull of his gaze too strong to ignore, “What?” she asked, putting a hand on her cheek to conceal her blushing.

“You should go on a date with me.”

“What?” she sputtered. He was so straightforward and his confidence in his statement took her off guard. Brett was about to repeat himself when it clicked and she said, “I can’t go on a date with you.”

“Why not? Was I that bad in bed?”

“Well, now that you mention it…” she joked. Brett gasped in mock disappointment and she continued, shaking her head, “We work together. I don’t want things to get sticky at work. Besides, I was serious with what I said tonight. I just got out of a four year relationship. I’m not ready to jump into another one right now. Especially not the first guy I sleep with.”

“It’s a date, Zoey. Not a marriage proposal. We can keep it casual if you want. I just like spending time with you, that’s all. Please? Just one date.”

Zoey paused in contemplation. The idea of keeping things casual with Brett did sound appealing. It reminded her of Nancy and Cade’s situation, almost like a friend’s with benefits. No strings attached. She wasn’t opposed to it. If only Jess were here right now to see a sexy Australian man begging to go on a date with her. Twenty five years in Pennsylvania and she barely turned heads, but a week in LA and she’s getting hit on daily by successful, attractive men and her sexy foreign coworker? The move and personality upgrade was really working out for her and she was kicking herself for not listening to Jess sooner.

“I don’t know...”

“If it’ll make you feel more comfortable we can do a double date with someone. Andy and whoever. Or even Rory and Harry. Whoever you want.”

Zoey pursed her lips in contemplation, “Okay, I’ll think about it.” He smiled widely and Zoey quickly added, “Don’t get your hopes up. I haven’t said yes yet.”

“Good enough for me,” Brett said, a smirk spreading across his face, “So what are the odds of me getting you back in that bed tonight?”

“Slim to none,” she snorted.

“...So you’re saying there’s a chance?”

Once at her condo, Brett took a seat at one end of the sectional while Zoey quickly straightened up and drug out a few games from Nancy’s stash, with her blessing. It didn’t take long for Jake and Melissa to show up with a few two liters of soda, three boxes of pizza, and some wings for everyone to enjoy, and as soon as Andy arrived, twenty minutes later, they all dug in while catching up and joking about different work related instances.

They were in the middle of trying to decide if they wanted to play ‘5 Second Rule’ or ‘Incoherent’ when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She struggled to pull it out of her tight black pants and saw a text from Harry. Opening it, she saw a GIF of Princess Bride with the quote that read ‘Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something’.

Zoey snorted, typing back, ‘Okay, melodramatic. What happened? Didn’t get a big enough crowd at the concert tonight?’

She placed her phone face down on her thigh and laughed at Andy who was mocking Brett’s accent because he didn’t want to play ‘5 Second Rule’, which Brett was fighting hard for, listing all the pros and cons to the game. Her phone buzzed again, once, twice, and on the third buzz she got confused, thinking he was sending her rapid texts at first, only to turn the phone over and see that Harry was calling her. She hadn’t expected a call from him, and they never spoke over the phone with each other before like he did with Nancy and Rory. Her friends realized she had gotten a phone call and turned to look at her as she stood up.

“One sec,” she called, heading down the hall.

“Hurry! I need you to back me up so we don’t have to start out with this stressful, dumbass game!” Andy called after her.

She heard Brett quickly retort, “You just don’t like it cuz you can’t think quickly!” and a cracking noise that sounded almost like a slap before slipping into her bedroom and closing the door behind her.

Warily, she answered the phone and whispered, “Hello?”

Harry’s deep, exhausted voice sounded through her phone, dramatically quoting another line from Princess Bride, saying, “Fezzik! Listen! Do you hear? That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when Rugen slaughtered my father.”

She laughed, pacing the length of her room, her brief feeling of shock being replaced with curiosity. “What could possibly have gone wrong at…” she checked the clock and quickly converted the time difference on the east coast, “Almost 2 AM? Where’s Rory?”

Harry groaned, “We got into a fight.”

“Well...did you do something stupid?”

“I didn’t think it was a big deal at first, but it turned into one apparently.”

The more he spoke and the more she heard his voice, the more it started to hit her who she was talking to. She wasn’t a huge follower of his, but she was a fan enough to have heard him speak in videos and interviews that to be able to have these kinds of conversations with him and it be normal knowing that they were friends was hard to wrap her head around. Even so, hearing his voice over her phone wasn’t as startling as she thought it should be. In fact, it felt more calming than anything else.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Well, after the show, Rory came backstage and I was introducing her to some people and said, ‘This is my friend, Rory’....”

“....Okay?” Zoey urged, waiting for him to continue. But he didn’t.

“See?! It wasn’t a big deal! But she got upset that I called her my friend and was being sort of quiet and when I asked if she was okay she just kind of went off asking me how I could introduce her as a friend after we just had sex and after I flew out to see her twice, and accused me of leading her on and all this stuff.”

Zoey listened, continuing to pace the room as Harry ranted. When he finished, she cleared her throat and spoke carefully, “Well...Harry, she’s not entirely wrong.”

“You think I was leading her on?!” Harry sounded more hurt than offended. “I just introduced her as my friend and she got mad. I wasn’t lying. She’s not my girlfriend. What else was I supposed to say?”

“Exactly. She’s not your girlfriend. And who’s fault is that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, you know she likes you. And you obviously like her, too. I mean why else would you fly across the country to spend one day with a person…”

“I do it all the time,” he defended himself.

“Okay, Mr. Perfect. The point is, you two already act like a couple. You talk almost every day. You’re not seeing anyone else but each other - at least, as far as I’m aware. Don’t you think it’s possible that she’s been waiting for you to ask her out and make it official, and by you introducing her as a ‘friend’, you could have just invalidated her entire impression of your relationship and where it was headed?”

Harry sighed, and after a moment to process he breathed, “I didn’t mean to invalidate her feelings. And it’s not like I don’t want to date Rory. We talk all the time, yeah, but I still don’t know her that well and I didn’t ask her to not see anyone else. We haven’t even been on a date yet. Plus, I just don’t want to start a relationship in the middle of tour when I have two months left. I’ve been doing this enough to know that travel can really hurt a relationship. Most people can’t deal with the distance and time restraints. Maybe if she’s still interested by the time the tour is over, then we can maybe talk about making things official. I’m just not ready yet.”

“Trust me, I get it. But did you tell her that?”

“No.”

“Well you need to tell her something so she doesn’t feel like she’s wasting her time. Don’t just leave her hanging like that.”

“I can’t ask her to wait for me. That’s not right. I want her to do it because she wants to, not because I’m dangling the promise of a possibility over her head.”

Zoey pursed her lips, understanding what he was saying while rummaging through her dresser for pajamas to change into, “Just tell her that you’re sorry and you understand where she’s coming from, but that you don’t want to rush things, especially while you’re in the middle of touring, and if she’s okay with it, the two of you can just take things one day at a time and you just want to get to know her more for now. Just be honest with her, Harry. Give her the benefit of the doubt. She’s a very understanding person.”

“Yeah, you’re right. That sounds good,” Harry responded, the words clicking in his head.

A knock on the door startled her and Andy’s muffled voice echoed through the crack, “I got them to agree on ‘Incoherent’ first, so hurry the hell up!”

“Be right there!” Zoey called back.

A gasp was heard from her phone as Harry muttered, “Shit! I forgot you were doing game night tonight. I’m so sorry for interrupting.”

“It’s fine. It only just started. There’s not many of us.”

“Is Theo there?” Harry quipped, the nickname Harry gave Brett made her laugh. Ever since he mentioned that Brett looked like Theo James from Divergent, she wasn’t able to unsee it.

“Yeah, he’s here,” she giggled, quickly changing out of her work clothes and into some sweats, fixing her ponytail.

“What’s going on with you two anyway?” Harry asked, “Are you dating, or just flirting still?”

“Funny you should mention that. He asked me on a date earlier.”

“Really? You gonna go?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t want anything serious right now, but he says we can keep it casual.”

“So...friends with benefits?” Harry pressed.

“That’s why I’m not sure. I don’t know how I feel about it, especially with someone I work with. But it’s only one date. I guess I could see how it goes. He did say that we could go on a double date if I’d feel more comfortable and suggested you and Rory. But I know your schedule’s gotta be insane with the tour and you’ve already flown back enough times.”

“I wouldn’t mind. I’m actually off for three days next week. I had plans Tuesday morning, but I could probably fly out right afterwards and head back Thursday. So maybe Wednesday night we could all go out?”

“Really? You don’t have to if it’ll be too much for you.”

“No, I want to. I told you, I do it all the time. My team will hate me, but oh well. It’ll be fun. I should probably go fix things with Rory first, though.”

Zoey laughed, “Good idea. Good luck.”

They each said goodbye and Zoey threw her phone on the charger before making her way back out to the living room. She took her spot back next to Andy and she smiled, excited to start the game with her friends. She felt proud of herself as she took in the scene, seeing her small group of friends laughing and joking together. She felt like she was finally starting to build the life she always wanted for herself. She never had this many people who she genuinely cared for and that cared for her in return. Sure, she had Jess and Michael, but that was really it. Zoey was finally creating a little family away from her family and it felt good.

After a few more games, everyone was beginning to get tired so the group decided to settle down with a movie. Zoey had dozed off, her head resting on Andy’s lap with her body curled into a ball. When she stirred awake it was nearly 3 AM and she noticed everyone else had passed out. Brett was in the corner and Jake and Melissa were cuddling on the other end. Her mouth was dry and tasted of cotton. Carefully, trying not to wake Andy, she slipped off of the couch and tiptoed towards the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

The blue light on the fridge dispenser illuminated as a steady stream of water poured into her glass. It looked so clear and refreshing that her mouth started salivating at the thought of it when she heard a shuffle behind her. She jumped, turning to see Brett padding his way in, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Jesus!” she clutched her chest again. How was she so easily scared?

He ignored her shock. “Can I have one?”

Zoey passed him the glass she had just poured and grabbed another glass for herself, filling it up with water. Brett gulped it down and let out a breath of air when he finished it before she had even raised her cup to her lips. She raised an eyebrow, sipping at the water.

“Tonight was fun, huh?” he asked in a low voice, leaning against the counter.

Zoey nodded, putting her half drunk glass of water down, “Yeah, thanks for coming.”

“We should do game nights more often. Nancy and Rory can join next time, too.”

“They’d love that,” Zoey agreed, taking another sip of water.

After a moment of silence, Brett spoke up again, “So...have time to think about that date yet?”

The water went down the wrong pipe and she struggled trying not to make a scene of choking, holding it in. But her eyes water as she spoke, “Yeah, uhm,” she caved and cleared her throat, continuing, “Yeah, I actually talked to Harry. He’s the one that called earlier, and he said he was down to do a double date next Wednesday, if that’s okay.”

It was hard to look at Brett when he smirked like that. He must have pulled so many girls by that look. Actually, she KNEW he pulled so many girls by that look from the amount of numbers he got at the bar. And honestly, she didn’t mind. It’s not like she saw a future with him. But he was hot and she trusted Brett enough to have a little fun with him.

Jess’ words kept replaying in her mind, again. ‘It’s fun not having strings attached’ and ‘Have fun, but be safe.’ Zoey thought about those exact words every day since she last had sex with Brett and how right her friend was. It’s not that she needed to have sex, but the liberation she felt by just being able to have sex with who she wanted and when she wanted was something so incredibly exhilarating and indescribable. She knew that a commitment was never a requirement to have sex, and she was reminded of this often by Jess, but it took her best friend dying and her moving across the country to really understand that. And to see Nancy, her kind, fun, carefree roommate, doing what she wanted to do and not worrying about what others might think really broadened her outlook on sex and intimacy.

Brett’s mouth was moving, and she knew he was talking, but Zoey couldn’t hear a damn thing. All she could pay attention to was his dark, mysterious eyes and his juicy, plump lips and how badly she wanted to taste them. Fuck it, she thought, grabbing him by the shirt and standing on her tiptoes to smash her lips onto his. He flinched, shocked by her abruptness, but quickly pulled her closer to his solid chest. When she finally pushed away from him, her heart pounded and her lips were already damp from his. Zoey could feel her body tingling from her knees up to her eyes as she craved someone, anyone’s touch. Brett could be enough for now.  

“Let’s go,” she urged, looking up at him through her eyelashes. 

Still stunned and unable to find the words to say, Brett nodded, mouth still agap, as she led him towards her bedroom.

KEEP READING

Let Me Know What You Think

[nazariolahela]

Something Domestic: Chapter 16

A/N: Hey y'all! This story is told in first-person narrative, from Riley’s (MC) POV. There will likely be smidges of canon in this, but not too much. Thanks for reading, and please leave feedback, and/or if you would like to be tagged.

I’m sorry this is so late. January has been crazy busy for me at work. Just wanted to let y’all know that next week is the final chapter in Riley and Liam’s story. I promise I will have that one out on time. 😉 

Catch up here

Series Tags: @burnsoslow @aworldoffandoms @dcbbw @ladyangel70 @texaskitten30 @sunandlemons @jlynn12273 @indiacater @jared2612 @rainbowsinthestorm @drakesensworld @badchoicesposts @msjr0119 @katurrade @blackcoffee85 @cynicalworlds-blog @hopefulmoonobject @cmestrella @sugarandspice-milkandhoney @superharrietsuper @custaroonie @lady-calypso @ritachacha @olympianpantsuit @desiree-0816 @the-soot-sprite @kate-mckenzie @narrytheworld @octobereighth @lynne1993 @queen-anastasia-universe @loveellamae @sarzkh31​ @iaminlovewithtrr

Synopsis: When Riley Brooks takes a new job as a nanny for the affluent Rhys family in New York’s Upper East Side, she assumes she’s just going to care for the children of the couple who hired her. But instead of just school pick-ups and afternoon snacks, she also finds herself spending time with Liam, the handsome divorced dad. Can Riley control her feelings for Liam while still performing the job she was hired for?

All characters are the property of Pixelberry Studios. Thanks for allowing me to borrow them.

Chapter Summary: Riley makes a tough decision, and Liam finally confronts Madeleine.

“Miss Riley? Can we go see Dora and Diego again?” Andrew asks, tugging on my sleeve. We’re walking down Broadway on our way to lunch. After that, we’ll make our way to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Today is an in-service day, so he has the day off from school. It’s kind of nice to be able to go out in public again with the kids I watch. I haven’t encountered a single paparazzo in over a month. I smile as I adjust his stocking cap and wipe the snot running from his red nose. I then pull the collar of my winter coat up and we continue our walk.

“We will. But we need to eat first. Okay, bud?”

“Can I have chicken nuggets? Dad says I can’t have them, but Grandma always sneaks me some when she comes over.”

I giggle. Andrew is such a fun kid. He’s the sweetest nine-year-old I have ever met. And always so polite. I’ve been his nanny for almost a month now. Every morning, he greets me at the door of their townhouse with a picture he drew the night before. And every evening before I leave, he invites me to stay for dinner and offers to share his food with me. His dads hired me after Madeleine kicked me to the curb. Thankfully the agency didn’t terminate my employment. During my first interview with Adam and Derek, I asked them if my tabloid issue would be a problem. They looked at each other and smirked. Then Adam reminded me that neither of them were interested in me that way, so I have nothing to worry about. 

Truthfully, they’re the nicest couple I’ve worked for. They go out of their way to make sure I have everything I need to take care of their son. They’ve even invited me to move in with them to be a live-in nanny. Both Adam and Derek travel a lot for work, so I spend a good amount of time with Andrew. Derek’s mom stays with him in the evenings and on weekends when they’re both gone, but she’s getting older and they fear she won’t be around too much longer. They offered me free room and board, and a personal vehicle to use at my leisure, but I can’t seem to commit to giving up my apartment. 

We arrive at Fred’s — one of my favorite spots in Manhattan — and grab a table. It’s my preferred restaurant in New York City that allows dogs. Even though I haven’t had a dog since high school, I love coming here because it reminds me of my parents’ old Lab, Coco. The waiter arrives at our table and I order the Turkey Club for me and the Sesame Chicken Fingers for Andrew. As we eat, Andrew talks about their upcoming trip to Cabo and asks me if I’m going to come with them.

“I don’t know, bud. I’d have to check with your dads.”

“They said that if you moved in with us, you could,” he replies and shoves a chicken strip in his mouth. I guess that’s one of the perks of being a live-in nanny. You’re basically a member of the family.

After lunch, we head over to CMOM. Andrew helps Diego rescue animals and plays the drums at Dora’s house. I laugh as I snap photos of him on my iPhone, sending them in a group text to Derek and Adam. After a few hours of fun, I gather Andrew up and we make our trek back to his townhouse. On the way home, we walk past an ice cream shop. He grabs my hand and begs me to buy him a treat. My mind wanders to when I used to take Philip here and my eyes begin to water. Nope. Not gonna cry.

“Sure. Let’s go, bud,” I reply as we enter the shop.

We arrive home shortly after and I send Andrew upstairs to wash up for dinner. A few minutes later, the door opens and Derek’s mom, Patricia walks in. 

“Hello, dear. How was your day? I assume my grandson was on his best behavior?”

I laugh. “He always is.” She smiles and pats my shoulder before making her way into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. I follow her into the kitchen and pull ingredients out of the fridge for her. 

“So, how are things with the boy toy?” she asks as she cuts up some vegetables. 

“I think I’m going to have to break up with him.”

She stops cutting and stares at me. “What’s going on?”

I chew on my bottom lip. “I’m in love with someone else.”

She points the knife in her hand to a stool, motioning for me to sit. “Spill it.” I tell her everything about Liam and me, the kids, the divorce, and the tabloid scandal. I then tell her about Josh and how nice and how good looking he is, and how bad I feel for wanting to dump him. Her brows form a deep V as she listens to my sob story. Then, she reaches over and places her hand on mine.

“Let me tell you something, dear. Before I married my Elliot, there was someone else. Sure, he was a whole bowl of eye candy and a demon in the sack, but he wasn’t what I needed. We didn’t have that connection.”

I frown. “But, he’s been so good to me these past few weeks. I feel like an asshole.”

“You will for a while, sure. But it’s not fair to give him false hope with another man waiting in the wings. The best thing you can do is be honest with him.”

“But what if he hates me?”

She chuckles. “If he truly cares about you, he’ll want you to be happy.”

I nod, taking in her words, then check my watch. “Shit. I gotta go meet Josh. I’ll see you in the morning, Patricia! Thanks for everything!” She waves as I grab my bag from the living room and rush out the door.

***

Half an hour later, I sit at Starbeans, fiddling with the cardboard sleeve of my coffee cup. I replay the events of last week. After a month of not talking to Hana or Liam, I was able to reconnect with both of them. My heart feels full again. Except now I have to work up the courage to break things off with Josh. To be honest, it’s always been about Liam. Even after no contact for a month, I held out hope he would find out who leaked the story and come crawling back to me.

Speaking of. I can’t believe that bitch Madeleine set me up. I try to figure out why she would do that to me. I’ve never been anything but an exceptional nanny to her kids. Why would she try to ruin my life? Liam said it was because she never wanted the divorce, but wanted to continue fucking other men. Philip and Charlotte are the perfect children and from what I learned from his friends, Liam was a wonderful husband. Some people are never happy, I guess.

I spot Josh strolling into the coffee shop. He’s wearing his signature charcoal gray suit, his phone pressed to his ear, and his black leather messenger bag draped over his shoulder. His brown eyes sparkle as he locates me and makes his way over to my table. In another life, I think I could be happy with Josh. But ever since I met Liam, I haven’t been able to look at another man like that. He ends his call and leans over, pressing a kiss to my cheek. I motion for him to take a seat.

“Let me grab something to drink,” he says, moving toward the counter.

I point to the coffee cup sitting across the table. He smiles and takes a seat, bringing the cup to his lips, and takes a sip. “So, how was work today? Did you and Andrew do anything fun?”

“We did. I took him to Fred’s, then we visited CMOM.”

He smiles. “That’s awesome. Glad you guys had fun. And how are things with Hana? Have you guys been talking?”

Josh is aware of mine and Hana’s falling out. I practically talked his ear off about it on our first date. Instead of running for the hills at the first sign of my crazy, he sat there and listened, offering advice on how to fix our relationship. Another reason why I feel bad about what I’m about to do. It’s only been a few weeks, but he’s a great guy and I really like him. The only problem is my heart doesn’t belong to him. Patricia’s words ring in my mind. It wouldn’t be fair to string him along while pining for another man.

“Things are good. We’re having dinner later this week.”

“I’m glad you two could make up. I know how hard it’s been not having her in your life. What about Liam?”

I pause, “What about him?”

“Your friend Drake said you guys were going through a rough patch as well. He didn’t give up too many details, but he said you guys were close.”

I chewed my bottom lip. “Oh, I...I actually used to work for Liam. I was his kids’ nanny. Until I was let go.”

He cocks an eyebrow and waits for me to continue. “His ex-wife was jealous of our relationship, so she leaked their divorce to the tabloids and blamed me for it.” I then proceed to tell him everything about the last few months. 

Josh nearly spits his coffee. “Wait...you are the homewrecking nanny?” He sputters, wiping his chin. “How did I not put two and two together? You said your old boss fired you because she thought you were sleeping with her husband. And when I saw him at the bar last week, I remembered reading about it in the tabloids.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know why I didn’t recognize you from the story.”

Well, this is awkward. “Yeah...that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Look, Josh. You’re an amazing guy, but Liam and I…”

His face falls. “Wait, are you breaking up with me?”

My stomach turns. I’ve only broken up with one boyfriend. He was the star quarterback of my high school football team, and it was after I caught him feeling up the head cheerleader under the bleachers after homecoming. I lean across the table and take his hands in mine. “I’m so sorry Josh. I never meant to hurt you. The truth is, I’m in love with Liam. I have been. And it’s not fair to you to pretend that I’m not.”

He sighs and drops his head. “You know. I always thought this day would come. You’re obviously way out of my league, but I was hoping my luck would change. Is there anything I could have done differently?”

I shake my head and squeeze his hands. “You are an amazing guy and you’re going to make some woman very happy someday. I just know it.”

He nods and stands from his seat. Leaning in, he presses a chaste kiss to my lips. “See you around, Riley,” he says, then turns and walks out. When he’s gone, I exhale and rub the ache in my chest. Just then, my phone chimes. I look down to see a message from Liam. Weird timing. I look around the room to see if he’s here, then open the text.

Here we go. I gather up my purse and hail a cab to my apartment. I drop off my tote bag and freshen up. Twenty minutes later, I arrive in the lobby of Liam’s penthouse and the memories of my firing come flooding back. A woman I don’t recognize sits at the receptionist's desk. She can’t be older than 18. She looks up from her phone and plasters a huge smile on her face. “Good evening, ma’am. How can I help you?”

“Riley Brooks, here to see Liam Rhys.”

She nods and reaches into the desk drawer, pulling out a familiar black envelope. “Mr. Rhys requested that I give this to you. You can just head on up.”

I swallow and take the envelope. I swear this is déjà vu. I take a deep breath and make my way to the elevator, pressing the keycard to the panel. As the car makes its ascension to the penthouse floor, I can’t stop the tears from falling. Being back here brings back so many memories. When the elevator car reaches the top floor, I quickly wipe my cheeks and step into the foyer. Nothing has changed here. Except for the energy. I move further into the townhouse, taking it all in. I hear shuffling and turn to see Liam coming down the stairs. His blue eyes light up as he sees me, and he rushes down the stairs two at a time. Scooping me up in his arms, he plants a slow, sensual kiss to my lips.

“God, how I’ve missed you,” he says, gripping my hips and pulling me against him. His tongue darts out, slipping between my parted lips. Our kiss grows fervent and his hands slip under the hem of my sweater, his fingertips slowly dragging up my sides. I haven’t felt him in so long, my body almost forgot how good it feels when he touches me. We start pawing at each other’s clothes, not noticing Leo stroll into the penthouse.

“Jesus, you two. Get a room.” We break apart as Leo approaches. He inhales deeply. “Smells like sex in here. You two waste no time, huh?”

I shoot him a death glare and Liam just rolls his eyes. “Well, we’re here, let’s get this show on the road,” he says to his brother.

Leo smirks and reaches into his pocket, retrieving his phone. He begins tapping on the screen. “All in good time, little brother. You have to be patient.”

Liam sighs and grabs my hand, guiding me to the sofa. We both take a seat and watch as Leo finishes his text and slips his phone back in his pocket. He sits on the adjacent sofa, wearing a shit-eating grin. I look at Liam in confusion.

“What’s going on?” I ask. Leo holds up his finger. Moments later, the elevator chimes and the doors slide open. Madeleine strolls in, her nose buried in her phone.

“Let’s make this quick, Leo. I have to pick up the kids befo-” she stops when she looks up and sees Liam and I sitting on the couch. Her eyes narrow when she looks at me. “What is she doing here?”

Liam snorts. “I should be asking you the same thing. This is my house.”

“Your brother brought me here. Said we needed to talk.”

Leo takes this moment to stand up and motion for Madeleine to sit. “Have a seat. You, me, my brother, and his nanny need to have a chat.”

“I don’t have time for this,” she snaps and turns to walk away.

“Madeleine. Sit.” Leo says, his tone flat. She stops in her tracks. After a few moments, she sighs and moves to sit on the chair.

Leo grins. “Well, since we’re all here. Let’s get down to brass tacks. I’ve asked you all here because we have a bit of a conundrum. My charming brother here has been trying to get to the bottom of this tabloid scandal for the last month.”

“Why are we still talking about this shit? The divorce is final,” Madeleine huffs, rolling her eyes.

My blood boils. “Because ‘this shit’ damn near ruined my career. And I want answers!” I shout. Liam places his hand on my back rubbing it in slow, soothing circles. I take a deep breath. “I want to know who did this to me and why.”

She smirks. “What do you want me to do about it? I don’t care about your career. I care about my kids. Whoever leaked it put them in danger.”

Liam sits up, void of emotion. “You mean you?”

His accusation catches her off guard. “Wh-what? What are you talking about?”

He turns to his brother, both of them sharing an amused look. Madeleine’s eyes dart from Leo to Liam, then to me. “What are you guys getting at? You think I did this?”

“We know you did, sweetheart. And we have proof,” Liam says.

“Bullshit.”

Liam looks at Leo and nods his head. Leo pulls out his phone and taps a few buttons before placing it face-up on the coffee table The audio begins playing.

“So, what’s going on with you and my brother?”

“We’re divorced. What do you mean?”

“Are you getting back together?”

*laughter* “No. Not even a little. To be honest, I don’t know why I married him in the first place.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that. What about your new guy?”

“Rashad? Eh...he’s nice. But ohmygods, he’s so boring.”

“Boring? How so?”

“All he ever talks about is his stupid firm. If I have to hear one more time about international contacts and the Portera Group, I’m going to pull my hair out strand by strand.”

*laughter* “Well, what’s going on with the nanny situation? I trust Belinda is working out well.”

“Better than I could have imagined. At least I don’t have to worry about the kids when they’re in her care.”

“C’mon, Maddy. What was wrong with Riley?”

*laughter* “Where do I even start? I should have never hired someone right out of college. All these young girls see is a paycheck. They don’t give a shit about the kids.”

“That’s odd. I never got that from Riley. She seemed to really like the kids.”

“That’s what she wanted you to see. How many times did she put my kids in jeopardy with the fucking paparazzi? And those stupid ass tabloids. My kids don’t need to see lies about their parents in some trash rag. Charlotte told me she looked through one of them and saw a picture of herself. Then she started asking me questions. They’re only six and four, but they’re not stupid. That’s why I had to get rid of her.”

“Get rid of her?”

“Yes. I had Mara leak the divorce story to the tabloids and blame Riley.”

“Wow. Why couldn’t you just have fired her?”

“Liam would never go for that. He’s so pussy whipped. That was always his problem. He only saw her as a piece of ass.”

*laughter* “You know my brother never could resist a pretty face. That’s why he ended up with you.”

“And I ended up with the wrong brother. You know it’s always been you. I just wish you wouldn’t have waited so long to see it.”

“Madeleine. I didn’t want to interfere with what you and my brother had.”

“Leo. Don’t give me that. I was never in love with Liam. I thought you knew that. How many times did I call you when I was married to him? If you would have said the word, I would have left him for you just like that.” *fingers snapping*

“What about the kids?”

*laughter* “That’s what family court is for. Do you actually think the judge would let him take them? I can play the neglected wife quite well. The only reason he agreed to joint is because I manipulated him into playing the ‘perfect marriage’ card. You should have seen the look on Riley’s face. After the tabloid story leaked, all our friends thought he cheated on me with the nanny. The whole thing played out just like I planned it.”

“Wow. You are one diabolical woman, Maddy.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

The audio ends and everyone sits stunned. Except for Leo. He just leans back — a smirk on his face — examining his nails. Liam’s face is beet red and he takes several deep breaths, trying to control his rage. Madeleine’s mouth hangs open in disbelief, all the color drained from her face. I sit back, trying to swallow the baseball-sized lump in my throat. Finally, Leo breaks the silence.

“So, what do you have to say for yourself, Maddy?”

Her face twists up in anger. “You set me up, you asshole.”

I leap from my seat. “You set me up! You hateful bitch!” Liam grabs my arm, trying to pull me back down. Thank gods his grip is strong because I’m two seconds away from leaping over this coffee table and tearing her face off.

“You broke up my family, you skank.”

Liam’s voice booms. “Don't pin this on her. You broke up our family when you slept with another man.”

“You could have made this easier on yourself if you would have just agreed to my deal, Liam. We could have had the perfect family front and you’d still get to keep your whore.”

“Fuck you, Madeleine,” I spit out.

“Okay, okay. As fun as this is to watch. It’s getting a little too heated for my taste,” Leo says, standing up to step between us. “We all know Maddy here is a hateful shrew. But what do you want from her, Liam?”

“Sole custody. Or I take this to the judge.”

“You wouldn’t,” she snaps.

“Watch me.”

She stares him down with a look of absolute hate. Her eyes dart to me, then to Leo. After several long seconds, her head drops back and she rolls her eyes. “Fine. You can have sole.”

Liam nods. “I’ll have my lawyers draw up the new paperwork. Now, get the fuck out of my house.”

She scoffs then gathers up her things and stomps out. Leo turns back to us, a huge smirk on his face. “This was fun. Let’s do it again sometime.” He leans over and claps his brother on the shoulder, then winks at me and heads toward the elevator.

Once we’re alone, Liam turns to me and frames my face in his hands. “I’m so, so sorry, Riley. I had no idea.” I place my hands on his chest and nod, trying not to cry.

“I never realized she hated me that much. All I cared about was being Philip and Charlotte’s nanny. I didn’t take this job because I thought you were hot. I took it because I love kids and I felt this was a good fit. Falling in love with you was just a bonus.”

He grips my chin in his thumb and forefinger, tipping my face up towards his. “You’re in love with me?”

“Of course, I am.”

He smiles and leans down to claim my mouth with his. The kiss is soft at first but quickly grows rough and passionate. He lets out a low moan and I take that as an opportunity to slide my hand beneath the waistband of his pants.

“Fuck, Riley,” he growls.

I grab his hand and walk him up the stairs to his bedroom. Once we’re there, I push up his shirt and plant featherlight kisses across his chest. He grasps my face in his hands, pulling it to his and kissing me hard. The kisses become hotter, teeth tugging lips, and hands roaming every inch of each other’s bodies. We shed our clothes and I climb onto his four-poster bed.

“You know. I saw this bed on my first day here, and I almost jumped on it to test it out. Good thing I didn’t, huh?”

“If I came here and saw a beautiful woman like you in my bed, I’d have thought I’d died and gone to heaven,” he smirks.

I wrap my hands around his neck and pull his body on top of mine, his weight pinning me down on the soft mattress. His stiff cock finds my pussy, nudging at my opening. I grip his length in my hand and stroke it up and down my clit. He trails kissed down my neck, across my collarbone, and to my breasts. He takes one of the pink buds in his mouth and begins to suck. The sensation shoots to my core. He moves to the other one, giving it a gentle nibble. Pretty sure I’m dripping wet right now.

He continues kissing his way down my body, his tongue drawing a line down my naval until he reaches the apex of my thighs. His hot breath sends a shiver through my body. His tongue flicks my clit and I nearly come on his face at that moment. Another stroke of his tongue against my folds elicits a moan from me. Before long, I’m writhing against his face, my orgasm slamming into me. I lay on the bed, struggling to catch my breath as he looks up at me, his face shiny from my arousal. He kisses his way up my body and captures my lips.

“Condom?” I ask. He nods and reaches into the nightstand to retrieve one from the drawer. He tears it open and rolls it over his cock. I lean up and capture his lips in a sweet kiss, then he thrusts into me. I wrap my legs around his hips, pulling him close.

“Riley…” he grunts.

“I’m right here, Liam.” He presses his forehead against mine and grips my ass, his hips pistoning as he drives his cock into my pussy. I feel another orgasm tear through me with blistering heat. I look up at him and see his eyes close as his orgasm follows shortly after. He collapses on top of me, breathing heavily and dotting my neck and face with kisses.

“Wow…Holy shit, Riley.”

Yep, pretty much how I feel right now. Who knew that it could feel this good after a month. I run my hands through his hair, caressing the soft strands. He sucks in a deep breath, then rolls off of me, and pulls me into his chest. He plants a soft kiss on my shoulder.

“Can I tell you something?”

I turn back to look at him. “Sure.”

“Earlier. When you said you were in love with me. Did you mean it?”

I nod.

He smiles and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Good. Because I’m in love with you, too.”