Liam had mentioned offhandedly that he’d moved a few days earlier, and that was when I’d asked him where he lived.

If he hadn’t mentioned the move, I’d have no idea where to find him, because it had never come up before.

Thankful for small favors, I climbed out of the cab and started up the steps.

He hadn’t told me his apartment number, but if I had to, I’d knock on all of the doors.

“Looking for somebody, miss?”

I glanced at the man who’d just opened the door.

“Ah, yes.”

I was in luck. The man had been there when Liam moved in, and he agreed to tell me where to find him.

As I walked down the hallway, I smoothed my hands down the sides of my skirt. I was nervous. Liam had that effect on me.

With my emotions still raging high, it was little wonder that my hand shook slightly as I knocked on the door.

Long, long moments passed – it felt like an eternity – before Liam opened the door. He filled it, standing with his shirt hanging open over an undershirt.

He gave me a look out of dead eyes, and my heart twisted a little.

“Liam…” I took a step toward him, my hand out.

He just stared back at me.

After a silence that lasted too long, he asked stiffly, “What are you doing here?”

I gaped at him. What did he think I was doing here?

But the hard lines of his face didn’t soften as he stared at me. The mask he’d worn those first few days was securely back in place.

I felt even more uncertain now, but I wasn’t about to back away. “I…well, I’m here to see you.” He just continued to stare at me with those flat, lifeless eyes. Okay… “About earlier…”

“Don’t,” Liam said with a shake of his head. He glanced past me down the empty hallway. “You should go. My boss is bound to be calling me soon to let me know I’m fired.”

That was one thing I hadn’t let myself think about too much, but after he delivered the words in such a stark voice, the guilt and misery I felt only multiplied. Still, how was him pushing me out going to help?

“I came to see you.” I hadn’t come down here to have him turn me away.

“So you said.” He leaned against the door frame. “But you should go.”

My hands itched to reach out and grab him, to eliminate the distance between us. No flicker of emotion showed on his impassive face, and I felt anger rise inside me. “You’re just going to push me away?”

Something in his eyes softened, and for a moment, I thought he might relent. But after a few seconds, he gave me another slow shake of his head. Softly, he said, “Just go, Mila.”

Liam stared at me as he closed the door.

For a few seconds, I could do nothing but stand there, confused, shocked…hurt.

I lifted my hand, ready to bang on the door and demand he talk to me.

But the hurt won out, and I turned from the door.

Liam had pushed me away.

* * *

I fought with the hurt and the anger on the cab ride home, staring outside at the cars and buildings we passed without really seeing them.

Because this sort of hurt was unfamiliar to me, I buried and focused on the anger. It was much better to feel anger than hurt anyway.

The therapist in me recognized that this wasn’t a healthy way to deal, but I didn’t really care about dealing with any of this in a healthy way. Besides, it felt good to be angry.

I was angry.

No, angry didn’t touch it.

I was furious with my father.

Ignoring how things are with Liam isn’t going to make it any better, that annoying voice said.

Try as I might, I couldn’t completely block out how sick I felt at the way things had gone with Liam.

He’d lose his job.

The logical part of my brain insisted that it wasn’t a surprise that this had happened.

Well, my dad arriving the way he had couldn’t have been planned. That couldn’t have been planned at all.

But Liam had been decidedly careful not to engage in any sort of physical contact with me outside the privacy of either my home or my office. And this was why.

He’d known this could happen.

I hadn’t ever really considered it, and I should have.

If we’d kept ourselves under control until we’d gotten to my home...

“Or we could have locked the door,” I muttered.

We’d both screwed up.

But Liam would lose his job.

I wanted to go back to his place, try again. But he’d pushed me away.

The jerk.

I sniffed and told myself I wasn’t hurt. He was just upset. It was understandable that he needed some time to himself, to think, to deal. Right? Being upset was normal.

Hell, I was upset.

I hadn’t gone and pushed him away though.

My mind swung between hurt and anger the entire trip home, and by the time the cab pulled up in front of my place, I had a headache so intense, I felt half sick.

After paying the fare, I climbed out, arms crossed over my middle. There was an ache deep inside, one that felt like it might not go away for a long, long time.

I let myself into the apartment and took a slow look around. Liam had been here this morning when I left. He was supposed to come back here with me.

Now I had to wonder if whatever we had was over.

And just like that, anger spiraled back up inside me.

“Damn you, Dad,” I said under my breath.

Stalking into the living room, I threw myself down on the couch and crossed my arms over my chest, staring up at the ceiling with eyes that burned.

I was pissed off, and I felt hopeless.

Dad had interfered with my life before, but this time…for some reason, this time, it felt worse.

Because it’s Liam, a little voice inside me whispered.

I sniffed again, telling myself I didn’t want to cry. Tears clogged my throat though, and after a few more stubborn minutes, I rolled onto my belly and buried my face in the pillow.

Tears streamed from my eyes, and I let myself cry some of the frustration, anger, and misery out.

I don’t know how much time passed before the tears faded.

Too much. Not enough.

My head still pounded as I sat up, swallowing the bile that burned in my throat.

I was tired of this. Tired of Dad interfering, tired of him scowling at me about the way I lived my life.

Tired of trying to please him.

“I’m done,” I said softly.

In the back of my mind, ever since Millie had been here, I’d been wrestling with a decision, and in that moment, I made it.

I was going to move to Pleasure Island.

* * *

I made myself take something for my headache and brewed a cup of tea before I sat down to call Millie.

I wanted to get my mind settled – and sound somewhat calm – when I called my grandmother.

Part of me was a little unsettled at the decision I’d made. I’d lived in this city my entire life, had thought I’d live here a good while longer.

But as long as I was here, my father would try to intervene in my life.

If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t have ever met Liam to begin with.

I silenced that train of thought, mostly because I wasn’t ready to think about Liam yet. I’d think about him later – hopefully much later, once the ache inside me had faded away.

And it would. It had to.

The sooner I got on with my life, the better, I told myself. And with that thought in mind, I dialed my grandmother.

She came on the phone before the second ring, and despite the lousy day, I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice.

“How are you doing, darling?” she asked.

I closed my eyes and told myself not to think too hard about that.

“Well enough,” I lied. “Look, I’ve been thinking about your offer.”

“Oh?” Interest lightened Millie’s voice. “Have you come to a decision? Do you have questions?”

“No.” I braced myself then said in a rush, “Let’s do it. I’ll move to the island and take over.”