Lo

“I WASN’T EXPECTING to see you tonight,” Liam said as I tied my apron around my waist and organised my pen and notepad.

“You weren’t?” I cocked a brow. It was my turn to work a weekend but from the strange look he was giving me I wondered if I’d gotten my shift wrong.

“I heard there’s a big party happening. I just thought...” he trailed off, but I said, “Party? What party?”

“It’s probably nothing, just another college party.” He gave me a weak smile.

“Liam, what are you getting at?”

“I just thought... I mean, ignore me.” He went back to wiping down the bar.

“You thought I’d be going to the party with Maverick?” I said around a tight smile.

“Well, yeah. But listen, it’s none of my business.”

“We’re not joined at the hip, Liam. I have work and he has the team and stuff.” Plus, I wanted nothing to do with Zac Lowell. Not to mention the fact I’d asked for time and space and Maverick was giving me both. Despite telling him it was what I wanted, I still didn’t know how to feel about it.

Liam cracked open a can of soda and slid it across to me. “It must be hard, with him there and you here?”

“It’s not ideal.”

“But, hey.” His hands slammed down and he grinned. “It’s only a few months when you think about it, and then you’ll be at college too.”

“Hmm,” I mumbled, tipping the can at him in thanks. “I suppose I’d better do some work before Gus docks my wages.”

“You’re probably right, but don’t be a stranger.” He winked, then returned to the task he was doing before I’d walked in.

I knew Liam meant well. But I was annoyed he’d brought up Maverick. Hitters was my safe space. Four-and-a-half hours where I didn’t have to worry about what was going on outside. Where I could turn off real life and become Lo the server; my head filled with only burger toppings, milkshake combinations, and pie fillings.

Now all I could think about was Maverick. At yet another party. With Zac Lowell. Just his name conjured up all kinds of bad vibes in me. As I watched the first customers walk into the bar, I knew it was going to be a long shift.

~

I SEARCHED FOR THE incessant vibrations. “Got you—hello?” I croaked into the receiver.

“Hey.”

“Maverick?” I sat up rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” He gave an uncertain laugh. “I just wanted to say good morning.”

Good morning?

I pulled the phone in front of my face and zeroed in on the time. Eight-thirty. Sagging back against my pillows, I said, “Good morning,” around a long yawn.

“Did I wake you?”

“Yeah. I stayed late at the bar to help out.”

“You never said anything.”

“I didn’t know until I got there, and it was late when I left. I knew you’d be busy.”

A beat passed. Then another. Part of me wondered if Maverick would admit to attending the party.

The one he’d failed to tell me about.

“There was a thing,” he said. “I didn’t tell you because I know how you feel about the whole Zac thing. It was lame. I spent most of the night watching Darnell make a complete ass of himself.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask more. Who was there? What happened? Did any girls try anything? But I forced down my insecurities and said, “Sounds fun.”

“I would have rather been with you, Lo. You know that, right?” The sincerity in his voice coiled around my heart.

“I know.” Throwing back the covers, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. “I think I hear Dad calling me, so I’ll text you later, okay?” I lied. But texts were safe. I couldn’t hear the dejection in his voice. Hear the pain in mine every time I spoke.

“Sure, I have to hit the gym soon.” Maverick hesitated. “I love you, Lo.”

The words formed on my tongue and I forced them into life, but it was too late. Maverick had already hung up.

“Lo, are you awake?” Dad’s voice filtered into my room and I called, “Yeah, I’ll be down in a second.”

“No rush, sweetheart. Stella’s making pancakes. You know how quickly they disappear with Bethany around.”

Giggles filled the hall, and I didn’t know whether to smile or balk. Beth was a sweet kid. But after almost two months under the same roof, I still didn’t feel any closer to her or Stella. They tried to include me. To invite me to eat with them and do regular family things like watch movies and play board games but I’d yet to cross that line.

The one where I walked into my future and turned my back on the past.

I found Dad and Beth in the kitchen.

“Lo,” the little girl shrieked. “We made pancakes.”

“Wow, I hope you saved me one.”

“Two. We saved you two.” She pushed a plate in front of me. “I made yours with a smiley face.”

“Gee, thanks.” I was feeling anything but smiley, but I managed to force my lips into a curve.

“How was work last night? I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Yeah, I was late.” I tore off a piece of pancake. “But I texted.”

“I wasn’t suggesting...” Dad paused. “It’s fine, sweetheart. You’re almost nineteen now. I trust you, Lo.”

I nodded unsure of how to respond to that. That and the fact I didn’t want to think about my birthday.

“I said I’d cover today too. I start at four, but I might take a walk around the harbour first.”

“Well, if you want company...” Dad left the question hanging between us, but Stella chose that exact moment to walk in.

“Good morning.”

“Mommy!” Beth tackled her mum around the waist, sending the two of them into fits of laughter.

“And that’s me out of here,” I murmured. “Thanks for the pancakes, Beth.”

“Sweetheart, you don’t have to—”

“It’s okay, Dad. I need to get a shower and catch up on some homework. But I’ll see you later.” I smiled. Wondering if he saw the cracks. They were deeper lately.

He let out a resigned sigh. “Okay, but the offer’s there, Lo. I would love to spend the day with you.”

Offering him a half-nod, I didn’t commit to an answer. Truth was, six months ago, I would have begged for his attention, but now it was different.

I was different.

We couldn’t go back to how things were before. We had to look forward. Something I was finding more difficult than I imagined.

~

“HEY, SARAH,” I SAID as I watched my only table leave. “Where’s Liam tonight?”

“He called in earlier, a family emergency or something. He’ll be here any—speak of the devil.”

Liam walked into Hitters but didn’t give us his usual smile and went straight into the back room.

“Okay, that was weird,” she whispered out of earshot of her two tables. “I hope everything’s okay.”

My brows knitted. “Yeah, maybe I’ll go see if he’s okay.”

“Hold that thought, sweetie. Fresh meat.” She motioned to the door and sure enough a big group of people bustled into the bar. “Put them on table six. If you need help give me a shout.”

“Gee, thanks.” I offered her a bemused smirk and grabbed menus and my notepad.

“Welcome to Hitters. I’m Lo and I’ll be your server today,” I said leading the group to a big table at the back of the bar. Once they were seated, I took their drinks order and made my way over to Liam.

“Order please,” I plucked the ticket off the notepad and slid it across the bar to him.

“Sure thing,” he said flatly, and my brows pinched. But I didn’t want to pry. Sarah said something had happened with his family.

But three hours later, I couldn’t bite my tongue any longer. “Liam is something wrong?” I blurted out before I left for the night. He’d avoided me all night.

At first, I thought Sarah was right, that perhaps the family emergency had taken its toll on him. But then I’d caught the two of them laughing and goofing around like normal, and when Liam caught my eye, he went back to being Captain Miserable.

“It’s been a long day,” he said, giving nothing away.

“Want to talk about it?” I smiled, but he didn’t return it. In fact, now I thought about it, he’d barely looked at me twice tonight.

“Liam, why won’t you look at me?” A sinking feeling spread through me.

“It’s nothing, Lo. Look, it’s late, we still have a bar full of customers, and I need to get back to—”

I reached over the counter and grabbed his wrist, ignoring the curious stares from the people sitting at bar. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Fine,” he sighed, moving to the end of the bar. “Remember my friend at SU? Mya?”

“Hmm, yeah.”

“Well she texted me earlier.”

“Okay.”

“She saw something, Lo. I’ve been going back and forth over whether to tell you because gossip is not my style, but you’re my friend and you deserve better.” The sadness in his eyes made me suck in a sharp breath.

“Maverick?” His name punctured my heart.

“Yeah, Lo. I’m so sorry. She was at some party and she saw... look, you don’t need to know this.” He ran a brisk hand over his head looking at me with pity in his eyes.

Tears burned my throat as I stared at him. “She saw him with...” the words got stuck, all my worst fears rushing to the surface. “He was with...”

“Lo, maybe we should—”

“I need to go.” I ran out of there, ignoring Sarah’s calls. Right now, I couldn’t breathe, the image of Maverick with another girl imprinted on my mind.

He wouldn’t.

In my heart of hearts, I knew he would never betray me. Not when he knew it would destroy me. But the little voice of doubt sang loud. She had been whispering in my ear for weeks now. Even though I’d tried my best to ignore her, tried so hard not to believe her conniving murmurs, Liam’s friend had no reason to lie. She didn’t even know me.

Oh God.

I felt sick.

Pain hit me hard and I doubled over, gasping for breath.

I pulled my bag off my shoulder and rummaged through it frantically until my phone was in my trembling hand.

Me: How could you?

I scanned the words. My fingers moving back and forth over delete and send. He wouldn’t. Maverick would never look at another girl, let alone touch one. So why did it feel like my heart was breaking in two?

If I knew without doubt that he wouldn’t betray me, why did my heart say otherwise?

I hit send, turned off my phone, and shoved it back in my bag. But I didn’t go home. I couldn’t. So, I went to the only place where I knew I could be alone.