Life wasn't a whole lot easier for Ayumi.

The first thing she did after she got off the plane in San Francisco was buy a new cell phone. The second thing was go to work. In her shorts and flip flops and tank top, she strolled right through The Stone Agency, earning a lot of shocked glances. Wulf barely glanced at her clothing, though, and just handed her a file before giving her a run down on the new issue. It was nice, she didn't have any time or space in her brain to even think about Liam. If she did, she'd break down crying, just like she had during the whole plane ride there.

Home was a different story, she made it a point to change before she faced her mother. Then she was made to walk through her entire apartment while her mom pointed out how wrong everything was, and showed where she'd rearranged furniture. Pointed out the art work she'd thrown away. Explained how since the guest bed was only a queen and thus inadequate, she'd taken over the master bedroom.

“That's fine, mother,” Ayumi had replied. “I won't be staying here, so you can have my room for as long as you like.”

While she packed all her necessities, she explained about her “babysitting” job. Gave a brief history of Brighton Stone and her relationship with her brother. Of course, Ayumi's mom didn't like this plan at all. She complained the whole time her daughter was packing, following her from room to room.

“Mom,” Ayumi said, interrupting another tirade. “Why did you get rid of my graduation photo?”

One of the few pictures Ayumi had with both her parents, it usually sat on the bureau in her bedroom. Her mother had stood off to her left, frowning deeply. Her father had stood off to her right, looking indifferent. Ayumi had been between them, smiling big for the camera. It had been a hot day and the ceremony had been over, so she'd unzipped her gown, showing off the short cocktail dress and tights she'd chosen to wear under it.

The photo was gone, though. She looked all around the top of the dresser and even behind it, but she didn't see the silver frame anywhere.

“I didn't get rid of anything! You are too ashamed of your own mother to keep any pictures of her around, that's what it is,” her mom told her.

Ayumi frowned. It wouldn't be the first time her mother had lied to her, but it was an odd thing to lie about, for sure. Her mother threw away stuff of hers all the time. What was one more picture? She had a digital back up, anyway.

It wasn't the only thing missing, though. A bathing suit was gone, as well as a silk blouse. She could see her mother thinking the swimsuit was too risque, but a high collared silk shirt? What possible problem could she have had with that?

She wouldn't say, though, and Ayumi was too tired to argue anymore. So she had her hired driver come up and get all her boxes and suitcases, then she'd kissed her mother goodbye before following the driver out the door. Her cat Boppo mewed angrily from inside his carrier, but she ignored him.

If you don't like this, kitty cat, then you're going to hate where we're going.

Brighton had been forewarned that Ayumi would be moving in, but she still acted like it was the end of the world. Stomped and shrieked and shouted before eventually locking herself in her room. Ayumi completely ignored the entire temper tantrum, instead carrying all her stuff to the room. Then she called the boutique in L.A. Where she'd purchased her date-night clothing, and she arranged for all her forgotten packages to be forwarded to her new Twin Estates address.

It wasn't till after everything was unpacked and put away and she was laying on the bed that she felt like she could finally take a moment. Boppo jumped up onto the mattress and curled up next to her hip, purring loudly. She let her hand rest on top of him and she stared at the ceiling.

“Why,” she whispered as she cried alone in the dark. “Why can't I just be normal?”

*

TWO DAYS AFTER LEAVING Liam, and Ayumi wasn't making much headway on the Brie front. She said as much to Wulf.

“If I'm home, she just hides in her room,” Ayumi told him. “She refuses to talk to me. How can I influence someone if I'm never around them?”

“Just give it time, it's still new. She's in her pouting phase. Next she'll move onto her destructive phase. After that, it'll probably be her annoying phase. Take this time to gather your strength. It'll get worse before it gets better. And hey, if she's in her room, at least that means she can't be partying or making a mess.”

Ayumi was pretty sure the young woman's room was a complete mess – Brie refused to be in Ayumi's presence so much so that she only ate take away in her room. Ayumi never saw any food packages come out. Where was it all going? Under her bed? In her closet? She couldn't live adjacent to that kind of filth. She'd break down the door if she had to and clean it out herself.

Exactly what Wulf wants. He's clever to the point it's annoying.

Just then, her phone dinged. She glanced at her cell, then slowed down. Let Wulf get a couple steps ahead of her. Then she bit down on her bottom lip and unlocked the screen. A text message stared back at her.

Liam. She hadn't spoken to him since she'd gotten home. She didn't want to say she was actively avoiding him, but ... she was actively avoiding him. She was embarrassed and ashamed, just like her mother said she should be. She also still needed time. She'd barely stopped moving since she'd gotten home, she had to take a beat to think things over in her head. She wanted to see him, almost desperately. Every moment of every day. She wanted to cry on his shoulder about life with Brie and drink beers and eat tacos and do absolutely nothing with him.

But she wanted to do it only when she was finally one hundred percent positive she was the only one he wanted to do those things with, too. And that phone call with Katya was still hanging between them, still bothering her. She couldn't even look the other woman in the eye, she was still so upset about it. She just needed some more time.

Liam, however, was apparently done waiting. He'd been calling, she knew he'd stopped by her apartment, and he'd even come to Brie's one time. Thank god the younger girl had been out for the evening. Ayumi had hid in her room, holding Boppo to her chest while she willed Liam to go away.

He'd taken a different approach that day. In his text message, he'd included a photo. A lacy thong stared back at her. The same one, if she wasn't mistaken, she'd been wearing during their last night together. There was a short, concise message under the picture.

I have something of yours I'm sure you'd like back. I can drop it off at your office, is now a good time?

He wasn't being polite – it was a threat. One he'd make good on, she knew. She wasn't quite ready to admit to Wulf that she'd been lying to him for the last week and a half, so she quickly typed out a response.

I'll come on my lunch break. One o'clock.

The reply was almost instant.

You had better.

So at one o'clock sharp, Ayumi found herself knocking on Liam's office door. She didn't wait for a response, but instead strode right into his space.

“Oh wow,” he said, leaning back in his seat as she approached his desk. “You are real. I was beginning to think I'd made it all up.”

She managed to keep her face straight, but it was hard. After spending so much time with him, she'd gotten used to his facial expressions and mannerisms. His smiles and grins and animated gestures. None of those were on display, though, that particular afternoon. He sat still and stared up at her.

Ruiner. I am a ruiner of things.

“I'm real,” she said, then she took a seat across from him. “And I'm here. Can I have my underwear, please?”

“Oh no, that's my only bargaining chip. I'm holding onto those puppies until I get what I want,” he replied.

“What do you want?”

“What the fuck do you think I want, Ayumi? You said it wasn't over, yet you won't return my calls. I thought you had bigger balls than that,” he called her out. She bristled at his word choice.

“I'm not scared,” she insisted. “I'm just ... confused. I told you I needed time. I need some more.”

“Oh yeah? How much more? How long will it take you to get over being ashamed of me?” he asked. All the breath flew out of her body.

“Is that what you think?” she asked softly. “You think I don't want to see you because I'm ashamed of you?”

“What the fuck else would I think? You refuse to tell anyone about me, you stopped answering my phone calls, you couldn't even hang around long enough to say goodbye to my face,” he reminded her. She shook her head.

“I'm not ashamed of you, Liam. Honestly. I ashamed of myself,” she said point blank. The look of shock that washed over his face was almost comical.

“Uh ... what?”

“I told you I didn't know how to do any of this,” she explained, holding up her hands in frustration. “I'm not used to ... I don't let myself feel things or react to things, and then you come along, and it's all feelings, and all reactions, and I just ... I can't ... I don't know how to be like this, Liam. I never learned. I'm broken.”

She wasn't sure when she'd started breathing hard, but by the end of her speech, she was on the verge of hyperventilating. Liam got out of his chair and hurried around his desk.

“Stop. Breathe. Everything is okay. Breathe,” he urged as he squatted down next to her and took her hands. She shook her head.

“Everything is not okay. My mother ruined it. Katya ruined it. I ruined it. I ruin things, didn't you know? My mother, her marriage, my body, our relationship,” she let out a dark chuckle as she spoke.

“Stop talking like this,” he whispered. “You didn't ruin it, I promise. And what does Katya have to do with anything?”

I didn't plan on having this moment today.

“It's not really her,” she sighed. “It's more like ... what she represents? I don't know. You were on the phone with her, and the way you talked to her. It's like you're still with her. Like you still want to be with her. I didn't know it would make me feel that way.”

“I ... I had no idea,” Liam stammered. “It wasn't anything, I promise. She just called to check on me.”

“I know, and that's the problem. You're just the type of guy who talks to everyone like that, and I thought I was okay with it, right up until it happened. I was there, feeling like everything was so special, and then I have to hear you call her pet names, and flirt with her, and say how you'd found our place for her, originally, and it just ... I'm sorry. I freaked out. I'm so sorry.”

“Don't be sorry. You have no reason to be sorry. I'm sorry I'm an idiot,” he groaned, letting his head drop down.

“You're not. It's stupid. I'm so stupid.”

“Stop it!” he snapped. “You're not. I just ... I guess I'm like you. I don't know how this all works. I didn't even think about it when she called, I just spoke to her like I always do.”

“Which you should do, it shouldn't be a problem.”

“Maybe it is, and maybe I shouldn't.”

She wanted to pull that statement apart. Wanted to fall into his warm brown eyes and big strong arms and just sob. Before she could do anything, though, the office door flew open and banged against the wall next to it.

“Eden, this is your last chance to ...”

Brighton Stone had walked into the room with a lot of confidence, but it fell away as fast as her voice did as she took in the scene in front of her. Liam, almost on his knees, next to Ayumi. Holding her hands.

“This isn't what it looks like,” Ayumi spoke quickly. Liam's fingers squeezed hers.

“Yes it fucking is,” he said. “Brie, get the fuck out.”

“Oh my god,” Brie gasped. “You two? That was real!? You told Wulf it wasn't!”

“Get the fuck out, or I'll have security drag you out,” Liam threatened. Brie narrowed her eyes and stomped up next to him.

“Go ahead and try it, I'll sue your stupid club. You think you can just use any woman you want, huh? First Katya, then me, now her? You have a thing for the women in Wulf's life, don't you?” Brie sneered. Ayumi knew it was the kind of comment that could cut Liam in half, but he just stood upright and stared calmly down at the short woman.

“Honestly, I don't care what you or Wulfric thinks. This is between me and her. Get out.”

“You said we had something special!” Brie shrieked, then she shocked everyone by slapping Liam across the face. Ayumi jumped to her feet.

“Don't touch him!” she shouted back.

“Oh, what, you think you're special?” Brie yelled. “Whatever he said to you, don't worry, he says it to all of us.”

“Everyone, calm down!” Liam shouted over them both.

“Sounds like you're just a jealous little girl who's mad because no one wants her,” Ayumi hit below the belt. Brie gasped, then stepped up close to her. Liam jammed an arm between them, keeping the two women apart.

“Sounds like you're an idiot who doesn't know when she's being played,” Brie threw back at her.

“Maybe that's true,” Ayumi nodded her head. “But at least I'm not pathetic enough to come down here and make a scene.”

Before Brie could argue back, Liam stepped between and cupped Ayumi's face in his hands.

“You're not being played,” he said through clenched teeth. “You know that. You know that. I don't care what I did with her or what I said to Katya. It was you who met my family and was in my car in the woods and stayed on that hill in Malibu. Every single moment, it was only you.”

But with me, he means it ...

He kissed her and Brie was there and everything was fucked and yet Ayumi couldn't stop it. She cried and she held onto him and she wanted him to fix her. Wanted to be able to fix him.

The universe, however, had other plans.

“Eden, look what we brought! Your favorite tacos! Katya and I -”

Ayumi broke the kiss and they both turned to face the open doorway. Katya Tocci and Tori Bellows stood in it, both with their mouths hanging open. Ayumi cringed. There would be no explaining this away. Liam was touching her, holding her. Had been kissing her.

“What, uh ... what's going on?” Katya finally managed to say something. There was a beat, then everyone started speaking at once.

“I should go,” Ayumi tried to pull away from him.

“You're not going anywhere. Can someone shut the fucking door?” Liam demanded. Katya quickly shut it behind her and Tori.

“He totally used me for sex!” Brighton started shouting.

“He what?” Katya asked.

“He used me, then he ghosted me, and now he's using her!”

“You and Liam?” Tori asked in a soft voice, staring straight at Ayumi.

“I ...”

“EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Liam roared, and for once, everyone listened to him.

“I'm sorry, we'll be quiet,” Katya finally broke the silence.

“First of all,” he started, breathing heavy. “This isn't Grand Central fucking Station! This is my goddamn place of business, not your fucking hang out spot. New fucking rules – Tori and Ayumi are the only ones allowed back here. Understood?”

Katya nodded her head, but Brie just grumbled and bristled.

“You can't tell me where I can and can't -”

“And you,” he turned on the girl. “You shut the fuck up, right now. We used each other for sex, and that was it! Stop fucking stalking me, you little psycho, or I will seriously have you arrested.”

“I'll tell my brother how you -”

“I give less than zero shits about Wulf or what he thinks of what we did, so go fucking tattle tale. I don't care. If you ever come back here again, I'll call the cops.”

Brighton looked like she'd sucked on a lime, but she kept her mouth shut. She glared at everyone and her cheeks turned bright pink. Then she let out a huff and stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

“I ... I have to go,” Ayumi said softly, leaning down to grab her case. He grabbed her by the arm.

“No,” he said. “You ... you are quite possibly the only woman I've ever really, truly cared about. This last week was one of the best of my life, even when you were being a bitch and fighting with me. Don't walk away from me. Don't ruin this.”

Bad word choice.

Before Ayumi could run away, though, someone beat her to it. They all turned in shock as Tori let out a sob. Then she turned and struggled with the knob for a moment before yanking the door open. They all listened as she ran off down the hallway.

“What the fuck was that?” Liam asked. Ayumi didn't know, and she really didn't care. While he stood there in shock, she grabbed her case and hurried away from him.

“Katya, I'm ...” she babbled. “I'm really sorry.”

She didn't know why she was apologizing. She didn't need to, of course. But it's what she did best. Apologize for not doing anything wrong.

She didn't even glance back as she, too, ran down the hallway.

*

“UM ...”

Liam had almost forgotten Katya was there. He groaned and collapsed into the chair Ayumi had been sitting in just minutes before everything had gone to shit. He let his head fall back and he closed his eyes.

“I'm so not in the fucking mood right now, Angel -” he cut himself off as Ayumi's words came back to him. He cleared his throat. “Katya.”

“Okay. Okay, I get it. Do you want me to leave?” she asked, hovering around his side. He thought for a second, then blindly reached out and grabbed her hand.

“No. And I didn't mean it, I'm sorry. You can come visit me at work any time you want,” he sighed. She hesitated for a second, then she sat in the chair next to him.

“Maybe I shouldn't,” she said in a slow voice. He finally looked over at her.

“Why not?”

“Well,” she licked her lips and seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “If there was a woman I knew Wulf had slept with regularly, and they were all buddy-buddy and they hung out all the time and talked on the phone a lot, I don't know. I don't think I'd like it.”

“So we can't be friends anymore?” he asked. She shook her head.

“I'm not saying that, but maybe ... just tone it down? Just until you two figure out your relationship,” she suggested. “You really like her, don't you?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“She was with you this whole time?”

“Yes.”

“So she didn't go to Seattle.”

“No.”

“She lied to Wulf.”

“Yup.”

“And Brie. She knew about Brie.”

Liam cut his eyes back to her.

“Katya, don't make this something it's not,” he warned her. “Except for saying she was in Seattle, Ayumi never once lied to Wulf. I asked her not to bring up Brie because it was nobodies fucking business, so she didn't. Don't bring him into this because I'm an idiot.”

“Okay!” Katya held up her hands. “I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble here. I only want to understand. Maybe start at the beginning? Tell me everything?”

And so he did. All the way back to the stupid vacation with her and Wulf in Carmel, when Liam had fucked Brie in the Tocci's pantry. She looked shocked, but she didn't interrupt him, and really, he didn't care. He loved Katya, but ultimately, his happiness didn't hang on whether or not she liked him. Not anymore.

He told her about the first night he and Ayumi had hooked up, explaining how they'd gone into the laundry room so as not to disturb Tori, or to not get caught by Landon. Then he gave a Cliff's Notes version of their week together.

“She knew,” Katya gasped. “Tori told me she had the craziest dreams that night, about you running your sex club out of your laundry room. And then she said she dreamed you were making out with Ayumi. We both laughed about it. She must have actually seen it.”

“She must have. What was up with her just now, anyway?” he asked, glancing at his door. Katya was quiet for a while.

“You'll have to ask her,” was all she would say on the matter. “So. You and Ayumi, huh? Crazy. I never would've imagined it.”

“Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure you can unimagine it right now, because I don't think she's coming back.”

“Don't say that. She's confused and she's not used to like ... having real people emotions.”

“Are you saying she's not real people?”

“Liam, the woman is super human. She can take part a multimillion dollar property bid and make the other realtors wish they'd never been born, then she does errands for Wulf for eight hours straight, then she still does a five mile run at the end of the day. Does that sound human to you?”

“Fives miles, huh? Probably up hill.”

“Both ways.”

They both laughed for a moment.

“I know she does all that, but somewhere under that machine, she really does have a heart. I thought maybe she was learning to use it with me,” he said in a soft voice. Katya smiled and reached out for his hand again.

“I think Liam Edenhoff is perilously close to falling in love,” she teased, but he didn't laugh.

“Don't say that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I won't be able to handle it if she doesn't love me back,” he whispered. Katya groaned and got out of her chair. She got down on her knees next to him and pulled him in for a hug.

“She will. Just give her a chance. Give her space. Let her be crazy and stupid. Remember how I was? I know you don't like to hear about it, but it really is like Wulf and I. He told me that once, that no matter how long I needed to take, he'd wait for me. She cares about you, that much is obvious. So just let her figure out how exactly she needs to show it, okay?” she assured him. He nodded and buried his face in her neck.

“Okay. But she better not take too fucking long. This feeling sucks.”

“Doesn't it? Why do people like us always fall for the unemotional robots of the world? Let's go get margaritas, we've earned it.”

“Roof top?” he sighed, leaning back from her. She smiled, but then she shook her head.

“No. No roof tops. Save that for her.”

“This love bullshit isn't as much fun as people make it out to be.”

“It's the worst. C'mon, we'll make it double margaritas.”

“Triples. And you're buying.”

They both stood up and she looped her arm through his.

“Such a charmer, Liam Edenhoff.”

“I know. Can you pass it on to Ayumi?”

“Will do.”