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“But it’s not up to you,” Liam snaps.
My heart squeezes at the sound of his voice like that. He’s lashing out, which means he’s worried about something, but keeping it to himself.
“You’re right,” Brady says. “It’s up to Mam and Da.”
“Especially since you skipped out on the meeting last night,” Finn adds.
“Enough.” The voice of Declan O’Sullivan, the family’s stern patriarch, cuts through the room. “We all know that Liam did wrong by shirking his duties.”
My stomach goes cold. If Liam shirked his duties last night, it was to take care of me. Liam’s responsibilities are everything to him, and having his da’s approval can make or break how he feels about himself. With Declan reprimanding him like that, Liam must be feeling awful.
And it’s my fault.
“He’s done shirking his duties.” Orla O’Sullivan’s voice is softer than her husband Declan’s, but she’s still a ferocious mam. “Liam, you’ll choose a wife by the end of the month and be married within six weeks. Then you’ll be ready to take over this family.”
My mouth feels dry, and I realize my jaw’s been hanging open. Liam has less than a month to choose his life partner. When he told me a fake engagement between us would benefit him too, he wasn’t just saying it to make me feel better.
Chair legs scrape across the floor. Everyone’s getting up, about to come out of the room. I dash back to the bar, then have to grip its wooden edge for support. My head is a washing machine, spinning with my hangover, tumbling all my thoughts inside.
If Liam’s going to be happy in his marriage, he needs more than just a few high-pressured weeks to find his perfect match. And more than anything, I want Liam to be happy.
He’s the one that reaches the bar first, his expression tight with resignation. He stops short when he sees me, and we lock eyes. At the sight of those emerald greens I know so well, I make my decision.
Liam needs more time, and I can buy him that.
As the rest of his family files out of the hallway behind him, I stride over to my best friend. Then I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him.
Chapter 7
Liam
Brioni’s kissing me. Brioni Rose Timmons is kissing me.
Even if my brain doesn’t know what’s going on, my body does. I slide my arm around her waist and pull her close. She’s freshly showered, and the light floral scent of her shampoo surrounds us both. For a moment, all I know is how badly I want her.
I deepen the kiss. I don’t just want her, I have her. She’s mine, right here in my arms. Mine. She’s my best friend, my lifelong partner.
And that’s when it hits me.
She’s my fiancée.
At least, she’s acting like my fiancée in front of my family. And that’s all that matters right now. When we break apart, she looks up at me with her liquid brown eyes. She gives me the barest nod. An innocent doe, pledging herself to me. All I want is her safety, and I can protect her from her ex. I hold her close to my side as we face my family.
“I won’t need until the end of the month, Mam. I’ve already chosen my wife.”
There’s a full beat of shock as my words hang in the silence. Beneath my arm, Brioni tenses, and I feel her nervousness as my own.
Then Brady whoops, Cora cheers, and Finn guffaws. Da nods approvingly, while Mam’s face twitches with a smile. It’s like she’s got a secret but won’t ever let on.
At my side, Brioni relaxes somewhat, but she’s far from being at ease. Maybe she feels the same confusion as I do. My family accepted our engagement surprisingly fast, almost like they’d been expecting it.
As Da congratulates us and Brioni thanks him graciously, I see Cora hold her hand palm-up to Brady. He sighs as he pulls out a banded roll of bills.
“What’d I miss?” Erin asks, striding toward our group. As she looks between me and Brioni, I take the opportunity to kiss my fiancée’s temple.
“Brioni and I are engaged,” I announce. It makes me so proud I want to say it again. Or at least, embellish it a bit. “We’ve been dating for a while now, but we didn’t want to tell you all until we knew it was for real.”
I feel Brioni look up at me when I say for real.
