A Series of Rooms by A.J. Barlowe

Author:A.J. Barlowe [Barlowe, A.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A.J. Barlowe
Published: 2024-12-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

Liam

Nathan caught up with them in the parking lot, apparently determined enough to harass Liam that he left his friends at the table.

“Cassidy,” he said again, undeterred as Liam ducked out from under the hand on his shoulder. “You can’t still be avoiding me.”

I really, really can.

“We were just leaving.” He double-tapped the key fob in his coat pocket, his car lighting up down the row.

“Who’s your friend?”

Jonah, who hadn’t said a word since they stepped outside, kept his head down. Liam placed his hand gently on his elbow and kept them moving toward the car.

Nathan stepped directly into their path, then went still. “Wait.” He ducked to get a look at Jonah’s face, and his eyes went wide. “No shit.” He rocked back on his heels, glancing from Jonah to Liam. “Seriously, Cassie? Is this why we haven’t seen you in weeks?”

Liam cringed at the nickname. “I’ve been working,” he defended.

Nathan turned back to Jonah. “I guess you both have.”

Jonah’s eyes hadn’t left the ground. His jaw was a hard line of tension, agitated twitches of muscle under his skin. A surge of protection ripped through Liam.

“Watch it,” he warned.

“It’s a joke,” Nathan said, in the familiar tone of all the jokes he had hurled at Liam over the years. “He can take a joke, right? Hey, you should be thanking me. I didn’t realize I was playing matchmaker, but it looks like everything worked out.”

His face warmed despite the cold wind, but he didn’t know if it was from embarrassment or rage. “Jonah is just my friend.”

Nathan blinked, cutting his eyes to him. “‘Jonah?’” he echoed.

He felt Jonah stiffen beside him. Liam wanted to run himself over with his own car. It had been so long since he thought of him as Leo, and he was frankly surprised Nathan remembered him by any name at all, but still—it was a careless mistake.

“Don’t let us keep you from your friends,” Liam said, desperately swerving away from the subject.

“Right,” Nathan said, glancing between them again. His eyes lingered on Jonah a few seconds longer. “Are you coming to dinner next weekend? Or will you still be avoiding me then?”

Liam had already been dreading seeing Nathan and Ben at their families’ yearly pre-Christmas dinner. Now he wanted to withdraw from it entirely. He could only imagine the ways that Nathan would dangle this story over him in front of everyone. In front of Liam’s parents.

“I’ll be there,” he said, short and clipped.

“Great.” Nate smiled, a wolfish grin. Before he left, he turned to Jonah one more time. “Good seeing you again, Jonah.”

Liam waited until they were back inside the car before he pressed his palms against his face. “I’m so sorry,” he said miserably.

“For what?”

“For using your real name, for one. And for the fact that you had to interact with him at all.” Liam dropped his hands. “Believe me when I say he was the last person I wanted to run into tonight.”

“It’s fine.” Jonah glanced his way long enough for a quick smile.

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