Hit & Run Bride (Hit & Run Bride Contemporary Romance Series) (21 page)

She cut him off before he could explain. “Let’s get one thing straight right here and now. I never led you on, nor was I engaged while we were sleeping together. I told you I’d recently broken up with someone, and that was true.”

He was an idiot for not trying to talk this out the day before, but it was still hard to understand why she hadn’t told him about Holden sooner. “Tell me that the first time you kissed me, you weren’t engaged.”

“I was, but that was more of an accidental kiss, and I apologize for leading you on after that until I did breakup with him, but Holden was—is—a challenge for me, and I let him manipulate me in more ways than you know how to swim a lap. But it’s over between us. It was actually over before I even met you. I just wasn’t being honest with myself.”

Down the hall, Mrs. Bixby opened her door and leaned out. “Liam, how’s your mother?” she asked in a soft voice. “Is she going to make it?”

Becca’s eyes widened. “What happened to your mom?”

Liam nodded at Mrs. Bixby. “We’ll know more after next week. Looks like a new round of chemo and radiation.”

“I’ll be praying for her.”

“Thank you.” He took Becca’s hand and led her inside the apartment then closed the door behind them. “That’s what I was going to tell you. I’ve been at the hospital with my mom for nearly twenty-four hours straight. She’s relapsed, and worse than that, the cancer has spread.”

Becca grabbed her stomach. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry.”

He tossed his keys on the breakfast bar, dropped into the nearest chair. “She wants me to take her to the beach tomorrow. I don’t think she believes she’s going to make it.”

Becca sat across from him on the coffee table. “Why didn’t you just text me and let me know you were tied up? They told me at the Club that you had a family emergency, but I just thought…” She slapped a palm against her forehead. “I thought you were ignoring me like a big baby.”

He chuckled. It took more energy than he had, but Becca could always make him laugh. “Trust me, you’re impossible to ignore.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

She wasn’t engaged, and she wanted to be with him. Although Liam wanted to talk more about ground rules for a relationship, it was probably smarter to save that for a time when he could think straight. “Stay with me tonight?”

Her eyes were sad as she looked at him, but she smiled. “You don’t think you can use the
my mom is sick
card to manipulate me, do you?”

“Never crossed my mind.” He sat up, took her hands in his. “I want a relationship with you, Becca, if you’ll still have me.”

She kissed him, then, long and slow and sweet. “I’ll think about it.”

He laughed and kissed her back before pulling her into the bedroom.

* * *

The next day, Liam brought Becca flowers. And chocolate.

She opened the door, saw his gifts, and laughed. “Sunflowers and truffles. You know me so well.”

Inside, she opened the box of chocolates and tasted one, then handed him a vase to put the flowers in. “I’m ready for another swim lesson if you have time.”

“Later today will work. I took my mom to the beach this morning after you left. We talked, and she agreed to see a new specialist at the Cancer Treatment Center. I made an appointment for her, and they’re seeing her on a rush case scenario, since her cancer is spreading.”

Becca rubbed his back. “That’s good news. I’m glad she agreed to pursue another method of treatment. You’re really good to her. And me.”

He arranged the flowers in the vase, but it was pointless. The arrangement looked like the work of a kindergartener on a sugar high. “I’m worthless as a floral designer, however.”

She gently shoved him aside. “Here, let me.” Her doorbell rang, and she glanced at him. “Will you go see who that is?”

“Sure.” He left her playing with the long stems and headed for the door. He popped it open and froze. “You.”

The asshole stood in the hallway, looking as surprised to see Liam as Liam was so see him. “What the hell are
you
doing here?”

“Liam?” Becca called from the kitchen. “Who is it?”

“Your
ex
-fiancé.” He emphasized ex as he called back, then lowered his voice to the asshole. “You’re not welcome here.”

The guy shoved on the door, trying to back Liam up. “That’s up to Becca, not you.”

Liam held the door so it didn’t budge. He heard Becca scurrying into the living room. “Let’s ask her then.”

Becca reached the door just as Liam released it. “Holden! What are doing here?” she said as the asshole practically fell into the room.

He straightened up and tugged on his jacket lapels, putting everything back in place. One hand slicked down his hair. “I have some information about your boy toy that I thought you should know.”

Information? Liam frowned at the tone in the asshole’s voice. Like he had a big secret or scandalous gossip.

Becca glanced at him, as if she were thinking the same thing, and all Liam could do was shrug. Becca knew everything there was to know about his family and his failed career.

Holden grew impatient, apparently wanting them both to ask him what the information was. He pinned Liam with a glare. “Does the name Addison Torres ring any bells?”

“She’s a friend of mine. We trained together. What about her?”

“Did you or did you not interfere with Becca’s career by contacting Addison Torres?”

“Becca told me not to interfere, and I didn’t.”

Becca put her hands on her hips. “Holden, when we were in lessons, I mentioned I was trying to land a big name for the Southland campaign and that Brett Jennings wanted Addison. Liam offered to contact her since she’s a friend of his and I told him then that I appreciated his offer, but I wanted to land her on my own.”

“And yet—” Holden snickered “—he went behind your back and contacted her anyway.”

Liam needed to shut this down before Becca discovered Holden was telling the truth. Everything was back on track with them. He didn’t need the asshole coming in here and ruining it.

But the only way to deal with this was to admit what he’d done. “He’s right, Becca. I was so eager to make you happy...I reached out to Addison after you told me not to, but just as an old friend. I mentioned the campaign but never said I knew you or anything specifically about her talking to you. She never returned my text, so it didn’t go anywhere, and I didn’t do it to undermine you. I totally believe in you, but you were under so much stress, I just figured if I could help, I should.”

Her eyes clouded ever so slightly. “But I told you not to.”

“I know, and I’m truly sorry. I was only trying to help. You had so much on your plate trying to deal with those women at work and the swimming lessons, and—”

Holden looked smug. “And you cost her her job.”

“What? No, I…” Liam felt like his world was crashing down again. “Becca?”

Her bottom lip trembled. “How many times did you text her?”

“I texted once and called her when she didn’t get back to me. That’s all.”

She hung her head and walked a few steps away. “That’s why she got pissed. Why her agent called and pulled the deal. My God, she thought I was harassing her. No wonder she refused to come on board.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Liam argued. “There’s no way she pulled the deal because of you.”

“It doesn’t end there,” Holden said, following behind Becca. “She stopped at the Dive office this morning asking for you.”

Becca whirled around. “She did?”

“Seems Mr. Loser over here called her yet again.”

Her eyes cut to Liam. “So now you’re stalking her for me?”

“Oh, come on. I wasn’t stalking her. We’re friends. I was checking on her to make sure she was okay since she hadn’t returned my call or my texts, that’s all. I swear, I never meant—”

Holden cut him off. “You never meant what, loser? To screw things up even more?” He puffed out his chest and put a hand on Becca’s arm. “I’ve smoothed everything over with Addison, and I’ve managed to get your job back for you.”

“What?” Becca said. “How?”

“After I talked to her, Addison now wants to work with you. In fact, she said, she’ll
only
work with you. Which, of course, means you have to come back, Becca. You’re the star of the campaign, and along with Addison Torres, you’re going to kick ass.”

Becca’s face morphed. A smile stole across her lips. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.” Holden grabbed her by her upper arms and gave her a winning smile. A smile Liam had seen his old man give his Olympic hopefuls right before a big race. “Say you’ll do it. Come back to work and turn this campaign into the biggest one Dive has ever seen.”

Becca stuttered and shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I don’t know. I mean, I guess I could.” Her gaze shifted to Liam and hardened. “But only if she’s doing it because she believes in our products and not because Liam had anything to do with recruiting her.”

His stomach dropped. She was actually considering returning to the Tribot nest and resuming her job, even after all she’d told him about how she didn’t fit in there. And on top of it all, Holden looked like her knight in shining armor. Perfect.

Liam raised his hands in surrender. “I won’t say a word to her ever again.”

“So you’ll do it?” Holden asked. “You’ll come back?”

“Well, I need to think about it.”

Liam heaved a frustrated sigh. “You hated that place, Becca. It’s not right for you.”

Her dark eyes turned on him. “Don’t tell me what’s right or wrong for me.” She pulled her arms out of Holden’s grip, looking between the two of them. “I can and
will
make my own decision about this, and I don’t need help from you.
Either
of you. Are we clear?”

Holden nodded. Liam reluctantly did as well.

“Now.” She rubbed her temple. “I think you both should leave.”

“Becca—”

She held up a hand to interrupt him. “I need some space.”

He waited for Holden to move. The asshole stayed planted.

“Of course you do, sweetie,” Holden patted her shoulder but brought a folded paper out of his inside jacket pocket. “But I really need to talk to you about your raise and a couple of other things.”

“Raise?” Becca sounded pleasantly surprised. “I’m getting a raise?”

“I figured as long as I was bargaining to get your job back, I should get you a new title and a raise.”

Liam shook his head in disgust. “I’ll call you later, Becca.”

She didn’t answer; her eyes were bright as they stayed glued on Holden.

Loser
. Yep, Liam was sure he’d just lost the best thing in his life.

* * *

Becca was furious. But that didn’t mean she wanted to see that hurt dejected look on Liam’s face. She cared about him, but he’d lied to her. In some ways he was just like Holden. Rushing to the rescue. Though, in this case she was a tiny bit grateful to Holden and his tendency to try to take over her life. She needed this job.

Though as much as she needed it, Liam had a point. Getting fired had been a good thing in many ways. She’d never been happy there. She’d always felt like she was running to catch up, to fit in. The work was good and challenging, but Van was the only person she liked in that whole building.

Holden pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry I had to put you through that. You know I don’t like to see you hurting.”

There was something so comforting and familiar about one of Holden’s hugs and the way he tucked her in close. Unfortunately, it didn’t feel as easy as it always had. Before when she was upset, he’d hold her, she’d feel better and see more clearly. Now she just felt confused. And mildly annoyed. And disappointed that he wasn’t Liam.

She pulled back and put some distance between them. Silently, she led them into the living room. “I appreciate everything you’ve done Holden, but I don’t want you fixing my life.”

“Baby, look. I know you didn’t want this, but I couldn’t stand by and watch this happen. You were unfairly fired. For something that wasn’t your fault. I had to do something.”

“And I appreciate it. I do. I need to think it through.”

He nodded. “The whole campaign is pretty much on hold without you.”

Becca frowned. “Fred and Tiffany would disagree.”

He clamped his jaw shut in a move she recognized as his annoyed expression. She’d seen it often. “Okay. I have to remember how you work. Make your decision, but just remember a whole team is counting on you.”

“Holden, didn’t you just promise to let me make my own decisions?”

“Yeah but—” He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. If I can’t talk about that, then maybe we can talk about us. I have to say I was really surprised to find Boy Toy here.”

Becca stifled her annoyance. “Liam. His name is Liam.”

“Fine. Liam. I thought you were going to give some thought to you and me getting back together.”

Oh that. She hadn’t even given it a second of thought. Not one. Her brain had been so consumed with Liam and getting him to understand, she’d completely forgotten that she was supposed to think about Holden. “I—listen, Holden. You know how much I care about you, but—”