Page 16 of Love in Times of Contempt

Ana tip-toed into the guest room, hoping to avoid disrupting the conversation she'd stumbled upon. She didn't want Alex and his mom to hear her and realize she'd accidentally eavesdropped on them. She closed the door behind her with a soft click, and focused on Liam standing at the other side of the bed. She'd caught him changing clothes, his shirt falling down his torso and covering his defined abs. She'd already changed; she got in bed, burrowing under the comforter. Liam followed.

They faced each other and he pulled her close. He sighed deeply, relief softening his body into the mattress. She ran her fingers over the side of his face.

"How are you doing?" she asked. The worried wrinkles on his forehead relaxed.

"Better now." His eyes, closed up to that point, opened to fasten with hers, the green of his irises mossy.

"Dinner was… a bit tense." She smirked.

Liam scoffed. "I appreciate how you and my parents tried to make it feel normal."

"How long has this been going on with Alex? I just heard your mom chastising him for his behavior at dinner, but she seemed concerned, too."

"What do you mean, you heard Mom do that?"

"I was coming out of the bathroom and I dropped my hair tie." Ana wiggled her wrist in front of him, showing him her usual spot for it. "I may have moved very slowly to retrieve it, when I realized whose voices I could hear from the first floor. I didn't hear much, though."

Liam chuckled, but the humor didn't overtake his general look of frustration over everything Alex-related. "What did you hear?"

"Your mom was saying that she wanted him to make more of an effort. He first said that he didn't feel the need to, but then she pressed him and he admitted he didn't have it in him. That seemed to worry her."

The door of the room next to Ana and Liam closed; the sound reached them even though it hadn't seemed like a particularly forceful action. Alex had gotten into his room.

Liam's voice turned low, only for Ana's ears. "I don't know what's happening with him. He doesn't talk to me, but my mom has told me a bit. I'm missing details, but I think he hates his job, which may or may not be related to why he doesn't paint anymore, and he hates all of it."

"So he takes it out on you?" Ana frowned. "He's so dry and short with you."

Liam lifted his free shoulder in a half-shrug. "I've been dry and cynical with him, too. I suspect he doesn't believe yet that I've changed, that I'm trying to be different; we haven't spent enough time together, either, for him to see it for himself. And, not gonna lie, he does irk me— and it shows. You saw me."

She nodded and let her hand travel to his shoulder, where she massaged the tense flesh underneath.

"My mom asked me to check in with you that you do feel okay," he added. "I think she was irritated at Alex that he couldn't be a bit kinder today; maybe even a bit embarrassed."

"Oh, don't worry about me. All families have these tensions. My dad's brother never spoke to him again after my parents decided to stay in the US. A little squabble between you and Alex doesn't bother me."

His hand found the skin of her lower back, fingers splaying.

"It does make me a bit sad, though," she continued, "because I know you want it to be different."

He gazed into her eyes, a soft smile on his lips. He kissed her softly. "I do."

"And I know you're trying. I can see it." She traced one of his eyebrows with the pad of her finger.

Liam's hand found its way beneath the fabric of her pajama shirt. "I had an idea earlier. It might be a bad one. Or an excellent one."

"Oh?"

"Alex has an MBA. Did I ever mention that? He's high up on a CFO-for-hire team."

"No, you didn't." She arched an eyebrow. "You should really tell me more about this kinda thing, you know?"

His eyes sparkled. "I've been too busy telling you that I love you. And about my day."

"I guess you have been." She chuckled. "Cheeky. But tell me more about this idea of yours. It involves Alex, I assume?"

"Yeah. As far as I know, his plan was to get to a well-paid position fast, one which would give him enough disposable time and income to paint. I'm not sure what happened, but he's been stuck for a while."

"I think I know where this is going..."