Page 150 of Over the Line

I turned to Liam. “Hmm?”

His forehead creased. “You still with me?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I…”

He touched my leg. “Everything okay?”

I was tempted to brush off the question, but wasn’t I tied up in knots over lying by omission? Why add to that pile with Liam. So I took a deep breath. “Chris figured out I’m seeing someone.”

Alarm straightened Liam’s spine. He slid a hand over my leg. “Oh yeah?”

I nodded, and I told him about the exchange I’d had with Chris and Jasmine. “I said it’s a new thing, you know? That we’re not ready to make introductions to family—all that.” I made a face. “It’s true, but also… I don’t know…”

His fingers twitched on my leg. “But you still feel guilty.”

“I don’t think that’s going away until we come clean.”

“Probably not. It’s… It’s fucking with me too.” He studied me. “Not as much as it is with you, I don’t think.”

Sighing, I nodded. “It’s just… Every time I imagine telling him, I jump to the worst-case scenario. That he’ll be angry with me. For being with you, for not telling him sooner, for—” I waved a hand. “I don’t even think it’s rational. I’ve been walking on eggshells with him since before I came to Pittsburgh because I’m just so sure anything I do will send us back to square one, you know? Or worse?”

“I get that,” he said softly. “You guys went through hell. After all that, I think I’d be afraid to take a bad step, too.”

“Exactly. Except I don’t even know if this is a bad step with him. He knows I’m queer. He likes you. I… can’t even come up with a rational reason why he’d be upset about it.”

“Does it have to be rational?” He found my hand and laced our fingers together. “You’re afraid of messing up with your kid. I don’t think it needs to be rational.”

“Maybe not. I don’t know.”

Liam opened his mouth to speak, but right then, he grimaced. He sat up a bit straighter and twisted to one side, then the other, swearing as his back popped audibly. When he sat back, I again waited for him to get comfortable.

“You okay?” I asked.

“I’m good. Just sore.” With a dry laugh, he added, “Occupational hazard.” Then he wrapped his arm around my shoulders again, and I let myself be reeled back in, closing my eyes as I settled against his amazing body.

“Are you sure this is comfortable?”

“It’s fine.” He trailed his thumb back and forth along my shoulder. “There’s no such thing as a completely comfortable position right now, but this is good.” He was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke this time, he pivoted back to what we’d been talking about a moment ago. “So that’s why you’re worried about us—because you’re afraid if he finds out, it’ll erase the progress you’ve made with him.”

“Pretty much.” I curled closer to Liam, wrapping my arm tighter around his narrow midsection. “One minute, I think we’re not doing a damn thing wrong. Consenting adults, both single—all that. The next…”

“I think that makes sense.”

I tipped my head up enough to look at him. “Does it?”

“Well, yeah.” He shrugged tightly, the faintest wince pulling at his lips. Shifting a little, probably to accommodate his sore body, he said, “Like I said, anyone would be treading carefully with someone they’ve only reconciled with recently.” He looked in my eyes, brow furrowed. “If Chris finds out about us—do you think that’ll be a setback?”

I blew out a breath. “That’s just it—I have no idea.” I hesitated, then added, “I’m terrified to find out, honestly.”

Deep crevices formed between his eyebrows. It didn’t take a mind reader to know where his thoughts were going.

“I don’t want to stop doing this.” I clasped my hand in mind. “I’m going to keep freaking out until we tell him, but…”

“I get that,” Liam murmured. “But I don’t want to be the reason you wind up estranged from your son again.”

“And I don’t want to be the reason your team splinters.”

From the subtle wince, he’d had similar worries. But he didn’t let go. He didn’t pull away.