Page 5 of Holiday Home 3
At least we’ve found the festering wound,Liam realized.
“No, I don’t think you’re a narcissist at all, Avril,” Tess said, shaking her head.
Avril didn’t seem so convinced. Fingering one of the ends of her vermillion scarf, she said, “I mean, you did say you didn’t think I was ‘so narcissistic’a minute ago.”
Tess opened her mouth, though no words emerged. She tried again a moment later, bringing along another headshake.
“It was an improper choice of words. I donotthink you’re a narcissist, Avril. You can be somewhat egocentric, but like I said, everyone knows how much you care about Anna. She certainly does. I do as well.”
Tess glanced at him, clearly calling for him to speak.
“Me too,” he said. “There’s never been any doubt in my mind about how much you care about Anna. Anna and I have even talked about it a couple of times.”
Their words seemed to have the soothing effect they both hoped they would. Some of the tension clutching Avril’s slender shoulders dissipated, which allowed something of her original self to return to its homeland.
“Okay,” she said, appearing mildly mollified. “Thanks.” She fidgeted slightly, lips flattening as her gaze fought its way to him. “Sorry for kissing you like that, Liam.”
It was his turn to blink owlishly. Given that they’d done far more than kiss on their first meeting at the start of winter break, it felt bizarre to hear her apologize for something as benign as a kiss. Still, given the circumstances surrounding it, an apology was to be expected.
“Uh, it’s okay,” he said, trying to sprint through this part of things as swiftly as possible. “I didn’t mind.”Oh, for fuck’s sake.“I mean, I’m not mad at you or anything. It’s water under the bridge. No biggie.”
He realized that he was rambling, working hastily to pave over the body he’d dropped onto the ground when he’d said he didn’t mind the kiss. He received a pained smile from Avril, who’d undoubtedly caught his blunder.
Undoubtedly, Tess had too. As he bumbled through his words, she eyed him quietly. When he finally clamped his jaw shut, lest further idiocy pour out of it, she remained silent for only a handful of seconds.
“Avril,” she said. “While Anna is away, I would like to ask why you decided to kiss Liam like that. Was it just to make her react as she did?”
Avril’s focus remained on him for the first part of her reply, though it swiftly moved back to Tess. “No, it wasn’t that. I mean… kind of. Not all of it, I guess.” She sighed, struggling her way through being sincere but also contrite.
“Then what other reason was there?”
Shutting his eyes for a few seconds, Liam did his utmost to will Anna’s phone call to an end, desperate for her to return before Avril answered. Alas, his psychic powers remained untapped and incapable of saving him from what he assumed would guarantee further fallout later.
Avril took a deep breath, potentially hoping for the same thing. However, Anna didn’t reappear, so she eventually needed to reply. Whether it was the wholehearted truth or an impressive façade, Liam couldn’t tell.
A part of him hoped it was the former.
“Because Iaminterested in Liam,” she said, looking at them both. “So, you know, two birds with one stone. I just didn’t… think about my when and where as much as I should have.”
“You’re interested in Liam?” Tess said.
“Yeah, I am.” Avril lifted her chin slightly, letting Tess look into her emerald eyes, whose vividness had begun to reignite. It was just a simmer, for now, but they weren’t iced over any longer.
“May I ask why?”
It seemed like a questionheshould have asked, all things considered. This was about him, after all. Yet, he understood that, in a way, it wasn’t. This conversation was about him, but it wasn’tforhim.
Avril shrugged. “He’s cute, it’s easy to make him blush, and he’s kind of clever. There was his cheating stunt with the cards, and then this thing between him and Anna.”
One of Tess’s eyebrows elevated. “You’re interested in him because he’s fooled you twice?”
“Sure. Most people can’t. He has—twice.” She finally glanced at him. “There won’t be a third time.”
Knowing it still wasn’t safe for him to fire back a flirty response, he merely held his hands out innocently, which earned a snort from the beautiful redhead.
“There won’t be a third time,” she reiterated.
“It’s just those three things?” Tess asked.