I huffed softly. "Okay . . ."

"My lady love terrified me. Finding your true love is the most terrifying experience of your life, dude number one. Well, unless you have kids. I've heard that shit is pretty fucking scary."

"Brian, no. I-"

"Tell me why you were terrified," he demanded, cutting me off.

"Because of the way he made me feel. That, and his personality reminded me of Rhys."

"Is that really why he terrified you? Because he made you feel like your ex-boo did?" There were a few beats of silence between us as I waited for him to realize that I'd already answered his question. "Who can't you live without?"

"Liam," I said without hesitation.

Brian clucked his tongue. "If you're asking me, dude number one, then I'd say my boy terrified you because he made you feel more than you ever felt for your ex-boo. And finding that, after being hurt by the ex, only made the fear of finding your true love that much greater."

"But I don't lo-" I cut off quickly, and my mouth dropped as my eyes widened. "I love Liam," I whispered. "Brian, I'm in love with him."

"I already know that, dude."

I laughed and looked around me, like I couldn't seem to grasp the epiphany I'd just had. Even last night I would have continued denying my true feelings for Liam. But something about this conversation with Brian-something about finally voicing the fact that I no longer loved Rhys-had made the last of my walls finally fall.

"Oh my God, Brian!" I said in awe. "Do you know how absolutely amazing you are with your nonstoned mind?"

"Like I told my boy when I informed his denying ass that he loved you not long after you came back into his life: I should be Cupid's sidekick. I've got this love shit down."

"Twins expert. Cupid's sidekick. Badass tattoo artist. And a fucking genius."

"Ha! You get me, my dude!" He took another large bite of his burger and waved it at me as he spoke around the mouthful. "Well, now that you're done acting like you don't know what the fuck's up with your heart, you better go tell my boy what you just realized."

I stood, but Brian's voice stopped me from leaving.

"Not that I know much about anything. But it's Saturday."

"Yeah," I said a little breathless. I was anxious to get to Liam, and the anxiety had my heart racing. "And?"

"And, dude number one, all I know is that every Saturday my boy comes to see me and feed me after he gets done sparring with his daddy-o. So if I'm not as high as I think I am . . . he's at the gym, or he's on his way there."

I barreled forward and wrapped my arms around Brian's neck. "Thank you. And don't tell your wife that you got two cheat meals in one day!"

"Who's tellin?" he called out as I raced toward the door to leave. "Go get him, dude!"

17.

December 5 Liam "I FIGURED IT out," I said in way of announcing myself.

Dad turned around from where he'd been talking to Kristi at the drink bar with his brow pinched together. "Figured out what?"

"Kennedy, and what I need to do."

A smile crossed his face, and he folded his arms across his chest. "Really? Well, let's hear it."

"I'm you and Chase. And my entire relationship with Kennedy has been what Mom went through with both of you."

Both of his eyebrows rose, and he nodded. "Explain."

"At first, I pushed for a relationship that she tried to stay out of because she'd been married before. Granted, I didn't know, but I kept pushing until she was mine. When I found out about Rhys, I thought there was no way that she would end up choosing me, which is why I wanted to step back. I did it for her, but I knew I had to start protecting myself from what I thought was coming, so in a way it was also for me. So that's Chase, right?"

"Right," he said with an amused grin. "I feel like I know where this is about to go."

"I gave her time, but I can't keep staying away. I can't sit still without feeling like I'm losing my mind. I need to be working, surfing, running . . . anything so I don't think about her. And if I sit there for any amount of time, I get up and grab my keys. But I only ever make it to my car before I talk myself out of it, and I don't want to keep talking myself out of it. I want to be there. I want to show her what we had, and to fight for my chance even though I may not get it again."

"And that's me," he assumed.

"Yeah," I said on a breath. "That's you. Looks like I got the best of both of you."

Dad's smile changed into something softer, and for a second, his eyes welled up before he was able to blink the tears away. "That has to be the best thing I've ever heard come from you, Liam." Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath and studied me for a second. "I guess that means we're not sparring tonight?"

"Hell no. I need to go to her." I heard a voice call my name, but before I turned to look, I grabbed my dad in a quick hug. "Thanks for everything, old man."

Dad pushed me back and took a few steps away. "I don't think you're about to get your chance to-"

"Liam!"

I didn't hear the rest of what my dad was saying as a wall slammed into me from behind and almost knocked me over. I stumbled forward a few steps, and quickly understood why my dad had backed up. A pair of slender, tattooed arms crossed in front of my chest, and long legs wrapped around my waist.

Grabbing on to the arms I knew so well, I helped her slide down, and turned to face my girl standing there with the widest smile and brightest eyes.

"Kennedy-"

"I'm in love with you!" she blurted out, and her smile seemed to widen.

I shook my head and leaned closer. "What?" I asked, knowing I hadn't heard her correctly.

"I love you!" Her chest fell and rose with her heavy breaths, and she seemed to bounce even though her feet were firmly on the ground. "I love you, and I'm sorry I never told you that before. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it, and I'm so damn sorry I didn't tell you about-"

I cut her off by crushing my mouth to hers and pulling her into my arms. "Fucking hell, Kennedy, tell me I didn't just dream this," I begged against her lips before kissing her again.

She laughed and pressed her hands against my chest so she could lean back. "Not a dream. I love you, Liam Taylor."

"Thank God," I growled as I captured her mouth. "Rhys?"

"I still need to talk to him. I've known what my decision would be for a couple weeks now-well, I've known since you walked out of my condo that last time-but I just started trying to get to know Rhys again so I could give him a chance in the last couple weeks. I was so worried that I would do something wrong that I hadn't been able to voice my choice, but now I know who I want and what is right for me."

My lips curved up in a slow smile, and I shook my head in amazement. "I told you, Moon. One day you would claim me as yours."

Her eyes narrowed playfully. "I still haven't done that."

"You're about to," I assured her, and faintly brushed my lips over hers. "You are mine, Kennedy Ryan."

"And you are mine," she responded as her arms wrapped around my neck to pull me closer.

"As much as I'm happy that you two finally figured your stuff out, I'm pretty sure you're either grossing out the members of my gym, or making them wish they were in Liam's place."

I turned to glare at my dad before glancing around at the handful of guys staring at us.

"Take it outside so you don't have this audience. And Kennedy," he called out just as we began walking toward the doors and waited until we were facing him. "Thank you."

"For?"

"For choosing correctly."

Kennedy's bright smile crossed her face again, and she buried herself in my side. "It was my pleasure, Brandon. Really."

I pulled Kennedy out of the building and, as soon as we were outside, grabbed her up in my arms and kissed her enough to make up for every kiss I'd missed in the last month. We were both breathless when I set her back on her feet, and she swayed back toward me a bit.

"How did you even know I was here?"

She laughed and her eyes widened for a split second. "I was with Brian, he told me you'd be here sparring with your dad."

"Fucking Brian," I mumbled, but couldn't stop smiling with the way she was smiling at me. I'd never seen her this happy before, and it was contagious. "Didn't end up sparring. I came in to tell my dad that I was going to go to you because I was done waiting for you to make up your mind."

Her dark eyebrows rose high. "Were you?"

"I needed to remind you of what you were missing."

Her features softened, and she tightened her arms around me. "Trust me, Liam. I knew exactly what I'd been missing. It just took me a little bit to stop wasting time."

"That's an understatement."

Kennedy punched my stomach teasingly.

"I'm kidding, Moon. As long as I was the one you chose in the end, you could've taken years."

"Years," she stated skeptically.

"I never said I'd fight fair during that time." I shrugged unapologetically.

"Well, a month was long enough for me." She took a deep breath in and released it slowly. "There's a lot I need to tell you, but nothing that I want to tell you outside of your dad's gym. And I still need to tell Rhys what I've decided . . . alone."

"You're sure you don't want me there with you?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I need to do it alone. After the conversation I had with him last night, I have a feeling he's going to understand. Besides, if my decision had been different, would you want me showing up with him to tell you?"

"Fuck." I rubbed my forehead, but conceded, knowing that this was something I had to let her do. "No, I wouldn't want that. If you need to talk to him alone, you should."

"So I think maybe you should go fight with your dad, then go take Brian his second greasy meal of the day, and maybe if you're up for it, I'll come over after. I think Brian would be mad at me if I made you miss your Saturday night with him."

"Miss my Saturday with him? I see Brian whenever, it's not always on Saturdays."

Kennedy's face fell. "That greedy bastard," she muttered, and sighed. "Whatever, I'm sure he's expecting you after this. Just don't take burgers to him, he already had some."

"Okay, no burgers, and I'll go work out with Dad as long as you can tell me you'll come back to me tonight."

"I said if you-"

"I'll be up for it, Moon. I'm going to need you tonight-especially if I know you're about to go talk to your ex about all of this."

She nodded and pressed a lingering kiss to my lips before backing away. "I'll see you in a few hours, Liam Taylor, I promise."

And just like that, the last month fell away like it had been nothing. Everything I'd been worrying about and afraid of suddenly felt like it had been worth the trouble. Turning around after she'd driven off, I went back into the gym and caught my dad's eye.

"Let's do this, old man."

December 5 Kennedy I GOT HOME as fast as I could, and practically ran to the condo. My sudden entrance seemed to have caught Kira and Rhys off guard, but I had too much adrenaline to think about it much.

"Hey, I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation! Apparently I like to do that," I said with an awkward laugh, and looked directly at Rhys. "Do you think we could go to dinner . . . alone? I was hoping to talk to you about something."

Rhys's eyes darted over to Kira, but didn't stay there for more than a second. "Yeah, sure. Let me change really quick." He pulled out his bag from behind the couch, and carried it down the hall and into my room.

"I'm sorry," I said to Kira, who was staring off into space. "I swear it's nothing against you, I just need to do this. I need to talk to him."

"Yeah, no. I get it," she mumbled, and stood up from the love seat.

"Hey," I said, and grabbed her arm when she started walking past me. "Are you okay? You've been so weird the last week or so."

"I'm fine."

My eyebrows pulled together. "Kira, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just tired and I've had a headache all day. You two going to dinner will give me a chance to relax."

"I can bring you something back," I offered, but she shook her head as she pulled her arm free.

"No, I'm good. Food doesn't sound good right now. I'll see you when you get back."

I stood there staring at her closed door until I heard Rhys walk back into the room.

"Ready? And can we take my truck? I haven't had a reason to drive in a while."

"Yeah, sure," I murmured, then shook my head. "Yeah, I am. Do you know if Kira's okay?"