Starr Destined (Starr Series) (7 page)

“Me?  How come?”  Liam wasn’t making any sense whatsoever, as he sat there toying with his cutlery.  Strange.  He seemed almost nervous somehow.

“It’s Seraphina, Jamie.  I’m in a relationship with Seraphina.”

I almost dropped my forkful of food.

“What are you talking about?  You don't mean… the Seraphina I was seeing?”

“How many other Seraphinas do you know?”  He quirked an eyebrow at me.

“Fuck!  No!  You are joking, aren’t you?”  This just wasn’t possible.  Liam with
Seraphina
?  “But… you hated her.  All the horrid things you said about her… the way you refused to help her out…”

“I know.  Believe me, I'm not proud of how I treated her back then.”

“But… you’re too old for her… she’s not your type… you have nothing in common…”  I couldn’t get my head round this at all.  It made no sense whatsoever.

“Yes, I’m older than her, but I don't see that as an issue.  And once I got to know Sera, I realised that apart from being very talented, she’s also extremely hard working and driven, which I can relate to and respect, because it shows we have the same work ethos.  And you’ve got it back to front.  It turns out that Sera is
exactly
my type.  Meeting her has made me realise it was all the previous women who
weren’t
my type, and that’s why I was never tempted to look on them as anything other than temporary arrangements,” he calmly explained.

“Oh my God, does this mean that you and Sera… are you…?”  I couldn’t bring myself to say the words out loud.  Liam was doing Sera?  She was letting him fuck her, when she’d never let me, b
ecause of all her weird issues?

“Are you asking if we’re lovers, Jamie?  Because the answer to that is that we are, very much so.”  Again that secret smile of Liam's played on his face, as if he recalling some private thought that made him very happy.  “She’s a very beautiful woman, and of course there’s a strong physical attra
ction between us.  But it’s much more than just sex.  This is the real thing, Jamie.  I’m in love with Seraphina.” 

I choked when I heard him talking about
love
.

“I don't believe what I'm hearing.  You’ve always told me you didn't believe in love,” I pointed out, as the waiter cleared away the plate from my starter.

“Well, maybe I didn't before, but I certainly do now.  I don't deny it’s come as a shock to me, but there it is.  Unquestionably, I love Seraphina.  It’s the real deal, and I'm in it for the long haul.”

“And Sera?  How does she feel about you?”  I remembered how much she’d disliked him when she’d started working at his company as an intern.  How the hell had this all come about out of the blue?  I just didn't know what to think or feel about it.

“She’s taken some persuading that I'm serious about her, not helped by all the gossip that you lot in the student house apparently spread about me.  But I think I've finally managed to persuade her that I am serious about her, and now she says she loves me too.”  He couldn’t help himself when he said this - he was grinning like a lovesick fool.  Because that’s what he was, I guessed.

Our main courses arrived, and as we slowly started eating, I struggled to take in what Liam had just told me.  The thought of my brother with Sera just seemed all wrong to me, although I couldn’t deny he looked really happy when he spoke about her.  That was certainly a complete turnabout, because Liam never usually looked happy - he just didn't do ‘happy’.

A very uncharitable thought popped into my head - had Sera let him be the one to finally seduce her because he was wealthy and successful?  Had she really been after him when she was keeping me at arm’s length?  I quickly dismissed those thoughts - I knew Sera wasn’t like that at all.  But all those months I'd hung around trying to convince Sera to get it on with me, while Liam had just waltzed in and managed to lay her in no time at all - how had he managed that?  The jammy bastard always got what he wanted, didn't he? 

“You say you’re actually serious about Sera?  But are you sure it’s not just the novelty factor for you that’s going to wear off before too long?  You know you never stay with a woman for more than a few weeks.  It’s unfair to Sera, if you’re just using her.”

“I'm certainly not using her, although you’re a fine one to lecture me.  It still makes my blood boil to think of the way you treated her,” Liam glowered at me.

“Oh, I see how this started now.  I get it.  You were her knight in shining armour, rushing in to save the day, and that’s how you swept her off her feet and into bed.  I think that’s pretty sick actually.  But you always get what you want, don't you?  You’re so lucky.  Everything always comes so easily to you,” I retorted, riled that Liam had brought up that touchy subject again, which always made me feel guilty.

“Is that what you think?  Is that really how you see things, Jamie?  Easy?  You think I’ve had it easy?  My God, you’re even more of a spoilt brat than I realised.  Thanks to me, you’ve had everything handed to you on a plate, and yet you still whine about being broke, even though you’ve never even had to break sweat by going out to earn some money for yourself.”

“You’ve always said that I should concentrate on my studies,” I argued defensively.

“Yes, but you even struggled to do that, didn't you, leaving everything to the last minute, then  having to cram for your exams.  Let me ask you this - how would you have coped with dropping out of uni at nineteen, to rescue the ailing family business that was about to go under, while being solely responsible for supporting your kid brother at the same time?  The fact that I turned things around and managed to make a success of things is down to sheer bloody hard work, not luck, because the fact is that you make your own luck in life.”  Liam stated furiously.

“Yes, but at least you inherited the company to work with in the first place.  That was all in place for you to take over,” I pointed out.

“Trust me, it would have been far easier to have started from scratch, rather than having to unravel the mess our father left the business in.  But for some stupid reason, I felt it was my duty to try and put right the family business, in the hope that one day, there would still be a going concern for my little brother to join.”

“That was your choice, not mine.  I never asked you to be some kind of martyr, did I?” I retorted, determined that Liam was not going to lay some guilt trip on me.

“No, you didn't, and from now on, I won’t be making the same mistake again.  You’re an adult, so it’s about fucking time you grew up, Jamie.  I think you need to face a few realities, and stand on your own two feet from now on.  So I’ve decided that while you’re out in Australia, I’m not going to support you - you’ll have to get a job and pay your own way.  The airline ticket’s already paid for, but that’s it, that’s my last contribution.  I really don't see why I should fund a year-long holiday out there for you.”

“What?  But I thought…”  A job in Australia?  That hadn't been part of my plans.

“And I’m sorry if you think it’s sick that I'm with Sera, but I thought you deserved to hear about it directly from me first, rather than anyone else, as we’re about to go public.  So, duty done, and now I really don't care whether you approve or not.  However, I would’ve liked to think you could be mature enough to handle this, that you might actually have been pleased for us, but I suppose that was too much to ask.  But just know this.  I will take care of Sera and cherish her in the way that she deserves.  She will want for nothing, either materially or emotionally.  I will never treat her badly, and she will always have me there to protect her and look after her.  If you think that’s sick, then I'm sorry for you.”

Then Liam stood up, got his wallet out, and threw some money on the table, before storming out of the restaurant, leaving me sitting there open mouthed at his reaction.

Bloody hell!  I seemed to have touched on a very sensitive nerve.  We’d always been upfront with each other, and said what we thought, but he’d never stormed off like that before.  This whole situation was something new and totally different.  Liam having feelings for a woman, actual proper feelings, that weren’t just about sex.  It was such a huge change for him, surely he couldn’t be surprised that I was sceptical?  Especially as it was Sera we were talking about.

I’d lost my appetite for a dessert now, so I paid the bill - with the money Liam had provided, then made my way home - in the car that he’d provided, and drove back to the house - that he’d pr
ovided.  Okay, so he provided for me, but seeing as he was loaded, that was no great hardship for him, was it?

It was still quite early in the evening, as I walked in to find Abbey sat at the kitchen table, chatting with Toby.  He looked his usual scruffy self in his T-shirt and jeans, while Abbey was dressed head to toe in a tight black outfit that made her look like a stick of liquorice.

“Hi, mate.  What’s up?”  Toby asked when he saw my expression.  “Trouble with The Big Guy?”

I pulled out a chair and then slumped onto it as I joined them at the table.

“He is so fucking unreal.  You’ll never guess what’s been going on.”  I ran my hands through my hair as I tried to calm down.

“What?  What’s he done to upset you now?”  Toby asked.  I noticed that he and Abbey were hol
ding hands.  How fucking sweet.

“Liam’s seeing Sera.  As in
seeing
her,” I explained.

“Oh, right,” Toby said, not seeming at all surprised.

“So he’s finally told you,” Abbey stated.  “About time.”

“You both knew?”  I frowned.  “How come you knew and I didn't?”

“Because I'm Sera’s best friend, in case you’ve forgotten.  Toby gathered what was going on, because he overheard us talking on the phone, but he was sworn to secrecy.  Liam didn't want to tell you until you’d finished your finals, in case you freaked out about it, which by the look of things, you have,” she declared. 

“Freaked out?  I think I'm entitled to be a bit freaked out, don't you?  Sera, with Liam?  I think it’s all wrong, if you want my honest opinion.”

“I don't actually, not if you’re going to act like a totally immature prick,” Abbey smiled sweetly at me.  “What’s wrong with them being together?  Is it just because she’d rather be with him than you?  Funny that.  Choose the selfish, immature, self-centred  brother who attacked her, or the more mature, considerate and responsible brother. Hmm, hard choice.”

“I didn't attack her, it wasn’t like that, it was just a misunderstanding.  And I’m sorry but mature?  What you really mean is that Liam’s way older - much too old for her,” I scowled.

“Of course he isn’t.  I've always said that Sera has an old head on young shoulders.  You have to admit, Jamie, she was never your typical student, was she?  So an older guy actually makes perfect sense for her.”

“Yeah, but… she’s so not his type.  How come he thinks he’s attracted to her now?”  I stared at Abbey, as she seemed to think she had all the answers.

“That’s just the way it works, sometimes.  Your brother didn't know what he really liked, not until he met Sera.  And why wouldn’t he be attracted to her?  Sera’s gorgeous, but she isn’t just a pretty face, she’s one smexy woman,” Abbey pronounced.

“Smexy?  What the hell does that mean?” 

“Smart and sexy.  Smexy.  Sera’s a smexy woman.  I thought everyone had heard of that,” Abbey rolled her eyes at me disparagingly.  “So I don't get why you seem so surprised that Liam’s attracted to her.  Why on earth wouldn’t he be? You should see them together.  They have this amazing chemistry.  They both fought against it, but it was kismet, or fate, or destiny, whatever you want to call it.  They belong together,” Abbey insisted.

“What do you mean, they fought against it?”

“Sera ran off to Ireland after the Spring Ball debacle, and Liam went after her to persuade her to come back.  It was so romantic,” Abbey sighed, as she clutched her hand to her chest melodramatically, like some stupid drama queen.

“How come I hadn't got a clue any of this was going on?”  I scowled back.

“Maybe because you’re an asshat?  Too wrapped up in your own little world to even think about anyone else?  Or maybe it was because you were too busy screwing Poppy to give anyone else the slightest consideration?”  Abbey wasn’t pulling any punches, she was certainly being free with her opinions about all my faults, so I looked to Toby for some support.

“Hey, I’m just an innocent bystander here.”  He shrugged and raised his hands in the air. “But for what it’s worth, I don't get what your problem is.  You and Sera broke up.  You said you weren’t interested in her any more.  So now The Big Guy and Sera are seeing each other.  Just get on and deal with it.  And here’s a thought, Jamie - you could maybe try acting like an adult and be happy for them.”

Abbey turned and looked at Toby admiringly.

“Wow.  Well said.  I knew there was a reason I liked you.”  She beamed at him, and then kissed his cheek, as she ruffled his shaggy dark brown hair.  He grinned back and pointed to his other cheek, which Abbey duly kissed.  Then she kissed him on his lips, and moved to straddle his lap, as he put his arms around her waist, and started kissing her back.

I cleared my throat noisily.

“Hey, before you two get totally carried away, don't forget we’re going to that club later,” I r
eminded Toby.