“Why?” I murmur.

“So you can see.”

His thumb moves, the pad of his finger running along my jaw. He waits, giving me a few breaths. My eyes slowly open and when I look into his face, just inches from my own, his eyes are burning with an emotion I’ve never seen directed at me.

I’ve seen it before and the knowledge of what he’s trying to communicate with just that searing gaze, makes my heart leap in my chest before beating so violently it feels like it might break right out of my body. This is a look of complete affection. Tenderness that I’ve seen a million times since Cohen pulled me into his world. It’s one that Cohen is often giving Dani. But right now, coming from Liam, it’s mixed with the hunger that is simmering just beneath the surface, his simple look has turned into something I’ve never experienced, but always wanted and made me yearn to see it a million times over.

A look that no matter how much Jack loved me—it was only a love of friendship and never, not once, a look that made me feel like I was the only person he ever saw.

I gasp, my thoughts feeling like nothing short of a betrayal to his memory.

“You feel it.”

My eyes widen and I don’t move. Not confirming physically, but giving him that regardless with my silence.

“Yeah, baby.” His forehead drops against mine and his eyes stay locked with my own. “You’ve given that angel everything she needs, Megan. She doesn’t lack love, but she has so much to give. She doesn’t understand loss, but she will. You can’t keep that from her no matter how hard you try. It’s part of life. All you can do is be there for her when it inevitably happens. And as hard as this is for you, you have to know that she needs to experience all of the ups and all of the downs that life has. She. Needs. To. Live.”

He stops, brings one of his hands from where it was resting lightly against my neck and wipes the tear that had rolled from my wide eyes.

“There is no doubt in my mind that you have been doing the best you can. You protected her while you have been protecting yourself, but it’s time to step out of that bubble and let yourself feel. Live. You both need this, not just her. You’ve watched her this past year, Megan. When everyone is around, that little girl lights up. So much love to give. She gives it freely and eagerly. Not one person she comes around isn’t affected by that smile.”

“I’ve kept her from this, Liam.”

“No, baby. You haven’t kept anything from her. You’ve been too busy guarding yourself that you’ve missed it. She already has it. Do you really think Nate would have fought his own sister off and volunteered to bring her home from school if he didn’t want to? He told me he locked Dani in her own house and brought Molly home, just so he could spend some time with her. Half the time when Izzy is watching her, Molly is watching Nate. Did it seem odd to you that she didn’t even bat an eye when I was here the other night? Darlin’, those times Dani has had her while you were working? You know Dani and I are close?”

I nod and his smile deepens.

“I look real good in Dani’s makeup baby.”

My jaw drops and the image of Liam—all very male Liam—the subject of one of Molly’s makeovers.

“I’m there, often, and I’ll be the first to admit that she has me wrapped around her finger as tight as I can get.”

He finishes and gives me a second while my mouth flounders.

“She never told me.” My voice comes out harsher than I meant and I can tell he doesn’t like it.

“You’ve been scared of your own shadow for a while now, Megan. She might not have told you outright, but she wasn’t keeping it from you.”

“Molly never told me,” I continue.

“She didn’t tell you? Or you didn’t want to hear it?”

My brow wrinkles and I think about what he’s saying. Had I been purposely been ignoring things I don’t want to see? All those times that Dani had watched her for a few hours, she had come home on cloud nine. Her chatter had been nonstop and most of the time so rapid that I couldn’t keep up. But—my God! What kind of mother am I?

“Tea parties,” I say hoarsely. “I always thought that Leelee was . . . well, not you. That night you came with pizza—” My voice trails off as I remember how my daughter so oddly spoke to Liam like she had been waiting for him. Like she had anticipated his arrival at her home.

“It’s not hard to love her, Megan. I would never hurt either of you, but you have to know had I refused the innocent love she so freely throws to everyone around her, that it would have left a mark.”