Collided (Dirty Air Series Book 2)

I never spent time hanging out with little kids. Being an only child limited my exposure to their endless ideas and unfiltered mouths. Babysitting Liam’s nieces taught me how I freaking love kids, which was a total mindfuck out of nowhere.

No, I don’t have baby fever. But I love talking to them while coloring on the cement floor of the McCoy garage. We spend an hour together while Liam and Lukas race around the track.

They draw me pictures of their house. Elyse colors a ten-thousand-square-foot addition in the backyard for me (pool and convertible included) while Kaia draws a picture of me and her dad with a heart (sorry little lady, I have the hots for your uncle). They share stories about their mom (I shed a tear or ten for them) and how their dad makes the best mac and cheese (who knew Kraft could be considered gourmet). In an hour, these two blonde babies captured my heart and attention. Time flies by and I love every second of it.

I draw each of them a portrait to take home. Coloring opened them up to me, allowing them to tell me stories, both good and bad. An idea hits me to research more about art and kids once I head back to my hotel room later.

Kaia and Elyse look sad when their dad shows up with Onkel Niam.

“I should feel insulted at their frowns. Turns out you’re pretty good with kids after all.” Lukas shakes his head in disbelief.

“I know my beer shirt doesn’t portray me in the best light, but Liam gave me no time to change. Honestly, I loved them so much that I’d offer you money to keep them for a week, but I’m broke.” I already checked my bank account. A few shopping trips with Maya and booking a trip to Bora Bora sucked up the last bit of money I made during my strip poker night.

“Will you work for beer because this can be arranged?” Lukas smiles at me.

Liam smacks him across the back of his head. “Quit flirting with my girl.”

Two words make my heart clench. My girl.

Lukas looks at me sheepishly, a blush creeping up his neck. “Well…you can join us for whatever else Liam has planned.” He offers an invite before Liam says anything.

Liam shoots me a toothy grin that reaches his eyes. “What a good idea. I think Sophie will love what I planned next.”

Liam leads us out of the garage, telling us about his race day for the kids. He traded F1 cars for karts, which look like they came straight from a Mario Kart game, costumes included. My heart can’t catch a break as his nieces hug each of his legs.

Liam grabs a Bowser onesie while Lukas picks a Mario costume minus the mustache. I choose the green Yoshi onesie because both girls eye the Princess Peach and Daisy costumes, not that they’d fit my body anyway.

“Baby Zanders. What are the rules?” Liam gets into character, looking ridiculous yet amazing all at once.

I really like him. Like really, really like him.

“Have fun!” Kaia claps her hands. Liam holds up a finger, waiting for the other two answers.

“No hitting each other.” Another finger in the air when Elyse answers.

“And Onkel Niam no win.” Kaia raises her chubby fist.

Kaia officially became my favorite, repeating the rule I whispered in her ear a few minutes ago. What a quick learner. Liam glares at me as I hold back a laugh. He lifts a finger, conveniently flashing me the middle one. I curl over from escaped giggles.

He lets out his own rough laugh. “Last one.”

“Watch out for bananas and smells.” Elyse can’t pronounce her sh sound clearly yet.

Liam set up the track with a crew from McCoy throwing fake shells and bananas at the adults’ karts like a real game. Where he found the time to plan all of this beats me. Words can’t describe how proud I am of him trying with them.

We each hop in our karts and give Elyse a head start. Lukas has a special kid carrier for Kaia since she’s still too young for racing on her own. Liam and Lukas declare a rematch after Liam won the F1 car round, proposing whoever wins buys a round of beers.

Our karts take off down the track, rumbling and chugging along. I somehow get in front of Liam and fling a banana peel in his way. He narrowly misses. His laugh can be heard over the vrooming sound of the tiny engine in my kart, his deep rumble running against my spine in a caress.

“You’re going to have to try better than that. You throw like a girl.” His voice carries loud and clear despite the muffling of his helmet.

I push down on the pedal hard, my height not exactly giving me an advantage here.

“Told you I could get you a booster seat.” He drives next to me.

“Over my dead body would I use a booster seat.”

“Then enjoy being in last place.” Liam pushes down on his accelerator and surges past me.

We go around and around the track, avoiding banana peels and shells. The girls enjoy themselves, with Kaia tossing peels and Elyse driving through grass patches.

Turns out Elyse, the little cherub, gets the checkered flag much to Lukas’s shock. We may have the very first female F1 racer here.

Liam carries his niece on his shoulder, tugging at every single heartstring inside of me like a pull-apart piñata. Weeks ago, he told me how he and Kaia have never been close. I would have never believed it. Seriously, I can’t breathe at the sight of him tickling her and throwing her up in the air. Kids are amazing and forgiving because the two baby Zanders accept Liam wholeheartedly.

Lukas grabs the hand of his tiny clone and leads us toward the podium where Liam hopes to place first on Sunday.

This time, Liam trades champagne for sparkling apple juice. The girls get showered in the sticky substance while Liam and Lukas dance around them to a Disney song. I keep a safe distance away until Liam drags me onto the stage and sprays a fresh bottle on me, liquid spraying on my face and body. The sickly sweet smell invades my nose.

Liam gets down on one knee and chugs straight from the bottle.

“You look ridiculous.” I fail at holding back my smile.

He pulls the bottle away from his lips. “Well, I’d prefer you on your knees, but I’ll compromise.”

I release a loud laugh. “You can’t talk like that in front of kids.”

Liam glances over at Lukas washing the girls down with a hose. “Seeing as they’re about to knock out from a sugar high, I think we are safe. Plus, I can’t help myself, with what you stir up inside of me.”

“Erections don’t count.”

“God, I love your mouth.” He shoots me a smile that has my knees shaking.

Somewhere between Shanghai and Germany, this happy yet noncommittal man wrapped his hands around my heart and owned me. I memorize his every detail, from the hidden scar at his hairline to the razor cut he got on his neck yesterday from a fresh blade.

I love him from his head to his toes. For his quick wit, boyish charm, and back scratches in the middle of the night. Our story fits a tragedy. It’s ironic how, while exploring myself and learning who I am, I discovered someone else who brought out the absolute best and the downright worst in me. Falling in love is ugly like that.

And damn if ours turns out to be the ugliest of them all.