If Only You

IF ONLY YOU BERGMAN BROTHERS #6 CHLOE LIESE Cover Art by JENNIE ROSE DENTON OF LAMPLIGHT CREATIVE If Only You A Bergman Brothers Novel (#6) Chloe Liese Copyright © 2023 Chloe Liese Published by Chloe Liese All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. CONTENT NOTES *Includes Spoilers* This is an open-door romance that portrays on-page, consensual sexual intimacy. This story includes a character on the autism spectrum and a character with celiac disease. It also includes the topic of self-medicating with alcohol and substances, as well as past experience of a verbally abusive stepparent and abandonment by a parent. With the guidance of my own experience as well as authenticity and beta readers, I hope I have given these subjects the care and respect they deserve. PLAYLIST NOTE At the beginning of each chapter, a song and artist is provided as another optional means of emotional connection to the story. It isn’t a necessity—for some it may be a distraction or for others, inaccessible—nor are the lyrics literally about the chapter. Listen before or while you read for a soundtrack experience. If you enjoy playlists, rather than individually searching each song as you read, you can directly access these songs on a Spotify Playlist by logging onto your Spotify account and entering “If Only You (BB #6)” into the search browser. For the hard hearts that bravely learn to soften, and the brave soft hearts that love them as they do. “Broken hearts, unrequited love, and inconsolable misery are subjects which, most fortunately, I have only ever read in books.” — Jane Austen, Sanditon CONTENTS 1. Ziggy 2. Sebastian 3. Ziggy 4. Sebastian 5. Ziggy 6. Ziggy 7. Sebastian 8. Ziggy 9. Sebastian 10. Sebastian 11. Ziggy 12. Sebastian 13. Ziggy 14. Sebastian 15. Ziggy 16. Sebastian 17. Ziggy 18. Ziggy 19. Sebastian 20. Sebastian 21. Ziggy 22. Ziggy 23. Ziggy 24. Sebastian 25. Sebastian 26. Ziggy 27. Ziggy 28. Sebastian 29. Ziggy 30. Sebastian 31. Ziggy 32. Sebastian 33. Ziggy Acknowledgments About the Author Books by Chloe Liese 1 ZIGGY Playlist: “Shame,” Elle King This just might be the perfect day. Except for one small thing: My underwear. Standing beside my siblings, I smile for another wedding photo and try to focus on how magical this day has been instead of how far my panties are riding up my butt. I think about this gorgeous beachfront wedding that just went off without a hitch for my brother Ren and his now wife, Frankie, who’s been like a sister to me for years. I think about the glorious tangerine sun glowing on the horizon, the luscious sea breeze that’s kept me cool this afternoon, despite the heat weaving through our whole chaotic Bergman brood—my parents, six siblings, their partners, and my niece and nephew. The camera clicks as my little gratitude exercise comes to a close, unfortunately leaving me no less aware of the wedgie from hell. I wiggle my butt to try to dislodge it and force my grimace into a smile as the photographer calls for one more take. “Okay,” Frankie says after the next click of the camera, brushing back a lock of dark hair from her face. “That’s enough memory making. This bride needs a seat, five minutes of quiet, and a very large glass of red wine.” “Coming right up,” the wedding planner says, jumping into action. The tight photographer-staged ball of our family dissolves into easy mingling—quick laughter and steady conversation. Before someone can rope me into it, I scamper away across the sand, sandals hooked on my fingers, making a beeline for the elegant venue that boasts grand doors opened wide to the sights and sounds of the beach, the dwindling light mingling with ivory candles and floral centerpieces. Trying to be circumspect, I follow the edge of the room, racking my memory for the nearest bathroom, though, at this point, I will take a closet, nook, the first private space available, to lose these horrible panties, because I’m about to crawl out of my skin. Not everyone gets this upset about their underwear riding up their butt; however, I’m autistic, and I have a lot of sensory issues. Itchy seams, fabric bunched where it shouldn’t be, send me spiraling if I don’t address the issue promptly. I need to find somewhere to deal with my sensory misery immediately. As I finally locate the restroom and stumble into the lounge area—an art deco ode to shell-pink velvet and bronze accents—I come to an abrupt stop, encountering the one thing that could distract me from the underwear from hell: People talking about me. “Don’t get me wrong, Ziggy’s sweet. She really is.” I can’t see her, but I recognize that voice. It’s Bridget, one of our just-retired midfielders from the National Team, whose spot I filled on our starting lineup. “She’s just so—” “Young,” offers a voice I recognize, too. Martina, another recently retired player and former starting defender. “Exactly,” Bridget says. “Frankly, I was surprised she made the roster at all. When Mal asked what I thought about her place on the team, I told him, she’s talented, but she doesn’t have the confidence, the…poise for a starting position, for the exposure and pressure that puts on you.” “She really doesn’t,” Martina agrees. “I mean, as soon as the camera’s pointed her way, she goes silent and her face turns as red as her hair.” My hand goes to my hair. And my cheeks turn hot. My vision is starting to get blurry. “Well, soon enough, Mal will see what