Page 13 of Liam

Liam was my safe haven.

He even stayed back a grade so he would be with me until I was out of high school, which is why he was nineteen when he left.

“What has you thinking so hard?” he asks.

I look at him. “I was thinking of high school and everything you did for me.”

“Those fuckers need their asses beat.” He smirks. “Again.”

I laugh because Liam did get into a lot of fights. “I don’t know how you didn’t get kicked out, honestly.”

“The MC,” he confesses.

“Of course it was.” I laugh again. I knew the MC played a huge part in it because Liam was standing up for me, plus he was a prospect.

“Are you happy to be home, Liam?” It’s something I’ve been dying to ask since the moment he got home.

With me.

His eyes search my face, and I can tell he is catching my double meaning. I internally wince, awaiting his answer. He touches the side of my face. “I am more than happy being home, Baby.”

Swooning is the word you could use to describe me right now. I wink. “Well, I guess I am sort of happy to see you home,” I tease.

He chuckles before digging his fingers into my side, causing me to laugh loudly, way too loudly for this type of restaurant. I cover my mouth while attempting to push him away. The waitress comes back, frowning, but she gives us a break. She smiles at both of us after she gets our drink order. “How long have you guys been together? You are a beautiful couple.”

I start to tell her that we aren’t together, but Liam beats me to the punch. “Ten years.”

Oh my god, he is trying to steal my heart, isn’t he? She presses her order pad to her chest. “Oh my goodness, that is so cute!” She sighs, looking at both of us. “I will put your drink orders in.”

I have no clue what to say to Liam. He is shaking with silent laughter. He did this shit on purpose to leave me speechless. “Mean ass,” I whisper loudly.

He bursts out laughing, holding his stomach, and I shove a piece of bread into his mouth to shut him up.

He pulls the bread from his mouth and goes back to laughing. So I do the only thing a sensible adult can do: I pout, folding my arms across my chest.

He instantly catches on to what I am doing and pulls me into his lap. Which instantly changes my pouting to internally freaking out.

I am in Liam’s lap, holy crap.

I lick my lips, staring wide eyed at Liam, whose eyes are full of desire. “Oh boy,” I whisper out loud. Liam’s head gets closer and closer to me, his mouth stopping at my ear. “Not here.”

I slide out of his lap, trying to ignore the hard bulge. My mouth is dry, and my face is burning with embarrassment. What do you expect from a girl who is still a virgin at twenty-six years old? Liam is the only guy I have kissed, and no one has touched me down there besides me.

The waiter returns with our drinks, and I thank her. After I order, I’m silent. What do I say?

“Fuck,” Liam says. I follow his gaze to see my former best friends, who abandoned me to make my life hell.

“Just ignore those bitches.” I turn away from them and he nods, trying to hide his smile. He scoots his hand under the table, twining our fingers together.

I lean over and lay my head on his shoulder, trying to stop my rising anxiety at the thought of being in the same room as these people. It should not affect me, but these people made my life hell. There is stuff that Liam does not know about. They would try to jump me in the girls’ bathroom and the locker room, and they’d trip me and hurt me any way they possibly could.

It was hell. I am a person who will take up for herself, but it will destroy you living on the edge twenty-four and seven. I don’t want anything to ruin this moment; I want to have the perfect first date with Liam. Wishful thinking, isn’t it?

Paisley

Wishful thinking it was. Liam and I had an amazing dinner. They stayed away, and we spent the whole time getting to know each other better and having fun, enjoying being in each other’s company.

Liam and I walk hand-in-hand out of the restaurant to see six people waiting for us.

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