Page 20 of Accidental Proposal

“Yeah, it is.” Before I even finished my sentence, she grabbed my hand and yanked it toward her.

“It is…beautiful!” she exclaimed, staring down at my hand. “Where did you get it?”

“Tiffany’s.”

“What! You’re so lucky!” Her grip on my wrist tightened, and I tried pulling it away from her.

“Are you girls done yet? We need to leave,” I heard Liam say from behind the door. I turned and felt my mouth dry up. He was dressed in a pair of low-ride jeans that looked great on him and a dark blue t-shirt that I knew would make his blue eyes pop even more. His brown hair was slicked back but still slightly messy.

“Yup, she’s all good to go,” Lennon said, letting my hand go so it flopped to my side. “Have fun and be good, you two.” As I walked toward Liam nervously, I felt a hand slap my ass. Turning, I shot Lennon a glare, but she just grinned at me.She’s so weird.

Silently, we walked to the garage, and I had to force myself not to check out Liam’s butt in his jeans. I worried my bottom lip between my teeth as I got into the passenger’s seat of the Audi.I’d realized this car was Liam’s favorite. Why have all these expensive cars if you only drove one? It was awkward as we sat there silently, Liam driving away from the house.

I turned on the radio, wanting something on instead of silence. Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down” played softly throughout the car and I leaned back in the seat, looking out the window as we passed houses and stores. The chorus of the song started, but before it could continue, the radio was switched off. I turned and glared at Liam, who’d turned it down. Reaching over, I switched it back on and looked back out the window. The same thing happened again, making me snap my gaze over to Liam’s. Stubbornly, I turned it back on and glared at the side of Liam’s head, almost daring him to do it again. Just as his hand went for the radio, I slapped it.

“No, we are listening to music,” I stated. He took his eyes off the road for a second to stare at me.

“Did you just slap my hand away?”

“Yes. Now stop.” With that, I turned back to the window. I knew I was being grumpy with him, but I couldn’t help it. I was nervous about meeting his family. Would they like me? Sometimes my first impression wasn’t all that good. I fidgeted in my seat, going between playing with my hands to biting my lip.

“Are you going to do that the entire drive?” Liam asked, looking at me from the corner of his eye. I immediately stopped playing with my fingers.

“No.” But as soon as I said it, my leg started bouncing up and down. “Sorry, I’m just nervous,” I admitted after I earned another look from him. He didn’t say anything. “You know, for once could you just drop the cold act and actually try to be nice? It’s not that hard.”

“God, I should have picked someone else,” I heard him mutter under his breath.

“What was that? Should have picked someone else? Yes, Liam, you should have picked someone dumber because they wouldn’t put up such a fight,” I bit out at him.

“You are so annoying! Can’t you just shut up and be quiet for once, instead of whining and complaining all the time?” he yelled over at me. Biting my tongue so I wouldn’t say anything I would regret later, I turned and glared out the window.

For the next hour, both of us were quiet as we ignored each other. The radio played in the background, but it did nothing to even out the tension. Inside I was fuming at Liam, but it soon faded away as nerves spread through my body the closer we got to Liam’s parents’ house. The dashboard read noon, showing we had been driving for about an hour and a half. I’d never met anyone’s parents before, and I was worried, really worried. The car started to slow down, and Liam turned us off the road onto a driveway.Oh, God, I’m going to throw up.

“It’s going to be okay,” I heard Liam’s voice say suddenly. He placed a hand on my thigh, and I jerked my gaze to him. His blue eyes were staring down at me almost kindly. I nodded shakily. “Really, Jenna, it’s going to be fine. Just be yourself.”Yeah, like that has worked before. My winning personality has sure helped me out in the past.His hand squeezed my thigh gently, and I shot him a small smile. The car came to a stop a minute later, in front of a huge home. I stared up at it through the window, already feeling intimidated.

I was so busy staring at the gorgeous brick house that I didn’t hear or notice Liam getting out of the car until my door opened. Blushing, I took off my seatbelt and stepped out. Liam reached a hand out to me, and I gladly took it. I was still kind of mad at him, but I needed the support. My hand trembled inside his warm one as he gently tugged me forward. It was weird how normal it felt to hold hands with him and how perfect my hand fit into his.

The closer we got to the door, the more I noticed how big the house actually was. The front yard was big with two tall trees shading the lawn, and from here I could see a cobblestone path that probably led to the backyard. The house was easily on two to three acres of land; it kind of reminded me of a ranch. My foot was about to land on the first step leading to the front door when the deep cherry-red door flew open.

“Liam, my baby!” a female voice yelled from in front of us. Liam dropped my hand to catch the woman who flew at him. I watched as a smile spread across his face. He wrapped his arms around the woman, who I assumed was his mother. As she pulled away from him, I took that moment to study her. She had dark brown hair that went to her shoulders. I couldn’t tell what color her eyes were, but I would bet they were the same color as Liam’s. She looked to be in her early fifties, if that. Her face wasn’t marred by plastic surgery. Instead, I could see the slight wrinkles by her eyes and mouth, indicating she smiled a lot. She stood a little taller than me and was wearing a pretty sundress that showed off her tan arms. After she was done hugging Liam, she turned to me, and I was correct. She had blue eyes just like Liam’s, but softer.

“You must be Jenna! I’m Lilly.” She smiled at me before engulfing me in a big hug. I was surprised, standing stiff in her arms, but I found myself relaxing instantly and hugging her back. “My, aren’t you a pretty little thing?” she said, pulling away but keeping her hands on my shoulders. I blushed from her comment, looking down so my blonde hair would cover my face.

“Is that who I think I it is?” said a deep voice through the door. Lilly moved to my side, swinging an arm around my shoulder. A tall, older, handsome-looking man walked through the door with a wide grin. He stood about six foot two, had brown hair with a little grey in it, and a face like Liam’s. Liam had the same cheekbones and jaw line as his father. As Liam’s father hugged him, I couldn’t help but think he was very handsome for being in his fifties. After hugging Liam, he turned to me, and I was surprised as a pair of grey eyes stared at me. His face was sprinkled with laugh wrinkles, and a few were probably from stress in having to run a company. He smiled kindly at me before coming to a stop just ahead of me. “You must be the girl that has gotten my son tied down.” I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

He suddenly pulled me in for a bone-crushing hug. I stood still in his arms. This was the third time someone has hugged me in years. For having never met them before, it felt good to be in their arms. They both radiated love and “parent,” if that was a thing. Being hugged by a parent figure was different than being hugged by someone else; you felt warm, safe, and protected from everything.

“I’m Adam,” he said finally, pulling away from me. “You sure are pretty. What are you doing with a boy like my son?” he joked, grinning widely at me, then at Liam. I looked over at him just in time to see him roll his eyes at his dad but smiling anyways. It was weird seeing Liam relaxed and with a smile. Whenever he’s around me he was just cold, his face like a stone.

“Julie’s not here yet, but let’s head inside and start getting the table ready for lunch.” Lilly suggested, nodding at both of us before walking ahead of me into the house. I followed after everyone, and as soon as I passed the entryway, I tried not to gawk at everything or drool from the amazing smell running through the house. The inside was decorated wonderfully with pictures on the walls of most of the family, and what looked like fake flowers were placed in the hallway and probably throughout the house as well.

Following Liam, we went under an archway and came into a pretty kitchen. It was a little bigger than Liam’s, with light brown wood and a little dark mixed in with the cabinets, speckled granite counter tops, and a flat stove-top. There was a swinging door on the left side of the kitchen a little further down, which I assumed went to the dining room. Pots and dishes littered the stove and counter, making the smell of yummy food even stronger than ever.

“Boys, can you grab those plates and bring them to the dining room?” Lilly asked, to which Liam and his father nodded, each grabbing a plate filled with something I didn’t get a chance to see. Turning, I saw Lilly struggling to grab enough wine glasses. I quickly ran over to her.

“Here, let me grab those,” I said, taking most of them and strategically placing them in my hands and arms so they wouldn’t fall. Tell-tale sign I use to be a waitress.

“Oh thank you, hon. Are you okay carrying all of those while I grab the wine?”

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