“You have a child? When? How?” he sputtered. I bit back a grin as I made my way to the kitchen for a drink.It’s time for a little fun with him.“I had her during high school,” I said, grabbing a glass and getting some water from the fridge.
“So you didn’t finish high school? And that is why you had to have those awful jobs,” Liam said in realization. I rolled my eyes with my back turned to him. “Wait, so where has she been since you have been here?” I froze but quickly stopped myself.
“She was with a friend.”
“Man, I really did choose the wrong girl. You have a fucking daughter!” Turning around, I saw him running his hands through his hair and his mouth wide open. He actually believed that Sky was my daughter. I knew I shouldn’t be so happy to see him like this, but I was. “I hope you know she can’t stay with us. I don’t want a little whiny child running around.”
“Hey! Sky isn’t whiny. She is very well behaved. It’s not like you’re home anyways,” I shot back.
“Jenna, why did you never tell me you had a daughter?” he said angrily. Okay, never mind, this wasn’t going to plan. He was getting really upset about it.
“Good God, Liam, it was a joke!” I finally said.
“What?” He snapped his eyes up at me, confused.
“Sky isn’t mine! She is my friend’s daughter, and I’m just watching her today,” I admitted, staring straight at him.
“She isn’t your daughter,” he said slowly, like he wasn’t getting it.
“Liam, she is four. I would have had to be fourteen! I had barely gotten my period by then.” I hadn’t really meant for the last part to come out, but oh well. It would just make him even more uncomfortable. If you ever want to make a guy really uncomfortable and stammer around you, then just bring up how you bleed every month.
“I—I—”
“You are not the smartest, are you?” I said, sending him a grin. When he glared at me, I lost my grin and sobered up. “Okay, I’m sorry, Liam, for lying that she was mine. I just wanted to mess with you. I didn’t think you would freak out as much as you did.”
“It’s okay. That was a good one,” he admitted, a small smile gracing his lips.
“You know, I thought you got a background check on me before you offered me the deal,” I said.
“I kind of did, but not a thorough one.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I only knew where you lived, your name, and your jobs. Didn’t really think to check anything else.”
“You wouldn’t be a good CIA person then. But seriously, who wouldn’t do a proper background check on someone who they wanted to be their fake wife? I could be a serial killer for all you know.”
“I was desperate. I didn’t think it through. And you couldn’t be a serial killer. You’re too little.” He moved around me to the fridge and pulled out a beer.
“‘I’m too little’? That could be my trick, making people underestimate me, and then I go in for the kill.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t it too early for a beer? And it is a Tuesday.”
“Whatever. Well, I need one with what you just pulled on me,” he said, rolling his blue eyes at me.
“Yeah, I got you good.” I grinned like the Cheshire cat.
“Whatever,” he muttered under his breath.
“What are you doing home so early?” I asked, remembering why he was here.
“You wouldn’t answer my calls or texts, so I came over.” He said it like it was no big deal, but my grin widened at the sound of that.
“Liam Stanford was worried about me.” I reached over and poked his arm.
“What? I was not worried about you.” He scoffed at me, taking a pull of his beer.
“Yes you were, don’t lie!” I prodded him, still grinning. It felt great teasing Liam and getting a reaction out of him. This probably wouldn’t happen again, so I was going to take a full advantage.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, changing the subject quickly. I reluctantly let my teasing go. I opened my mouth to answer when my stomach decided to answer for me. That morning I had forgotten to eat before leaving with Sky and Lennon. “That’s a yes.” Liam shook his head, then started moving around the kitchen. It seemed that after I messed with him about Sky he had relaxed and even become friendly. Of course with him seeming bipolar, that could probably change at the top of a hat.
“What do you want to eat?” he asked, peering into the fridge and looking at me over his shoulder.
“I don’t care really,” I answered, shrugging.