Page 67 of Falling For Liam
“Hey, what’s this all about?” Nicole asks the second we arrive to find her, Dec and BJ sat around a table filled with drinks. The place is empty apart from them, and I wonder if Liam demanded they shut just for us.
Holding my hand up, Nicole’s eyes widen in delight before she squeals, making the guys wince, and jumps up from her chair. “Oh my god. He put a ring on it!” She crashes into me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “I’m so fucking happy for you.”
“Thank you.” Glancing over at Liam, I watch as Dec congratulates him.
“Tell me everything. When? Where?” Nicole demands once she’s let my hand go after studying the ring. “Oh, I can’t believe he designed it himself. That’s so romantic,” she swoons before I’ve even had chance to answer her previous questions.
We join the guys on the sofas. Dec pops the top on a bottle of champagne and he pours us all a glass.
“Speech, speech,” Nic chants, looking directly at Liam. My stomach twists when I see a blush colour his cheeks. It’s not very often he’s shy, and I kind of like it.
“I…uh…Who the fuck am I kidding? To the most beautiful girl in the world, my fiancée.” His face lights up as he looks at me, love and lust pouring from his eyes.
“Ugh, just go and fuck her in the back room and get it over with,” BJ mutters, and every pair of eyes in the room snap over to him. “What?” he asks. “You got any proper drink in this place instead of this bubbly shit?”
Everyone’s speechless for a few seconds before Nic stutters an agreement, getting up and running over to the bar. The playful BJ that I’ve come to know and love is nowhere to be seen tonight.
* * *
“Come on, let’s get the karaoke going,” Nic announces excitedly, as she jumps up and runs towards the stage.
“I think it’s time to cut her off,” I say with a laugh. Between the two of us, we’ve already polished off a bottle of champagne while the guys switched to whiskey a while ago. We all watch as she attempts to get it set up but it’s not long before the alcohol flowing through her veins gets the better of her and she ends up on her arse. “A little help, please,” she pouts, and both Dec and Liam get up and go over.
I watch them for a few minutes before I’m distracted by a giant sigh coming from next to me.
Turning, I look at BJ’s deflated posture. “BJ, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he grunts, avoiding my eyes and staring out to the dark night beyond.
“Come on, you can tell—” My words are cut off when loud music starts. So instead of continuing with what I wanted to say, I place my hand on his thigh and squeeze gently. My touch must surprise him because he turns to me, his eyes dark and haunted, but a small smile twitches at the corners of his lips in acceptance of my support. I smile back because I’m not sure what else to do. Our eyes hold for a beat and I get the feeling he’s desperate to talk, but the second I hear Liam’s voice fill the room, I have no choice but to turn and look at him up on stage. How he managed to convince Nicole to let him go up first, I’ve no idea.
The first lyrics of Dua Lipa’s ‘Electricity’ flow through me, and I can’t help but smile. Liam stretches his arm out and gestures for me to join him and I’m on my feet and moving towards him before my brain’s even registered the thought.
“This song could be about us,” he whispers in my ear before returning to the mic. I listen for a few seconds before I join in with him and we sing together, hand in hand on stage. A smile splits my face as I realise he’s right about the lyrics. That, and the knowledge that I’ve found everything I’ve ever wanted in this sleepy little seaside town. I look around at my friends, people I didn’t really know until recently, and I feel more at home than I ever have. Not so long ago, I didn’t think a life like this was even a possibility. I was so lost, living a life I hated. I had no idea what was just around the corner and what my life could be like. All it took was one person. One person to show me that I did deserve to be loved like I always dreamed of. One person to show me that I can have the kind of life I’ve always wanted.
It’s long past midnight when we all stumble out of the shack a little—or a lot, worse for wear. I’ve no idea how much BJ knocked back, but he can hardly stand. It takes both Liam and Dec to manhandle him home.
* * *
“Morning. I wasn’t expecting to see you up this early,” I say when I walk into the kitchen to find BJ leant against the counter with his head hanging low between his shoulders.
He glances up at me and my breath catches at the look on his face. His eyes are dark and his lips pressed into a thin line.
“Ben, please,” I beg. “Please talk to me. What’s going on?”
“It’s…” Spinning around so he rests against the island, he looks up to the ceiling and runs his hands through his hair.
“Come on, you’re like a brother to me,” I say resting my hand on his arm. “You can tell me anything. I only want to help.”
He drops his head and stares at me for the longest time. I can see his internal battle raging in his eyes.
“My stepdad. He…he’s died.” He shows no emotion as he says the words.
I suck in a breath. “I’m so sorr—”
“Don’t,” he snaps, “he doesn’t deserve it. He’s—was—a wanker and a waste of good oxygen.”
Epilogue
