Page 56 of Recklessly You
I close the drawers and walk into Liam’s walk-in closet, hearing my mom dialing Alex’s number. Poor guy. With the time difference between here and London, he’s probably in bed.
“Hello.” A sleepy yawn comes through the line.
“Hello, honey, I have your sister on the line. I can’t believe you haven’t told her the news.”
Alex groans. “I was going to when I woke up. But since you woke me up, I’ll tell you the news. Liz is six months pregnant. We just found out. We didn’t even know. She had no signs of pregnancy, and she was getting her period.”
My jaw drops. I can’t believe it—more little boogers to spoil. “Congratulations! How exciting. I can’t wait to meet her—or him. God, Alex, you’re going to be a dad. Give my love to Liz.”
The doorbell rings.
“Hey guys, sorry, but I have to go. Someone’s at the door. I’ll call you later, Alex. Go back to bed.”
“Ok, sweet pea. I’ll get back to you so we can plan a trip to London when the baby is born,” my mom says in her chirpy voice. Once I hang up the line with my mom and brother, I make my way to the door. It could be Liam. He must have forgotten something.
Opening the door, I find a beautiful woman with black hair, brown-gray sparkling eyes, and high cheekbones. She’s wearing a beautiful yellow summer dress. She looks so much like Liam—that smile.
“Hi, I’m Liam’s mom, Andrea.” She extends her hand for me to shake.
I extend my clammy hand into hers and shake it dumbly, feeling awkward. “Hi…I’m Sophie, a-a friend of Liam’s.”
She scans my profile, and I realize I’m in Liam’s shirt. And not wearing underwear because the jealous beast didn’t get me any.God, how embarrassing.
I scoot to the side to give her room. “Oh, come on in. Liam went to work for a bit. He said he would be back in a while.”
Her lips curl into a smile of contentment. Her eyes gleam like globes in the light. She reaches for the grocery bags lying on the porch outside. I hadn’t noticed them.
“Let me help you,” I say, reaching for a bag in one hand and pulling the shirt down from behind with the other. My cheeks flush with embarrassment as I set them on the wooden kitchen table. “I’m going to go change.” I speed walk to Liam’s room. Rumbling through the bag, I pull out a top and leggings. Surprisingly, he packed a bra.
Making my way back into the kitchen, I find Andrea stocking the fridge and pantry. Clearing my throat nervously, Andrea turns to me with a beaming smile.
“Hey, sweetheart, I’m just putting the groceries away. I usually come over and cook for Liam, or he comes over to my place.” She glances over her shoulder at me.
“Oh, that’s sweet of you.”
From the laugh lines around her eyes to her easy smile, Andrea is the picture of kindness and warmth, the kind of woman everyone wants for a mom.
“Well, I try to feed the big guy since he’s always on the run at work. And at the gym, too, you know.” She waves her hand in the air, then raises an eyebrow. “You know, it’s been a while since he’s come for dinner. I see why now,” she says teasingly.
My face flushes for what feels like the millionth time this morning. “Oh, I-I—”
She laughs, a hearty, genuine chortle. “Sweetheart, I’m not upset. I’d rather him be with a beautiful girl like you. So, tell me, how did you two meet?” She swings around, grabbing a bag of flour and a mixing bowl.
I pull out a stool and sit by the kitchen island. “I’m Mila’s best friend, so that’s pretty much how I met Liam.”
She tosses some ingredients into the bowl and starts kneading. “Aww, you’re Mila’s friend; even better. So, you must be from New York. That explains your beautiful accent.”
I nod and relax my tensed muscles. When I’m with Liam, I feel comfortable, as if I’m being embraced in the warmest blanket on a chilly night. His mother radiates the same aura—it’s strong enough that you can almost touch it. I’m glad I had the chance to meet her—this is like getting a glimpse into a part of him.
“Can I help you with anything?” I offer, and her smile stretches to her ears. She’s still kneading that dough.
“Yes, it would be great. You can dice the meat for me while I make these fresh tortillas. The pack of meat is in the fridge, sweetheart.” She tilts her head to the side, pointing in the direction of the fridge.
Maneuvering my way around her, I fish out the package of meat and search for a cutting board and knife. I’m surprised Liam actually has a cutting board.
“You know, it’s nice to have Liam’s girlfriend help me cook.”
“Oh, I’m not his—”
