Page 117 of The Reno
We pushed through the double doors to find a woman standing in the foyer. She had pink streaks running through her grey hair and wore a red plaid wrap skirt. Her ice-blue eyes were behind oversized red glasses. Suddenly, I felt incredibly uncool.
“Olivia?” Liam asked, extending his hand.
Olivia smiled and shook it. “Lovely to meet you. As I mentioned over email, you have the place to yourselves for two hours.”
Liam nodded. “Perfect.”
I turned to Liam, gaping. He scratched his head. “Well, the thing is… I booked out the gallery.”
“You booked out the entire gallery.”
“Yes.”
“Liam.” My heart began to race.
This was too much.
My feet were beginning to itch.
“Can we have a minute before the tour?” Liam asked.
“Sure,” Olivia said. “I’ll be in Gallery One.”
“Hey”—Liam turned my shoulders to face him once Olivia was out of earshot—“what’s up?”
“This is too much. I—no one has ever done anything like this before.”
Liam shrugged. “Well, they should have.”
I squeaked. I couldn’t look anywhere at him. I couldn’t admit that I’d never felt deserving of anything like this. I’d kept the men I’d dated an arm’s length because, ultimately, I was scared. I was scared I would get attached and they’d ruin me.
Liam was entirely capable of ruining me, I was realising now.
“You’re spiralling.” Liam lifted my chin to meet his stare. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I squeezed my eyelids together.
“Can’t.”
“Red,” Liam said softly. “We’re better than that. We’re honest with each other, aren’t we? Whatever you tell me, I’m not going anywhere. I keep telling you I’m here. I’m in this.”
I exhaled. “No one has ever done anything like this for me. It just feels like a lot. I don’t deserve it.”
Liam’s breath caught. “Kat. I want to punch whoever has made you feel like this.”
“You can’t—he’s dead.” I laughed meekly. “Daddy issues.”
Liam’s lips flattened. “I want you to listen to me. Really listen, okay? You deserve this and more. You are worthy. You’re a bright, shining light to everyone around you. Brian and Sandra adoreyou. Lydia too. Abi worships the ground you walk on. And I know you don’t see it. But I do. So let me do what I can to prove it to you.” His hand clasped the back of my neck and pressed our foreheads together. “I told you yesterday. Don’t think about what is coming. Just be here with me.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s go.” Liam smiled and pulled me into the first gallery.
THIRTY-THREE
We stepped out of the art gallery two hours later. The sun decided to stick around, warm on my face. The square in front of the art gallery was basking in the warm sunlight that peeked through the trees.
