Page 42 of Fix Them Up
Anxiety.
It was anxiety.
I knew it but couldn’t say it out loud.
‘That’s understandable. You almost got hyperthermia and died tonight.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I retorted, rolling my eyes. ‘You are sodramatic. I didn’t get –’ Liam’s face morphed into a smug smile. He’d goaded me on purpose to get me out of my head.
Liam smirked. ‘Can’t resist getting a word in. So I know you can’t bethatoverwhelmed. Come on.’ He gestured down the hallway with his head.
The hallway was modern, with light beechwood floors and spotlights. It was completely bare, with no furniture or pictures hanging on the wall. Two doors led off, presumably to a downstairs loo and a lounge, but I didn’t want to nosy around – yet. A beige-carpeted stairway led upstairs. It was like a show home, everything new and shiny, but it showed none of Liam’s personality.
I followed Liam and came into an open-plan kitchen and living room. The kitchen was modern and sleek. In my head, my kitchen would be more farmhouse-traditional, something out of a Nancy Meyers film, with clashing patterns and soft colours. Liam’s kitchen was the opposite – dark grey slab-fronted units with industrial pendant shades hanging above the island. The kitchen had expensive-looking appliances – an in-built coffee machine, a wine cooler and a double oven. It was obvious that Liam had expensive taste.
I sat at one of the metal barstools. ‘Your house is lovely.’
Liam clicked the kettle on. ‘I can’t take credit. Someone pulled out of the sale after picking all the fittings. I wouldn’t have picked it out myself, but it’s certainly… out there.’
I frowned. He didn’t like the house? Buying a house you didn’t like seemed strange. I couldn’t imagine it was cheap. It had to be four bedrooms at least, not including the annexe he’d built. He’d built it for his dad, which, I had to admit, was adorable. I was envious that they seemed to be so close.
Even when Liam berated his dad’s working habits, he did it from a place of love. Their relationship was clearly strong enough that Liam could be honest. I wondered if he knew how specialit was to have frank conversations with his dad without worrying about their relationship breaking down, that it could be the final straw. I’d never had that. I’d never really been honest with my dad about how his absence made me feel. I’d been too hurt.
And I never got the confidence to stand up to my mum when she put me down, either.
‘Brew?’ He interrupted my thoughts. ‘I don’t have any alcohol in the house. I don’t drink.’
‘You don’t drink?’ I hadn’t noticed at the club.
‘I quit a few years ago. I – I hadn’t loved my relationship with it, I suppose.’ He said it lightly, like he didn’t want to lower the mood.
‘Tea would be lovely. Thank you.’
He poured boiling water into two mugs. I watched his hands grip the handle of the kettle. They were nice hands. I wondered what they felt like, running across skin. A strange shiver ran through me.
Liam’s eyebrows furrowed. ‘Are you sure you aren’t cold?’
I went pink, cringing at where my brain had taken me. I was standing in this man’s house, objectifying him. I should be ashamed of myself.
I smiled tightly. ‘I’m fine, thank you.’
‘I can get some towels –’
‘Honestly, I’m fine. You’ve done enough. I – I really appreciate it,’ I said, hoping my face was earnest.
‘Did that hurt to say out loud?’ Liam asked sardonically.
I rolled my eyes. ‘I’m saying I’ve forgiven you for the car park debacle if that makes you feel better. You don’t have to keep trying to repent.’
Liam’s eyes widened comically. ‘Are you saying I don’t have to keep going to midnight mass? Because it was really messing with my sleep.’
I held up my hands. ‘I mean, I don’t know about the rest of your sins.’
Liam nodded solemnly. ‘I should probably keep going. Father Nichols would be disappointed.’
‘The older ladies need some eye candy. Keeps them from falling asleep.’
‘Eye candy.’ Liam raised his eyebrows.
