Page 70 of Fix Them Up
‘Torment?’ I arched an eyebrow, ‘How exactly would I torment you?’
Liam took a step closer, and the tension was a thick fog around us.
‘You have no idea.’
We stared at each other for a moment, until I was the one to blink.
‘I’m sorry I woke you up, I’m just making some food. I didn’t have anything at the annexe. You’ve been making so much food for me, so I haven’t had to buy anything. I hope you don’t mind –’ The toaster popped, and I watched Liam’s large hand lean from behind me to pick up the toast. His forearms brushed my shoulder. He must have asbestos hands because he didn’t even flinch at the heat.
‘I’ll make you something,’ he said, his breath moving my hair. It smelt minty, like he had just brushed his teeth.
Liam’s hands came to my shoulders, mercifully covered, but he lingered there like he didn’t know what to do next. Gently, he moved me to the side, pulling out a butter dish and pans out from the kitchen cupboards.
I smelt cedar, too. I thought it was his cologne, but maybe it was his body wash.
‘Nduja cheese toasty sound good?’ Liam asked, his eyes moving back to my legs, lingering there again.
‘Yeah, that sounds amazing,’ I admitted. ‘Thank you.’
Silence fell in the kitchen, heavy.
‘Kat –’ Liam began, as I blurted out, ‘So, have you always liked to cook –’
Liam stared at me for a moment before relenting. ‘Yes.’
‘Nice. Cool.’ I winced. Fucking freak. More silence. I played with the hair bobble on my wrist, looking anywhere but Liam. Eventually, I snuck a peek at him, only to find him looking at me, a smirk on his face, his arms wide across the kitchen worktops. The pan was slowly melting a knob of butter.
‘You hate quiet, don’t you?’
‘No, I’m fine.’
‘Red.’
‘Okay, yes. I hate it. Could you please talk about something? Anything.’
‘I wanted to be a chef.’
Oh. I hadn’t expected that.
‘Before the pandemic, I was about to open a restaurant with my brother. Ren and I had signed a lease on a unit around the corner. We’d built the concept and planned the menus. Ren was going to be the general manager and oversee the bar. I would be in the kitchen. The one thing – the only thing I had to do was tell my dad. I was dreading it. I put it off. So when the pandemic happened… well, it felt like a sign. The worst timing in the world to open a hospitality business. It wasn’t a good time to take risks. So, I was saved from having to tell Dad.’
I tried not to get distracted by Liam’s forearms as he grated cheddar, spread a dark red paste onto the bread and assembled them into sandwiches.
‘I can’t imagine being that close to something you wanted so badly.’
Liam shrugged, but I could see the sadness in his eyes, even as he glanced away.
‘Would you do it again?’ I asked. ‘If you had the chance?’
Liam placed the sandwiches onto the hot pan, making it sizzle.
‘I let him down.’
‘Who?’
‘My brother. I let him down. It’s the reason he up and left the country. He’d quit his job –’ Liam hissed as he accidentally burnt himself, turning over the toasty with his hands. I jumped up, striding over to him, instinctively.
‘Careful,’ I chided as I got a closer look at his hand, which was red and irritated.
