Page 83 of Fix Them Up
He chuckled. ‘Andrea is used to it. Besides, I bring them a lot of business.’
‘Don’t you think a lot of yourself?’ I teased.
Liam smirked. ‘I’m just telling the truth, Red.’ He leaned forward, brushing his thumb across my lips. Blood rushed to my cheeks. ‘Did I tell you how beautiful you look when you’re excited about something? Your eyes light up, a bright blue. For the pasthour, I’ve wanted to take you home and see how I can make you look at me like that.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah.’
Liam’s eyes were like soft brown sugar, flitting from my eyes to my lips.
‘If you want the designs, we can make it happen. You just tell me, and I’ll fit whatever you want. As long as that look stays on your face, I’ll move mountains.’
Air whooshed out of my lungs.
I jumped when Andrea’s voice shouted through the shop. ‘Fifteen per cent discount, not including sale items.’
She shuffled back to her seat, the noise creaking. ‘Brings it down to… about nineteen grand.’ She glanced up. ‘Or we can redesign something more cost-effective.’
Cheaper. Simple.
I refused to make the house one of those soulless grey temples that landlords charge a million pounds a month to rent. But it didn’t mean I couldn’t make the fittings cheaper. The designs were more extravagant than they needed to be, that was certain. I’d picked the gold fittings in the bathroom to complement the dark green tiles. Those cost more than standard chrome, I was sure.
I bit my lip.
‘Hey,’ Liam said, his eyes meeting mine. ‘Whatever you want.’
He meant it. Liam would do whatever I asked. He would fit whatever I wanted. And I had a sneaky feeling he would accept whatever I wanted when it came to us, too. He was solid and reliable, like the foundations of a house.
And I was not.
I was flighty and chaotic, and I always changed my mind. I would mess him around and leave a path of destruction in my wake. I knew it. I mean, even Mum didn’t believe in me and shewas supposed to love me unconditionally. I needed to nip this whole fluttering heart situation in the bud. This was supposed to be a bit of fun.
I faced Andrea. ‘Let’s go with the cheaper option.’
*
Liam and I walked across the grey car park to his van. Over the past half hour, Andrea clicked ‘empty basket’ on my entire design, and I felt like I’d drooped like a tulip out of water.
‘Kat,’ Liam said from the driver’s seat, the grey sky flickering past us. Even the weather knew it was a miserable day. ‘You’re killing me here.’
‘Sorry,’ I said, sitting up straight and smiling. ‘I’m fine.’
‘No, you’re not.’ Liam’s lips were in a fine line. ‘Come on, let it out.’
I inhaled and, on the exhale, blurted out, ‘I just had this vision, and now I realise how stupid and naive it was to get attached. The whole time, this was about profit. Nothing more. But those designs we picked after’ – I laughed – ‘I hate that I had to choose the cheaper kitchen, not just because it’s ugly, but because I know it won’t last very long. It will get worn down and look tired in a couple of years. It’s not going to last.’
Liam nodded, his hand coming over to my thigh. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart.’
‘It’s okay, really.’ I sighed. ‘I think I’m just feeling a bit homesick, maybe –’ I thought about London and my mum and work. And I didn’t feel anything, really. Some residual guilt over lying to my mum for so long and dodging her calls. I thought about Willa – ‘I think I miss Willa.’
‘Your friend?’
‘My best friend.’
‘How did you meet?’
‘We met at uni years ago. Wills turned up to lectures fifteen minutes early with perfectly blow-dried hair and matching stationery. She was sat at the end of a row, so when I turned up late, having slept through my alarm, I sat myself in the closest seat, next to her.’ I smiled at the memory of us – eighteen, young and clueless, with so much ahead of us. ‘We clicked. It’s thanks to Willa that I have a degree. She helped keep me organised and offered to body double with me at the library.’
