Breaking Pierce

- 27

He directs all those words to me, completely dismissing Winston's presence. He extends a hand for me to take and I do so, the heat of his palm grazing over my cold hand. He locks our fingers together in an instant, taking me along with him.

"Winston—" I turn to find the man still staring at the painting of Caitlin, their gazes still locked together.

"I'll be in soon," he says without even looking at me.

"Leave him, Lizzie. That man is obsessed with that painting," Ryan mutters under his breath as we turn around a corridor. "Creepy guy."

I wish I could agree with him. I can't though.

The way Winston was looking at the painting wasn't creepy. The way he talked about Caitlin wasn't creepy. That isn't the way you talk about someone if they are just a memory of another.

The way he talked of her, it was like he was the one who was in love with her.

***

"So, Lizzie...when are you marrying Ryan and having a baby?"

Ryan, Reece, and I spit our drinks at the same time as Crystal blurts out the question. The three of us cough, having taken a hit to our chests with the abruptness of it. Situated across me between her Mom and dad, Crystal blinks innocently, her spoon dangling halfway over her dish of shrimp.

Dinners at the Pierces are a huge affair. Our table has numerous dishes placed in a particular order, each made by a chef whose skills are unbound. There are fish steaks, shrimp, salads, chicken, and dishes I don't even know the names of. The cutlery is all silver, causing me to fear handling them. Crystal, on the other hand, is on a roll, eating with both hands at times and taking the lead in the conversation that breezes around the table.

"Crystal!" Gloria Pierce looks shaken by her daughter's unexpected curiosity. "That is no question to ask an adult. Where do you learn these things from?"

"What, Mom?" Crystal says. "Didn't Ryan say Lizzie was his girlfriend? Don't we marry our girlfriends?"

"No, Crissie...my God! Not always," Reece rasps out from beside me while swallowing a large gulp of water from his glass.

Winston is the only one who laughs at the situation. He covers his mouth with his knuckles as his laughter echoes through their dining hall.

"I knew that kid would be in trouble the moment she came out of you, Mom," Ryan grumbles, rubbing the center of his forehead.

I am momentarily distracted by the way he has rolled his shirt sleeves to his elbows, displaying strong forearms. Men's hands have always been a weakness of mine but Ryan's hands are on a different level entirely. They make me forget everything else other than counting the minutes to when he would have those delicious traitors on my body again.

"But...then why is Lizzie Ryan's girlfriend? What is the use of it?"

Good point, kid.

This time, even I cannot help but chuckle at the way she frames her thoughts. Kids are so logical at times. If we adults were like that, we would have had more peace in our lives.

"Well...here's the thing, little princess..." I begin whilst trying hard to control myself from laughing. "Sometimes, when two people like each other, they date to see if they would like each other more. If they do, that's when they think of marriage."

"Yeah...you got that, Crissie?" Ryan points his fork towards the child who blinks some more, looking even more confused now.

"Okay...I get it..." She nods, her lips maintaining a pout of confusion.