Home is Where You Are

Chapter 31

Rex.

"We need treats!" she says.

I pull a bag of them out of my pocket.

She grins wildly, and grabs a whole handful.

"Abby! He's supposed to get one!" I laugh.

"He's a big, spoiled baby!" she says, petting him.

ABBY'S POV

I'm so, so, so nervous for tonight.

Liam and I haven't had sex in a month to make the moment more meaningful for tonight.

I've never, ever worn lingerie before. It's always just a thong and my pushup.

But I have a whole lingerie thing for tonight, and every single time I think about it, I get anxiety.

What if I look bad? I've already panicked to Willow.

Mum's whole side of the family is here.

Even Hailey and her family is here.

Everyone we know and love is here.

Fuck, even Lane is here.

Liam said he planned the honeymoon.

The sexual tension between Liam and I is so strong.

Everybody in this room knows what happens when we leave here.

Dad moves to the stage.

"Hi. I just, wanted to say something. For those of you that don't know, even though all of you probably do, I'm Abby's father." He says. He takes a deep breath. "The first time Abby mentioned Liam was eight years ago. She was seventeen, and we'd just dragged her across the country after making her leave Australia. She was a teenager, and, like every teen, she had an attitude and thought her Mum and Dad knew nothing." Dad smiles. "She left her room one time that morning, to get breakfast. Around noonish, she came into the kitchen and had lunch with us. She'd been at her first job two days. I asked her, 'Do you work today' and she said 'sadly.'" Dad laughs. "She was a teenager. I asked her 'Abigail, you've been there two days. Why do you hate it so much?' and she said, and I swear I'm not lying, she said 'It's Almost intolerable, Dad. There's this guy and he's so discourteous. I tried to quit last night but my manager begged me to stay for one week.'" Dad laughs. "She was talking about Liam."

Liam doesn't know this story, but he's laughing.

I smile.

Dad grins. "And my wife, she looked at Abby and she told her, she said, "Honestly...I would stay, Tough it out. I bet you'll end up marrying that guy anyways.'" He sighs. "She looked...revolted. She really hated Liam."

Lane hops up on the stage.

"And I, you guys, I'm the manager." He laughs. "I've known Liam for almost ten years. He'd always been nice to everyone, but he bet Abby he could beat her at surfing, and when he lost, she called her a bitch, and it went downhill from there. I had a bit of money in my pocket, so they continued fighting...I saw potentional. Finally, one day, I put Abby in the same section as Liam, and she came into my office and refused to work. Abby always seemed very level-headed and gentle. Well, she called him insensitive and intolerable, so I took her downstairs, I kicked out all the customers, and I told all the employees they had one week to get along, because I couldn't tolerate how rude they were. Liam looked at me, and he said "Uh, we didn't have any problems until she showed up.' Immediatedly, Abby started to retaliate, but I cut her off, and I told them to stop, and I said "No Liam, yu'r right, there weren't any problems until Abigail came. But the problems didn't start until you were a brat about losing.' And Liam said, 'So this is all my fault?' and I told the it was both their faults, and pinpointed all the issues. I told them they had to figure out how to work together, and Liam said 'And if we don't? I will not work with her." He laughs. "Abby started in on him, and said "Why? What did I ever do to you?' and he looked right at her, right in the eye, and said you're a bitch."

Everyone at the wedding is quiet.

"And Abby slapped the shit out of him. Liam, and it was so weird, because, I mean, I'd known Liam for a year by then. I knew his moods pretty well, but there was one mood I'd never seen. I didn't recognize it back then, but he looked mad, and there was something undectable there. He pinned her to the ground, but he didn't hurt her, and he said hit my again. I dare you and Abby said I would, you bloody fucking cunt. But you've got my fucking arms pinned."

It's quiet for a long time.

"I forced everyone to Australia. The more I made him spend time with Abby, the more I saw that look. I knew there was something there. It took my the entire trip, and most of them time of them working to understand it. And right now, at this very moment, Liam's got the same look in his eyes. Love."

Silence.

Lane steps out of the way for Dad.

"The point is, even when Abby hated Liam, I never did. I knew there was something about him. Zara, my wife, she called the marriage before Abby even liked Liam. And if you asked Abby back then, she'd tell you that Liam hated her. Liam never hated her. He's always loved her. Even when everyone thought he didn't."

He leaves the stage with Lane, and Zeke hops up.

"My little brother was always single. At one point, the entire family on both sides was convinced he was gay. He'd hung out with Lucas and Jackson more than anybody, he at eighteen years old, he never had a girlfriend. One day though, he came home, and he was texting somebody. I got nosy, and everyone knows that when I want information, I get it. I ripped his phone from his hand, and I found out he had a girlfriend. I told everyone. Nobody believed me, but slowly, he started talking about her. We'd ask to meet her, but he kept refusing. That's when I figured it out. Abby wasn't just some girl. She was the girl. I knew that, because he was scared to take us around our...rather, overbearing family. I wanted to meet her desperately. Liam talked about Abby as if she was a saint. He said she was so beautiful, and he would only show us one photo. One day though, a few months into their relationship, Lia came home late. After everything happened with Abby and they got back together...he was asking Dad for money, and I wanted to know why, so I hid in the hall and waited. When Dad asked why he needed money, the entire house was quiet, and Liam said "I need to get the morning after pill for Abby." It was hilarious, because Dad started cheering. Like, completely cheering. Mom was crying, and laughing, and I starting slapping the shit out of his back. He couldn't find his phone though, so I said fuck it, I'll call it. The first time I spoke to Abby was over the phone, and oone of the first things I said to her was, Hey Abby. I'm Zeke. Liam's brother. I heard you two fucked." This was a test to see if I liked her. If she started to get panicked and uncomfortable, she would've failed the test. But no. She laughed. We practically forced Liam to guide us to her house to get his phone back. Back then, they were in the honeymoon stage, but now they act like an old married couple, but they still act like they're in the honeymoon stage. Abby, you're the strongest woman I know, and honestly, I'd never usually admit this, but even though you're my baby sister, I look up to you. Liam, you're really strong too. You guys lift each other up. Your relationship is goals, your engagement is goals, and your marriage is goals. When I find the right girl, I want my relationship, and my bond with her, to be just as strong. To Liam and my baby sister!" he lifts his glass.

<><>

I'm happier than I've ever been.

I don't know where we're going, but the plane touches the ground.

My eyes glue to the window.

"You mentioned last year that you wanted to go to Fort Bragg, California or our honeymoon." He whispers, planting a gentle kiss on my neck. "So, my lovely wife. Welcome to Fort Bragg."