Life is Liz (LiL, #1)

Chapter 55: Part 1: First Times

Don't do that. Don't make me out be something I'm not.

His happy expression turned into a frown when I stared at him silently. "What? What is it?"

Stop, talking about me like I'm perfect, like I couldn't make mistakes, like I wasn't able to do things wrong, like I made the right decisions at all times, like I wasn't so very flawed. There were quite a lot of people who disliked me, hated me even. I wasn't popular and loved by everyone.

I didn't want to make him aware of that though, did I? If he thought I was perfect why not let him believe it? The answer was quite simple, I didn't want him to have expectations of me that I couldn't live up to.

I pushed it to the back of my mind. For now, I could let him believe that I was the perfect girlfriend he wanted to have. I could live with it for the moment and I had the strange feeling he needed it somehow as some kind of reassurance.

Besides, I wanted this day to go smoothly. I'd promised myself to leave all bad thoughts, including the ones of Jensen and Thalia and the fact that Alex was getting worse again instead of better, at home. Whether I could actually keep that promise, however, was doubtful.

"Nothing, Sam."

For a moment, it looked like he wanted to press the issue, but then the light turned green and he focused on the road.

The ride continued and my nerves picked up the closer we got to his home. I was so nervous the air around me was thick with tension. Sam, however, seemed to be very oblivious of my discomfort. Good, at least, he couldn't tell how much this was getting to me.

We stopped at a house similar in size to my own home. The building was a light blue with a dark gray roof and white accents. Box planters were lining the windows at the front of the home. The flowers, intense in color, stood out against the pale blue of the walls.

"Nice house," I commented as he opened my door after he'd hopped out of his side and rounded the car.

"Thanks." He reached for my clammy hand and pulled me in the direction of his home after he'd locked the doors. "You ready?"

I gave him what I was sure was a nervous smile. He grinned down at me before gifting me with a quick kiss. "You'll be fine," he said. "I won't leave your side, babe. Promise."

I was practically shaking from head to toe once we came to a halt at the front door. He opened the door and entered and I took a deep breath and braced myself...

Only...

"Mom?! Simon?!"

Nobody was home.

The knot in my stomach slowly loosened.

Sam frowned after he'd checked the rooms and came back to the entrance where I was still awkwardly standing, not knowing what to do with myself. "That's weird they should be..." He got out his phone and checked something. After a moment, his free hand flew up to his forehead, massaging the crease between his eyebrows, and sighed. "She texted me saying she was out with her book club and that she'd pick up Simon from a friend on the way home." He let out a deep, frustrated sigh as he pocketed his cell. "Another character trait of my mother, she likes to forget things."

"Honey, relax," I said and touched his arm to calm him. "I can just meet them later."

"But by the time they get home, we'll be already out with my friends."

"Then we'll just come back here after I meet your friends," I said calmly before I got on my tiptoes, shot him a reassuring smile and brushed my lips against his' after having slung my arms around his neck.