Learning to Swim

Chapter 9

“This will look perfect!” Maggie chirps while placing a necklace around my throat. It has a plain ruby red crystal dangling from the silver chain and it matches the dress perfectly.

“Thanks, Mags.”

“No problem. It’s what I’m here for,” Maggie says and then tilts her head to the side when she hears the doorbell. “That must be him!”

Before I can protest Maggie darts out of the room and to her front door. I can hear her talking with Liam from where I still stand in front of the mirror. I take a deep breath and go out to see him.

When I walk into the room Liam immediately looks up, a gorgeous smile lighting his face. Upon seeing him all of my doubts from earlier disappear. Butterflies erupt in my stomach as my eyes meet his and I almost forget that Maggie is standing right there.

“You look beautiful,” Liam says, looking at me in a way no one has ever looked at me before. It makes my cheeks turn pink and I have to look away.

“Doesn’t she?” Maggie chimes in and Liam agrees.

“Thank you,” I mumble. I’m not really used to receiving compliments, more like the opposite. I have been criticized about so much that I almost have trouble believing people when they give me compliments. I believe Liam, though. The way he looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen is enough to convince me he believes it.

“So, are you ready to go?” he asks and I nod. I hug Maggie goodbye and then make my way out to Liam’s car.

“Are you ever going to fill me in on where we are going?”

“You’ll see when we get there,” is Liam’s cryptic reply.

“I hate surprises,” I complain and a grin is his only response.

“Everything worked out with Marie, right?” Liam questions me and I nod.

Marie was more than excited to be asked to watch Addie over night again. I was still uncertain, though, especially when Addie cried when I dropped her off today. If she had asked me to stay just once I probably wouldn’t have been able to resist, but Marie calmed her down and when I left Addie seemed happy enough. It doesn’t mean I won’t spend the entire night worrying about her. I always do.

After dropping Addie off I drove over to Maggie’s. I didn’t really want Liam picking me up from my house and Maggie begged me to let her get me ready. She was almost as excited as I was for my date. I couldn’t help myself when I told her that if everything went alright tonight maybe Liam and I could double date with her and Daniel. She turned bright red and wouldn’t say any more on the subject. I know she was thinking about it, though.

“How much longer, Liam? The suspense is killing me!” I declare and he laughs.

“Not too long. We should be there soon. Actually, you should probably close your eyes right now, so that you don’t recognize where we are headed,” he tells me.

I raise my eyebrows at him, but comply anyway. We drive for a little while longer until suddenly I feel the car come to a stop.

“Stay where you are. I’ll come get you,” Liam says and then I hear his car door open.

A second later I hear my door creaking open and feel Liam pulling me from the car. I still have my hands covering my eyes as he leads me forward. I have no idea where I am going and it is actually kind of scary to me. I mean, if Liam wanted to he could lead me to an edge of a cliff right now and push me over. Not that he would ever do that, but still. For someone that has trust issues, this isn’t the easiest thing for me to do.