Chapter Eleven: Welcome to the Party
"my life is what I'm fighting for,
can't part the sea, can't reach the shore,"
~ avril lavigne
┉
M O N I C A
The sun was warming my skin to the point where I literally felt like I was sizzling. A person could crack an egg on my stomach and I wouldn't be surprised if it cooked.
Despite the burning sensation, I laid on my towel, hoping for the best glow after I finished. I must have been tanning for two hours, but I recently flipped myself so I was lying on my back.
When I woke up this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the sun had been out, finally. The weather here in Lake Wisken seemed to aim toward cloudy skins, so when the sun finally decided to peer through them... I had to take advantage of it.
I actually woke up as early as ten-thirty, making myself iced coffee before walking to the one and only lake in our town. The towel under me didn't cushion the floor as much, but I wasn't one to be picky.
While music played from my wireless earphones, I kept my eyes closed with content. But just when the song finished, followed by a pause of silence, I ended up catching the sound of branches cracking.
My body instantly went on alert as I shot up, removing my earphones before standing up in nothing but my bikini. I looked intimidating, I know.
When I looked to the forest in front of me, my eyes swept between the trees, only to clench my jaw when I saw who was walking in my direction. "What the fuck are you doing?" I hissed, seeing Xavier stepping out from the trees. He was probably ten feet from me, his dark brown eyes wide.
His hair was styled as it usually was, and he was in his police uniform. When I looked down, I noticed him clenching a handgun. "Xavier..." I mumbled, keeping my eyes on the gun. He must have understood where I was getting at because within seconds, he shoved the gun in the waistband of his pants.
I finally looked up, glaring in his direction before bending down to reach for the strapless romper I wore on my way to the lake. "Want to explain what the fuck you're doing here?"
He smiled hesitantly before looking around the woods. Once his gaze returned to me, he looked over my now covered body, towel and gym bag—which I used to carry my things here.
"I really can't," he confessed when I continued to narrow my eyes on him.
"Fuck you. You mean you won't," I spat out, crossing my arms. "Why were you trying to sneak up on me?"
His eyes widened as he shook his head rapidly. "No! I didn't," he clenched his jaw before looking to his side. He remained silent for a few moments before releasing a defeated sigh. "You're so fucking reckless, you know that right?"
My eyes widened at his statement. "Sorry, did I ask for your opinion?" I snapped, moving my hands to my hips. "How, in what fucking way, am I being reckless? I'm tanning, Xavier, not everyone has a natural glow."
He cussed under his breath, and I watched as his chest expanded while taking a sharp breath of air. "You remember the drug cartel?" His words made my body react instantly as I stiffened. He looked satisfied by my response before nodding stiffly. "Yeah, well, we've been seeing more drugs around and the people we've caught aren't spilling who the supplier is."
I waited, knowing there was more by how tight his lips were pulled. So when he didn't continue, I raised my brows. "And?"
"And what?"
Motherfucker. I really had to spill it out for him. "Why the fuck are you in the woods? Let me guess, you're actually a chipmunk and you're looking for nuts."
He rolled his eyes. "We caught some people selling around here. I wanted to see if there was a trade going on now," he explained, stepping closer to me. It wasn't long before he was only a foot away, smiling at me sadly. "It's not safe being around here, Monnie."
I hated how my heart sped up at the thought of being associated with the cartel again. But just as my thoughts were beginning to drown in fear, I felt Xavier's hand on my shoulder, snapping my attention back to his gaze. "I won't let anything happen to you," he swore, tightening his hold on me before letting go.
Surprised by his confession, I stood there confused. I watched as his eyes dropped to the gym bag, pursing his lips. "Isn't that Kevin's?" He asked, making me drop my eyes to the bag next to my feet.
"Yeah," I said blankly. The thought of him caused my fists to clench, but I made sure my expression was kept neutral.
Xavier met my eyes moments later, wearing a frown. "He gave it to you?"
I was ready to blurt out that I stole it, like the inconsiderate bitch I was. But honestly, I always used it more than him. "It was basically mine to begin with."
He nodded as he looked to his feet, licking his upper teeth, by the way his mouth moved. "What happened between you both anyway?" He asked. I was surprised he lasted, not asking me that question, since it'd been almost two months since I returned to town.
"You didn't ask your boyfriend that question?" I asked, arching a brow. The two of them were thick as thieves in high school. I wasn't exactly sure if they kept in touch after I moved to Colorado because I really didn't care.
He clenched his jaw as he took a deep breath. "Monica, come—" I raised my brows, which stopped him from continuing. "Kevin loved you," he deadpanned.
"Congratulations to him," I nodded once.
A groan left him as he rubbed his jaw. "Last I talked to him, he said all was good between you guys," he admitted, and I almost laughed. They must have talked a long time ago.
Probably realizing that he wouldn't be getting answers from me, he tightly smiled. "Can I give you a ride back to town? I gotta get back to the station anyways."
I nodded and grabbed my things. "Shouldn't Ronen be with you?" I asked, remembering how Liam's flirtatious friend was partners with Xavier.
"He had something to do," he explained vaguely, making my brows furrow.
Not bothering to ask any more questions—because I really wasn't interested—I allowed him to guide us through the woods before walking to his cruiser. "I can't believe you walked all the way here," he shook his head as I sat in the passenger seat.
"I don't mind a walk," I told him truthfully. Dad and I used to walk long lengths before finding the perfect spot to stargaze.
When Xavier sat next to me, he turned on the ignition and began to drive back to town. "You excited for tomorrow?" He asked after a few minutes.
"Yeah, I guess," I shrugged, looking out the window to watch the trees. Sophie's party would be tomorrow, and for the last week, drinking seemed too appealing.
When I tilted my head so I could stare at him, I couldn't help but admire his side profile. "What are you thinking about drinking?" He smirked, looking at me in the corner of his eye. He must have felt my gaze, which could have explained the teasing look he was sending me.
"I'm probably gonna make myself a Long Island iced tea," I admitted after a few seconds of thinking. I wanted a drink with ice but I also liked my drinks hard.
He nodded with agreement. "That actually sounds really good," he laughed, but it was cut off a moment later when the car shifted to the side on its own. "Oh shit."
His eyes were widened with alert as he turned the wheel in the opposite direction the car was spinning toward. He allowed the car to slow gradually before moving the car to the side. "What the fuck," I hissed, looking around our surrounding as he turned on the emergency flashers.
"Tire popped," he breathed out as he changed the gear to park.
I shook my head in surprise. "Fuck, okay, do you have a spare tire?"
He shook his head. "Last week my left wheel was stabbed with something, so I used my spare then. I didn't have a chance to put another spare in my car."
My eyes snapped down the street, debating on walking to town. But I'd feel guilty to leave Xavier, so I sighed before looking back to him. "Okay, so we call someone."
I noticed that he was already doing so. "On it," he mumbled before pressing the phone against his ear. But instead of being able to hear his conversation, he stepped out of the car and closed the door shut.
He ended up being on the phone for a few minutes, so I sat back and read about some of the current events on my phone.
"Guy will be here in ten minutes," Xavier said, startling me when he opened the door.
I looked to him and nodded, thankful that my shift at the diner wouldn't start for almost another two hours. I had time.
Because the sun was still out, I decided on stepping out of the car and jumping onto the hood. I lowered half of my romper so my stomach had access to the sun. I left the bunched up fabric around my underwear line before I dropped my hands onto the car, so I could lean back and keep myself up at the same time.
"What are you doing?" I heard Xavier laugh after a few minutes.
I kept my eyes closed, allowing the sun to soak into my skin. "Well, you interrupted me tanning. The sun is barely around so I gotta make use of it."
He laughed right when I heard a car driving down the street. When I slowly fluttered my eyes open, I watched as a familiar pick-up truck drove in our direction. It took a few moments until my heart started to race in my chest, watching as the vehicle quickly did a U-turn. It was parked in front of Xavier's cruiser in seconds.
I sucked in a breath when the driver's door opened, seeing Liam not a moment later. He was dressed in his usual jeans and tee-shirt, along with his baseball cap, but when I finally met his gaze, I was startled to see such anger on his expression.
Feeling faint, I glanced down and quickly fixed my romper before jumping off the hood of the car. "Ronen told me you needed help," Liam said, but I couldn't help but shiver at how cold his tone was.
"Uh, yeah," Xavier cleared his throat. "You brought a spare right?"
In my line of vision, I saw Liam's black trainers less than a foot from my own—which were covered by sandals. "Yes," he clenched out. "In my trunk."
I heard Xavier moving around me, followed by something unlocking—which likely was Liam's trunk. "Bangs," I heard him mumble under his breath. "Look at me," he said, making my heart do weird things in my chest.
My body couldn't refuse, I realized the second I snapped my head up, meeting his bright blue eyes. If possible, the sun made them appear brighter than it naturally was. His head had been dropped low enough, probably to meet my gaze because of our height difference.
"What happened?" He asked me, looking to the side. I followed his gaze, only to see that he was staring at Xavier, who was now rolling the wheel to the side where the wheel popped.
I didn't look away as he moved to the truck, getting out some tools to bring the car up. Before I could continue watching, I felt Liam's familiar hand touch my upper arm, making me suck in a breath before staring into his expected gaze. "Where you out with him?" He asked suddenly.
My head shook instantly. "No," I rushed out, feeling defensive. "I was tanning and Xavier saw me. He offered me a ride back to town and his wheel blew out."
His features seemed to lose its intensity as he shoulders sagged slightly. His eyes roamed around me before his lip quirked, his hand lingering on my arm before letting go. "Your cheeks are pink," me said with amusement as he reached forward, now brushing his thumb against my cheek. "Cute."
"It's the sun's fault," I frowned, slapping his hand away, despite how good his hand felt against my skin. "It usually turns red before my face actually tans."
"It's cute," he grinned, but before I could defend myself, he stepped back and turned toward Xavier, who seemed to be struggling with the wheel. "Here, I'll do it."
Xavier didn't put much of a fight as he moved back, letting Liam take control of the situation. While he moved to the driver's seat, I walked toward Liam, who was changing the tire with ease.
I leaned back against the car, watching him work. As weird as it was, I found myself attracted to how Liam changed the tire so swiftly. He must have noticed my attention on him because after a moment passed, he looked up and smiled with amusement in my direction.
"You're still down for tomorrow, right?" I asked after a few seconds passed, making him tilt his head up slightly. I'd told him a few days back about Sophie's party, and he agreed on joining me.
His lips spread into a grin, making me press my back deeper into the car. He was so gorgeous it wasn't fair. "Please, Bangs," he tsked, fixing up the new tire before removing the tool that helped lift the vehicle up. He stood a moment later, towering over me. He suddenly pressed his hand on the empty space next to me, leaning in just the slightest.
I sucked in a breath. Our bodies weren't touching, but we were close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off his body. "Do you think I'd miss you being drunk?" He asked rhetorically when I lifted my head to meet his eyes. He stared at me with an amused smirk. "You're extremely entertaining."
"I'm always entertaining," I retorted, needing to get myself together. "And this time, you're drinking with me."
He laughed under his breath. "I'll think about it," he told me before stepping away from me. I couldn't help but miss his close proximity right away.
"I'm heading out," he called out, looking to the other side of the car before smiling in my direction. "See you, Bangs," he mumbled, touching my hip lightly before walking to his truck.
I stayed in my spot, even after I heard him drive away. "Mon, you ready?" I heard Xavier call out, breaking me from my thoughts.
I cleared my throat before turning. He stood on the other side of the car, his arms crossed on top of the car as he stared at me with confusion. "Yeah," I forced a smile. "Let's go."
┉
Waking up the next morning was surprisingly easy, probably because of the excitement of going to Sophie's tonight and getting wasted.
Liam's presence didn't affect my thoughts, not at all.
After making myself some iced coffee with my favourite hazelnut creamer, I ended up going outside to the backyard, where I spray painted silently for an hour.
"Don't get paint on the grass," I heard Chris call out from behind me, making me snap my back upright before I spun to meet his gaze. My brother wore nothing but his boxers while holding a glass beer against his lips.
I was surprised for a moment, when I noticed him staring at me teasingly. For the last week—hell, since mom got back, our relationship hadn't been the same as it was. He was team mom while I was against anything involving her. He sent me smiles here and there, but we typically avoided each other.
Mom also got the memo, finally understanding to give me my space instead of forcing me to talk to her. "For someone who claims to have good vision, you really need to check your surroundings," I commented. Between the both us, I got the worse vision, which he always rubbed in my face as kids.
I had glasses at a young age, even though I barely sat in front of a screen. Chris played video games constantly but he had twenty-twenty vision. The moment I turned eighteen, I got Lasik, and I didn't regret it one bit.
Chris frowned, so I dropped my gaze to the canvas drop cloth I always had on the ground, which covered a large surface. My large canvas was displayed in the centre, and I made sure that no access paint touched the grass.
"Well, I was just making sure you knew," he pathetically replied.
My eyes rolled. "What a saint you are," I told him blankly before adding, "I'm sure you care deeply for the grass, considering the amount of things you've done on it."
His lips widened to a grin, and I surprised myself when I was actually glad to see him smiling. It had been a while since he directed one so wide toward me.
We ended up staring at each other in silence, and the longer we did so, the more awkward I felt. But before I could speak up to remove my discomfort, the sliding door behind him opened. It wasn't long before a tall female, who looked to be Korean, stepped outside, wearing nothing but Chris' tee-shirt.
Her dirty blonde hair was in a messy bun on the top of her head, and her dark eyes looked glazed with excitement when she stared at Chris. "Hey, baby," she mumbled, running her fingers up and down his bicep. "Why'd you leave me?" She chuckled under her breath as she lowered her hand to his hand.
"Come back inside with me," she smirked teasingly as she brought her hand to his crotch. I choked on a laugh, making her eyes snap toward me instantly.
Her eyes widened with embarrassment. "Hi," she breathed out, forcing a wary smile.
Instead of answering right away, I lowered my gaze to her hand, which was still cupping my brothers junk. Internally disgusted, but she got the message as she snapped her hand away from him before straightening. "Sorry," she chuckled, pressing her palms against the shirt before rubbing it downward. "Didn't see you there."
"Really?" I raised my brows. "I thought you were purposely hitting on my brother in front of me. My mistake."
She stared at me with confusion, questioning if I was telling the truth. Chris leaned toward her ear while staring at me with amusement. "She's being sarcastic," he muttered softly, but I managed to catch it.
"Am I, though?"
His eyes narrowed on me playfully. "Stop."
I raised my hands up in surrender before looking back to his conquest. "I'm Tina," she introduced herself, and I nodded my head once before looking back down to the canvas.
Without saying anything else, I reached for a can of spray paint before getting back to work. I heard both Chris and Tina share a few words. The sound of the sliding door opening and closing followed after a few moments.
"You heading to the party tonight?" I heard Chris ask behind me, and my hand froze, clenching the can before turning my body so I was fully facing him.
"How do you know about that?" I asked, arching a brow as I dropped my arms on either side of me.
He shrugged in response. "People talk. Plus, when the guys and I went into Mel's yesterday, Sophie invited me."
My eyes instantly narrowed on him, noticing the usual spark of mischief in his gaze. "Listen," I began, pressing my hands on the ground to help me stand up. Once I righted myself, I pointed an accusing finger to him. "I don't care who you sleep with, but Sophie isn't an option."
He stared at me with amusement. "Why not? What if she wants it?"
I snorted. "Just because you're a Pisces doesn't mean she'll go for you," I told him, remembering how Sophie told me that their signs work together. "If she wants you to be anything to her, it's probably as a friend."
"That's a change, isn't it?" He said condescendingly, keeping the smirk on his face.
My eyes rolled. "Stop being immature," I told him as I crossed my arms. "And reckless. This isn't just some girl. Darius and dad were best friends, and I'm pretty sure neither would want Sophie hurt."
"But..." he pouted, making me groan.
I pointed a finger to the sliding door. "Leave, please. I need to get focused."
He frowned but followed my instructions thankfully. "I don't feel loved," he called out.
"Congratulations!" I replied just as the door closed. I didn't waste any time as I dropped to my knees, finishing off the painting for the next thirty minutes.
Since I had a day off today, I wasn't in a rush to get things done, especially since I didn't have to be at Sophie's until nine. But by one in the afternoon, I was finished, and I had no idea what to do. The sun was behind the clouds now, so tanning wasn't an option.
After thinking about it further, I decided on visiting Liam. Since I didn't know the direction to his shop, I quickly plugged in the name of the mechanic shop. I found that a bus close to my house could take me there in twenty minutes so I quickly changed out of my clothes, slipping into a high waisted mom shorts and a over the shoulder, floral red top.
While on the bus, I noticed the same Mexican restaurant I went with him to a few weeks back. So impulsively, I got off the bus and asked for nachos to go, which they did for me quickly before I paid.
I ended up outside Belkin Mechanics around twenty minutes later. Once I stepped out of the bus and onto the gravel road, I thanked the driver.
As he drove away, I looked around the small, one floor building. It was painted black with two garages on the right side of the building. The few square feet on the left was blank, with no door or windows. For that reason, I assumed the entrance was the far right garage—which happened to be the only one that was fully open.
While walking toward it, I noticed how a bright red sign was above the open garage, with Liam's last name displayed.
I stepped inside a moment later, my eyes roaming around the space. There was a closed door on the far left side, which was where I assumed his office was. Since I couldn't see Liam anywhere around the tools or the two cars parked in front of me, I stepped in the direction of the office, only to bump into a tool box that was laying on the floor next to my feet.
"Shit," I cussed, stepping back. My sandal covered foot throbbed slightly, but all pain was forgotten when I heard his voice.
"Bangs?" He grumbled, making my heart pound. The sound of something rolling on the ground made me drop my gaze, only to suck in a breath when I saw that it was Liam. He had been under the car, but that wasn't what shocked me.
He was naked.
At least, the top half of him was. But as he continued to roll away from under the car, I noticed him wearing jeans, as well.
My eyes were glued onto his chest, which was glistening with sweat. Instead of being disgusted, I found myself more turned on, since the moisture gathering on his body only heightened his muscles.
Every arch on his body was appealing. From his broad shoulders, pecks, then to his abdomen, which showcased a fabulous set of six protruding muscles. The v-line that ended by the waistband of his pants was something to drool over.
Liam's deep laugh brought my eyes away from his body, and I watched as he stood up from the thing he'd been using to slide smoothly under the car. "What are you doing here?" He mumbled, leaning against the car as he watched me.
My voice was lost in me, so I lifted the white plastic bag that had the Mexican restaurant's name imprinted. He grinned instantly, meeting my eyes again. "I've converted you. Perfect," he laughed hoarsely. "Now I got to get you to eat one of my famous hot dogs."
Mind in the gutter. Fuck me.
Forcing myself to control my thoughts, I snorted, placing the bag on the table next to me before crossing my arms. "Burgers are better," I deadpanned. "I can make my famous burgers and you'll fall in love."
He smirked then, pushing himself off the car before standing in front of me, a foot of space between us. "Is that a challenge, Bangs?" He muttered, tilting his head just the slightest to stare me down.
"It can't be a challenge if I already know I'm gonna win, Triple," I retorted, keeping my voice strong.
But that all went to shit when he stepped forward, removing the space between us. I sucked in a breath when his hand touched my cheek. I inched my head up, my wide eyes meeting his darkened ones.
Neither of us moved away, nor did we look away from each other. Instinctively, I dropped my eyes to his lips, causing his hand on my cheek to twitch.
When I looked back up, I noticed his eyes dropped to the ground. It was moments later when he looked back up, but the heat was gone from his expression, now replaced with humour.
Not a moment passed before I felt him rub his hand on my cheek, letting go and jumping back instantly. Noticing his smirk, I narrowed my eyes on him as I touched my cheek.
When I lowered my hand, I glanced down and gasped when I saw something black on my fingertips. "Trip," I drawled out slowly, looking at his hands. They were both covered in what looked to be grease.
"I'm gonna kill you," I clenched out, throwing myself in his direction. His laughter followed my declaration before running away.
┉
The two of us ended up jogging around the cars parked in the garage before making our way outside. I managed to hurl myself toward him, and his instincts got the best of him because he caught me. Only, he fell back when his hands gripped my thighs, landing on his back to break our fall.
I sat up and straddled his waist so I could wrap my small hands around his wrists, but Liam didn't hide his humour while I did so. "What are you gonna do now, Bangs?" He mumbled.
My knees dug into the ground on either side of his hips before using his hand to slap himself. He gaped at me with surprise while I laughed uncontrollably. His hand made the perfect print on his cheek.
He threw me off of him, holding my hips so I was lying on my back with him looming over me. His eyes darkened when he heard my gasp. Everything felt like a haze, but I swear I saw him bend down, just the slightest bit, before a voice caught our attention.
Katrina had come by, and without thinking, I pushed my hands against Liam's chest and shoved him off me before sitting up. She smirked at the both of us, reminding me of our conversation a week ago. So, in desperate need of changing the topic, I turned to Liam and asked why his sister couldn't help at the shop.
With a little convincing and Katrina's pouting lip, he'd gotten to agree to that she may come by twice a week for two hours. It was all he would do, but it seemed enough for her so I let it be.
I left them alone and decided on heading back to town. When I got back to the bungalow, I showered and changed again, since I'd been covered in gravel and grease. The few hours went by painfully slow, but when nine came, I changed to leggings and grey surplice cropped cami that showed some stomach. My breasts also weren't hidden, so after putting on two necklaces varying in length, I fixed up my hair and left the house.
By the time I got to Sophie's, the party had already begun. I found myself getting dragged to the kitchen by Karen, who force fed me shots. Although I wanted something on ice, I couldn't resist, taking the tequila out of her hands.
An hour passed and I was totally buzzed.
"Come on!" I grinned widely at a random person. The woman seemed amused and shared my grin before slipping in next to me. We both clinked our glasses before throwing our heads back.
The taste of alcohol didn't bother me anymore, so when I straightened, I laughed and shared a hug with the tall woman.
Once she was out of sight, I looked around the apartment, which was now filled with bodies either dancing or talking with one another. I noticed Sophie by the couch, talking lustfully to a guy, by the looks of it.
"Hey, Mon," I heard behind me, just as a hand gripped my hip.
Confused with some blurry vision, I spun around slowly and met Xavier's dilated eyes. "Xavier," I frowned, trying to remember why I was pissed at him again. Before I could let my mind take over, his other hand reached for my waist.
He tugged me toward his chest before wrapping me in a hug. I couldn't help but giggle. "What are you doing?" I asked, pulling my head back.
Instead of being able to do so, the hand on my hip released me, only for it to push my head back onto his broad shoulder. "What are you—" my heavy eyes widened when I felt his moist lips place a kiss below my ear.
I shoved my arms between our collided chests before attempting to shove him back. "What the fuck are you doing?" I hissed next to ear as he wrapped his arms around me, so I was pressed tight against him.
"Do you know how much I wanted you in high school?" He blurted out, his mouth brushing against my ear. "Sophomore year. But Kevin was in your year and saw you first, so he called dibs."
I was frozen, my mind already sobering as he continued to talk. "He wanted you for two years, but you friendzoned him. But at least he was fucking lucky enough to get close. You never let me in. I was only Kevin's friend to you."
"Xavier," I said slowly, silently warning him not to say anymore.
Still, he kept his mouth next to my ear, holding my head to I couldn't move away. "And now you're back, and you still don't see me as a friend. How fucking sad is that?"
I clenched my jaw before shoving him hard. Right as I was debating to knee him in the balls, he loosened his grip on me. "Stop living in the past. Fuck," I glared, digging my elbow into his hard chest. "I had my own problems, so sorry I didn't want to be friends. How selfish of me."
He frowned, but before he could say anything, I spoke again. "And you seriously wanted to date me? I'm surprised you allowed yourself to feel anything other than platonic, since you never went against Kevin," I let out a dry laugh. "What would he say if you made moves against his ex?"
When he tensed up, I knew I got him. "What the fuck?" A familiar voice clenched out, causing me to snap my head to the side to see Liam. But instead of looking at me, his glare was solely focused on Xavier and his arms, which were still around me.
Again, I felt Xavier's hold on me loosen, so I tried to shove myself off him. Liam helped by gripping Xavier's arm before throwing it off me. I breathed with relief before fully stepping away from Xavier, only for Liam to block my view of him a second later.
He mumbled something too low for me to understand. Plus, with the loud music, I couldn't really catch anything they were saying.
After a what seemed like minutes, Xavier stumbled away from the kitchen, walking somewhere in the apartment. I kept my eyes on Liam as he turned, meeting my gaze. "Welcome to the party," I teased, wiggling my eyebrows.
Although he still looked pissed off, he reached for my hand and tugged me out of the kitchen. "Oh, you're a mister tuggy tuggerson, aren't you?" I laughed, feeling less tense with Xavier gone.
His grip on my hand tightened but continued to drag me behind him. It wasn't long before he stopped next to the empty wall next to Sophie's bedroom. Needing to relax, I leaned against the wall while watching Liam exhale slowly. "Wassup?" I smiled, noticing how clean he looked compared to this morning.
Gone was his bare chest and greasy hands and pants. He still wore his jeans, but now wore a fitted white tee-shirt. He wore a dark grey baseball cap, which made me frown. "What are you doing?" He asked, wide eyed as I reached forward, removing the hat off his head.
I chuckled as I dropped the hat on my head. "Guess I should be antisocial now," I teased, making him roll his eyes. He didn't reach for the hat after a few moments, so I relaxed against the wall while his large hat covered the top of my head.
"You were with him yesterday," he deadpanned, making me snap my eyes to his. He looked completely serious. "When we were at the restaurant a few weeks back, he spoke to you. I've also seen him at the diner. Are you friends or exes?"
My heart shuddered in my chest when I noticed his eyes narrowing on me. "He was my exes' best friend," I found myself admitting. "I don't know much about their history, but I know they were friends since they were kids. He's really loyal to him. When I got back to town, he's tried to get closer."
"Well, what a fucking loyal friend he is then," he snorted, looking down the hall where the party-goers were.
He was so serious. That was worrisome.
I chuckled at my thoughts before throwing my arms around his neck without thought. He stiffened for a moment, not meeting my gaze before turning to face me. "Calm down, gorilla," I teased, only to let out a laugh at my own comment.
He arched a brow, but that didn't hide how his lip twitched. "Gorilla?"
"Yes, gorilla. Problem?" I asked.
He stared me down for a few moments before chuckling under his breath, shaking his head. "No," he admitted with amusement when he met my eyes again.
Deciding to let go of him, I leaned against the wall again. "So what'd you do today?" I asked, pursing my lips playfully.
He noticed and smiled. "Worked late and showered before heading to the Mel's real quick," he admitted, making me frown.
"You went to the diner?" I asked, and when he nodded, I couldn't help but ask the question I'd been wondering for over a month. "Why do you go to the diner? I mean, around the same time and everything. You also get the same thing each time."
His eyes darkened, almost dangerously at my question. But instead of answering it right away, he looked to his feet and breathed out softly. "Liam?" I said cautiously, feeling sad that he was upset. Had I overstepped my boundaries?
"I don't want to think about it," he mumbled, lifting his gaze to meet my eyes.
Nodding in understanding, I urged myself to find a way to change the topic—hell, the energy.
"Let's get you drunk," I decided on saying, wearing a grin just at the thought of him being drunk. Not giving him a chance to refuse, I reached for his hand, lacing his fingers with mine before tugging him back to the centre of the party.
┉
monica is an angry little bean
with too much trust issues.
I can't wait to expose why ;)
I feel like there's this trend
where writers try to make their
characters perfect, but I'm really
trying to avoid doing so. every
human being makes mistakes,
and I don't think fictional
characters should be immune
to them.
anyway! happy Tuesday
everyone! I hope you enjoyed
this chapter!
this is my last week of school
before reading week starts,
and I can't wait to get my
writing on!
I'll see you Friday, love you x