“Follow your heart, sweet girl. It will lead you to happiness.”
“Goodnight, Gran. I love you.” I kiss her cheek again.
“Goodnight, Allie girl.”
When I get back to the den everyone is exhausted from the long day, it’s after midnight. Hailey and I walk the guys out to the porch.
“So, dinner will be ready at one, so don’t be late,” I tell them.
Aiden laughs. “Mom will be here early to help cook. Do you really think we’re going to pass up a big home cooked meal?” he asks me, like it’s the craziest thing he has ever heard.
“Can I do anything to help you?” Liam asks me.
“Holy shit, you’re more whipped than I thought,” Aiden says, punching Liam in the arm and laughing.
Liam smiles. “You’re damn right I am, my girl comes first, always,” he says, kissing me softly. He pulls away and rests his forehead on mine. “Sweet dreams, beautiful girl.” Then he kisses me again, slow and sweet. I could stand here all night, but Aiden and Hailey clearing their throats brings me back to reality.
“Goodnight,” I whisper against his lips with one last chaste kiss.
Hailey and I head to bed as well. I have a queen bed in my old room, and she’s going to be sleeping with me. I wish it was her brother. Once we’re settled, lights off, and everything is calm, the realization of how used to sleeping with Liam I really am sets in. He must have been reading my thoughts because my phone vibrates on the nightstand with a new message.
Liam: I miss you. I can’t sleep without you.
Me: I miss you too.
“Is that my brother?” Hailey questions me.
I’m glad it is dark, so she can’t see me blush. “Yeah,” I reply.
We’re quiet for several minutes, my phone buzzes again.
Liam: I love you, baby. Sweet Dreams.
Me: I love you too.
“He really does, you know.”
“He really does what?” I’m confused as to what she’s referring to.
“Liam, he really loves you. I heard him talking to our parents, he told them that you’re ‘the one’,” she says.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “The one?” I question her.
Hailey laughs softly. “He’s different with you, better.”
I debate on what I should tell her. She’s his sister, but she’s also my friend. I decide to go with honesty without the intimate details of our relationship. “I love him so much. I really feel like he’s my soul mate. Is that crazy? We’ve only been together a short amount of time.”
“No, it’s not crazy. I wish I could say I had found ‘the one’.”
I don’t respond as my mind drifts to Liam and the depth of my feelings for him. In such a short amount of time he has become my world. I have to admit I’m a little worried about the draft and how those events will affect us. I try not to think about it and just enjoy the time I have with him.
“There’s this guy that I have kind of had a thing for, for a while now,” Hailey speaks into the darkness of the quiet room. “He doesn’t see me the same way, but I would give anything for him to look at me the way my brother looks at you.” She reaches over and grabs my hand. “I’m so glad he has you and that you and I have become friends. Both of our lives have been changed because of you.”
“I love you both,” I whisper through the cloud of tears in my eyes. Neither one of us says anymore as we drift off to sleep.
Chapter 28
Liam
Let’s just say last night sucked. It took me what seemed like hours to fall asleep and here I am wide awake at six in the damn morning. I’m so used to sleeping with my girl by my side that it’s not possible for me to get a full night’s sleep without her. I remember her telling me she had to be up early to put in the turkey, so I decide to text her.
Me: Good morning, beautiful.
I hold my phone tight against my chest anxiously waiting for her reply which comes rather quickly considering the time.
Allison: Good morning. Missed you last night.
Me: I missed you too, baby. Did I wake you?
Allison: No, I am up had to put the turkey in can’t get back to sleep.
Me: Can I come over?
Allison: Please.
I hop out of bed, pull on a t-shirt and sweats, and head out. I open the door and run into a sleepy Aiden.
He looks at me confused. “Where are you going?” he asks, still half asleep.
I show him my phone, which has a picture of Allison on the screen. “Allie’s up, she’s putting the turkey on and can’t get back to sleep, so I’m going over to keep her company.” That’s my story anyway. I know if I tell him I can’t stand to be away from her a minute longer he would razz me about it all day. Although by the look in his eye, he already knows the real reason.
“What time is it?” he asks, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
“It’s a little after six.” I step to the left to walk around him and hear him chuckle behind me.
“Whipped bastard,” he mutters as he laughs.
“Love sick bastard,” I call back to him. Might as well call a zebra a zebra and not a horse, I’m madly in love with the girl and want to be with her every second of the day.
Allison’s waiting at the door for me when I get there. I immediately pick her up and hold her close. She buries her face in my neck. “I missed you,” I whisper in her ear.
She leans away, and I set her back on her feet. “Come in, I made coffee and cinnamon rolls.”
We end up in the den, her on my lap, eating cinnamon rolls and drinking coffee. At a little after seven, Allie hears Gran starting to stir, so she goes to help her out of bed and into the den. While she does that, I make Gran a plate of fresh fruit and oatmeal and pour her a cup of black coffee. I have everything ready and waiting on the TV tray beside her chair by the time they make their way into the den.
“Liam—How did? How did you know?” Allison asks me.
I shrug my shoulders. “I pay attention and I listen when you talk.”
She carefully helps Gran into her chair, then turns and launches herself at me. I catch her in my arms and hug her tight. “I love your hugs,” she whispers to me. She pulls back and touches her hand to my face. “I love you more every day, you’re amazing.” Then she kisses me.
She kisses me full on lips with tongue right in front of her gran. I’m not sure how her gran feels about intimate displays of affection, and I don’t want to disrespect her, but there’s no way I can tell Allison no. We’ll just have to ask for forgiveness later. Allison pulls away and smiles at me. I’m lost in her eyes, the emotion I see in them. She finally breaks the trance when she pulls me to the couch and plops down beside me, never letting go of my hand.
“Allie girl, can you get me my medication?” Gran asks her. Allison nods, gets up, and walks toward the kitchen.
I’m a little nervous, I just made out with this woman’s granddaughter right in front of her and now she’s obviously trying to get me alone. I clear my throat and rub my hands together. My palms are sweaty.