“Liam,” her gran says my name so softly I almost don’t hear her.
“Yes, ma’am?” Okay, now I’m really worried.
“You love her, you love my Allie?” she questions me.
I nod my head vigorously. “I do, more than I ever thought possible,” I tell her.
“Good, can you promise me something?” she asks. Her voice is laced with so much emotion, sadness or concern, maybe. I can’t really tell.
“That depends, ma’am. If you’re going to ask me to stay away from Allison, I’m sorry I just can’t do that.” I’m not sure what she’s going to ask of me, but I’m sure it has to do with Allison and me. Agreeing to stay away from her isn’t an option.
Gran laughs softly. “No, I see the way you look at her and her at you. I would never take that away from either of you.” She smiles at me. “Although, after your statement my fear of what I’m about to ask you is no longer palpable.” She reaches her hand out to me, so I stand up and walk over to her chair. I kneel down in front of her, taking her hand in mine while her other rests on my cheek. “Take care of her for me, Liam. I’m her only family and, well, I won’t be on this earth forever. All Allie has ever wanted was to have a family.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “I was never able to give that to her. After her parents died, it was just us. It has always been just us. I need to know she’ll have someone who will be there for her forever after I’m gone.” She’s looking at me as if she can see inside my soul. “Can you love her for me, give her the life she deserves?”
I have to fight to hide the fact that her words have me choked up. Allison’s grandmother is asking me to love Allie forever, to give her the family and life she has always dreamed of. I have to gather my wits before I can respond. “I love Allison with everything I am. She has changed my life in ways I never thought possible. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her. I’m honored I have your blessing.” I lean over and kiss her cheek.
Gran nods, tears in her eyes. “I met my late husband and knew by the end of our first date he was the one. Love like that is hard to find. I see it in the two of you.”
I hear Allison and Hailey coming down the hall. I nod my head, letting her know I’ll cherish Allison always and rush back to the couch. When Allison walks in, she offers me her genuine I’m happy smile. The one she reserves for me, I smile back. The old Liam would have been out the door and running for the hills after that speech. The new Liam is elated to have her blessing. I want to go look at rings today, although I know that’s not possible. Allison and I have talked about the draft, but never what it’s going to mean for our relationship. To me, it doesn’t change things, I love her. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, and I want her to go with me. I need her with me always. I’ve been afraid to broach the subject with her. Afraid I would be pushing things too far too fast, but after last weekend, my mind is made up. Allison is mine, always, and I’ll do everything in my power to show her she belongs with me. I can give her the love and the family she has always wanted. My mind veers to a pregnant Allison, and I have to readjust my position to hide the evidence of my erection. I want it all with Allison. I want to give her the family she’s always craved.
The rest of the day goes off without a hitch. Hailey, Allison, and Aiden’s mom make dinner while Aiden and I keep Gran entertained. Aiden’s mom made the desserts. She really outdid herself, but Aiden and I graciously volunteer to take the extras back with us. Hailey and I clean up the kitchen while Allie and Aiden spend time with his folks and her gran. We stay in the kitchen longer than necessary, giving them all time to visit.
“So, how you feeling about the draft?” Aiden asks me later.
I shrug. “I’m nervous, man. How about you? Nervous?”
He nods. “Yeah, I am. I mean, coach says you and I are in line for first round picks. It would be bad ass if we could go to the same team.”
I laugh. “Hell, yeah, it would, but the chances of that happening are slim and none.”
Aiden clears his throat. “So, what about you and Allison?”
“What about us? I love her, man. You know this,” I reply defensively.
“That’s obvious, dude. You’re different with her. What I meant is how do you think the two of you will do with the long-distance thing?” he questions.
I’m shaking my head no before he even finishes his sentence. “I don’t want to do it. I can’t be away from her for that long.” I hesitate before telling him more, but he is my best friend, who just happens to have been her best friend first. If anyone can tell me how they think she’ll take my suggestion, it would be Aiden. “I want her to come with me.” I hold my hand up to him to keep him from talking. “I know it would be a lot to ask, but fuck, man, she’s like the air I breathe. I would support her and help her finish school, or not, she can just travel with me. She can do whatever she wants, just as long as I get to come home to her every night and wake up with her every morning.”
Aiden raises his eyebrow at me. “Wow,” is all he says. Maybe it’s all he can say. In the four years we’ve been friends, I’ve never talked about a girl and forever.
“Do you think she’ll come with me?” I ask him so softly I’m surprised he heard me.
“She loves you, but it’ll be hard for her to be that far away from her gran,” he tells me.
“I know, man, I thought about that. I want Gran to come with us. I want Allison with me always, and Gran is her family, I want them both to come with me.” This is something I’d decided earlier today when Gran gave me her blessing to love Allison with everything in me. She deserves the same, and I would give those two the world if I could.
Aiden nods his head. “Then, yeah, I think she’ll go with you.” He curses under his breath. “We better get drafted to the same damn team. I’m losing both my best friends.” He hesitates then he says, “Uh—what about Hales?”
“What about her? I assume she’ll stay at UNC and finish out her degree.”
Our conversation is cut short when Allison and Hailey come walking into the kitchen. I can tell something is off by the look in her eyes. She walks toward me, and I open my arms wide for her, welcoming her into my embrace. “What’s wrong, baby?” I ask her.
“It’s time for us to go, but I hate leaving her,” she speaks so low I can barely hear her.
I hug her tighter. It takes all the willpower I can muster not to tell her when I’m drafted she and Gran can come with me and be together all the time. I know now isn’t the time, but seeing her sad is tearing me up inside.
Chapter 29
Allison
Saying goodbye and leaving Gran always causes an ache deep in my chest. She insisted I go to college and experience life. I never really wanted to go to college. My parents’ life insurance left me enough money that I never have to work. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be some spoiled princess blowing through money, never having a job or responsibilities. I have dreams for my future, just not the same as other nineteen-year-old girls. I want a family of my own. My dream is to be a wife and a mother surrounded with family and love. All the things I lost at the young age of ten. Gran did the best she could, but growing up with your ill, elderly grandmother as your only family, well, it’s lonely.