Published: June 30th 2023, 2:00:04 pm
I’m willing to admit the restaurant is slightly nicer than I initially thought it would be. It’s definitely not a place I’d consider taking somebody to for an apology meal, but I’ve been to worse.
My nose scrunches as I recall the cockroach I once watched scamper up a wall at an Italian restaurant back home. Cockroaches aren’t that uncommon, but it’s one thing to know they’re there and another thing to see them about six inches from your plate of spaghetti.
Liam places a hand on the small of my back, and I debate whether or not to step out of his hold as I eye the small booths and tables lining the left side of the restaurant. About half are full of chattering families and screaming kids, and the unoccupied ones are covered with paper placemats and rolled silverware.
Covering every single wall is sports memorabilia. I think it’s football, and there’s a sign saying something about the Carolina Panthers, but I don’t know sports well enough to tell them apart by jersey or name.
Maybe it’s basketball.
I suppose it doesn’t really matter.
“Sit wherever you want!” a woman shouts. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
I turn toward the voice. Behind the standing bar covering the back half of the room is a woman with her arm raised in the air. The distance and dim lighting make it hard to make out her features, but I can tell she’s smiling as she gestures to the empty tables.
Liam lifts the hand not currently pressed against my spine and gives a thumbs up, and the woman quickly returns to whatever she’s doing behind the bar. Judging by the vibe here, I’d assume she’s pouring pints.
I’m willing to bet a lot of beer gets served here.
“Do you want a booth or table?” Liam asks, drawing my attention.
What a silly question.
“Booth,” I say. The answer is always booth.
Liam leads me toward the only available booth, a small one between an elderly couple and a squished family of six. I’ve never gone out to eat with Liam before, but I can tell he’s one of those people who like to sit facing the restaurant.
I like that too, and I hurry ahead and slide into the better of the two sides before he can steal it from me.
My actions aren’t sly, and Liam’s lips twitch as he smoothly slides into the padded bench across from me. A small part of me was afraid I’d have to fight for the seat I want, and my muscles relax as I realize that won’t be necessary today.
It seems Liam’s still feeling guilty about drugging me. Good.
I link my fingers together and rest my hands on my lap as I look around the bar, eager for something to distract me. I don’t know what to say to Liam, especially after his confession in the car.
I’m beyond annoyed with his reasoning, and the longer I think about it, the angrier I grow. Who does he think he is to decide whether or not I’d be happy in a relationship with him? The last time I checked, I’m the one living inside my head.
Liam thinks he knows everything, but he has no idea how I feel. He doesn’t get to decide that I can’t handle his lifestyle, and I think we’re at least worth giving a shot.
I understand his late fiance didn’t enjoy it, but I’m not her. It’s honestly really fucking rude to assume that I am, too. Believe it or not, not all women are the same.
A hand lands on my knee, stopping its bouncing. I didn’t even realize I was doing it, and I force my legs to still as Liam runs his thumb over my kneecap.
“You’re shaking the table,” he says.
His shoulder flexes as he removes his hand from my knee and brings it back above the table. A small part of me misses the touch, but I refuse to let that show. I’ve already embarrassed myself enough.
A woman approaches our table, her hands filled with two cups of water and two menus. Her short black hair falls in her face as she hurries over, and she frowns as she tries to blow it out of the way.
She must be the woman who was behind the bar.
“Well, if it isn’t the Liam Sadler,” she jokes, coming to a halt at the end of our booth. She sets down our cups before shoving her hair from her face and shooting Liam a broad smile. “It’s good to see you—I was beginning to think you were never going to come back for a visit.”
Liam chuckles, the tone of it immediately catching my attention. I’ve been spending every second of every day with this man for weeks and weeks, and I know all his laughs. From the fake ones he gives in public to the ones that burst from his throat when I hit him with one of my funniest jokes.
This one is new.
I press my lips together, my gaze darting between Liam and our waitress. Her dark brown eyes are cast downward as she slides our cups and menus in our direction. Liam watches her, and while he doesn’t particularly look interested, it’s evident he knows this woman.
I assume she’s a bit older than me, maybe in her mid to late twenties. That puts her around the same age as Liam, and given how small this town is, that also means they grew up together.
Her eyes flicker toward me before shifting back to Liam. I raise a brow, immediately annoyed, and not even Liam’s hand returning to my knee is enough to settle me.
“Hey, Emily,” Liam greets her. “It’s been a while.”
I can feel him looking at the side of my face, but I’m too busy staring at the woman staring at him. She’s awfully brazen with her admiring, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes when she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and lowers her gaze.
“How long are you here for?” Emily asks.
Liam shrugs, and his thumb brushes over my knee again. I bet he’s worried I’m going to say something snarky. I won’t, even though I want to.
“Not sure.” Liam lifts his free hand and gestures toward me. “Ev and I are staying with my mom, and we don’t have a set day to leave.”
Finally, fucking finally, Emily’s attention shifts away from Liam. I wondered how long she was going to pretend I didn’t exist.
I assumed Liam had been an outcast, but judging this woman’s reaction, I have a feeling he was more popular than I initially thought. Unless he was some extreme late bloomer, I probably shouldn’t be too surprised. Liam’s attractive, tall, and athletic, and I’m sure that earned him lots of admirers.
I should see if Beth has any photos of him from before he moved away.
An awkward silence stretches between the three of us, one I’m not keen to break. Emily’s the one who made it weird, so she can be the one to fix it.
After a second, she clears her throat and slides her palms down the front of her shirt.
“Right,” she says. “Well, I’ll be back in a minute to take your orders.”
I wait until she’s out of hearing distance before turning to Liam.
“So…” I start. “Who was that?”
Liam sighs and picks up his menu. His hand still rests on my knee, and he doesn’t remove it as he flips the laminated menu over and reads the back. I lean back in my booth and cross my arms over my chest.
Oh? Is this a sensitive topic? Liam’s reluctance to answer only confirms my suspicion.
“I suppose there isn’t anything else to do in a small town,” I mumble.
That finally captures Liam’s attention, and he peers at me over top of his menu before narrowing his eyes just slightly.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
He sounds cautious, just the way I like it.
“Other than have sex,” I clarify. “What else is there to keep teenagers entertained?”
Liam sets his menu down, and I take that as an opportunity to pick mine up. It’s one page, front and back, and I scan the options before deciding to get a cheeseburger. I don’t necessarily trust Liam’s opinion that this place has good food, and it’s hard to mess up a cheeseburger.
Besides, even if the meat is charred and tastes like shit, I can fill up on the toppings and fries that come on the side.
It’s the safest option.
“Are you suggesting I had sex with Emily?” Liam asks.
He sounds mildly entertained, and when I finally work up the courage to look away from my menu and meet his gaze, I notice he’s smiling. I’m glad he’s finding so much humor in this.
“Are you denying it?” I set my menu on the table between us and pick up my water, wanting something to keep my hands busy.
Liam’s smile only grows. “No.”
I knew it. I wonder if teenager Liam had the same commitment issues the current one does, or if that’s a recent development. Probably recent considering he was once engaged. He probably developed his fear after his late fiancé broke up with him.
A small part of me feels bad for him. I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been, especially considering she died right after. Still, I think it’s dumb he refuses to so much as even give us a chance.
“What’re going to get?” I ask, changing the subject.
I don’t care to discuss Liam’s sexual history any further. It’s of no interest to me.
“A burger,” Liam says. “I get the same thing every time I come.”
As if she was listening, she probably was, Emily returns to take our order. She takes Liam’s first, naturally, and barely looks in my direction as I give her mine. It’s beyond frustrating.
She’s being rude, but just polite enough that I seem crazy if I say something. It’s a mean girl routine I haven’t endured since I was sixteen, and I thank all the slimy boys I dated as a teenager that taught me how to remain calm.
Well, calm enough.
“She’s not trying to be rude,” Liam says as she walks away. It’s good to know I’m not the only one picking up on it, but I sure as fuck don’t appreciate Liam defending her. “Emily’s just awkward around people she doesn’t know. Don’t take offense to it.”
Too late.
“Odd she decided to be a waitress, then,” I point out. It’s not the career choice I’d pick out for somebody who can’t so much as look at a person they don’t know.
Liam shrugs, seemingly unconcerned. “It’s a small restaurant in an even smaller town. Strangers aren’t the most common.”
I huff and turn away, not wanting to talk about this anymore. I just want to eat and go home.
Liam leans forward and rests his elbows on the table, but I ignore him in lieu of doing some people-watching. Everybody in the restaurant seems happy, and they give off small-town vibes as they frequently turn and chat with the people at the tables next to them.
How many people in this restaurant know Liam? I fear it’s a high number.
“I don’t know how to act around you,” Liam suddenly admits, drawing my attention. “Things were comfortable, and it was nice, but now I feel like we’re constantly walking on eggshells around one another.”
My throat feels dry, and I sip my water before responding.
“I need the distance,” I say. “Things were comfortable, but they were too comfortable.”
Liam removes his hand from my knee before abruptly standing and sitting on my side of the booth. I grunt as I’m forced to scoot over, and Liam sure makes himself comfortable as he throws his arm over my shoulder and tucks me into his side.
I hate myself for the way I sink into his hold, relaxing against him.
“Doesn’t this feel better?” he asks.
Better than what? Awkwardly sitting across from one another?
“Of course, it does,” I admit. “But that’s the problem. You might be able to separate and compartmentalize your feelings, but I can’t. This isn’t pretend for me.”
Liam’s throat bobs as he gulps, and he looks deep in thought before he removes his arm from around my shoulder and shuffles back to his seat. I admit I miss the relationship we had, but I know myself well enough to know that if I let us get back to that, I won’t be able to separate myself from Liam.
I’ll fall in love with the stupid fucking oaf, and we don’t need that. I don’t need that.
“I think I’m ready to return to Beth’s after this,” I say.
Liam opens his mouth, looking mildly disappointed, before snapping it shut with a quiet click. I know he wanted to take me to the moves, but after the afternoon we’ve had, I’m ready to melt into a boiling hot shower and crawl into bed.
My self-pity sob last night took a lot out of me, and I’m paying the price today.
Emily, as if she’s read my damn mind, comes hurrying over with a giant tray of food. I spot two burgers on it, and I straighten up as she halts at the end of our table. She still avoids eye contact with me as she sets my plate down, but I refuse to let it bother me as I quickly begin to scarf down my food.
Liam’s much more civilized in his eating, but he seems to take my full cheeks as a sign that I don’t want to speak any longer and remains quiet for the remainder of the meal.
Thankfully, Emily is quick, and we aren’t forced to wait for a check once we’ve finished eating. Emily gets us out in no time, and I don’t hesitate to run to the car.
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This story is going to be roughly 60 chapters, so we're a little more than halfway there!