Chapter 20
Liam
Ipull into Kendall’s driveway and kill the engine. I hand her the keys, and she jumps out of the car and runs to the front door of her duplex.
She’s in the house before I even get to the door.
“Auntie!” she calls out. “Auntie, where are you?”
“In here, anak.”
I follow Kendall to the kitchen on the right side of their house. I make sure to stay behind Kendall. Her aunt doesn’t know that I’m with her and I don’t want to be the first one she sees. That might freak her out.
When I see her aunt lying on her side on the floor, covered in what looks like soup, my heart breaks.
“Auntie, oh my gosh.” Kendall crouches down over her.
“I’m sorry, anak,” Christina says. “I was trying to heat up some soup on the stove, but I tripped on the rug and tried to grip the counter as I fell, but I grabbed the soup pot by mistake.” She lets out a chuckle. “And that’s the story of me on the floor.”
I hold back a laugh.
“Are you burned?” Kendall asks, urgency in her voice.
“No, I hadn’t turned on the stove yet.”
Kendall moves like she’s going to brace her arm around her aunt’s waist, but her aunt stops her.
“Anak, no, you’ll get your clothes dirty. You’re wearing that nice new blouse you bought.”
“Auntie, I don’t care about that.”
“I can help,” I blurt out.
I step out from behind Kendall so her aunt can see me. Her aunt frowns up at me. Not like she’s mad, more like she’s confused to see me.
A second later, the frown fades and she lets out a chuckle, like she’s embarrassed. “Oh. Hello there, Liam.”
I offer a small smile. “Hi.”
“Goodness, I’m embarrassed that you’re seeing me like this.”
“Don’t be. This is what typically happens to me when I try to cook.”
I instantly regret my joke. What a stupid thing to say. What if she thinks I’m making fun of her?
I start to apologize, but Christina bursts out laughing. I let out a breath, relieved.
“Oh, I needed that laugh. Thank you, Liam.”
“No problem. Anytime you need a random joke, I’m your guy.”
She laughs again.
“If it’s okay with you, I can help you up. I’m wearing a crappy t-shirt that I should have thrown out years ago, so I don’t care about getting it dirty.”
Christina flashes a warm smile at me. “You sure?”
“Positive.”
Kendall steps off to the side as I move forward. I crouch on the floor, slide an arm under Christina, and gently sit her up.
She glances down at the front of the long dress she’s wearing. “I should probably wash off. I’ve got soup all over me. Could you take me to the bathroom?”
“No problem.”
I slide my other arm under her legs, then stand up. As I cradle Christina, Kendall leads me to the bathroom down the hall.
Christina chuckles. I smile at her. “Did I miss something funny?”
She shakes her head. “Oh no, it’s just that usually it’s poor Kendall who has to help me when I have a fall. She’s not much taller than I am, so I feel bad for how heavy I must feel. But goodness, you pick me up like it’s nothing.”
I laugh. “I’m used to huge guys crashing into me with their entire weight. Carrying you is a breeze. Light as a feather.”
She chuckles and pats my shoulder. “Oh, you charmer.”
We both laugh. I catch Kendall smiling as she flips on the light in the bathroom. Christina says I can set her on the closed lid of the toilet. I lower her down. She thanks me, and I walk out of the bathroom.
Kendall starts to walk into the bathroom but turns around. “Thank you,” she says softly.
“It was no problem.”
“I’m going to help my aunt clean up.”
“Take your time.”
I head down the hallway back to the kitchen.
I stand there and survey the puddle of chicken soup all over the floor, stove, counter, and wall.
I put the empty Tupperware container of soup into the sink, grab a roll of paper towels, then check the cupboard under the sink for cleaning spray.
I grab a bottle and start wiping down the mess.
When I finish cleaning, I see there are a handful of dishes in the sink. I rinse them and load them into the dishwasher. I can hear the water running in the bathroom. Kendall’s and Christina’s voices float down the hall. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but I hear them laugh a couple of times.
I grab my phone out of my pocket and order soup from a small restaurant just a few minutes away. A few minutes later, Kendall appears in the kitchen. She’s pushing her aunt in her wheelchair.
“Sorry again, anak. I was feeling so good earlier today and didn’t think I needed to be in my wheelchair just to heat up some soup. I thought I could do it standing up on my own just fine.” She lets out a heavy sigh. “I was wrong.”
“It’s okay, Auntie,” Kendall says gently.
“I ruined your date though.”
Kendall’s cheeks flush as she laughs, clearly flustered. “Auntie, it wasn’t a date. We were meeting for book club.”
She looks at me and raises her brow.
“Yeah. Book club,” I say.
Christina looks between us and laughs. “Is that what you kids are calling it these days? ‘Book club’?” She chuckles, then glances over at the kitchen. Her eyes go wide. Kendall has the same reaction a second later.
Kendall looks at me. “You cleaned?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I hope that was okay.”
Christina laughs. “Liam, you never have to apologize for cleaning our kitchen. Thank you.”
“Yeah, thank you,” Kendall says, her voice soft.
I tell them it was no problem right as the doorbell rings. I walk over to answer it and thank the delivery guy when he hands me the bag of food. I walk back into the kitchen and set the soup on the counter.
“I, uh, didn’t want you to be hungry, so I ordered you some more soup.”
“Oh goodness, Liam.” Christina reaches over and grabs my hand in hers. “That is so thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
“It was no problem at all.” I smile down at her as she squeezes my hand.
I glance at Kendall, who’s staring at me with an unfamiliar look in her eyes.
She blinks quickly before walking over to one of the cupboards. “Here Auntie, let me get you a bowl.”
Christina wheels herself to the kitchen table. Kendall sets her up with a glass of water and a bowl of soup.
I should probably head out and leave them alone. I pull up the rideshare app on my phone and request a ride back to the pub so I can get my car. The app says a car is nearby and will be there to pick me up in three minutes.
“I’m gonna head out,” I say to them.
Christina smiles at me. “Liam, I can’t thank you enough for all of your help tonight. You are an angel.”
Emotion swells in my chest at the sincerity in her voice and her gaze.
“It was no problem at all. Really. You’re okay?”
She smiles. “Good as new.”
I flash a thumbs-up, then look at Kendall. There’s a dazed look in her eyes.
“I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Wait, let me drive you back to the pub so you can get your car.”
“I called a rideshare, they’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”
“Liam, I could have driven you. It’s the least I could do.”
I shake my head. “You stay here with your aunt. It’s okay, really.”
I head out the front door and walk to the end of the driveway so I don’t miss my ride.
“Liam, wait!” I spin around at the sound of Kendall’s voice
She jogs over to me. For a second, we stand there and look at each other.
And then she steps into my space, slides her arms around me, and hugs me.
I’m so surprised that it takes a second to process what’s happening. But when I do, I slide my arms around her and hug her back.
“Thank you,” she says, her voice soft.
“You don’t need to thank me, Kendall.”
She leans back to look at me. “Yes. I do. You were…” She’s quiet as she stares up at me. “You’re amazing.”
“Everyone would have done what I did. I was just trying to be helpful.”
She shakes her head. “Not everyone.” She glances off to the side.
“My ex didn’t.” She presses her eyes shut.
“I don’t mean to say that my aunt was his responsibility.
That’s not how I feel. I’m the one who takes care of her, and I don’t expect anyone to take that on the way I do.
” She pauses to swallow. “But he just didn’t want to be part of any of it.
I’d invite him to come out with us, and he never wanted to.
And when she was having a bad flare-up and I didn’t want to go out and leave her, I’d invite him over to visit and he’d never come. ”
She blinks quickly, and that’s when I see the tears brimming in those deep mahogany eyes.
It feels like I’ve just been punched in the gut. I hate seeing Kendall in pain. I hate that her ex was an insensitive jerk who didn’t want to ever be around her aunt.
I gently cup her face in my hand and tilt her head up to me. Those big, beautiful eyes glisten. My entire body aches with the need to take away her pain.
“But you came,” she says softly. “You didn’t even hesitate.”
“Of course, I came. I’d do anything for you, Kendall.”
Her lips part open, and she blinks at me like she can’t believe what I just said.
It’s the truth. I’ve always felt this way about Kendall. Even when she hates me. Even when she can’t stand the sight of me. Even when she wants nothing to do with me.
Anything she wants, anything she needs, I’d do it.
The longer I stare at her, the faster my heart thuds in my chest. Her cheek is soft and hot in my hand. She’s still pressed against me, and I feel her breathing kick up.
Her gaze falls to my mouth. I hold my breath, aching to kiss her.
The sound of a car pulling up beside me kills the moment.
Kendall steps back and out of my embrace and glances at the car. “Your ride is here.”
I glance over at the rideshare that I just now remember ordering. Oh. Right.
Disappointment crashes through me. I’m coming off the high of touching and holding Kendall, of almost kissing her again.
I watch her flash a shy smile and wave goodnight before walking back up her driveway and into her house.
I fall into the car and tug a hand through my hair, my head spinning, wishing my rideshare would have shown up one minute later so I could have kissed Kendall.