30
Layla
Daniela is on the other side of the door, and I’m so excited. As I swing it open with excitement, she shrieks and jumps into my arms. I pull my best friend of so many years in a tight embrace, and we both squeal. I’m selfishly so happy she decided to bail on Thanksgiving in Sacramento to come here. I think her curiosity about what I have going on here had a lot to do with it, but I’ll still take it. Besides, the lawyer fizzled out days ago, so she had some extra time to spare.
“Girlfriend, you are looking gorgeous tonight,” I say with a smile, holding her hands out and taking her in. Under her long coat, I see a red sequin shirt and black pants. It’s nothing too crazy for her.
Daniela is a few inches taller than me, slightly curvier, with brown hair and green eyes. I always envied her beauty when we were younger. My own features felt dull in comparison to hers. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to embrace what I have, while still admiring all of her beauty.
She gives a playful bow, taking me in as well. “Well, if I had to bail on that Thanksgiving date of mine, I might as well still look good. And if I’m looking gorgeous, then you’re looking downright stunning Layla Stewart,” she replies in a sensual tone, eyeing my outfit. I went with a simple, tight white henley, a red corduroy skirt and black leggings. My usual.
“Yeah, she is,” Liam’s deep voice chimes in behind me, wrapping an arm around me. “It’s nice to meet you, Daniela.”
“And you,” she says, taking the hand that he extends. “And definitely don’t get me confused with the drunk girl named Daniela who drunk dialed last week. Wasn’t me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Liam replies, doing a great job of playing into the charade.
“Good,” she says, with mock approval, then laughs.
“Oh my gosh, I’ve missed you,” I utter, pulling away from Liam to give her another hug.
“Could you give her a quick tour? I have to check on something in the kitchen,” I ask Liam.
He nods and whisks her away.
I return to the kitchen to pull a casserole out of the oven. Liam cooked almost everything, but I wanted to help in some way. This is my contribution, and it’s quite pathetic in comparison to everything Liam prepared, but I’m fine with that. I never claimed to be a gourmet chef. Liam and Daniela return with Jackson in tow. He and Daniela had already been introduced, and it appears he’s already taken a liking to her, as I knew he would. She’s playful and animated, which kids tend to love. He's already pulled her away to show her his prized collection of cards. Liam glances at me, grinning at that.
I hear the front door open and close, followed by Dex’s booming voice echoing from the entryway. He turns the corner, beaming. That guy always seems to be in a good mood. “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!” he hollers.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Liam and I call in unison.
Now we’re only waiting for Liam’s parents’ arrival. The one I’m dreading most. It’s not that I’m that nervous, exactly, but this isn’t a typical situation that Liam and I have found ourselves in, and I don’t know how they feel about it. It’s not like they’re meeting their son’s girlfriend, I’m just a girl who is here for a few weeks and has been spending a lot of time with their son and grandson. Temporary. And I’m afraid of the questions that might come, questions I’ve been avoiding asking myself.
There are seasons in life when you know things are only temporary, that people are passing through, and one day it’ll all be a memory. This doesn’t feel like one of those times. It feels like this could be something more. But I still don’t know what we’re going to do about it. I don’t even know where Liam stands, let alone myself.
Dex strolls into the kitchen like he owns the place and pours himself a glass of white wine from one of the bottles he carried in.
I wouldn’t have pegged him for a white wine guy.
“So, where’s the best friend?” he asks me, wiggling his eyebrows.
“This is not a setup, okay. We just happen to both have two single, hot best friends who would rather be here with us tonight than anywhere else in the world. Because they love us so dearly.”
Dex laughs. I don’t mention that the two of them would be a horrible idea. I don’t know Dex that well, but from what I’ve picked up from him and from what Liam has told me, he’s no stranger to heartbreak. He jokes around a lot, but he’s a big softie underneath it all. His last breakup, Liam told me one night, tore him up pretty badly.
Daniela, on the other hand, is a hurricane who leaves nothing but destruction in her wake when it comes to relationships. I love her and she is my dearest friend, but she has some issues with trusting men and opening up, and she will be the first person to admit it. So, no. This was not a setup. In fact, Liam and I even questioned whether we should have them in the same room together, considering their total incompatibility. Then again, we could be completely wrong.
“Did you call me hot?” Dex asks with a large, teasing grin, looking at Liam. “You heard it, right?”
“I heard it.” Liam is grinning and laughing at his friend, completely unbothered, but he leans over and whispers in my ear, “I’m going to have to spank you for that later.”
A shiver runs from my ear down to my neck. I feel flushed. When he pulls back, he flashes me a wicked grin.
“Promise?” I reply quietly.
“Oh, will you two get a room, please?” Dex jokes.
“Who needs to get a room?” Daniela’s voice calls out as she re-enters the kitchen with her new pal Jackson following close behind.
“Our best friends,” Dex says, rolling his eyes at us before turning his attention to Daniela. I watch as he pauses for a moment, taking her in. I don’t know if anyone else notices besides me, but his smile falls and he gapes for a moment. Then he quickly recovers and plasters that smile back on his face.
“Oh, let them be giddy and gross. It’s cute,” Daniela chimes in.
“I’m Dex,” he says, extending a hand.
“Daniela. Heard some things about you,” she replies, sizing him up with a look that would make most men shrivel up.
“Is that supposed to intimidate me?” he quips back, head held high. He’s already handling her better than I expected.
She quirks a brow, impressed. “Maybe.” She pauses. “You think they’re trying to set us up?”
“It’s a possibility. Picture it-best friends falling for our best friends’ best friends. That’s a tale as old as time.”
Daniela looks like she’s trying to work that out in her head for a moment, then cackles. Dex continues. “Pretty sure you couldn’t handle all of this, though.” He says, gesturing to his tall frame. He’s at least six-foot-two. A tall, tattooed man is Daniela’s weakness.
“Where are you from?” she questions Dex, keeping her gaze locked on him. Liam and I exchange glances, quietly amused as we sip our wine and observe. Jackson is nearby on the couch, entirely absorbed in his binder of cards, blissfully unaware of the grown-up drama unfolding around him.
“Tahoe,” Dex replies, crossing his arms with a serious expression, like it’s a test.
“Where are your parents from?”
“Tahoe,” he answers again, mirroring her intensity.
“Where are your grandparents from?”
“Hawaii.”
“Why aren’t you spending Thanksgiving with your family if they’re from here?” Daniela narrows her eyes, assessing him.
“Went there first. They eat way too early,” Dex says simply, patting his flat belly.
She squints at him. “Hmm.”
“Where are you from?” Dex fires back, turning the tables.
“Grew up in Sacramento. Born in Florida. Parents are also from Florida. Have a grandparent from Spain, another from Switzerland, and some more from Florida. Oh, and I like chocolate chips in my pancakes. Does that cover everything?”
“Hmm,” Dex echoes, copying her mannerisms.
Liam cuts in, finally breaking the odd tension. “Okay, now that you guys have gotten to know each other…Daniela, can I get you a drink?”
The next hour is filled with laughter as we share stories from our childhoods. Everyone has a good laugh about how Liam and I met nearly ten years ago, looked for each other and failed miserably, then ran into each other again by a twist of fate and were too chicken to bring it up. I laugh along with them. Young Liam flashes through my mind. I can’t help but think of that kind, cute boy who managed to make my heart race—who’s now standing beside me, taller, wiser, and somehow even more captivating.
Eventually, Liam’s parents finally arrive. They greet me with welcoming, friendly smiles and I immediately feel any lingering nerves dissolve. Liam’s mom and I fall into conversation, bonding over the house, the town—this place that holds so much history for her family as well. I realize how special this place is to her, and to all of them. The whole house feels filled with the memories they’ve built here. And tonight, in this place so dear to their hearts, I feel like I’m adding a piece of my own story into the mix. I offer her my sympathies over her lost daughter and son-in-law, and she takes my hand, offering her genuine sympathy over my parents as well. We tear up together just a little, and then move on to lighter topics.
Liam finally announces that dinner is ready, and we all make our way to the table. He’s prepared an incredible feast, and while I take no credit for my small addition to the spread, he tries to bring attention to my casserole, praising me in front of everyone for it. I shake my head, laughing at his absurdity. He blew everyone away with this meal, and it had nothing to do with my shitty casserole.
Dinner goes smoothly, and the conversation flows freely, aside from a few disagreements between Dex and Daniela. We were not wrong about them.
We finish up with dessert—pies of all varieties—then clear the table and raise our glasses for a celebratory post-dinner toast.
“To second chances,” Liam proclaims, staring into my damn soul from across the kitchen. I hear murmurs around me, but I can’t tell how anyone reacts. All I see is Liam, taking a sip from his drink, eyes still on me. I follow suit, holding his gaze.
Everyone disperses, and Liam makes his way over to me. We don’t say anything. He simply smiles at me, kisses my cheek, and wraps an arm around my waist. His parents settle on the couch, and I doubt they make it much longer. They’re staying in one of the guest rooms that’s actually their old bedroom. Liam explained to me before that he couldn’t bring himself to take over his parents’ old master bedroom when he took over the house. Too weird. I didn’t blame him. So, he kept his old room.
For the rest of the night, Liam hardly leaves my side. Whether we’re talking with his parents or Jackson or playing games with Dex and Daniela, he’s always beside me with a gentle hand on my back or thigh. I sense he’s holding onto me a little tighter tonight, and that thought puts a knot in my stomach. It makes me think he’s already dreading the very near future, when I’ll be leaving, and he doesn’t want to let me go. I’m not afraid of the closeness, though. I’m embracing it and giving it right back.
We’re in the middle of a heated game of Uno and Dex and Daniela are at each other’s throats like two bulls constantly butting heads. It’s entertaining to watch. Jackson keeps beating all of us, even though Liam occasionally slides me a card under the table to help me win. I squeeze his knee in thanks each time and he looks at me with a mischievous grin.
“That doesn’t even match the color or the number!” Daniela hollers at Dex.
He laughs and takes the card back, putting up a new one. “Oops.” There’s a glint in his eye, and I’m sure he’s doing it on purpose just to get another rise out of her.
She huffs, shaking her head in bewilderment.
By eleven, Jackson is fast asleep on the couch. He made it later than his grandparents, who excused themselves shortly after ten. I follow Liam as he carries Jackson to bed. The way he sets him down so gently, tucks the blankets around him snugly, and brushes the hair off his forehead with such tenderness has me melting in the doorway as I watch him. I don’t know if Liam ever planned on being a father, but he’s doing a damn good job of it anyway. It takes a village, as they say, and he has one. I’m so glad he does.
Liam slowly closes the door behind him, and we’re left in the dim hallway. He glances at me for a moment, not saying anything, though his intense gaze seems to be saying a thousand words. His strong jaw, which is covered in dark stubble, twitches as he holds back all the thoughts I can see swirling in his eyes.
I lean against the wall, breathless and glued to the spot. I know the moment has finally come. The conversation I’ve been avoiding, dreading, is about to happen, and I’m terrified.
“Stay longer,” he says simply, emotions layered in his voice. But it’s not simple. Not at all.
I shake my head and close my eyes, trying to shake away the difficulties of this situation. I look down, not sure what to say or do.
Finally, I mumble, “I…I don’t know…” I shake my head again, staring down.
“What don’t you know? You said yourself you have nothing going on right now,” he says, the burning intensity in his eyes striking me right to the heart.
“I don’t know…it’s just…what are we getting ourselves into? I live three hours away…are we getting too attached? I don’t want either of us to end up heartbroken if we keep going down this path…”
“Hey.” He gently cups my face, lifting my head up to look at him. He’s so handsome, it hurts. “It’s okay. I know it’s a lot. I just…fuck. I’m not ready to let you go. I want to see where this thing goes.”
“I…” I trail off, feeling like there’s no easy solution to this.
“What can we do? What can I do?” he pleads.
I wrap my arms around him and pull my face into his chest, remaining silent for a moment. I want the comfort of being held by him, being wrapped up in his scent. I breathe him in.
“What if I stay another week or two?” I have a horrible feeling one of us is going to get hurt at the end of this, but I can’t stay away. My cheek is still pressed against his chest. I feel him breathe in deeply. He doesn’t answer at first. Then he slowly exhales with a relieved sigh.
“I’ll take what I can get. But yeah…two weeks,” he breathes. I can hear the joy in his voice.
“Alright,” I say.
“Alright.”