CHAPTER 21: Liam
I woke up in the morning feeling a warm body beside me, reaching over in a fog as it snuggled closer to me. My nostrils were hit with the scent of citrus, and I blinked for a moment, realizing that it was Nora. I relaxed against my pillow and reminded myself that I was giving this a shot. She was a sweet woman, and it wasn’t that bad, but my dream was about Elena last night. I hoped for a second that I didn’t talk in my sleep. I could always fall back on the lie of a nightmare about the ex, though it was nothing of the sort.
I thought for a second in my bed. It was Friday, and we were supposed to have lunch with Marie so Nora could meet her for the first time. I’d braved lunch with her over-the-top mother who clearly wanted her daughter married and pregnant, but that was not going to happen. Marie would be better, happy and laughing as she always was. Keith helped a lot with that, and I was really starting to like the guy.
I went out to make some coffee, tempted to go for some morning sex since Nora was so willing. I thought that coffee first might be a good idea since she had to have that in the mornings. Nora was a grump without it.
I heard my phone vibrate on the kitchen counter and glanced over to see Marie’s name on it. I unlocked the phone to see that she had to cancel lunch because she wasn’t feeling well, which was unusual. I called her immediately, and she answered in a soft voice. “I was getting ready to send another text, Liam. I need you to do something for me.”
“Are you okay?” I demanded as she sighed.
“I am fine, but I need you to come over here later. Alone. It’s imperative that you be here,” Marie’s voice was demanding, and I frowned.
“What the hell is going on, Mar?” I hissed as she assured me that I would know later. I just had to come over at three by myself. She ended the call, but I could hear the strain in her voice as she spoke every word. Running a hand through my messy hair, I thought of a way to play this off to Nora until I had some idea of what was going on.
I went with coffee in bed and morning sex. When we were casually resting after, sipping coffee, I mentioned Marie’s text and asked her if she wanted to go into the city and do an impromptu walking tour for a couple of hours. Nora was thrilled with that idea, and I figured I could come up with going to Marie’s later as an emergency type thing, claiming that she was feeling worse. It couldn’t come off as planned because something was really off about it to me. My sister was scaring me.
I mostly enjoyed the day with my mind drifting off here and there. Seattle was an amazing place, and I would never regret moving back. We had lunch on the water, enjoying some of the local fish and a few beers as I started thinking more about the afternoon. “Are you okay?” Nora asked sweetly as I glanced at her, mid-sip.
“Yeah, just worried about Marie. She doesn’t get sick too often.” Nora nodded, a sad smile passing over her face.
“I was looking forward to meeting her. You speak so highly of her,” Nora said as I smiled.
“She’s all I have now.”
“That’s not true. You have me,” Nora told me as I met her intense gaze that was full of words that went unspoken. Fuck. I knew that she was falling for me as I kept this thing between us going but pushed the thought to the back of my head. Nora’s eyes told me that she was more than falling; they told me that she fell hook, line, and sinker. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to smile.
Around two, I watched her walking ahead of me and grabbed my phone. This was where I ended this afternoon to figure out what the hell my sister was up to. “Nora!” I called to her as I shoved it back into my pocket, a useless prop in my game. She turned from the flowers that she was looking at and smiled. “Marie just texted. She wants me to come over and bring her some stuff to eat. She’s not getting around too well.”
“Oh, okay. Let’s go,” Nora offered as I wrinkled my nose.
“Just me. She doesn’t want you exposed to her germs and said she looks terrible. Marie doesn’t want to be seen like that.” I shook my head with a grimace to make my point as she frowned. “I shouldn’t be long. Head to your place and get some of that stuff put away and I’ll be over later.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea.” I could see that she was feeling a bit hurt as I looked around. I led us back to my car and took her to the complex where she lived, kissing her gently at her door. There was an odd feeling behind it today. There was a finality to it that I didn’t yet understand, but I forced a smile on my face and told her that I’d call her later. I did intend to.
I strode back to my car, eager to get started. Marie was hiding something, and I was going to get to the bottom of all this mystery that she was creating in my world. I glanced back to Nora’s door, seeing it closed now as I started my engine. I drove the distance and parked in the driveway, noticing that nobody else was there. Maybe this was just a Marie thing and nothing else, but my mind had been racing all damn day over this. I looked at my clock before I yanked my keys out and headed to the house. I was early but screw this. I needed to know why she wanted me here alone.
I was just knocking when the door swung open, revealing my sister. “Marie,” I greeted her as I looked her over. She wasn’t sick, but she did look a little stressed out as she let me walk by into the living room. “What is this all about?”
“I made some chili. Are you hungry?” She asked as she led me to the kitchen.
“I just had lunch with Nora before I dropped her off. Care to tell me why I’m here alone?” I asked as I followed her, annoyed that the chili smelled amazing.
“You’ll see,” she replied as she gave me a long look. There was so much sadness and hope in that look, and I sat at the counter as she handed me a cold beer. “Here.”
“Thanks,” I replied as I looked at it.
Silence fell between us as she fussed around the kitchen, trying to stay busy. I knew that she wasn’t fond of sitting, but this was more. This was like when Mom was sick and dying, though she looked like she had some fucking hope in this case. What the hell was going on? “Marie…” I started when I heard the doorbell echo through the living room. “Who is that?”
“Why don’t you answer it, Liam?” Marie looked at me with wide eyes, and I stood slowly. I knew that this was my answer and I sauntered through the bright room towards the door. The colors of the glass reflected on the walls and furniture as I remembered how hard Mom worked on everything in here, making me smile for a moment. I saw someone standing on the other side before I turned the knob, feeling my breath hitch in my throat as I looked out onto the step.
“Elena?” She blinked as she looked at me, and time stopped. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been talking to Marie for the last week. We thought this was a good idea.” There was some hesitation in her voice as she bit her lower lip and I frowned.
“Come in then,” I offered as I moved her to walk past me. She smelled like Fall, and I breathed it in deeply, longing for her to be here to tell me that she wanted me again. I’d give up everything for her at this moment, and I watched her head to the kitchen. Her hair was longer, and I watched her slip the jacket off and hang it on the coat rack between the two rooms. There was something different about her, and I let my eyes slide down her body slowly as I realized that her face was curvier and just radiant before I took in her green shirt that stretched over her stomach.
Her stomach.
It was rounder now, and I let out my breath slowly as reality hit me. “You’re pregnant.”
Elena blinked as she nodded and held onto the chair beside her. “Five months.”
“Do you hear this, Mom? Fitting that you should be breaking this news to me here,” I told her, my voice rising with every sentence. “Why am I just finding out, Elena? I mean, assuming this is my baby and everything. The math seems to add up to me.” I saw the look of anger pass over her face as she stared at me before Marie walked up behind her.
“She didn’t like it when I suggested that, Liam. Be careful,” Marie warned me in an admonitory tone.
“Someone needs to fucking explain this to me right now,” I told them both as Elena pressed her lips together and Marie asked me in her gaze to calm down. She did this. She planned this. I wanted to know what the hell was going on and right now.