LOVESTRUCK ━ lip gallagher¹

13 | sixty-nine grand

★

"WHAT THE FUCK IS going..." Amara glanced around the living room hopelessly, staring at seven random kids she'd never seen before, and reached down to pick up Liam and balanced him on her hip. "Do you know these people?" Liam tugged her hair and shook his head. "Yeah, me either. Lip?!"

"Behind you," Lip said, coming from upstairs, and she spun. "I don't know where Carl found all these kids. Said they lived in a van."

Amara frowned and moved Liam to her other side when he shifted. "I never gave you my gift, you know."

Lip glanced over his shoulder as he pulled out lasagne from the oven with a smirk. "I'm not sure you wanna say what your gift is while there's a bunch of kids around."

"No, not that, you pervert," she rolled her eyes and narrowly avoided a blonde child who was running in circles, and stepped over to the counter where she put her bag not five minutes ago. She set Liam down onto it, holding him by the waist so he couldn't fall, and pulled the item out of her bag. "So, it's not the newest Iphone but I figured it could be of some use, right?"

Lip stared at her wordlessly, and took it from her hands. "You bought me a laptop?"

She shrugged and grabbed Liam again. "It's only a Chromebook. They're really cheap so um, don't drop it?"

"How the fuck did you even afford this?" He asked, examining it, before holding it out to her. "Take it back."

"No way," she replied, pushing his hand away. "I got a bonus, anyway. I wanted to buy you a good one but I'm not rich."

"Jesus fuck, Mar. Thanks," he leaned down to kiss her but Liam put his hands on Lip's face, pushing him away. Amara laughed while the other boy gently flicked Liam's head just as rapid knocking came from the front door.

She raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Expecting someone?"

"Don't get mad."

"Oh Jesus, what did you do?"

He smiled at her wickedly. "Wanna help me cause some mayhem?"

She felt that spark of mischief flutter up in her stomach—something she hadn't felt in such a long time, forcing herself to stop that side of her ever since she had to take care of her younger sister, but it was still there after all those years, and Amara had no choice but to nod. "What kind of question is that?"

Apparently Lip's "mayhem" included him pretending to date his roommate's girlfriend, Amanda, while her parents came down to the Gallagher house to leave a bad impression. Lip explained to her that it was Amanda's way of breaking free from their control, but Amara didn't like it one bit, even if it was fake. Still, maybe acting like a bad influence for once could be fun, so she agreed, as long as Lip promised there would be no his mouth on her mouth ever, which he agreed to easily.

But it turned out that the knocking on the door wasn't Amanda and her parents, it was a DCFS officer—perfect timing for it, too. Amara attempted to calm down the swarm of children in the living room while Lip led the agent around the house with little affect, because they were still loud and chaotic.

It hadn't been ten minutes later that Carl announced Amanda had arrived, and both Lip and Amara went to greet them. The blonde had his arm around her as three people stepped inside. "This is Lip," the girl who Amara was assuming Amanda introduced. She looked to her. "And Amara. These are my parents Jason and Cheryl. They're white," she added.

"I can see that," Lip said, and Amara moved his hand back up to her waist with a pointed look, which he ignored and let his hand fall down again. "Nice to meet you."

Jason glanced between Lip and Amara, and she caught the slightest glint of confusion in his gaze. She felt herself smirk. "Oh, yeah. Lip is dating both of us. Can't keep his hands to himself. Or his dick."

Lip glared at her when Amanda's parents shared a look. "Oh," Amanda started. "I guess I never told you I was adopted. Well, they bought me from a Subic Bay whorehouse, so. Go Navy!"

"Amanda, that is our private business," Cheryl said a little sharply.

"Yeah, well so is our threeway," Amara retorted, and Lip looked like he was one step away from bursting out laughing. She had to turn her head in the opposite direction to control her smile. This was going to be a fun night.

★

"Hey—no you slut give me the cup," Amara demanded, grabbing the mug from Lip after he'd snatched it from her hands. "You do plates I do cups." He rolled his eyes and grabbed another plate while she smiled triumphantly. "It's called teamwork, genius."

"I think it's called bossing me around."

"You usually like that."

He flashed her a grin. "Yeah, maybe."

"This is not the kind of environment I want for my daughter," Jason declared, coming back in from the living room. Amara and Lip both turned at the sound of his voice.

"What happened?" Cheryl asked, standing up from the table and putting her phone into her pocket.

"There is a child who almost ate his own feces out there," he said.

Lip chuckled. "Shit, I guess he didn't get enough dinner."

"I'd like you to stop seeing Amanda," Jason stated. "How much?"

"How much what?" Lip's brows furrowed.

"How much to stop dating her?"

"Excuse me?" Lip tensed and she saw his jaw tighten.

"Sixty nine grand," Amara answered.

"How about ten? I have the cash with me."

"Hell yeah, hand it over-"

"Amara," Lip gave her a warning look and she glared, but dropped her hand.

"It's money!"

"You have it on you?" Lip questioned, ignoring her. "In this neighborhood?"

Jason's expression didn't flicker. "So do we have a deal?"

Amara looked to Lip, and he gave a slight nod. "Fuck yes."

★