Beneath the Surface

Chapter 16

Y/N was used to being composed, calm, and collected in just about every situation. But as she and Lizzie pulled up to the driveway of Lizzie's childhood home, she couldn't help the little twist of nerves in her stomach. This wasn't just any family dinner—this was the family dinner. Lizzie's parents, and her famous twin sisters. And as much as Y/N tried to play it cool, the idea of meeting them all at once was a little... intimidating.

"You look nervous," Lizzie teased, glancing over at Y/N as she parked the car. Her lips quirked into a playful smile, clearly enjoying the rare sight of Y/N being anything less than completely unflappable.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, trying to hide her nerves behind a smirk. "I'm not nervous."

"Uh-huh," Lizzie replied, leaning over to kiss Y/N's cheek. "Don't worry, they're going to love you."

Y/N smiled at the reassurance, but her thoughts immediately drifted to Lizzie's twin sisters. The Olsen twins. The famous Olsen twins. No matter how composed Y/N was, the idea of meeting two of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood was something else entirely.

"You're not fangirling, are you?" Lizzie asked, her tone teasing as she caught the slight hesitation in Y/N's expression.

"Of course not," Y/N replied, but the smirk playing on Lizzie's lips told her that she wasn't buying it.

"Sure," Lizzie laughed, giving Y/N's hand a reassuring squeeze as they walked up to the front door. "I'll make sure to introduce you as my girlfriend, not as 'the girl who watched Full House as a kid.'"

Y/N chuckled, feeling her nerves ease a little. Lizzie had that effect on her—making even the most intimidating situations feel manageable.

The door opened before they could knock, and there stood Lizzie's dad, smiling warmly as he stepped aside to let them in. "Lizzie, good to see you, sweetheart," he greeted her before turning to Y/N. "And you must be Y/N. We've heard a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope," Y/N replied, shaking his hand, already feeling a little more at ease.

"All good things," he assured her, his smile genuine.

The house had a welcoming warmth to it, and as they made their way through the hallway, Y/N could hear the faint chatter of voices coming from the dining room. Lizzie's mom greeted them next, pulling Y/N into a warm hug that caught her off guard but put her even more at ease.

As they stepped into the dining room, Y/N's eyes landed on the twins—Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. They looked just like they did on TV and in magazines, only more real, more... normal. They smiled warmly at her, clearly used to meeting new people, but Y/N could feel the tiniest bit of fangirl energy bubbling up inside her.

"Hey," Mary-Kate said, waving Y/N over. "You must be Y/N."

"Lizzie's told us a lot about you," Ashley added, both of them grinning.

Y/N swallowed, trying to keep it together. "Uh, yeah. I'm Y/N. It's... really nice to meet you both."

Lizzie, of course, couldn't resist. She nudged Y/N playfully, her voice teasing. "Oh, is this where I find out you were secretly in love with my sisters growing up?"

Y/N shot her a look, her cheeks flushing slightly. "No, I just... watched Full House a lot as a kid."

The twins laughed, clearly used to this kind of reaction. Lizzie leaned in closer, lowering her voice just enough for Y/N to hear. "You're cute when you're flustered, you know that?"

Y/N gave her a small glare, but there was no hiding the smile tugging at her lips. "I'm not flustered."

Lizzie grinned, clearly enjoying this rare moment of having Y/N a little off-balance. "Sure, you're not."

They all sat down for dinner, and to Y/N's relief, the conversation flowed easily. Lizzie's family was warm and welcoming, and Y/N quickly found herself relaxing, joining in on the conversation. Every now and then, she caught Lizzie's teasing glances, but it only made the evening more fun.

At one point, Lizzie's dad cleared his throat, giving Y/N a knowing look. "Y/N, why don't we step outside for a minute? I think we need to have a little talk."

Lizzie's eyes widened, and she gave her dad a playful warning look. "Dad... don't scare her off."

Y/N's heart skipped a beat, but she nodded, giving Lizzie a reassuring smile as she followed her dad outside. The cool evening air hit her as they stepped onto the porch, and she felt a little more at ease, despite the looming "talk" she was about to have.

Lizzie's dad leaned against the railing, crossing his arms casually. "So, you and Lizzie... I'm glad to see her so happy."

Y/N nodded, her hands slipping into her pockets as she looked out at the backyard. "I'm happy too."

There was a brief pause before Lizzie's dad continued, his tone light but with a hint of seriousness. "Look, I won't give you the whole overprotective dad speech, but I will say this—Lizzie's important to us. She's been through a lot, and we just want to make sure she's with someone who really cares about her."

Y/N met his gaze, feeling the weight of his words. "I do care about her. A lot."

He nodded, his expression softening. "I believe you. Just take care of her, okay? She means the world to us."

Y/N smiled, feeling the tension ease. "I will."

Lizzie's dad gave her a pat on the shoulder, his demeanor lightening. "Good. Now let's get back in there before she thinks I've scared you off."

As they stepped back inside, Y/N was greeted by Lizzie's teasing grin. "What did he say? You're not backing out, are you?"

Y/N laughed, shaking her head. "Not a chance."

The rest of the evening was spent with more laughter and stories, Y/N feeling more and more comfortable with Lizzie's family. It was clear how much they loved Lizzie, and Y/N felt grateful to be welcomed into that circle, even if she did get teased a little more than she expected.

As the night wound down and they said their goodbyes, Lizzie leaned into Y/N as they walked back to the car, her arm wrapping around her waist. "You did good," she said softly, a smile tugging at her lips. "Even with the fangirling."

Y/N rolled her eyes, though her smile betrayed her amusement. "I wasn't fangirling."

"Sure, you weren't," Lizzie teased, her voice light and full of affection.

They reached the car, and as Y/N opened the door for Lizzie, she hesitated for a moment, looking at her with a soft expression. She hadn't planned to say it—not tonight, not yet—but the words were there, waiting on the tip of her tongue. And before she could stop herself, they slipped out.

"I love you."

Lizzie froze, her hand still on the car door, her eyes wide as she stared at Y/N. For a moment, there was only silence, the weight of those three words hanging between them.

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as she watched Lizzie's reaction. She hadn't meant to say it like that, but now that it was out there, she couldn't take it back. And the silence that followed felt endless.

Lizzie blinked, clearly trying to process what had just been said. Her mouth opened as if she was going to say something, but then she closed it again, her eyes still wide.

"I... you..." Lizzie stammered, her voice a little shaky. She took a deep breath, her gaze softening as the initial shock wore off. "I love you."

Y/N's chest filled with warmth at Lizzie's words, a smile breaking across her face as the tension finally lifted. She leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to Lizzie's lips, feeling the weight of the moment settle around them.

Lizzie pulled back slightly, still looking a little shaken but smiling. "I wasn't expecting that."

Y/N chuckled softly, her hand gently brushing a strand of hair from Lizzie's face. "Neither was I."

They shared another kiss, softer this time, and when they pulled away, the world felt a little lighter, a little brighter.

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