Are We Out of The Woods Yet?

Part 15

Liv arrived at Home Farm, raised a fist and rapped on the glass of the front door. When there was no reply after two seconds she repeated her actions, knocking louder. "Alright, alright. Give us chance!" Lawrence opened the door, a frown apparent on his face as he saw who it was on his doorstep, not being too fond of the clan she belonged to, he really didn't want her in his house or anywhere near it. "Aaron's little sister mmm?"

"Yeah, think I'll go in now."

"Ah, ah." Lawrence stretched his arms out to both sides of the door frame to create a barrier.

"What? Why can't I come in? All I wanna do is hang out with Gabby." Liv's face scrunched up.

"To be honest with you my dear, I couldn't care less about what you want. Gabby's not in."

"Did someone call me?" Gabby appeared at the top of the stairs. Lawrence grumbled in annoyance. Drawing a smile on his face, he turned to his step-daughter.

"Yes Gabby, someone's here waiting for you." Gabby's heart rate picked up as she imagined it was Jacob. However as she came down the few steps and Lawrence partially moved out of the way, she saw it was Liv Flaherty.

"Hey."

"Hi." Gabby smiled weakly.

"Can I come in now?" Lawrence cleared his throat.

"Manners?"

"What?"

"Please, may I step foot into your splendid home?" He suggested, pride evident in his voice.

"Huh?" Liv caught on but made up her mind to play dumb just to wind the old man up. Slapping a palm to his forehead, he sighed, his other arm dropping to his side so neither barrier existed anymore. Liv smiled and entered the house. Lawrence closed the door and wandered into the living room, shutting himself in.

"Don't worry about him." Gabby told Liv as she followed her up-stairs. "How come you came over?"

"Was bored." Liv shrugged telling the simple truth.

Aaron sat in Vic and Adam's home, his eyes darting about, covering every wall. Why was he even here? Why was he here?! He shuffled on the sofa as he heard Robert leave the bathroom upstairs. His heart pumped faster, his fingers fiddled. "Right." Robert sighed as he came down the steps. "So then."

"I think I better go." Aaron stood abruptly. Robert stopped in the entrance to the sitting room, not taking his eyes off Aaron in case he suddenly disappeared.

"Um ok, how come?" He asked carefully as though he were approaching a jittery animal.

"Uh..." Aaron scratched the back of his head. "I just, I don't really know what I'm doin' here."

"Well, I know that, I was just about to tell you. I...I'm sorry I kept you waiting, I couldn't hold it really..." Robert smiled awkwardly, signalling behind him to the stairs. Aaron lips pulled as he almost smiled back, nope, no, nothing to smile about here, he still wasn't happy with the way he'd treated Adam. Robert watched the cold stare Aaron gave him, he wished he wouldn't look at him like that. "But if you want to go, obviously I won't make you stay..." There was an awkward moment.

"I've not forgiven yeh for what you tried to do to Adam. If yeh think I've forgotten I haven't."

"I know, I didn't expect you to. I said I'm sorry Aaron, I was only joking. Look, I'll tell him tonight that he still has his job and I'll apologise to him. I'll make it up to him, buy him a pint or somethin', Alright?" Robert of course had no plans to say sorry, Adam had done far worse, trying to get Ross on to him, again. He gulped, angrily but uncomfortably too.