Baby Payne

Baby Payne-Chapter 17

Geoff and Karen Payne were waiting for us when we got off the plane. Liam ran to them, opening his arms wide and wrapping them up in his embrace and nuzzling his head between them. The entire way there, he had been talking about them, the way they supported him, and all his dreams.

He loved them, a lot.

I stood back and waited for them to finish with their greeting. I knew they had to talk things out, they hadn't seen each other in almost half a year. If I were to go up and interrupt them, I had a feeling his parents wouldn't like me very much. And I really wanted them to like me.

Liam was talking with them for a few minutes, his arms still wrapped around them. He turned back to me and signalled me over with a warm smile on his face and on the faces of his parents. The two of them didn't seem to be all that upset I was there, they actually seemed genuinely happy to be meeting me.

"Liam's told me so much about you." Karen grabbed my hand and tugged me towards her. She gave me a tight hug and patted my back.

I patted her back, welcoming the only motherly touch I'd received in the past few years. "He's told me a lot about you too."

She kissed me lightly on the forehead and looked down at the baby bump taking over my stomach. "How far along are you?" She asked. "I don't really know, Liam never told us."

I rubbed my stomach with a smile on my face. "Due in a month in a half or so."

"Are you nervous?" She asked.

A little fear flashed through me. I had been researching what could go wrong when giving birth, and apparently, there was a lot that could go wrong. I nodded slightly. "I'm completely freaking out."

Liam wrapped an arm around my shoulders and rubbed circles on my arm. "Everything's going to be okay." He tried to assure me.

"You two are so sweet." Karen cooed. "If this boy ever gives you any trouble, you call me up and I'll fly to wherever he is, and beat the crap out of him." She said it was a completely staight face.

Liam was shocked. "Mum!" He exclamed.

She gave him a look. "I like her and I raised you right. If you ever hurt her, I'll be very upset with you."

He pulled me in close and kissed my temple. "Don't worry about it. I'll never hurt her, ever."

I swatted his hands away, and he kept pecking sloppy kisses all over my hair and my forehead. "Liam!" I shrieked. "I just did my hair! You always do this!" I was laughing, seeing as I didn't really care all that much about it.

"You love me!" He shouted.

I couldn't fight the smile. "You know I do."

Geoff wasn't much of a talker, he hadn't said anything to me yet. To try and break the ice, I held out my hand to him. "I'm Belle." I said.

He took my hand and smiled. "Geoff."

We started walking, Liam and I following his parents. "I was thinking Liam could drop me off at the hotel, and you guys could go out for dinner." I said as we walked.

Karen turned around and stopped me. "I want you to come out to dinner with us."

I sighed. "I'm really tired. That plane ride was so long, and I probably only spent an hour or so sleeping. I think it would be better for me to just order something from room service and go to sleep early."

"Come one on Belle." Liam said.

I gave him a look. "You're used to flying all over the place. You were practically asleep the entire time we were flying. I just need a couple hours sleep to get over the jet lag, then we can do whatever you want tomorrow."