Fight For Me ✔

Chapter 28

"Thanks for taking me home." I say as Liam and I stand in front of the door to my apartment. It's almost midnight and we've just returned from Liam's house. Dinner with his family went rather well if I do say so myself. His maternal grandfather - or granddad - was a bit standoffish but never outright rude. His maternal grandmother - grandma - was quiet but sweet. She didn't ask me any questions and didn't participate in the conversation, seeming content to let her husband answer for both of them. She came in on her husband's arm and he was the one to tenderly lower her onto a well cushioned chair before we were introduced. I found their whole interaction a tad odd, but during the meal I noticed Liam's granddad's hand stray to gently caress his grandma's. Every time it did a gentle smile would grace her aged face and she would force just another small bite of food into her mouth.

Contrary to his quiet and regal maternal grandparents, Liam's paternal grandparents - gramps and gram -were both loud, sweet and openly affectionate with each other and everyone else. I received hugs and kisses from both of them and they loudly admired the color of my eyes. Their faces were both aged and leathery, their walk - while energetic - was slow and his gramps back was slightly bent forward. It was all a testament to a long life with hard work. But there was nothing wrong with their mood or their appetite. Unlike Liam's grandma, they both ate plenty and argued loudly with each other when gramps shoveled pasta and meat but neatly avoided the greens every time it made its way past him. One such argument ended with gramps hooking an arm around gram's neck and planting one on her mouth, uncaring of his audience. So it is safe to say that I have figured out which side of the family Liam gets his kissing mania from.

Mrs. Paine asked me to call her Leonora now that I was officially part of the family. I wasn't quite sure about that but she said to me "dear, Liam takes after his father's side of the family. They just find the girl they want, grabs hold of her and hold on like a pit-bull. I do not see you getting rid of him in the near or distant future." Which was also kind of disconcerting. I mean, I'm seventeen, I don't see myself settling down for good before I'm five to ten years older. But Aaron simply nodded his head sagely in agreement with his wife and Liam was suspiciously silent throughout this conversation. Liam's father was a lot like Liam himself, except he was very business suave. He talked a lot with Liam's granddad about their different businesses, but he rarely let go of Leonora completely. He was always holding her hand on top of the table, placing his arm around her shoulders, on the back of her chair, kissing her cheek and stroking her arm. I even think there was some hanky-panky going on under the table! I praise myself lucky that Liam at least behaved himself.

All in all I liked them. Liam had a big family that clearly loved their respective partner and each other, despite their very different backgrounds. I liked their dynamics and how they included me in everything even though this was the first time they met me. Dinner time had stopped being awkward about five minutes in and I had enjoyed myself immensely. After dinner I had politely offered to help clean up - I wanted them to like me after all - but apparently they had servants for that. Actually I can't say I'm surprised. Liam and I played a bit more with Bernie before I started yawning. Liam offered to let me sleep over - in his bed of course - but despite everything, our relationship is quite new and I didn't want his family to think badly of me, so I had Liam take me home. He tried to make us go on his motorcycle but there's no way I'm ever getting on that death machine ever again! We argued about it for fifteen minutes before Liam threw his arms in the air and stalked over to his black Ferrari, the same one he kidnapped me in earlier today. The journey to my apartment was made in silence, but that was okay because even though Liam sulked he still stroked my hand or held on to my thigh every time he got the chance.

And so here we are standing in front of my door, Liam leaning up against the doorframe and me wondering how I'm supposed to convince him to go home.