After Elliot

12: Baptist Church

A/N: Hope you enjoy!

PS. The views of baptists reflected in here and mainly off the crazy southern women in my old church!✌️

"Analise! Get your cute little butt out of bed! We have to leave for church in 20!" I hear Liam's voice break through my coma of sleep. "I don't wanna go!" I whine, pulling the covers over my head.

His footsteps sound on the hardwood floor, and I curl myself up even tighter. "Well you have to," he's standing over the bed now. "Go without me," I command, then turn where my face is toward the wall.

"Mom said that you have to go," He pulls the Cindy card on me, and I almost shoot myself in that moment.

That woman never fails to annoy
me in some way.

I groan, throw the covers off myself, then trudge past Liam to my closet. I swipe through the hangers of dresses, about to grab a yellow dress, when Liam instructs me, "Wear your blue polo." I turn, "But it's church. Aren't I supposed to dress up?"

He waves a dismissal hand, then says, "Nah, no one does." I narrow my eyes, not really believing him, but doing it anyway. I pair the blue and white striped Polo v-neck with blue jean capris, white sandals, and a white bow.

I'm about to strip, when I remember that Liam is behind me. "Out," I say, still facing the closet. "What? I don't get a strip show?" He quips, and I shoot back, "Sunday is a day of rest. I don't work today." I can just see the corners of his lips tugging up at my comment, and he breathes a laugh.

"I'll wait for you in my room. You now have..." He pauses, to look at his watch I guess, "12 minutes! Hurry it up princess!" With that, he leaves, and I roll my eyes. I quickly change, do my make-up, and fix my hair in ten minutes.

As I admire my handiwork, I get a text from someone. I glance down at the low brightness at the words:

Nice polo, sweetheart.

I don't know the number, nor how they know I'm wearing a polo. It can't be Liam; I have his number. I glance around, seeing that my curtains are open.

Oh dang.

Some creepy peeping tom has my number and now they're commenting on my outfit.

Just great, Ana.

As I'm about to tell Liam, I get another text:

How good it looks on you makes me want to see what's under it.

Oh. Gross. I scrunch my nose. Well, it's a disgusting peeping tom. Wonderful. My ringtone sounds through my ears again and I check the screen:

It makes me want to finish what i started at the party.

Oh god. No. No. Oh god no! It's Wilder. He's spying on me! Should I tell Liam? No. He'll make me tell the police, and I really can't do that. I won't do this again.

I merely lock my phone, straighten myself up, then greet Liam in his room. "Ready to go?" He smiles warmly, and i momentarily forget that I have a crazy stalker that's in cahoots with my abusive ex-boyfriend. "Yeah," I answer, and he takes my hand.

You may be confused. And don't worry if you are. I'm deeply confused as well. Since I admitted my feelings to myself, We've been acting more... couple-y.

We aren't dating, is what I'm not confused about, but we act as If we are. I'm not sure If you can call it "talking," but the glares I receive at school tell me it's not just friendship.

A couple of days ago, I recall telling a girl I wasn't dating or interested in Liam (I am, but I don't really want to have my eyes clawed out by a 200 dollar manicure, so...) and her response was a scoff, then, "Don't lie to me! We all see the way you look at each other! Especially how he looks at you! It's like you're the only thing in the room! That's supposed to be me! You slut! You stole him from me!" Then her friends proceeded to hold her back while I walked away, giggling, of course.

As we carefully go down the stairs, Cindy chimes, "Oh look! Ana and William match!" I roll my eyes at her, then realize that we are in fact matching. He's wearing a polo the identical color minus the stripes. Hmmm...

"What a coincidence," Greg says casually, and I glance up at Liam. Coincidence my- "Yeah yeah, they're adorable. Can we leave now?" Ian speaks irritably, and I scrunch my brow at his tone.

"What's your problem? On your man period this week?" I can't stop the sarcastic remark that comes from my lips. The dry comment sparks a fury in Ian's eyes, but he holds himself together, "You. You're my problem." With that said, he storms out of the house, leaving me deeply irked.

On the other hand, the rest of the Sanfords seem unable to hold back their laughter as he exits the house. They all chuckle in merriment as If I didn't just insult their son and he didn't do the same to me. "Oh, Analise dear, you're so funny!" Cindy goads.

Dear. Gahh.

I force a smile as Liam pulls me down the rest of the stairs. We all crowd around the excursion when we get outside, Liam and Wyatt sitting with me in the front section seat. The ride to Rising Sun Baptist Church is filled with uncomfortable silence mixed with small remarks from Cindy.

When we finally reach the church, Ian rushes out of the car and barrels toward the church. "Oh, my boy, always running to God," Cindy sighs, and I have to stifle my laughter. If only she knew about all the girls he sleeps with,,,

I never thought Ian would be the one to sleep around, but it turns out, that he's even more of a man hoe than Liam. Dang, these Sanford boys just can't keep it in their pants. Jeremy does the same, as well do Brian and Jameson (by a surprise there). Even little Wyatt is the charmer of his prestigious "day-care" (it's actually a primary school, but Cindy doesn't think it's challenging enough for him, so she simply calls it a day-care).

Liam snorts to her comment, earning him a glare from his father, which he pretends not to see.
He gets out quickly, lifting Wyatt out, then me. I yelp in surprise when his hands grip my sides and help me out of the car. I notice a few older people staring at us in shame, and my face goes beet red. "You should be ashamed!" An elderly yells, then another adds, "Sinners!" And the last says, "Horny teenagers!" Liam's only reply is, "Yes, Ms. Patterson, I do love to fornicate." He licks his lips in a suggestive way, then takes my hand and leads me to the opening of the church doors.

"Time to go with God, princess," he pecks my check before dragging my unwilling form into the large church.

God help me.

A/N: hope you guys like this chapter! I apologize if the title mislead your dirty minds.

-IC Judah