Forever | ✓

9. Fiancé

Serena

"Liam, Bea, this is Will," I gestured towards him.

"...My fiancé."

I don't think I've known true awkwardness, until this exact moment. I now just introduced the guy I was going to marry, to the guy I used to...let's not think about that right now.

Liam's eyes drifted down slightly and only stopped moving, once they had settled on my left hand.

Clearly he'd missed that I was wearing a ring in our previous interaction, but the realisation didn't seem to make him any happier than before, as he now looked back at me more sternly than before.

He now looked like he'd sucked on a more sour lemon than before.

I hope he chokes it.

Will cleared his throat, clearly sensing the tension between us. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Serena's told me a lot about you and the good old days," he said, raising his hand forward to shake.

He was trying to be polite. I hadn't told him all that much.

Liam hesitantly raised his own hand to give Will a quick handshake.

I thought for sure, he'd leave Will hanging. But I guess it was only me that he was a prick towards.

"Do you know her, Daddy?" Bea asked, tugging at Liam's hand.

My eyes went from her and then to Liam, who just stood there looking at me, as if he were processing what she'd asked.

It was a simple enough question.

Bea looked between Liam and I with a confused expression.

I forced a smile on my face. "He knew me from a long time ago, sweetheart, he's just forgotten everything now," I told her.

There were a few expletives I wanted to add in that, but keeping Bea in mind, I held back.

I looked back at Liam and saw his jaw clench and nearly smirked at his reaction. If he wanted to be rude, then I had no obligation to be nice either.

"I know I'm always forgetting things", Will l said, placing an hand on my shoulder. "I forgot my shoes the other day", he joked, earning a giggle from Bea.

"Imagine that, a grown man walking outside without shoes," he carried on and Bea laughed.

"You're silly," she said between her giggled.

Will winked at her. "Only for you, your highness."

I could tell Will was trying to keep me calm, by placing his hand on my shoulder. The last thing I would want, was for Bea to see Liam and I at each others throats.

That would be childish and immature and she shouldn't see smacking her father senseless like that.

For her sake, I'd at least keep up appearances.

"So, fiancé?" Liam commented, as he looked between Will and I.

I wasn't so enthusiastic about the tone he used. It was as if he were wondering how that were even possible or if it was even real.

"Yes," I replied, just as curtly.

"Only recently. It took forever for me to work up the courage," he joked.

I smiled at him, as he chuckled. I only found out after, about how nervous he actually was about the whole thing.

"Well, congratulations," Liam replied, although without a smile or any inclination that he was happy for me.