Lemonade (WLGYL #2)

Chapter 1-Present

He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it, pulling me towards him. Flipping me over so that I was underneath him, my back flopping against the couch, he started to tickle me. He knew all my most ticklish spots--my feet, my waist--making it hard to breathe through the laughter.

"Liam, stop," I gasped between giggles and he finally pulled away, his curly hair coarse against my cheek, his dark skin illuminated by the glow of the living room lamp.

Liam Avery smiled smugly. "Tickling is a part of girlfriend territory," he said. "You'll have to get used to it."

Amara popped her head out of her bedroom door, a look of disgust on her face, in her brown eyes. "You know," she said to me, "your room is right there," pointing to the open door next to her.

I rolled my eyes goodnaturedly. I forgot the Acharyas were sticklers for personal space. When her brother, Arjun, had visited, he insisted on staying in a hotel, despite us having a pull-out couch for guests. Although I would never do something to make Amara uncomfortable, she was one of my best friends for a reason and we were sharing an apartment, I loved to tease her anyway. "We weren't doing anything."

"Yet," Liam joked.

I threw a pillow at him.

Amara raised her eyebrows, a pile of folded clothes in her hands. She was going home for the summer and was almost finished packing. "At least I'll be home soon," she said, but I could tell she only half-meant it. We were definitely going to miss each other. With another smile and eye roll, she turned back into her room and closed the door behind her.

Turning to me, Liam pouted. "Are you sure you have to go?"

I sighed. "If I'm staying here all summer I want to see my parents and friends at least once. This is the perfect weekend because everyone's going to be home. And Jessie's forcing me."

Liam followed me into my room, my still-empty suitcase lying forgotten on my bed. "Everyone meaning...?"

Chewing on my lip, I pretended to go through my drawers, looking busy. "Uh, you know, just Jessie, Caleb, our parents, obviously..."

"And?" Liam prompted.

"And Mason," I finished with another sigh.

"Like, Ex-Boyfriend Mason?" He leaned against my desk, fiddling with the edge of my swivel chair. His eyes wouldn't meet mine, but I could almost feel the accusation, though Liam rarely got jealous in our near six months of dating.

"Well, yeah, it's his graduation. I told you, Jessie's making me go."

When my best friend, Jessie Masterson, called me, I was more than willing to take up her offer to come home and visit my friends and family. Illinois was a long way away from Los Angeles, and I was going to miss them over the next three months. It wasn't until she told me why she wanted me to come home this specific weekend that I became more hesitant.

"You should come, it's important to him," Jessie said, a car engine starting in the background.

I pushed the phone closer to my ear, straining to hear over the noise. "I'm not," I said reproachfully. "He won't even notice I'm not there."

I could feel Jessie roll her eyes through the screen. "Sorry, self-pitying hours are reserved for midnight-2 AM, which is not now. Also, you know that's not true. It's his college graduation. You should be there."

And so it was settled. I'd be flying home for the weekend, getting to seeing my parents as well as my favorite two Masterson siblings, Jessie and Caleb, who were home for the summer. Jessie went to school in Michigan while Caleb had gone to community college for two years to save up money for his dream school in Tennessee, where he would be a transferred senior in the fall. And, since we would be attending Mason's college graduation, I would also be seeing my ex-boyfriend, also known as the oldest Masterson child. Great.

I was excited to see my friends and family again, of course. The only reason I was staying in Los Angeles over the summer was that I wanted to gain residency due to the cheaper in-state tuition at my school versus out-of-state. So, I had gotten a job at the photography center of a local grocery store. But if I had it my way, I would've gone home as soon as classes finished. Instead, I would be staying here, practically alone.

It helped that Liam was also staying in the area since he was local; his parents only lived thirty minutes away.

The other issue was that, with Amara going home, she and I had an empty bedroom to fill, or else we'd be paying extra for the lack of my roommate. But I was trying not to think about that quite yet. There was something else on my mind for the time being.

I pulled a sky-blue dress out of my closet, something my mom and I had picked out for interviews or career fairs, but would also work well at a graduation ceremony. My suitcase now full, I was bringing some winter clothes and other unnecessary items home, I struggled to close it. Liam hopped up next to me, placing his weight on the top while I maneuvered the zipper.

"Have you even seen him recently?" Liam said casually as I finally got the suitcase closed.

I looked up at him, a hand on my hip. "What's with the sudden interest in Mason?" I quipped.

He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "You dated him for almost two years," he said quietly. "I think it's natural if I feel a little threatened."

Taking a deep breath, I placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Liam, it doesn't matter how long I dated him. I'm with you, now."

Liam smiled, but I could tell he was still a little worried. I knew that he trusted me, but he had never met Mason before, and he knew he was older and my first. Not that that mattered anymore.

I continued, "I rarely see him. Usually only on holidays when I come home. The last time I saw him was Christmas, and it was horribly awkward. Besides that, we do a pretty good job of avoiding each other."

His fingers played with my hair, parts of it blonder from when I had dyed it a few weeks ago. He nodded. "Okay." Liam smiled again, helping me pick up my suitcase. "That doesn't mean I won't miss you, though."

I rolled it to the door, the wheels catching over my laptop charger. "It's only three days," I said. Three short days. Home on Friday, Mason's graduation and family party on Saturday, back at the apartment on Sunday. I could handle it. I raised my eyebrows. "You can make it up to me when I get back."

Liam's smile grew wider.