selfish | salia

Chapter 41

We love a good old timeskip in this house !

APRIL 23RD, 2018

Nothing major had happened in the last two months. Simon had been - he had been alright. I'd been keeping a close eye on him, as had some of the boys and he was keeping his head afloat. He was staying on track, and things had been going really well. 

"Hey, Talia? Can I ask a question? It's sort of an important one," Simon piped up, catching my attention from across the room. I put down my phone, all my attention now on him. 

"Of course. Shoot," I smiled, curious as to what he could possibly ask. 

"Basically, my family is coming up this weekend, and I was just wondering if you wanted to meet my parents - you know, like, totally up to you, but they'd be nearby for a couple of days so-"

"So you're asking me if I want to meet your parents? Sure! I'm not doing anything this weekend."

"Wait, really? You'd really be alright with that?" He asked, sounding surprised that I had agreed so quickly. 

"Of course I would - unless you're trying to tell me I shouldn't?" I laughed, watching his face turn into an expression of shock mixed with delight. 

"No! This is - great. I'll book us a reservation at a restaurant tomorrow for dinner and we'll take it from there?"

"Sounds amazing. You can stop stressing now, I sensed your stress from the other side of the room," I teased, opening my phone back up. 

"Pfft, I wasn't stressed. I really have no clue what you're talking about," he said, flapping his arms around in a frenzy. 

He definitely had been stressed. 

"But you're definitely alright to meet them tomorrow?" He added, after a couple seconds of silence. 

"Yes!" I emphasised, laughing now. "Not stressed my arse," I muttered under my breath, smirking at his confused expression as he gave up trying to lip read and turned back around to his computer again. 

Now it was time to meet his parents. 

-

"Okay so we're meeting them at the restaurant, but if we leave now it gives us enough time to get there before them," he said, looking at me with a satisfied grin. 

"Simon - why do we need to get there before them? You've been overthinking this since you brought it up to me yesterday, just take a second and breathe, okay? I would've thought that if anyone would be nervous, it would be me! But I'm not, so just relax a little, okay?" I said to him gently, undoing the top button of his shirt. "You don't need to button up all your buttons, Si," I laughed.

"I don't even know why I'm stressed. I already know they're going to love you. But this is the first time I've ever done this, maybe that's why. I don't know what's going to happen, I don't have control over their reactions."

"You're fine. You're just a little scared of the unknown, but that's fine! I'm sure tonight's going to go well, and then we can come back and have a nice relaxing night, alright? But first, before we leave, how do you feel being my photographer for an Instagram picture?" I said, watching his face light up as he took my phone. 

"I'd love it. Plus, I don't think I've said it yet, but you look absolutely beautiful. Orange is your colour."

"Stop flirting and take this picture," I said with evident sarcasm, doing a little pose with the last remnant of sunlight shining through the window, using it to my full advantage.