Falling Into Place (Jaime Preciado) (*PTV* Fanfic 1)

72. "Obviously those dont mean shit"

LANEY*

They're not going to like me.

They're going to judge every part of me.

I hate meeting important people. Its like one of my worst fears.

I can say one wrong thing and have every good thing blow up in my face.

Considering how Jaime found me in a minor panic attack over what I was going to wear.... That should set the feeling of me right in this moment..

but right now we were walking up to the front porch of Jaime's parent's house, the lights inside shining bright against the dark night's star-powdered and clear december sky, but my anxiety was at an all time high.

I can hear the people laughing and talking amongst themselves even behind closed doors. Obviously related to Jaime because he was loud as all hell too...

I was yanked back by my hand and broken from my scatter-brained thoughts by Jaime, making me spin around and face him

"stop thinking so hard.. they're going to love you... I love you and that all that matters, alright?" he offered up, cupping my cheeks between his hands as he stared me down with those endless brown eyes.

I went up on my tip-toes and closed the gap between our lips while smiling, "i'll be fine." I nodded, going back down to my natural level and hid behind him as he nodded and turned the handle to the very-american wooden door. I took a deep breath before I followed his steps in, still hiding behind his shoulder.

"Ma ! ¡Estamos aquí !" (Tr: Ma! We're here!) Jaime yelled from the foyer, pushing the door close behind me.

There was no escaping this now..

I scooted in, closing the door behind me, still not removing myself from behind his shoulder as about 20 people peeked their head in from the archway.

"Jaime! Mi poquito niño!" a short woman came running into the hall followed by another man and a larger guy. The woman pulled Jaime away from my hand, leaving me there to stand awkwardly by the door.

"¿Dónde está tu chica ?" (Tr: Where is your girl?)

Jaime stepped aside, looking back at me and reached out for my hand.

I took it instantly, twining our fingers together to get some sort of comfort from this situation but finding my heart pound even harder from the judgmental eyes around me.

"Ma, this is Laney. Laney, this is my mom," Jaime nodded, his arm going behind my back and rested on the small of it.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Preciado," I held out my hand his mom just looked me up and down, crossing her arms as she looked over me again. I moved so I was holding Jaime's hand again, squeezing it tight as I got into my grip as his mom circled around us looking at me over and over head to toe.

"Oh, cariño, ella es aún más hermosa en persona!" (Tr: oh honey, she is even more gorgeous in person!) his mother gushed, pushing him aside to come and give me a death squeeze.

I let out an involuntary squeak, looking wide-eyed over at Jaime to somehow figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. But he just grinned while standing tall & proud.

I let out a sigh and relaxed my tension I had built up in my system, hugging the short woman back.

"its nice to meet you," I repeated as she released me.

"you too dear," she nodded, "Now come on, dinner is ready," she said, turning on her heel and walked back through the doorway to what I assed to be the kitchen.