Page 37 of Something Forever
“Do you want to go get dinner? I might hit the casinos later or see if I can get tickets to a show. I’ve heard the Blue Man Group is fun. Ooh, or Cirque Du Soleil? They are so impressive. We could go together!”
He raises his eyebrows at me in a gesture that reveals his obvious disapproval. How do I already know how to read his nonverbal communication?
“Forget it. I’ll go by myself,” I tell him, stung. I don’t know why I even invited him. Every time I try to be nice, he throws it back in my face. I turn away from him, but he reaches out and grasps my arm lightly.
“I’ll come, but no Blue Man Group. They freak me out.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Seriously?”
“They’re creepy. Who willingly paints themselves head-to-toe like that?” He shudders, and I laugh again. “Let me shower and we’ll go, alright?”
“Okay. I should probably change out of this dress… ”
While Liam showers, I change into a denim skirt, tank top, and my platform Doc Martens. Once he’s done in the bathroom, I touch up my makeup and meet him in the hallway. He’s wearing a t-shirt and backwards baseball cap, and he strides to the elevator with barely a glance in my direction. He’s shaved his beard down to a light stubble, and it looks soft and clean.
Hello to you, too!
Why, yes, you look lovely.
I look nice, too? Thanks so much!
Tired of conversing silently with myself, I turn to Liam. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Whatever you want.”
I take a deep breath, reaching for my inner patience. I’m gonna need a lot of it tonight.
“Can we go to the Trevi? I want to see the fountains, and I’m in the mood to stuff my face with breadsticks and pasta.”
He scrolls on his phone. “Sounds good to me.”
“Can you at least pretend you like spending time with me? I get that this whole situation isn’t ideal, but I’m trying to make the most of it.”
He slides his phone in his pocket and turns to me, studying my face. “I like spending time with you.”
“Oh, really? You sure have a way of showing it. You barely even look at me, for God’s sake!”
He blinks, his face impassive. “I didn’t realize it bothered you.”
“Yeah, well… ”
The elevator doors slide open, and I strut through the lobby towards the exit.
Forget this.
He follows after me as we head out to the Strip. He grips my wrist, tugging me back towards him. “Hey, slow down a sec.”
I huff out a breath and glare up at him.
“I didn’t think… look, that’s just how I am, alright? I’m sorry if you took it as something against you.”
“Forget I said anything. It doesn’t matter.” I tug against his hold, but he keeps me firmly in his grip.
“We’re stuck together for the next three years, so let’s be clear. You’ve gotta tell me when I piss you off ‘cause I can’t read your mind, and I’ll probably do it a lot. I’m sorry I’ve been a dick, yeah? I’m excited. We’ll go to dinner, and then we’ll see the Cirque thing. Alright?”
I nod, shocked by his earnest response. “I only wanted to go out because—” I cut myself off abruptly.
You idiot.