by Amy Sparling
Before going to Bella’s house, I stop by a local food truck and pick up a bunch of tacos and some chips and salsa. Maybe it’ll help ease some of the tension in the room if I bring food. I mean, everyone loves tacos.
Bella opens the door before I knock. She must have been watching for me out of the window.
“I brought food,” I say, holding up the heavy paper bag.
“Oooh,” her mom says from the other side of the room. “Is that tacos?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Perfect!” she says. “Oh Liam, I like you.”
From across the room, Brent scoffs.
“Don’t worry about him,” Bella tells me as she lets me inside. “He’s a grump.”
I see Brent laying in the recliner in the living room, his leg in a soft cast. He’s flipping the channels on the TV remote and not looking at me, probably purposely avoiding me.
I wonder if he remembers how he’d asked me to stay with him when he was stuck in his truck. I know better than to bring that up, though. He was delirious and in a lot of pain. He would have asked anyone to stay.
We all settle around the TV and eat my taco peace offering. I’m glad Brent eats the tacos Bella hands him and doesn’t try to do some boycotting of me by refusing. He ignores us for the most part.
I think the fact that Bella’s mom is in the room makes him keep his thoughts to himself. I hope she never leaves.
“Isn’t it lucky that Liam happened to see your wreck happen?” she says after a solid fifteen minutes of peaceful eating. Crap. Beside me, Bella tenses.
“Yeah it was cool,” Bella says quickly. “Let’s watch the show.”
“You’ve seen this show a million times,” her mom says. “I just want to thank Liam again. He was a real help by calling 911 and making sure Brent was okay.”
“Probably the only decent thing he’s ever done,” Brent mutters under his breath, his gaze still on the television.
“What’s that mean?” Bella’s mom says. She turns to me. “Do you two know each other?”
“It’s nothing,” Bella says. “They used to race dirt bikes together. No big deal. Now, let’s watch the show.”
“Oh, how cool!” her mom says.
“Not cool,” Brent mutters.
Her mom gives him a look. “What got your britches in a knot?”
“Mom, it’s nothing.” Bella is trying so hard to change the subject and avoid having her brother say something that will ruin everything. Normally I’d agree with her, but honestly, I’m sick of this feud. I didn’t do anything wrong.
I set my soda down on the coaster on the coffee table. “Brent hates me,” I say, which gets me a startled look from everyone in the room. “It’s not because we used to race together. It’s because a long time ago, his girlfriend found me at the races and told me she was single and then she kissed me. Brent found out, and he blames me for their relationship ending even though I didn’t pursue her. She pursued me.”
Bella is completely frozen.
Brent is too, his jaw ridged as he stares at me.
The only person to move is their mom. “Samantha?” she says, sounding like she doesn’t want to believe it. She turns to Brent. “Is that what happened with you and Samantha?”
“Yeah,” Brent says, looking down at his broken leg. “He’s telling the truth about what happened, but I’m not so sure I believe his motives.”
“I swear I didn’t know,” I say.
His mom looks at me and then back at Brent. “It sounds like an honest mistake, honey. If Samantha did that to you, she wasn’t worth dating anyway.”
Brent just grumbles and shrugs his shoulders.
Bella finally finds her voice. “That’s what I said. I told him he should hate her, not Liam.”
“You should really consider forgiving him,” her mom says. “It’ll make things easier on your sister.”
Brent looks over at me, and then looks back at the TV. “I’ll think about it.”
Bella’s eyes widen and she grabs my hand. Nothing has really changed between her brother and me, but maybe… maybe with time, it will.
5
Bella
I should have known that nothing fun and amazing could happen to me without it being laced with awkward, uncontrollable events. I am so giddy and elated that Liam is back home and that he’s mine. All mine.
But of course, life had to throw a curveball at me and make Brent get hurt. The last few days have been so weird. My brother is basically living on the recliner in the living room now since he can’t sleep well in his bed with the cast on his leg. That means he’s always around. When I’m coming home or going out, he’s there, watching me. Judging me. He doesn’t say anything, but I know what he’s thinking. He’s mad that I’m dating Liam, but he doesn’t want to admit that he lost this battle and I won it. Even our mom took my side instead of his. All I can do is hope that he eventually gets over it. I want my relationship with Liam to become the real deal.
Date nights, shopping trips, boring stuff, and fun stuff. I want him invited over for holidays and random pizza nights. I want him to sit with my family when I graduate college. If Brent doesn’t just suck it up and get over his anger with Liam, then all of those events will be awkward.
I’m sitting in my government class at the college, hanging out in the back row like some kind of loner. I don’t have any friends in this class, so I’ve taken to sitting back here and texting Kylie when I should probably be listening to the lecture. Government is incredibly boring, or at least it is the way this guy teaches it. All he does is talk about politics and try to get the class all riled up about the current state of things. Unfortunately, which candidate you love or hate the most is not on the final exam.
I text Kylie about how stressed I am about this whole Brent breaking his leg and being home thing.
Kylie: This might actually be a blessing in disguise.
Me: How so?
Kylie: Well, Liam was there for Brent when he had a moment of weakness. He was scared and inured, and he wanted Liam to stay with him. That kind of thing bonds people
Me: I think he was just delirious. My brother will never be friends with Liam
Kylie: Never say never!
When class is over, I scoop up my things and head out toward the student center that’s across campus. I have two and a half hours to kill before my next class. It’s not that far to drive home, but I’d rather just hang out here and get some lunch.
My head is down as I walk, still texting Kylie. Someone clears their throat in that obvious way like they’re trying to get you to notice them. I look up.
“Liam!”
He’s leaning against the wall next to the doors that lead to the student center. I swear he’s standing like that on purpose, because it’s how every sexy guy stands in the movies. All casual and laid back and effortlessly gorgeous.
“I thought you weren’t going to notice me,” he says, scooping me into his arms for a quick kiss.
“I didn’t think there would be anyone to notice,” I say, putting my phone in my bag. “What are you doing here?”
“I just thought I’d surprise my favorite person and hang out with them for lunch. This is the day you have some time to kill before your next class, right?”
I love that he pays attention to the random things I say. I nod. “Are you hungry? They have a pretty good toasted club sandwich here.”
“Baby, I’m always hungry,” Liam says, pulling open the door with one hand and reaching for my hand with the other. “Lead the way.”
The student center is the newest part of the community college. The building was built two years ago, and it was a way for the school to make itself look more attractive to prospective students. It’s a large, octagonal-shaped building with mostly glass walls. There’s a café that serves pretty decent food, and an eating area that overlooks the manmade pond in front of the campus. I like to grab a snack and sit next to the windows, watching the ducks splash around in the lake.
Across from the café are lounge rooms with brightly colored sofas and pool tables, air hockey, and other games. I haven’t ventured in there yet. There’s also the student store and some meeting rooms where people host the various clubs around campus.
The whole building this this modern, sleek feel to it that reminds me of Liam’s old condo he shared with his dad.
“You know what this place reminds me of?” I say, turning to him.
“A Mosely International original?”
“No way. Your dad made this?”
He nods. “Oh yeah. This has my dad’s architecture style written all over it. I remember him talking about it a while back. There are a lot of his designs in small Texas towns like these.”
“How did he take the news that you were moving out?” I ask as we make our way to the line to order food.
Liam shrugs. “He didn’t care. If anything, I think he was relieved. Now he can get up to all kinds of single man debauchery without worrying if I’ll be home.”
My eyes widen, and he laughs. “I’m playing. My dad’s not a weirdo. At least I don’t think he is.”
We order our food and Liam whips out his wallet. “I can pay for mine,” I say.
“Nope. You’re my girlfriend and I want to pay.”
“That’s sexist,” I say.
“No, it’s not. I didn’t say you’re not allowed to pay… I said I want to pay.”
“Let him pay, honey,” the cashier says. She’s an older woman with graying hair and smile lines. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned after three divorces, it’s to take the romance where you can find it.”
Now I feel completely awkward. I glance at Liam. “Fine, but I’m paying next time.”
“Fine, but I’ll argue with you next time too,” he says, giving me a wink before handing the woman his debit card.
I love how effortless our relationship is. I love that he’s sweet and fun and surprises me at school just to have lunch. It’s only been a few days, but Liam is the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.
We get our food and I lead him to my favorite table with the best view of the ducks.
“So how is college life treating you?” he asks.
A few tables over, there are two girls staring at us, and I recognize the look on their faces. They think Liam is too hot to be real. I can also detect some jealousy in their stares. They’re probably hoping I’m his sister or cousin or something. Too bad, ladies. He’s all mine.
I grin, and then remember his question. “It’s okay. Mostly boring. How are your online classes?”
“Totally boring.” He takes a bite of his sandwich and nods. “This is good.”
“Told you,” I say, reaching for my bag of chips. I open it and dump them all on top of the paper container next to my sandwich. “I guess no one ever promised that college would be fun,” I say.
“That’s for sure. Maybe if you’re in a frat or something…”
“Do you want to be in a frat?” I ask.
He snorts. “No way. I love my life the way it is.” His gaze lingers on mine, and I feel that warm feeling squeezing around my heart. I know without a doubt that Liam and I are the real deal.
“So, what are you going to do once you graduate college?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I’ll figure something out.”
“Doesn’t that freak you out?”
He takes a huge bite of his food. “What?”
I look out at the ducks, and I kind of wish my life was that easy. Swim around a lake, eat pieces of bread that people toss at you. What a carefree life.
“You’re not freaked out that you have no plan?”
“I do have a plan,” he says. “I’m going to get a part time job, keep taking classes, and graduate in two years.”
“That’s not really a long-term plan…” All the trepidation I feel about my life is swallowing me whole. I can’t believe Liam is so calm about it. “What do you want to do with your career? Your entire adult life?”
His lips slide into a grin. “Baby, I have time to figure that out. I’ll probably land somewhere in the motocross realm. Maybe I’ll manage my own race team one day. I don’t know. We’re young. We can figure it out.”
“I wish I was that laid back about it.”
His head tilts to the side. “What’s wrong?”
I shrug. “I have no idea what I want to do. And it’s massively freaking me out. Like... panic attacks once a week freaking me out.”
“Baby…” Liam’s voice is soothing as he reaches across the table and puts his hand on top of mine. “Just breathe, okay? You’re only eighteen.”
“Nineteen soon,” I say.
“You’re only nineteen soon,” he says with a sneaky grin. He squeezes my hand. “I promise we’ll find something you want to do with your life. I mean, we’ve found each other so that’s one big ball of amazing. Right? We’ve got each other, so we’ve got this.”
I’m not convinced. I mean, yeah, I’m so happy to be Liam’s girlfriend. Beyond happy. But that’s not a future. I don’t think my mom planned on becoming a department store manager when she was younger. She just worked there after school and then got a promotion and another one and another one until somehow she was the boss at the same place she’s worked her whole life. That’s not exactly a passion.
I want a passion.
“This is really bothering you, isn’t it?” Liam’s chocolatey eyes are concerned as he watches me.
I nod.
“Well, that won’t do,” he says, sitting up straighter. “I’m making it my personal mission to find your dream career.”
I lift an eyebrow. “How exactly are you going to do that? I’ve already taken a ton of career tests online and they’re all stupid.”
He waves his hand, dismissing my idea. “Tests are stupid. Real life isn’t. We’re going to go out and try every job there is until something sparks a fire in you.”
I give him a look. “I’m not sure that’s going to work.”
Liam shakes his head. “Oh, it’ll work. I’m not going to stop until you’re happy.” He lets go of my hand and reaches for his sandwich again. “We’ll figure this out, baby, I promise.”
I’m not so sure he’s right. Sure, his heart is in the right place, but I’m pretty sure I’m doomed when it comes to finding a fun career.
But there’s one thing I am sure about: I love it when he calls me baby. I’m really loving this whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing. It’s a million times better than a summer fling.
6
Liam
Bella has always been so focused. That’s one of the many things I like about her. When she first met me, she got angry and decided I was a terrible person. It took a lot of work on my part to convince her otherwise. When I started giving her some motocross lessons just for fun, she took them seriously. She listened to every word I said and did her best to implement them and it really worked. Her skills improved so much that she’s nearly unrecognizable on the track now.
So, it really bothers me to hear that she’s been stressing out about the future. I don’t want her to be afraid of the months and years to come, to feel like she doesn’t have a plan. If she’s worried about her life in the future, then that means she’s worried about us, too. I don’t want her future to feel like a vast cavern of emptiness. I want her to be excited for it. For us. For the future we can build together, now that we’re an official couple.
When she confided in me earlier today at the college, she also struck a small chord deep inside of me. It made me think about my own life. I don’t exactly have my future planned out, either. For so long, all I cared about was going pro. Then that happened and I tossed it aside, setting my sights on a better horizon. And I’m here now, and I love my life as it currently is. Sure, I’d like a job, and I’m sure I’ll get one soon. I also need to finish college, but that’ll happen, too. After that? Well, it hadn’t ever bothered me until now.
I push those thoughts to the back of my mind. I know I�
�ll land somewhere, and it’ll be great. Right now, I’m worried about Bella. I promised I’d help her find her dream career today. I know she didn’t exactly believe me, but I’m not about to let my words become an empty promise.
When I get home after leaving Bella to her last class of the day, I find my mom in the kitchen chopping up vegetables and putting them in the slow cooker. I sit on a nearby barstool and watch her work. She’s an excellent cook. I tried cooking a thing or two over the summer when I lived here, but I am definitely no skilled chef, unlike my mom. Her movements are precise, measured. She’s been cooking dinner a long time and it shows.
“Hey, Mom?”
“Yes?” she says, not looking up from her task.
“Have you always wanted to be a stay at home mom?”
Now she looks up. “Why do you ask?”
“Bella is freaking out about how she doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. I’m trying to help her come up with career ideas.”
Mom reaches for an onion and slices it in half. “When I was your age, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, that’s for sure. All I cared about was friends and parties and boys. I knew I wasn’t going to college because my parents couldn’t afford it.” She puts the onion into the slow cooker and shrugs. “I guess I didn’t really have a plan, either. I met your father and we got married just a couple of months later. Then you were born. I stayed home to take care of you, and well, that’s how it’s always been. I was seriously thinking about getting a job during those few years when I was divorced and single. The money I got from the divorce held me over, but I was bored. I applied at a couple of daycares.”
“Really?” I say. “I didn’t know you wanted to work at a daycare.”
Mom smiles. “I just love kids. I wanted to work with them. But then I met Phil and he had the sweetest little boys…” She glances back toward the hallway, then looks at me. “Sorry, son. I’m not really much help in the career department.”
“Maybe Bella would like to be a stay at home mom.”