Page 73 of Down the Aisle
"I know Adam can handle himself, and I know that he has the money and power and such, but James just…" Groaning in frustration, I shoved my face into my hands, rubbing it a few times before running my hands through my hair.
Unless Adam was some politician or the damn president, he stood no chance of getting away from James unscathed. One way or another, James would find a way to meet his goals. He always wins. Even if I wanted to think otherwise because Adam assured me so, it was hard to after seeing all the shit James has gotten away with over the years.
Yet, Adam and Hailee weren't bothered by it one bit. I don't know if something didn't connect in their brains or if they knew something I didn't. Of course, I doubted the latter because what could they even have up their sleeve that could put James in a bind if he ever found me and came after me?
"Don't think about that loser," Hailee said, patting my arm. "We have a nice little girl's day to enjoy after a nice lunch."
Not wanting to dampen the mood, I shoved everything away with a smile. "I don't think it's much of a girl's day if we're going around buying stuff for our kids' party," I mused with a chuckle. "And you can pick the cake flavor. Asher's not picky about anything, so if Adelaide has something she prefers, then we should go with what she likes."
Seriously, a plate of trash could be put in front of my kid, and he'd enjoy it like some grand feast.
"Also, I don't think we're going to need that big of a cake. I mean, it's just us, really, right? And some of your guys' friends?" Not like I had anyone to invite over. Eve was back in Idaho, and the few people I did make some connections with here were already on the list because of Adam.
"Well, our parents are coming in—"
The water I'd been sipping at burned my nose and throat from how hard I spat it out. I didn't mean to, but the shock of hearing their parents were coming had me doing a spit-take. "What!?" I strained through my coughing fit.
Hailee frantically patted my back as I coughed nonstop from the water I'd inhaled into my lungs. "Uhh I'm guessing Adam didn't tell you?" She chuckled sheepishly with an apologetic smile.
"No!" I barked out after a cough. "Oh my God, when do they get here?!"
I was in no way prepared, mentally or physically, to meet their parents! I needed at least seven business days to properly get my mind in the right headspace, and I needed that much time to make sure I looked physically okay. Not to say I looked like a slob or horrible, but maybe a nice haircut to spruce me up a bit, a facial, or something like that.
How Hailee's eyes widened before they averted from me with her wary smile made the stone in my gut sink further. "Weeeelll…" Uh oh, I didn't like the sound of that word being dragged out. "Umm… Hypothetically…" Nope, definitely didn't like the sound of this one bit, especially with how her lips kept twisting with worry. "How much would you freak out if I told you they were coming like… Today… In a few hours…"
Oh my God!
Slumping down in my seat, I cowered and covered my head with my arms. "Why the fuck didn't any of you tell me anything?!" I hissed with a somewhat playful glare up at Hailee.
Holding her hands up in defense, Haliee leaned back a little in her spot. "I thought Adam told you already." She offered me an awkward, apologetic pat on the head before sighing. "If it makes you feel any better, they already love you from what Adam's told them, and they're really lovely people."
Dragging out a groan, I lightly banged my head against the table. "What if they don't like me after they see me? I mean, what kind of parent wants their child to be with someone who has a kid and a shit ton of baggage?"
From what Adam and Hailee have told me about their parents in passing, they sounded like lovely people, truly. But what kid wouldn't praise their parent? Granted, I didn't talk much or any about my parents, but it wasn't as if there was anything to say about them really.
Needless to say, I had little to no fond memories of my parents. They weren't the worst, but they also weren't the best. At most, they were decent. Growing up, they provided for me and made sure I was healthy and whatnot, but they weren't the warmest when it came to giving me mental and emotional support. Sometimes, I wondered if they only had kids for the sake of having kids because it was the 'family' thing to do.
Sighing softly, I lifted my head and flashed a quick smile at Hailee before taking a huge gulp of water. "What if they don't like me and don't want Adam with me?" I worried out loud with a deep frown.
Dismissing me with a cheery laugh, Hailee took my hands in hers, squeezing them reassuringly. "Eliza, they love you already. You really have nothing to worry about. They know about your past and everything, and they aren't turned away by it one bit." She widened her smile after another squeeze of my hands. "They aren't the type of people to care about things like that, and they're the kind who believes in second chances and shit. They feel for you and are more than happy that you found your way with Adam and are headed towards a better future." Grinning excitedly, she bounced a little in her seat. "Seriously, they absolutely fucking adore you and Asher. Lord, I didn't think they'd be excited about another child like Adelaide, but Asher's right up there with her."
Letting my feelings surface, I didn't bother stopping the smile from spreading across my face. Maybe I was overthinking it quite a bit. I didn't want to disappoint his parents because I knew how important they were to Adam. Also, not like I've had a good run with parents when it came to my partners.
Taking a deep breath, I picked up my soda and took a few sips of that, scrunching my face and wincing a bit at the bubbles fizzing in my face. "Well, here's to hoping for the best," I mumbled to myself, exhaling sharply.
"Are you sure? Your parents liking me? And Asher? What has Adam told them? Have you told them anything?" Might as well pry to see what has been spilled to them. Besides, it was better to know and prepare myself just in case they tried to blindside me.
Staring off into the distance, Hailee smiled like a goof for a moment before getting distracted by the waitress when she came by to drop off our appetizers and refill our drinks. Pickingat a few fries, she hummed to herself for a moment before speaking to me. "Nothing bad, but it's not like there's anything bad to say about you because you're just an angel." Relaxing in her spot, she lazily pushed the basket of fries at me. "Adam absolutely gushes about you, about how beautiful you look doing everything, how wonderful you are for just existing. He talks about how amazing of a mother you are and how he loves waking up every day to you and Asher. Honestly, just take all the lovey-dovey shit from all the romance movies and books out there, shove it all into one person, and you got Adam. Honestly, girl, my brother is head over heels for you, like bad."
The thing was, I could see all of that perfectly. Adam doted on me and loved to brag about me to other people whenever he got the chance. To have someone love me like Adam was unbelievable and amazing. I didn't know how Adam did it, find qualities to me to adore, little things that I didn't even know existed until he pointed them out.
Picking at some of the appetizers, I thought back on our time together so far. I know it hasn't been too awfully long, but everything about Adam felt right. Actually, maybe not everything, like maybe about ninety-eight percent of Adam felt right. There was that sliver, the tiniest part, that nagged at the back of my mind. Something about Adam didn't fit properly, kind of like a piece of a puzzle that you kind of jam in there and force it to fit because it looked similar enough to the actual piece.
But what is it?
What about Adam was off? He was perfect… A little too perfect… But I couldn't for the life of me figure out what that flaw to him was.
On the other hand, did I want to find out what was wrong? Did I really want to shatter this glass house of mine? It wasn't healthy to live in a lie, but what harm was this lie doing to me?
