Page 26 of Had To Be You

Our meals arrive; Liam ordered the sablefish while I went with the linguine in cream sauce. Figures Liam gets the heart smart meal while I’m twirling my way through a 7,500-calorie noodle dish.

“Mmmm,” I say, finishing a forkful of pasta. “This is so good. You really need to try this.”

Liam laughs.

“What?” I giggle, looking across at him.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who appreciates their food as much as you.”

“I like my food. I know a good pasta dish when I taste one. Seriously, you’ve got to try this.” Liam leans in closer, twisting the pasta on my plate around with his fork. He takes a mouthful. I can tell by the sated look on his face that he agrees with me. The pasta dish is exceptional.

“So, tell me about your family,” he says, reaching for his glass. The ice clinks as he turns the tumbler in his hand.

“What do you want to know?”

“I want to know everything.”

“Well, I’m an only child, the daughter of two free spirits. And I’ve lived in Reed Point all my life.”

“Free spirits? I’m intrigued. Tell me about them.”

I hesitate. It’s bittersweet talking about my mom and dad, but telling him a little about my family feels important. “They’re amazing. We are very close. Well, as close as we can be without living in the same city.”

Liam tips his head to one side. He looks interested in hearing more. “Where do they live?”

“Good question.” I shrug and he raises an eyebrow quizzically in response.

I fill him in on my parents’ nomad lifestyle and share a few stories they’ve told me about their travels through the years. I tell him about afternoons spent at my dad’s art gallery and how my mother used to throw me the most incredible birthday parties with homemade cakes and decorations she crafted herself. Liam seems genuinely interested, asking me a bunch of questions about my childhood and my family. We sit together in the dimly lit restaurant, me opening up to him, and it feels easy. It makes me wonder why I never do this, why I hesitate to talk about myself with my friends. Maybe it’s just Liam who makes it feel easy. I decide I like talking to him. I exhale.

“It can’t be easy for you. You must really miss them.” Liam’s eyes are on mine, and he’s looking at me like he wants to get me. Like he wants to understand me. He’s not looking at me with pity in his eyes. He’s not judging my parents for leaving. He’s simply trying to be supportive.

“I’m fine,” I say simply, because I try very hard each and every day to be. I’ve never said I’m not fine out loud. I’m not sure what would happen if I did.

He drops the conversation when our waiter approaches the table to ask if he can get us another round of drinks. I order a second glass of wine.

“I’m good for now,” Liam says to our waiter, who has left us alone for most of the night. It makes me wonder if Liam asked him to give us some privacy.

“Only one drink?”

“I never have more than one,” he says, lifting his fork to his mouth, enjoying his meal.

“You don’t get drunk? Ever?”

“Never.”

It’s so Liam to never risk losing control.

After we’ve finished our meals, Liam orders us a dessert to share, a coconut panna cotta with fresh berries. I end up eating the entire thing, of course, while Liam indulges in a strawberry and a cold glass of sparkling water. It makes me silently laugh.

At some point between my first and my last spoonful, I can feel the tip of his dress shoe against mine beneath the table. I can smell the cedar and fresh laundry scent of his cologne. I can feel the chemistry between us that is impossible to ignore.

In this moment it feels like Liam and I could be so much more. Like “Liam and Ellie” could belong in the same sentence. On the same Christmas card.

And if I’m not careful, it feels like what started out as wanting Liam just once could turn into so much more than one hot night of sex.

Chapter Twelve

Liam

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