Left With Liam

Chapter 36

Mel

Today was a good day. It was the first in weeks that I didn't feel weighed down by my emotions. I have to admit; I'm proud of myself for finding the courage to visit Justin's grave.

It had been far too long. One part of me wishes I'd done it sooner; another tells me everything worked out exactly as it was supposed to. If you think about it, the latter seems more accurate.

If I had visited Justin's grave sooner and let everything go, who knows where I'd be right now. Who's to say I wouldn't be dating someone who isn't Liam or forging my path in a neighboring city?

As hard as it was, I think everything happened at the right time. My feelings developed for Liam without any effort before I truly found closure with Justin. It may seem messed up, but I think that was meant to be too.

Having those feelings for Liam gave me a safe landing space when I ended my story with Justin. He makes me feel cherished and protected. Every time I look at him, I can see the love shining through his eyes. He's such a good man, and I'm so happy he chose me.

~

When I made it home from work, I was greeted with a surprising sight- Liam, T.J., and Chase were all standing in the middle of the living room with their arms over one another's shoulders, singing along to some song that was playing through the TV. They were swaying along to the music with their eyes closed, each holding a beer in their hands.

They didn't hear me sneak in and snag a spot next to Tay as I held back my laughter. She wasn't even trying to hold hers in as she shook her head at the trio of men in front of us.

When she saw me, she beamed in my direction. I smiled back at her as I leaned in, whispering, "What's going on with them?"

Tay shrugged in response. "I have no idea. I just got home ten minutes ago, and they were already like this. I haven't even had a chance to steal Tanner away to ask him. But the free show is hilarious."

Looking back at the guys, I saw the moment Liam opened his eyes. It took less than a second for him to notice me. The look of astonishment mixed with embarrassment that quickly appeared on his face made me laugh out loud.

He disentangled himself from the other two and made his way over to me, his cheeks red with an adorable blush. "What's up, Mel? You been here long?" He asked as he tried to put on a nonchalant face.

Tay nearly choked on her drink as she heard his line of questioning. "She's been here a while, Liam. She saw the whole thing," she said teasingly.

I watched as Liam's eyes grew a fraction of an inch before he cringed, turning back to me. "How bad was it?"

No longer able to keep a straight face, I told him, "I just got here. I just saw the end of your little performance."

Tay was shaking with laughter at the other end of the couch as Liam shot a glare her way. "So, you didn't see the part where I sang that really high note, then?"

That caught my attention. "Wait. You sang a really high note?" Now I'm intrigued. "How high?"

Liam looked relieved as he refused to answer my question. "Not important. I'm glad your home, though. I missed you," he said, desperate to change the subject.

I decided I'd revisit this high note business later, perhaps when Liam was feeling a little looser with his tongue and more willing to spill his secrets. "I missed you, too. What kind of trouble did you guys get into today?"