Page 16

She stepped up to her. “Sophie, how are you doing, dear?”
Sophie looked around the room before she answered. “I’m… I’m fine.”
“Come, you should sit.” Mother took her hand and led her to the couch. “Alley, you too.” She told Alley, and they both sat down next to each other.
I would want to become pregnant if this is how you treat me when I do.
“And you!” Mother said, pointing at me. “I need an explanation. A real one.”
I let out a sigh. “Mom…I…”
I lied, as usual. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. We just got engaged, and then there’s a friend of Sophie’s named Blake. They grew up in the same orphanage. He was bothering her a lot lately because he wanted to date her even though she said no a thousand times. So she just blurted out that she was engaged, and he told the media about it. That’s it.” I said it all in one breath.
I took a big breath to calm down. What I said was believable, but…
Mother looked like she was in pain. “You could have at least told me that you wanted to marry her. It’s not like I would have stopped you from doing it.”
This is getting serious now.
I gently put both of my hands on her shoulder and told her to sit down on the couch. Then I knelt in front of her.
“Mom,” I whispered gently.
Nat stepped over and sat next to her, and she started to cry. “Why do you both keep lying to me? Nathan lied to me about his marriage, and you lied to me about your relationship. Why? Why don’t you just tell me the truth?”
She cried and put my hand over hers, then gripped it gently and said nothing.
I felt guilty since I still hadn’t told her the truth, and I looked down with remorse.
I saw that Sophie looked guilty, too.
“Liam…” Mom began, trying to hold back her emotions. I stared at her. “Are you hiding something else? Just tell me now.”
I closed my eyes hard and thought about whether or not to tell her. I opened my eyes and glanced to Nat for aid. He nodded his head, telling me to tell her the truth.
I clutched my mother’s hand hard. “Mom, I don’t want to scare you, but Sophie is having my baby.”
Mom’s mouth fell open. “Your child?! But you said it was her ex-fiancee’s!” “Yes, I lied. I’m sorry.”
“How? How did it happen?” she said.
My face twisted in pain. “How did it happen? Do you want to know more?”
Nat sighed loudly in anger. “She isn’t asking for details, you jerk! She wants to know when and why it happened.”
“Oh…” I grinned shyly. “Um…it was a mistake. I mean, it was a one-night stand, and she got pregnant. I don’t know how to explain this.” I then went on to tell her everything about Blake, including that our engagement was phony.
“Then why did you tell me a lie?”
“I was just too scared to tell you. I’m sorry, Mom. I promise to be honest with you from now on.” I softly kissed her hand as she lifted it to my mouth.
“Am I really that scary?” she questioned, her voice breaking. “Nathan lied about his marriage, and you lied about her pregnancy. What would I have done if you had just told me the truth? I know I get mad, but I will always support you both.”
I put my head on her lap and murmured. “Please forgive me, mother.”
Nat put his head on her shoulder and placed his hand around her. “Me too, Mom.”
Mom smiled gently and ran one hand over Nat’s hair and the other over mine. “I forgive you both.”
I smiled at her, got up, and sat next to her before holding her passionately.
At the same time, Nat and I kissed her cheek, and she kissed our foreheads.
Mom told Alley, Sophie, and Saffron to come closer, and when they did, she kissed their foreheads as well.
Sophie’s point of view:
This was nice.
When Liam’s mom kissed my forehead, it felt like I finally had a family. I grinned and let out a sigh of happiness.
She looked back and forth between Liam and myself and said. “So, when are you two really getting engaged?”
Liam and I looked at each other with a perplexed gaze. Liam couldn’t believe what he saw as he glanced at his mom. “Mom…we…um…”
His mum laughed. “I’m just kidding. You don’t have to be so scared.” Liam let out a breath of relief, and so did I.
Liam said that we should all spend the afternoon here and have lunch together, and everyone agreed.
Liam took Saffron’s hand and showed her around his house. First, he showed her the main level, and then he brought her upstairs.
Alley and I sat next to each other on the couch and talked while Nathan sat with his mom.
A minute later, we heard Saffron scream from above. A second later, she came sprinting down the stairs with a book in her hand, and Liam was right behind her. “Saffron! Get my book back!”
“I just want to read it, uncle!” She ran to Nathan, sat next to him on the couch, and hid the book behind her back.
“Brother…” Liam said with a heavy sigh. “Tell her to give me back my book.” Nathan didn’t say anything and simply rolled his eyes.
Saffron stuck her tongue out. “No.”
He told her, “I swear, Saffron, if anything happens to it, you will regret it.”
Saffron rolled her eyes. “It’s just a book.” That’s right!
Saffron stood on the couch with the book behind her back. Just as she was going to leap off the couch to the back, Liam grabbed her by the waist and carried her up in his arms. She screamed and held her hand up to keep the book away from him.
Liam, who was taller than her, easily took the book from her and dumped her on the couch. Then he looked at the book to see whether it was damaged. Saffron crossed her arms across her chest and pouted bitterly.
As Liam kissed the cover of the book, which was lovely, I couldn’t help but laugh at how much he loved reading. Alley cocked an eyebrow at me.
I cleared my throat in a way that made me feel bad and glanced away from him and down at my lap. My cheeks got hot as I realized I had just said he was cute.
Alley pushed my shoulder, and I turned to look at her. “Y-yes?”
“Why are you blushing?” She raised her eyebrows in a seductive way.
“Oh, um, I’m feeling a little hot, you know…”
“The air conditioner is on, Sophie. I don’t know why you’re so hot.” She grinned.
I noticed Liam walk back upstairs to get the book out of the corner of my eye and look at him.
She smiled wickedly and said, “Can’t take your eyes off him, can you?” “Shut up. That’s not it.”
“So what is it?”
“Nothing, Alley. It’s nothing.” “I beg to differ.”
I grumbled. “Stop making fun of me!”
Liam walked back down and sat next to Saffron on the opposite couch. He told her that he was protective of his books and apologized to her.
“Isn’t he cute?”
I hummed in agreement, but as I realized what had just happened, my eyes became big, and my head turned to Alley, who was grinning.
“Stop messing with my head!” I smacked her shoulder, and she laughed loudly, which made everyone glance at us.
Liam looked back and forth between us and said, “What mind games?”
Alley began to talk. “I was just saying that—” I yelled and put my hand over her lips to stop her from talking.
“I’m very interested now,” Nathan replied in a funny way. I stared at him and carefully took my hand away from Alley’s mouth.
“Yes, Aunty, do tell us,” Saffron replied, and I stared at her. “Are you and uncle getting married?” she said.
At the same time, Liam and I yelled, “We’re not getting married!” Oh no! Please get me out of here. Please.
Liam and I were too ashamed to say anything, but everyone else chuckled.
“Oh… I’ll make sure it happens,” Saffron said quietly. Liam and I scowled at her, which made her smile.
“Liam,” remarked Margaret, Liam’s mother. “The media is going crazy. You need to make your engagement public.”
“Yes, brother,” Nathan said.
Liam let out a sigh. “What should I do? Throw a party or something?”