He scouted the room for Xina. Seeing her at his parents’ table, he pulled her aside and asked, "did you invite her?"
She frowned at him. "Invite the woman who tried so hard to drive a wedge between and my man? Are you kidding ?"
He squinted. Who invited her, then? It didn’t take long to make a logical guess. His parents. He sat down at their table while Abby made small talk with his friends as though she was close to them.
"What the fuck?"
"I am going to pretend you didn’t just curse at us, Liam." His father stared him down.
"It’s bad enough you two had Xina’s parents cause trouble because of her. Do you ever know when to stop?" He gritted his teeth. If Xina didn’t spend so much effort making this party work, he would have walked out.
"What are you talking about?" His mother placed a hand on his. "We didn’t intend to cause any trouble. At least I didn’t." She shot a sidelong glare at her husband while she said so. "Involving the Morels was a mistake and let’s be honest, I didn’t even want to do it. I’m guilty by association here. Whatever you’re accusing of..." she caught sight of Abby walking toward them and understood it. "You think we invited Abby?"
"Weren’t you so eager to have her as your daughter-in-law? Who else would invite her?" he challenged.
His mother shook her head but glared at her husband. "I thought we’ve been through this."
He was still finding a way to prove his innocence—which was impossible based on his track record—when Abby walked over to say hi.
Liam shot his parents a glare and her a superficial smile. "Hi, Abby. You didn’t have to co."
"Oh Liam." She rolled her eyes. "I know why you would say that. I did cause you trouble after all, but I’m in a relationship now."
"You are?" That was the best news he had ever had. Not because he was happy for her, but because it ant she would no longer try to co in between him and Xina. They’d had enough drama for a lifeti.
"What did you think? That I would be hung up on you forever?" she joked. Xina slid onto Liam’s side while she still laughed and she could swear the woman wanted to kill her.
Still, she kept up her smile. "I hope we can maintain a peaceful relationship, Xina, because we might just et up in events like these."
"What’s she talking about?" Xina frowned, asking Liam.
He shrugged, having no idea either.
Just then, Zeus walked over to join them with a mischievous grin on his face. "I see you t my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" The restaurant reverberated with gasps.
Forget the fact that Zeus had a girlfriend. Abby Watson?
"Congratulations, man." Liam clapped Zeus’s back, earning a scoff from Abby.
"You don’t have to pretend to wish well."
He smiled in return. "Just because I’m not in love with you doesn’t an you’re not a great woman. There are millions of good won out there and they’re not all loved by the sa guy, right?"
She accepted his logic. "We can pretend that’s true."
"We can also keep so semblance of peace between us. Because, like you said, we will et in events like these." He added, seconding her suggestion to Xina. He already knew what two of those events were—the birth of Desmond’s baby and their christening. His wedding too, if the firecracker beside him ever agreed to marry him. That didn’t sound like it was within the realm of possibility in the near future but a man can dream, right?
_____
"So, how did you two et?" Natalie was the one who asked the question on everyone’s mind, regarding Zeus and Abby. No matter how you looked at it, they had nothing in common.
"I have Liam to thank for that, really." Zeus winked, but when asked to elaborate, he blew them off with the classical ’I don’t kiss and tell.’
Ti flew past quickly, and Liam’s parents, Zeus and Abby left, leaving behind Liam, Xina, and his friends.
Devonte had a lakehouse within the city and it was much bigger compared to Liam and Xina’s cottage, so he invited all of them to sleep over.
"Why do you need such a monstrosity?" Xina joked.
"Because Natalie and I are creating a filming crew." He teased.
Natalie pinched his arm. "We’re not having a filming crew!" She flushed. "But yes, we hope to have a big family."
It certainly was enough space for a huge family. There had to be half a dozen bedrooms including the master, and they were all ensuite.
It was too early to go to bed so Zaria suggested a ga of Never have I ever.
That earned her endless teasing from the others. "How will you drink?"
"Taken care of." Desmond responded as he placed several chocolate candies on the table.
"Hey, that’s not the sa!" Liam complained, but changed his mind. "Never mind. Xina and I will win anyway."
They all sat down around the huge table in the den.
Natalie started off by setting a rule. "You can’t say sothing you know everyone’s answer to. I’ll start. "Never have I ever cheated on a partner."
Evan groaned in displeasure. "Thanks Natalie." He drank a shot, making everyone laugh at him while Clarion raised a brow.
"I was nineteen." He said in his defense. "Not that it’s an excuse but I’m not that kind of bastard anymore. I prefer to end it if it’s not working."
It was his turn. "Never have I ever kissed a stranger."
Everyone drank to that while Zaria picked a chocolate candy, and Evan laughed. "You naughty lot." He remarked, right before drinking himself.
"Never have I ever had sex in an office." Said Devonte.
Everyone but Evan drank, making Clarion’s brows rise. "You’re the exception? You, of all people?"
Liam chose this mont to bust his balls. "No cheating, Evan."
"Hey! I was trying to make Clarion think I’m innocent." He grumbled, picking his drink. Everyone burst into laughter.
The ga went on for several more rounds before everyone went to sleep.
Natalie felt strange and made a beeline for the bathroom, scaring the hell out of Devonte.
He knocked on the door when she didn’t co out after a while. "Nat? You okay in there?"
She opened the door and threw herself into his arms, swallowing past a lump in her throat as she sobbed.
He didn’t need to ask what was going on. When he saw the dicine cabinet open and the box of tampons opened, he understood what was going on.
"I’m sorry, baby." He rubbed a palm down her back.
"I just thought..." she sobbed.
"I know, baby." He soothed her. "It doesn’t always happen imdiately after you start trying. You’ve been on the pill for years, after all. It may take a few months."
She knew that. But why did it feel so disappointing to have her period now when she was expecting to have to take a pregnancy test instead?
But he was right. It was just the first month. They still had a lot of ti to try.
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