Close Your Eyes: Book Two

Chapter Eighteen

Liam's head snaps in my direction so fast I'm worried he gave himself whiplash

"What?" he asks, and the confusion and innocence in his eyes makes me laugh.

"Oh, so now you listen," I smile.

The rest of our family is laughing and I can't help but notice my Mom is beaming.

"Let's go put our bathing suits on." Aria rolls her eyes.

I shake my head and walk to my bedroom. I shut the door and shuffle through the dresser until I find my black bikini. The waist band of the bottoms says Tommy Hilfiger and the strap that goes around the top says it, too. The strap around the neck is white.

I remove my clothing and change into it, and then I pull on a yellow sundress over it.

My hair was curled an put back into a half bun and half down, but I remove the bun and let the golden locks flow.

I run my fingers through my hair and step into some flip flops, grab my phone, house keys, and wallet, and walk out of the bedroom, grabbing a blanket from the linen closet on the way out.

Liam still hasn't moved.

"Listen, if you guys are going to take Noah's car, the only person I want driving it is Savannah," my Dad says. "Savannah and Noah have the same car insurance."

"My car?" Noah tunes in. "You're not taking my car."

I look at my brother.

"You just said we could," I sigh.

"Just take mine," Dad says.

"Where are you going anyways?" Ryan pitches in.

"We said we're going to the beach." Danielle replies.

Liam turns around on the couch and eyes me.

"Why didn't you invite us to go?"

I look at Aria and Danielle with my jaw half open and then back at Liam.

"You literally just kissed me and told me to go because the game you're playing is fun."

"I did?" he asks.

"Uh, yeah," I nod my head.

"That was after you told her to move away from the screen," Aria pitches in.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Noah asks.

"All day." Aria replies.

"All day?" Liam repeats. "But...but that's a long time."

So I do the same thing he did to me.

I walk over to him, kiss him right on the lips, and then head for the door.

"Have fun buddy, we'll go to the beach."

I take the keys from my Dad's outstretched hand and walk out of the house.

________

I sit in an ice cream shop with Danielle, Aria, and Ryan and Danielle's son Matthew, scrolling through my Instagram as I scoop some ice cream into my mouth.

"So what happened last night?" Danielle asks.

Danielle and Aria are both new additions to the family. I'm sure they know about my kidnapping, but they don't know anything about me.

"Oh, just one of my old friends from childhood came over and started yelling at me." I shrug.

"At one in the morning?" she asks. "Why?"

"Because he's an ass-" I glance at baby Matthew and clear my throat. "Because he's rude."

She nods in understanding.

"That sucks."

I nod in agreement and shovel some more ice cream in my mouth.

"So you and Liam seem pretty cozy." She notes. "I've been with Noah since August and he told me you guys were just friends."

"We were just friends," I nod. "But he's been in love with me since we were seven, I just didn't know it."

"He's known you that long?" Danielle asks. "So that means he was around when you-" she cuts off suddenly. "Sorry."

"It's alright. I don't mind talking about it, but yeah," I nod my head. "Liam was there before and he was there after. I owe him..." I take a deep breath. "I owe Liam everything. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. He loves me for who I am, and he has seen me at my worst and rebuilt me from ground zero."

"That's sweet." Danielle says softly.

I open my mouth to reply when the shrill sound of the iPhone ringtone causes the four of us, baby Matthew included, to jump.

I look down at my phone and rub my forehead.

Noah.

"He probably wants us to come back." I roll my eyes and decline his call, but a moment later it starts ringing again so I pick it up.

"Yeah?"

"You need to come home right now," Noah says.

"Why? We told you guys we were going the whole day, even after you get bored of the game-"

"Savannah, you need to come home." He says. "Mom and Dad are outside with Liam and he's talking to somebody that isn't Mom and Dad."

"Well who is it?"

"I don't know, at first I thought it was Andrew, but this guy, I mean...he looks biologically related to Liam. Savannah, I think it might be his father."

________

Get ready guys

~Sam