I know those two probably had a long conversation about us at some point between last night and now. I’m sure her friend warned her off us. I don’t blame her. A good friend would try to protect her friend. Little does she know, we want to protect Aurora as well.
“Will do.” Aurora moves to hug Holland.
Holland squeezes her before she heads toward the door, passing us as she leaves the apartment.
“I’ll be right back,” Aurora says before heading down the short hall.
I look around the apartment. It’s clean and well lit, if not a little cramped.
“I’ve always heard apartments in the city were small, but I didn’t believe it. I feel like my closet might be the size of this living room,” Liam says under his breath.
“You might be right. Still nice though,” I quietly defend.
Before Liam can respond, we hear Aurora’s steps coming down the hall. I shoot him a “be quiet” look.
“All right. I’m ready. What do you two want to do today?” she asks as she comes back into the room.
“Is this your family?” Liam asks, pointing at a photo.
Aurora looks over and smiles softly. “It is. That’s my brother Jake and sister Abby.”
“They look younger than you,” I say as I study the photo.
“They are. Abby’s still in high school.” A hint of pain flashes across her face.
It makes me wonder what bothers her about them. Is she not close to her family? I wouldn’t blame her. I avoid mine at all costs.
Clearing my throat, I shake my head. “We came up with a couple of ideas but thought we would let you decide.”
Her eyes light up. “Do tell.”
“It’s supposed to be warm today, so if you’re up for being outside, we could go hang out in Central Park and people-watch. If you want a little competition, we could go mini-golfing.”
“If you want something inside, I found this indoor skydiving place.” Liam smirks. “That is if you aren’t scared of heights.”
“And later, if you don’t have plans for this evening, maybe we could go out for dinner. Maybe some dancing.”
The more we talk, the brighter Aurora’s eyes get. She clearly loves all the ideas we’ve tossed out.
“How about we do it all? Maybe make a day of it,” Aurora offers.
Liam steps forward and wraps his arms around Aurora, spinning her around. “Yes!”
She chuckles, but the bright smile on her face tells me she doesn’t mind Liam’s goofy behavior.
“All right, you two. If we want to get in so much in one day, we better get going. We are burning daylight,” I tell them.
Liam lets Aurora down but meets my eyes. He’s excited. I don’t blame him. So am I. Still, I worry. I don’t want either of us to get hurt if something goes wrong. Liam is already getting attached.
Hell, he was attached before we showed up.
That’s one thing about Liam. Once he’s in, he goes all in. He’s like an adorable puppy in that sense. He is so trusting and gives his all to those he loves, but it also means he gets hurt a bit easier.
I blame his parents for that.
Liam comes to my side, his hand in Aurora’s as he pulls her. She rolls her eyes but lets him pull her to my side.
Liam kisses my cheek softly before moving Aurora between us. Her hand reaches out in an offering.
