Unititled For Now

Chapter 8

I laid curled up in a blanket with Liam’s arms wrapped around me. We must have fallen asleep while watching our movie last night. I walked over to the window and opened the blinds. The sun was just rising. My brown hair was all tangled so I put it into a messy bun. I was to tired to do much else, so I sat back down on the couch.

I heard a yawn and turned around to see Liam just waking up. He immediately noticed me.

“Good morning, beautiful. You didn’t bother to sleep in your own bed last night?” I rolled my eyes at him.

“You’re the one who begged me to stay even though I told you how tired I was.” Liam sighed and gave me side smile.

“Is it my fault I wanted you to fall asleep in my arms, Ellia.” I playfully threw a pillow at him.

“Yes, it is your fault.” I stood up and started to walk to my bedroom. “You should get dressed, and take a shower.” Liam stood up.

“Why? Do I smell bad?” He said bringing his shirt to his nose.

“Yes, horrible.” I giggled to let him know I was joking. He rolled his eyes.

“‘Well, I am kind of covered in soot…”

“I guess we know who’s doing the laundry then.” He walked over to his duffle bag, got out a change of clothes, his toothbrush, and toothpaste.

“I’m going to need a towel and a washcloth,” he notified me. I walked over to the linen closet and grabbed him some.

“Sorry, you should’ve brought your own,” I said tossing them over to him. Liam dropped his pile of clothes while trying to catch them.

“Great. See what you made me do?” Liam looked up at me. “ Now I have to bend over and pick them up.”

“You poor thing,” I teased, then walked into my room and closed the door. After I had gotten dressed, I could hear that Liam was still in the shower. I knocked on the bathroom door.

“Liam! Are you going to be much longer?”

“No! Almost done!” He answered through the sound of the running water. Then I heard the shower turn off. Just then, Liam opened the door just enough to where he could poke his head out.

“Do you need to use the bathroom?”

“No, no. Just making sure you weren’t wasting my hot water.” I said crossing my arms.

“Even if the water was cold, it would still be a hot shower because I’d be in it.” I gave him a look.

“Get dressed,” I said, hitting the door. I started towards the kitchen. “Breakfast?”

“Sure,” he shouted from the bathroom. “What’s on the menu?”

“Frozen waffles.”

“Fancy,” he joked strutting into the kitchen, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. “I’ll take two.” I gave him a quick glance.

“Where is your shirt?” I questioned with a look of disapproval.

“Not on me. Why? Do you have a problem with it?” He asked, coming over and kissing my cheek. I couldn’t help but notice how muscular his chest and abs were. I couldn’t ever tell before because Liam’s never had his shirt off around me. I looked away before he thought I was staring.

“Just eat your waffles.” I commanded handing him a plate. Liam sat at the counter.

“Yes, mom.” I rolled my eyes at his comment. “Syrup?”

“What’s the magic word?” I asked waving a bottle of syrup in front of Liam’s face. He lunged towards it, but I pulled the bottle away quickly. “Not before you say the magic word.”

“UGH. FINE. Pleeeeeeeeease?” Liam made puppydog eyes and stretched out his ‘e’s to make himself seem more childish.

“Sorry, incorrect. The magic word was abra-ca-dabra,” I said handing him the bottle.

“Now how was I supposed to know that,” he asked as he squeezed the bottle.

I changed my tone to a serious one. “Liam, now do you trust Alfie?” This caused Liam to spit out his bite of waffles.

“What?” Liam asked.

“Do you trust Alfie?” I repeated.

He resumed his waffle eating. “It took my house burning down, but yes. I think we should go back and apologize. Can you drive me?”

“Well how else would you get there?” I asked rhetorically. “We’ll go in twenty minutes, and be sure to have a shirt on.

“I thought you liked shirtless me.” Liam teased and raised an eyebrow

“I do, but I don’t think Alfie will.”

“A-ha! So it is true,” He said rising to his feet. He put his plate in the sink. Then he grabbed a t-shirt from his bag. “I’m ready to go.”

This time the ride to Alfie’s house seemed shorter. Liam and I had gotten much closer and joked the whole car trip. I wondered if Mr. Tailer would still want to talk to us, after the multiple times Liam has lost his temper. I feel like this time it’ll be different. How cool would it be to have a friend who can tell the future?

I locked the car door behind me as Liam knocked on the front door. Nobody answered. We knocked again. “Hello!?” I shouted. The door flung open, but to our surprise the person who opened it was not Alfie. It was a woman who looked his age.

“Can I help you two?” She asked with a raspy voice. She was wearing a plain blue dress, white slippers, and 80s glasses that seemed to cover half her face. Her hair was pulled up into an immaculate, tight ballerina bun of black hair.

Liam then stepped in. “I’m sorry if we’re at the wrong house. We’re looking for a man named Alfie Talier. Do you know of him?”

The woman laughed. “Why yes. He is my husband after all.” I felt all of the color rush from my face.

“We never knew he was married.” I replied with shock in my voice.

“It’s alright. Come inside and make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go get him.”

this chapter was also co-written with the help of my friend Aly.