Chapter 27

Emilia

My small tabletop tree wasn't enough for Liam, he said and I quote, ‘it's small and lame'. I kind of agree but they didn't allow anything over three feet in the dorms and a new tree plus decor wasn't in the budget. Yet, here we are in Walmart with a six-foot flocked tree in the cart while we peruse the shelves for the perfect ornaments. So far we've settled on a collection of green, red and gold balls.

"We need a few fun ornaments." I've always loved a classic Christmas look but I also like there to be some fun. Ornaments that mean something.

"Okay. How about you pick out one that reminds you of me and I'll do one that reminds me of you?" Swoon. This man. Not only did he come all the way back to campus to see me after a terrible Thanksgiving, he brought food, listened to me and is now Christmas shopping with me? We haven't even gotten to the fact he called me baby. He's called me that once before and I spent the night overthinking that to the max. In my head you wouldn't call someone that you see as strictly a friend but he also hasn't said anything about more than friends, well ever, so I don't know how to feel. The urge to confess my true feelings for him is strong but after my crying fiasco I would rather not put too much on him. What if he says he feels the same just to spare my tears? No thank you. I can't handle that kind of pity.

I send Liam a few rows away so I can take my time and find the perfect ornament for him. After a few minutes of walking up and down the two full aisles I land on a snowman made of baseballs holding a bat. Perfect. Finding Liam a few aisles away I hide the ornament behind my back while we trade places. As he takes his time picking out an ornament for me I figure now is as good a time as any to check my bank account and see if I can actually afford everything we've piled into the cart, one that has grown by two gingerbread houses in the time Liam was alone.

Opening my banking app and mentally calculating the contents of the cart, I think I can afford it. It will be tight and a little money will have to be transferred from my savings but it's worth it. Having this day with Liam and keeping my grandparents" tradition alive is worth it.

Liam rounds the corner, both hands behind his back hiding whatever ornament he picked out. "I don't think we can get back without ruining the surprise so want to show each other now?" Butterflies flutter in my stomach. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous about this, like the ornament he picks will symbolize how well he knows me. It's just an ornament. "Ready?" I nod and we both pull out the ornaments for each other to see.

My mouth drops when I see that he not only picked out one but two ornaments for me. In his left hand is a hamburger decorated with a glittery green piece of lettuce and in his right hand is a pink milkshake, topped with whip cream and a cherry.

"I love it." It's Liam who breaks the silence, looking at the ornament I hold in my hands for him before looking back into my eyes. He holds up the milkshake ornament. "They didn't have chocolate."

"It's perfect." I smile at him and take a step forward, wrapping my arms around his neck. He carefully places the two ornaments in the cart beside me before putting his arms around my waist and hugging me back. We stay like that for what is definitely an inappropriate amount of time in a Walmart. I pull back slightly, our eyes lock on each other and my breath hitches.

"Excuse me." An older woman clears her throat. I practically fly out of Liam's arms. "Could you grab something from the top shelf from me?" The short older woman, one who reminds me a lot of my own grandmother, directs her question at Liam.

"Of course." He says, reaching up to the slot she pointed at. As he reaches up his hoodie rides up revealing his toned, slightly tanned skin. The woman next to me wiggles her eyebrows, she likes what she's seeing. Me too, grandma, me too.

We finally make it up to the register, Liam and I both ignoring that moment between us, whatever it was. As the cashier scans each item we placed onto the belt I watch the total price climb and climb. My math was slightly off. It's alright, next month I'll just be sure to pick up extra shifts at Nico's. Since a few other waitresses will go home to see their families and I definitely will not this time I should be able to even out for today. Maybe people will tip even more because of the holidays, I hope so anyways.

The cashier rings up the last of our ornaments, placing them into a bag before reading out the total. I reach down into my purse to get my card but Liam's already in front of the card reader, pressing his card into the machine.

"What are you doing?" I look at him.

He looks back at me, slightly puzzled. "Paying." He states like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?"

"Emi. You think I was going to suggest bringing you here, add an insane amount of stuff to the cart and then expect you to pay?"

"Well..." I stutter. "It's my stuff."

"It's for both of us. Yours for tradition, mine because I get to see you smile, and ours because we're having a gingerbread house contest."

I can't help but laugh at that. "Okay but I can buy it."

"Please let me treat you."

"You treat me to dinner every week."

"And?"

"That doesn't seem fair." I haven't brought up paying for dinner since the third week in a row of us going to The Burger Palace. I had offered all three times and that last time he looked almost insulated when I offered.

"Oh it's plenty fair. I get your company." The machine beeps, drawing his attention back to the cashier, just as a blush creeps up onto my cheeks. He pulls out his card, grabbing the receipt the woman hands out before pushing the heavy cart out to his Jeep.

On the way back to my apartment we stop at our burger place and order our usuals but with strawberry milkshakes to match the ornament. They're good but nothing will ever top chocolate. Over lunch Liam tells me more about his sister Eliza, how she wants to transfer here next year and how both him and Ryan have agreed to help convince their mom it's a good idea. He tells me about her autoimmune disease, explaining how that was her reason for living at home. Their mom is nervous for her to go away to college and not be able to control her diet. A valid concern as the dining halls are not the most allergy friendly places.

The way Liam talks about his family warms my heart. I love learning about his family. I love that Ryan and him, while not blood, act just as regular brothers do. They both protect Eliza with their whole beings. I feel sorry for any boy she ever tries to bring home. One thing I note is that he doesn't talk much about his dad and I don't push, just like he didn't push me to talk about my parents. He'll tell me when he's ready, I hope, just like I told him.