Chapter 31

Emilia

Saying I spent last night and this morning freaking out would be an understatement. Rosie left Friday morning to head to her parents' house in Connecticut for the holidays, leaving me alone in the apartment with my thoughts, which have been spiraling out of control since the second she left. Rosie and I had spent the past few days watching Christmas movies, baking cookies and packing. Her, for a month at her family"s home and me, for a week and a half at the guy I have a major crush on"s house. No big deal, right?

Liam has his last practice for the next two weeks this morning so he won't be picking me up until around two in the afternoon. His practices have been consuming a lot of his time lately, I can only imagine how much more intense it will get with the start of the spring semester and his baseball games starting a month after that. I hope I can watch him play in the spring. Well, if everything doesn't fall apart in the next week that is.

I keep going back and forth on confessing my feelings to Liam, I know I told Rosie it was worth the risk but I've never had to do something like this before. It seems like the biggest risk I've ever had to take. Best case scenario he feels the same way and we go from there. Worst case scenario he thinks I'm crazy and I've ruined my friendship with him. This decision is not one I take lightly, his friendship isn't something I want to lose but I can hear my grandparents in the back of my head telling me love is worth it.

He's really only the third person I've fully let in since starting college. First Rosie, then Garrett, which was never intentional but it turns out we both have not the best family life, now Liam. He came out of nowhere and opening up to him was easier than expected.

I pack up the last of my toiletries, zip up my suitcase and place it by the door. There's still a few hours until Liam comes to get me, so I make a cup of hot chocolate and sit down on the couch to watch yet another cheesy Christmas movie. I let myself get lost in the movie, trying to keep the anxious feeling at bay.

Liam texted ten minutes ago saying he was on his way. Which means he'll be here literally any second and I'm freaking out again. I got so zoned out watching Hallmark movies that I almost forgot what lies ahead of me over the next week. The anxiety has come back tenfold. I've been pacing around my apartment, hands slightly shaking since I received that text. Realistically there's nothing to be anxious about but the what if's won't stop running through my mind.

The knock on the door makes me jump slightly. I shake my head at myself, knowing I'm being ridiculous. Walking over to the door I try to take a few calming breaths and plaster on a happy smile so as to not freak out Liam.

"Are you okay?" Are the first three words out of Liam's mouth when I open the door. Clearly, I didn't do as good as I thought at putting on a brave face.

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me." He shakes his head, walking into the apartment. "That is not your real smile and you look paler than usual." His words send me soaring, that he knows my real smile. That has a real one tugging at the corners of my lips.

"Fine. I may be slightly freaking out about meeting your family."

A small smile spreads across Liam's lips. "It's cute that you're nervous." I can feel the heat spreading up my cheeks. "Don't worry, they're going to love you." Usually the statement of "just don't be nervous" does nothing for me but Liam's presence calms me. It has since our first interaction. "Come here." Liam pulls me into him, wrapping me in his arms. We stay like this for a few moments before breaking apart. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Liam pulls into a long driveway, my jaw drops as I take in the beautiful white house waiting at the end. The home is two stories, with a massive garage that looks like it houses a room above it, and there's a gorgeous wrap-around porch complete with rocking chairs.

The expansive yard is dusted in a thin layer of white from the snow that began falling on our ride. Decorating the roof are beautiful white Christmas lights, red and green light up candy canes line the path to the front door. From the massive windows you can see the tree lit up in the living room. Can anyone say dream house?

"Liam, your house is gorgeous." It comes out as a whisper, as if anything louder would disturb the magic of this place.

"Yeah, it's alright." He smiles as we finish pulling down the driveway and shifting his Jeep into park outside the garage.

"Are you read-" Liam's thought is interrupted by a banging on my window. The sound makes me jump and whip my head around. Ryan's standing there with a sly grin on his face, pulling open the door for me.

"Glad you guys made it. Welcome to our home Emi." Ryan smiles at me.

"Thanks for having me." I smile back.

"Here, let me help you." Ryan grabs my waist as I move to exit the car, picking me up a small shriek that turns into a giggle comes out of me. "Wouldn't want you to get snow on your shoes." He places me in the garage.

I pat his arm after he sets me down. "Such a gentleman." Ryan's gaze travels over to Liam, who grabbed our bags out of the trunk and is walking towards us with an annoyed expression. I notice the mischievous grin on Ryan's face as well.

"I can take my bag." I reach my hand out to grab it from Liam.

"No, I've got it." Ryan blocks me and grabs both bags from Liam. "I'll bring these upstairs. Mom's so excited to meet you." Ryan saunters through the garage and into the house.

The entrance to the house that's off the garage leads into a mudroom, where we toe off our shoes and shuck off our winter jackets. I glance around the space and see the merry and bright sign that has been hung over the coat rack. I smile to myself thinking about how one day I would love to decorate every nook and cranny of my house for my favorite holiday.

After we're out of our winter wear, Liam places his hand gently on my lower back leading me down the hallway into the beautiful kitchen. We pass a staircase on the way that I assume goes above the garage. A woman with a warm smile all but runs into the kitchen to greet us, engulfing Liam into a hug. I smile next to them at the tenderness of the moment, a mother excited to see her child. I feel a twinge of jealousy, one that I always feel around happy families, but I push that aside.

"Mom, meet Emilia." They pull back from the hug, "Emilia meet my mom, Ann." The smile on Liam's face spreads wide.

"It's so nice to meet you." I smile, ready to stick out my hand and shake hers when she pulls me into her. Ann is about my height and size so the strength at which she does so is shocking to me. I hesitate for a moment before hugging her back.

"Mom," Liam chides.

"Oops." Ann pulls back slightly, "Sorry about that, I forget not everyone comes from a hugging family."

"No worries," I smile at her, "it's nice."

Ann smiles at that, waving us deeper into the house. I can't help but admire their home as we travel through the kitchen and into the living room. Deep green garland, with lights threaded through decorates the top of the white cabinets. In the living room a massive Christmas tree is decorated with white lights and a mixture of classic red and green ornaments, but also fun and meaningful ones. The rest of the living room is decorated with red and green throws, snowman pillows and little seasonal knick knacks scattered throughout the room.

"Eliza!" Ann yells up the second staircase placed between the living room and dining room. "Liam and Emilia are here!"

Not even ten seconds later, I hear the sound of footsteps bounding down the stairs. Liam turns to the staircase and catches his sister as she leaps off the last two steps into his arms. There is no doubting the relationship between these two. Eliza's hair is the same brown as Liam's but dusted with blonde highlights that give it dimension. Her eyes are more hazel, not quite as green as Liam's but their smiles are a match, perfectly straight with two dimples blessing each side of their face.

"Missed you, Li."

"Missed you to El." He places her back on the ground and she turns to me.

"Hi, Emilia! It's so nice to meet you. I'm glad my brother is finally bringing a girl home." My cheeks heat instantly. Am I the first girl Liam's brought home? I need to not read to much into that right now but it feels damn good.

"Eli…" Liam warns.

"It's nice to meet you." I feel a little awkward, unsure if I should shake her hand or go for a hug. Her mom did say they were a hugging family. Before I have the chance to make a decision, Eliza is pulling me into her. The women in this family are surprisingly strong.

"Look who I found." Ryan appears at the threshold of the living room, another man, probably in his fifties, appearing behind him.

"Oh, Emilia sweetie, meet my husband, Dean." Ann crosses the room to stand beside him.

"It's great to meet you Emilia." Dean nods from across the room.

"You as well." I feel Liam come up behind me, putting his hand on the small of my back again and I have to physically fight the shiver that runs through my body. Something about this motion feels extremely personal.

"Dinner will be ready soon, why don't you all go clean up."