I know what I want. I’ve wanted to say Liliana was mine, wholeheartedly, since the day I met her. Whether she’s on board with that is up to her, but it doesn’t change where my heart stands.My feelings for her run too deep to be changed by acceptance or rejection. I belong to Liliana, in body and soul.
It’s nice to belong somewhere for the first time in a long time.
“You’re too sweet to me.” The blush of her cheeks darkens, and my heart swells. “But I’m not doing this with you for free stuff. I just like being around you.”
“I like being around you too.” I press a quick kiss to her forehead and make the quickest decision of my life. “I meant what I said, though. I’m yours. Which means my credit card is yours, too, and that dress.”
After bickering about prices and clothing, I kiss my way into an agreement. I’ll only buy things that aretoosuited to her style not to be hers.
Luckily for me, and unluckily for her, we both have her personal style down. Every item we choose so flawlessly represents her sweet simplicity, it would be criminal not to buy everything.
We walk out of the store with three new bags digging into the skin of my wrists, but I smile. “You’re going to look amazing in these.”
Liliana pouts, but I can see a grin fighting its way onto her face. Her arm slips through mine, head leaning against my shoulder while we walk the hallways like a couple. It’s bliss.
“Thank you. I really appreciate you spending so much money on me.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I peck the top of her head and inhale the floral scent of her hair. “We should do this more often. I like spoiling you.”
Still intertwined, we turn a corner when she scoffs. “We’re not making a habit of you spending hundreds on me. That’s absurd.”
“You’re right.” As soon as she looks convinced, I smirk. “Thousands, then?”
“Grant!”
Lily’s mouth is open, but it wasn’t her smooth voice that called out my name. Turning towards the source, I don’t want to admit I recognize the high-pitched sound, but I do.
“I knew that was you!” Billie’s butter blonde ponytail bounces as she runs up to us, smile too wide for a first-year college student approaching finals.
To my horror, there are two other heads of blonde trailing her. Taller, broader, and an instant pain in my neck. Billie is innocent enough. I can tolerate her on a good day. Keller and Locke, on the other hand, ruin my mood as soon as I remember they exist.
“Son!” My father calls, hand waving overenthusiastically. I don’t fall for it. It’s a sad attempt to look like a doting father to the public eye.
Locke doesn’t say anything while approaching and doesn’t acknowledge that he’s met Lily before. My half-sister, on the other hand, starts rocking back and forth, slyly smiling.
“Grant…” She trails off playfully, like we know each other. Like we’re family. “Who is this?”
My jaw tenses. It’s not like I’m trying to hide Liliana away—the opposite, actually. I spend hours imagining us having fun at amusement parks or going on a double date with her friends. All fantasies where I can hold her hand in public and show everyone the most beautiful girl in the world is mine.
But showing off my relationship, whether real or restricted to my thoughts, is one thing. Meeting each other’s friends is expected to be intimidating, based off Lily’s stories about Rosie, but nothing I can’t handle. This is different.
This, by technicality, is family. And not the family Liliana and I have confided in each other about. These are people who I only feel connected to by pieces of paper and nothing else.
I never took home a girl I was dating to my mother. The fact that she never saw me in a serious relationship is one of my biggest regrets. And now, when I’ve found the person I’d love to introduce to the parent who raised me, it’s the parent that abandoned me who gets to meet her.
Bitterness gathers in my throat. I feel like I could throw up and scream and cry and punch that bright smile off Keller’s face.
It’s not fair.
“I’m Liliana.” Lily removes her arm from mine to reach out and shake Billie’s hand, but it falls back to her side a few seconds later. There’s a chill where her touch used to be, and frostiness coming through the sudden distance.
I hesitated too long. Maybe she thinks I don’t want people assuming something romantic is between us. Fuck.
Billie’s wide grin grows when she asks, “Are you Grant’s girlfriend?”
Stunned, Lily stares at me. I stare back, mouth parting. I want her to be, but I haven’t asked her yet. Is it wrong to lie about what we are by technicality, or is it worse to hide what I want?
Before I can decide, Locke’s deep tone cuts through. “Stop. That’s none of your business.”
