"He could've killed someone — his own nephew, the construction workers, me, and for what? Some funky little insurance money." I angrily swiped at my eyes.
Liam gave me space to vent without interruption. A strangled half-sob, half-laugh escaped me. "And did you see his face when they played that confession? He wasn't even sorry. He was only sorry he got caught." I plopped onto the couch, my adrenaline surge beginning to fade. "God, I knew something was off about that man from day one. My mom always said to trust your first mind about people."
Liam finally moved my way. "I agree. Something was off about him. Still, you held it together in there. I was impressed."
"Thank you. Black girl 101: never let them see you sweat. Besides, I'd never give him the satisfaction of seeing me break, not in this lifetime."
Liam nodded in understanding. That was one thing I loved about him: how he listened without making me explain every nuance of navigating spaces as a Black woman.
"Now, we build the community center better and stronger than before."
"You know, through this whole nightmare, one good thing came out of this. If Whitaker hadn't been a criminal asshole, we might not have ended up here." Liam gestured between us.
"I like to think we would've found our way to each other anyway." I smiled.
Liam returned my smile. "Wait here a second." He disappeared down the hallway toward the bedroom, and when he returned, he held a small box.
My heart stuttered as he sat down, turning to face me.
"I know you said you weren't leaving, but I wanted to make it official. Move in with me permanently because I want to build something real with you."
Liam handed me the box. I opened it and inside was a silver key on a dalmatian keychain. It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. My vision blurred as fresh tears filled my eyes, but these were happy ones this time. I took the key from the box.
"Are you sure about this, Lieutenant? I come with a lot of opinions."
"I'm counting on it. Before, this house was just a place to sleep between shifts, but now you've made it a home," he replied, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile, making my heart race.
I closed my fingers around the key. "In that case, yes, absolutely yes."
"We can hire movers for your apartment next week." Liam's thumb brushed away a tear that escaped me.
"Thankfully, it was a short-term rental, so the timing is perfect." Liam wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close with the key still in my hand.
"Who would've thought the best thing to come out of this whole mess would be you?"
"The best thing is us," Liam corrected.
Meeting Liam'sfamily was a different level of seriousness, and suddenly the charcuterie board I'd made felt inadequate.
"Do you think your mom will like me?" I questioned.
"Hell yeah. She's going to love you. She'll definitely try to marry me off with me bringing you home." Liam squeezed my thigh before reaching into the back for his toolbox.
We got out of the car and headed up the path to a cute two-story home where Liam had grown up. "You know my pops gave me this toolbox when I was in high school and started tinkering with things. He said every man should be able to fix things."
"Aww, I love that."
Liam smiled at the memory. The door opened, and I immediately knew where Liam got his smile. His mom, Denise,was about my height with pretty, brown eyes. Her silver-streaked locs were pulled into an updo, and she wore a cute little lounge outfit.
"It's about time. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me and fixing this hot water heater." Liam hugged his mother with his free arm.
When they separated, Mrs. Crawford looked my way.
"Mama, this is Gisselle. Gisselle, this is my mama, Denise," Liam introduced.
"It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Crawford," I expressed as Mrs. Crawford pulled me in for a hug.
"Ah, so this is the famous Gisselle I've been hearing about. I'm so glad you're here."
