I grin. “He’s good, but I’m not quite sure he’sthatgood.” We finish up, and I head into the kitchen to see Liam setting things here and there, pleased to be in an element he’s comfortable with. And given the choice, I bet he’d stay here all day if it meant not having to interact with anyone but me.
“What do you need help with?” I ask as I see my other aunt and uncle come in. They are the nice ones who have no children to ruin my life.
“Nothing. Wait, yes, taste this,” he says before he scoops up some mashed potatoes and aims them at me.
“Ooh, that’s good.”
“Your mother’s turkey is as dry as Matthew’s sex life,” Liam mutters.
“She’s hoping you’ll turn it into lobster.”
He pushes a piece in my mouth, and I start chewing and question when I can stop chewing. It’s sucked all of the moisture out of my mouth as I look at Liam in concern.
“I can’t swallow it,” I whisper.
Liam hands me a glass of water to help wash it down.
He gazes at the turkey for a moment then sets to work with a pan on the stove. “Can you cut the turkey while I get this started?”
“Yeah, of course,” I say as I grab a knife and stare at it. My plan was just to start hacking at it, but I realize now that if I do, Liam will just take over, and I’ll have caused him more problems.
“You’re fine. Just thin slices this way,” he instructs, wrapping his hand around mine and making the first cut. “We’re just wanting enough meat displayed that we can get some liquid soaked in there.”
The moment his hand leaves mine, I’m left missing his touch.
Would it be all that bad if he got me a ring?
What the fuck am I talking about? Of course it would be. We haven’t even been dating very long. We just moved in together. Things are still…
My eyes drift up him, pausing at the way his hands move, arms exposed from where he’s rolled up his sleeves. He’s focused, and even though he’s so quick to wander off and play Minesweeper, when the man is focused on something, he’s determined.
And he got back at Tom. Something I’ve dreamed about doing since I was fourteen and the bullying started.
It’s like all of the good things make me bury the worst thing of all: the fact that I’ve literally let a serial killer into my family’s home. I’ve drawn him into my life. I know that one simple mistake could lead him to going to prison and tear him out of my life.
“You’re really fucking good, Gabriel, but your superpower doesn’t seem to be strong enough to cut that turkey.”
“My superpower?”
“Well, you’re not using a knife and are just staring at the turkey, so I thought maybe you were trying to manifest a superpower using your eyes.”
I laugh as I nudge him. “I was contemplating life.”
“Yeah? And where did that lead you?”
“Always back to you,” I say.
He grins at me. “My, Gabriel, you sure know how to snag my heart.”
“Yeah?” I ask before I lean into him and give him a little peck on the cheek.
“Maybe this holiday shit isn’t all bad. Just mostly bad.”
That makes me chuckle as I hear someone enter the room and turn to look at my grandma. “Hey, Grandma.”
“I’m just excited to see that your boyfriend is cooking,” she says while hugging me.
Mom comes into the kitchen behind her. “Don’t be too excited. He’s trying to salvage my turkey. When I pulled that thing out and forced the meat thermometer into it, I realized that I should have checked it about half an hour… or so ago.”
