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Liam,
Sorry I didn’t give this to you earlier. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to open it in front of everyone, so I figured this would be the safer bet. I hope you like it and that you’ll still be able to make good use of it.
I want to tell you how grateful I am to you for the last few days. They were some of the best of my life, though they wouldn’t have been without you. So, thank you.
I really wish you all the best at your new job. You worked so hard for it. I hope you’ll be happy there and that they treat you right.
If you’re ever in the States, I hear Colorado has some pretty special scenery and wildlife. (Just one native Coloradan’s opinion.)
Thank you again,
Claire
Liam smiled as he finished the letter, looking back to the camera strap in his other hand and admiring the sturdy stitching and dark leather. She must have noticed how scratty his orange strap had become and purchased this to replace it.
His shoulders sank, a defeated sigh escaping his lips. He needed to thank her for her generosity. His self-pitying nap could wait.
Placing the strap carefully back in the box on his bed, Liam headed downstairs, finding Claire next to Melody and Jen, unwrapping a new board game of Harry Potter Cluedo they’d received for Christmas.
Not wanting to interrupt their game, he paused, but Claire turned to face him with a curious expression.
“Do you want to play?” Melody asked, facing him, too.
“Maybe later. I was just…” He faced Claire, lowering his voice, though he noted Melody leaning in further as he did so. “Claire, would you like to take a quick walk with me?” She hesitated, looking to the game, so he rushed on. “It will only take a minute.”
“Go on,” Melody said, “we’ll get the game set up and wait for you.”
Claire then faced Liam, her expression filled with nothing but hesitance. “Sure.”
He didn’t blame her for not wanting to join him. Honestly, a walk wasn’t warranted for the simple “thank you” he needed to express. But he still felt terrible for what he’d done to her. He could only hope an explanation would alleviate his guilt—or at least a fraction of it.
Together, the two of them put on their coats and stepped outside into the frigid air. The rain had finally relented that evening, though the pavement still glistened with moisture, reflecting the lights of the cars and streetlamps.
They moved in silence until they crossed the street to where a small park stretched the length of the nearly silent road.
“Have you had a good Christmas?” he asked, their footsteps soft against the pavement.
She nodded. “Yeah. How about you?”
“Yes, thanks.”
These questions and answers were not befitting the relationship and connection they had. And yet, the awkwardness between them was there for a reason.
“Sorry for bringing you out here. I won’t take you away from the others for very long.”
Claire shook her head. “It’s alright.”
Again, their discomfort continued.
Liam cleared his throat. “I just wanted to tell you thank you for the gift you gave me. That was really sweet of you.”
She averted her gaze. Was that due to her embarrassment over the attention she received or the regret she may feel for giving him a gift in the first place?
“Oh, no problem.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I bought it before you got the promotion at your job. If you can’t use it now, you can always return it. Sorry.”
A stabbing pain cut through his heart. She should not be apologizing right now. “I’ll still be able to use it,” he reassured her, although he really didn’t have the right. If yesterday’s day of work was telling, he wouldn’t have much time to take photos at all.
Silence grew heavy around them, and Liam grimaced. This was all his fault. He never should have kissed her. He never should have fallen for her so hard. He’d always known his allegiance lay with Peregrine Productions. Why had he ever thought he could escape their talons?
