Chapter 6

Tate

If there is something Liam can do, it’s eat until the cows come home. I’m not kidding you. He can eat for an army and still not put on any weight. But then he does work out a lot and burns off so many calories playing football. He has to train with the team four nights a week, spends a session in the gym most mornings before school. This guy is dedicated to his sport and one day for sure, I know that Liam is going to be a hot shot. In school he already is.

That is precisely why it makes my life so difficult. All the girls want him and I am so sick and tired of seeing them all flirt with him, touching him and just getting in his face. I wouldn’t say he adores the attention. Much. Okay, maybe just a little bit. Denver loves it, oh my God that boy loves the attention. I honestly don’t know how Lilly puts up with it. Love and trust I guess.

I have come close to wanting to slap some of the girls that fawn all over Liam. All of this never bothered me before, I was just a kid but I’m not kid anymore. I’m growing up and so many things are changing that it’s scary. “It’s all part of becoming an adult.” My mom had said. I didn’t of course tell her I fancied Liam or had the biggest boy crush ever.

Actually, if I’m perfectly honest, I wish I didn’t. It aggravates me that I feel this way about my best friend. It makes me so damn angry that I know at times I can be awkward and difficult and Liam can’t read me.

Talking of Liam, he is practically standing inside our large triple fridge. “What are you doing? Get your disgusting body out of our fridge. Damn it, Liam that is unhygienic sticking half your body in there.”

Although looking at his rear view does have some attraction since he does have one of those tight butt things going on. All that training, even though he claims it’s all his genetics. Ha. I mean I love his parents of course I do, they’re like my second parents only his dad could never be described as sporty. His father, Patrick isn’t fat but he is on the larger side and definitely has a stomach. That I put down to all his mother’s home baking and cooking. That woman sure likes to cook. I thought my mother was the award winner but hell no. Liam’s mom can bake for America.

“I’m hungry.” He says not budging whilst I ogle his backside some more. It’s a good view. I wish you could see it.

“When aren’t you hungry. Here get out of the way.” I leave looking at his view, shame but I do need to get his face and half his body out of our fridge. “What do you want to eat.”

“Oh, I don’t know. You fix me something Tate.” He says it with that voice that is like a purr, my insides melt and of course I’ll do anything for him. Liam knows that. This is why he does it. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always done whatever Liam has asked. And sometimes it has gotten me into trouble.

Like the time he said we should try climbing up his mother’s trellis and pretend we were burglars. He had bought us these weird balaclava things to wear, black. We were only eight years of age and I was, if I’m honest a bit scared to be a big girl’s blouse about it. The thought of climbing his mom’s trellis with all those prickly, thorny roses all over it, didn’t hold much appeal.

Anyway, he made me wear the balaclava and gave me a pair of his mom’s gardening gloves, needless to say they were huge on my tiny girl hands and off he set. Climbing up in front of me like some koala. I was only half way up when I heard his mother’s voice. “What on earth are you doing up there? Get down right now Tate or I will call your mother.” That was before she saw her very own son right up ahead of me. “And you, Liam get your butt down here right this second.”

There have been other incidences but right now, I’ve got these arresting blue eyes looking at me with raised eyebrows. “Well Tatey matey, what are you going to make me?”

“I don’t know. Get out of my way and I’ll take a look. What about chicken breast sandwich with jelly and some salad?” He cocks his head to the left like he’s thinking about it. “Or you can have some cold salmon, I could whizz up some scrambled eggs if you like.”

“Thinking.” He says and takes a seat lazily on one of our high stools at our island.

“Well think quickly, we’ve got homework to get done. Besides you’ll be eating in an hour.” I remind him. “You’ve not got long to grab something here, do some homework, get back to yours and be ready for practice tonight.” I start taking random stuff out of the fridge, he’s not going to make a decision. No, not Liam. He’s going to wait for me to make it for him. I start to butter some crusty white bread, his favorite.

“It’s cool, Tatey Baby.” Okay so when he calls me that, it makes my inside go mushy and my stomach flutters. I know he only sees me as his best friend but still, the whole Tatey Baby thing, it really gets to me.

“So where are you and Jennie going tonight then?” I ask him wishing I hadn’t bothered.

“Nowhere special. Maybe go grab a couple of games of snooker then hang in my truck.” Right. Well now I really wish I hadn’t bothered asking him. We all know what hanging in his truck means.