“A wallet?”
“Yes, let’s go with that.” Killian insists on paying though I try to tell the salesclerk not to take his card. She laughs at us and calls us cute.
He pecks my lips with a quick kiss. Hayley and Jackie are gone, and I’m glad. I can’t believe she is hanging out with her after how she talked bad about her and called her a skank when she thought Liam was cheating with her. They deserve to be friends with each other.
Chapter 40
Liri
I grabbed a gift certificate for a massage for Killian’s dad to add to the wallet we got him. It’s hard to shop for a man you know nothing about. The bar and grill is closed for the party, but there are a lot of cars here. We are half an hour late because my boyfriend couldn’t keep his hands off me in the shower. I had to kick him out so I could shave my legs.
He’s sulked about it the whole way here.
“Do you think your mom will like me?”
“I love you and that’s all that matters. I don’t know why you care if these assholes like you. They aren’t good people, Liri.”
“Because I just do.” We share a kiss then get out of the car. He may not like them, but they are still his family and it is important to me that they like me. That they want us together.
We walk in to live music and lots of chatter. There’s a seafood buffet set up in front of the kitchen but I’m not hungry. I’m too nervous to eat. Killian hands me a fruity drink, and I gulp it down. He places our gift on the bar.
“Don’t drink too fast. I don’t need you getting drunk and trying to molest me in front of my relatives,” he grits in my ear.
I roll my eyes. “I’m not that bad.”
“Yes, you are. When you drink your claws come out and you are dangerous.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Am I? Do I need to remind you of what happened last week?”
“No.” I blush.
A dark-haired woman who appears to be in her forties approaches us, and I immediately recognize she is Killian’s mother when she smiles at us. “Hello, son.” She kisses Killian on the cheek in greeting and turns her attention to me. “You must be the girlfriend I had to hear about through my other son.” She gives Killian a pointed look, but he grabs a beer and take a big swig. “Since my rude son won’t introduce us, my name is Diane.”
“Liri,” I tell her.
“That’s a pretty name for a pretty girl. You must be special if you can get my son in these clothes.” She tugs on his dress shirt and we both laugh.
“She is special and a talented artist,” he informs her.
“Impressive.” Her voice is raspy and reminds me of someone who has been a havy smoker for years.
“We always thought Killian was going to run off and join the military. He loved to wear camouflage pants and set up his own battles in the backyard with his plastic Army men. He’d get so mad if anyone touched them.”
Killian rolls his eyes and squeezes my hip.
“Why are you even here?” I elbow him for being rude to his mother.
“I was invited.”
“How can you stand to be in the same room as them?” He shakes his head and takes another drink.
“What happened is in the past. I’ve moved on with my life and they have too. You think I didn’t wish them many years of unhappiness after what we went through? Beating cancer gave me a second chance at life.”
“So did your failed suicide attempt.”
His mother pales and I snap at him. “Killian. That’s no way to speak to your mother.”