Summer Cursed

“Shawl. Shawl. I need a shawl,” I muttered as I looked through my closet. “What the fuck is a shawl?”

Unsure why I even thought I’d have one, I grabbed a light sweater and returned to the living room. “Okay. I’m ready. Do you mind holding this for me tonight?” I held up my phone. “I don’t really have anywhere to put it.”

“No, you don’t,” he said as he took it from me to slip it in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. “You know, Red, you’re stunning every day, but tonight you’re spectacular. The color suits you.”

“Yeah? I noticed your tie matches it perfectly. A gift from Stella perhaps?”

He laughed a little. “Yes. She’s not subtle.”

“No, she’s not. And you look especially handsome tonight, by the way.” He always wore suits, but there was something extra about him I couldn’t put my finger on. Before I could think myself out of it, I kissed him.

His hands slid down my back to squeeze my bottom before moving up my sides. I moaned when his thumbs brushed my breasts, and he deepened the kiss.

“Wait. Liam,” I said. “We have to stop.”

He let go of me as if I were on fire and put space between us. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to let it get that far.”

I stepped toward him, running my hand from his hard, flat stomach up over his chest to his shoulder. “I only meant we don’t want to be late,” I whispered.

His eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”

“I think so,” I said. “If it’s okay with you, we can revisit this later. See where I’m at. But I understand if you don’t want to… in case I change my mind.”

He slid his hands around my waist again. “Red, if there’s even the sliver of a chance, I’ll risk it.” His voice was low and husky making me want to drag him to my bed and forget all about the party.

I couldn’t take my eyes off his lips as he spoke. Visions of what that mouth could do to me danced through my mind making me realize I’d already decided. “Okay, thank you.”

The only problem, well not the only one, but the most immediate one, would be Isaac.

From how he’d been acting, I knew he would be upset. Especially, because it was Liam. I still wasn’t a hundred percent on Liam myself, but if I didn’t do something soon, I was going to explode.

“You’ve slipped away again,” Liam said as he drove us wherever we were going. “You’re thinking about how to tell Isaac, yeah?”

“I am. Yes.”

“I understand. If you want more time, we can put a pin in this. I can wait a little longer.”

I smiled at him. “Let’s see how tonight goes.”

“Sounds good. And we’re here.”

I looked out the window to see we’d arrived at his house. Confused, I turned back to him. “It’s here?”

He nodded as he exited the car and moved to open my door. Accepting his hand, I let him help me out of the car and escort me to his front doors. “You came all the way to pick me up just to bring me back here?”

“Yes.” He kissed me lightly before opening the door.

We went through the house out to the backyard and my jaw dropped when I saw it. “It’s breathtaking. It’s perfect,” I said. Someone had decorated all the trees with fairy lights and candle-lit lanterns. And I’d been right, the gazebo looked enchanted in the soft golden glow of the lights.

Stella ran up to me for a hug. “Happy birthday, bestie!”

“You did an amazing job here,” I said squeezing her.

“Oh, this wasn’t my doing.” I followed her gaze to Liam.

“You planned this?”

“Yes.”