Beneath Your Perfect

“Please Liam.” I whined, holding onto his hand tightly. “They’ve known about you since we’ve been fake dating and well now that we’re really dating you have to meet them. They’ll be upset with you if you don’t come.”

“But what if they don’t like me.” Liam sighed letting go of my hand to grab both our drinks from the barista. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my drink, happily taking a sip of the chocolate heaven.

“They already don’t! So now is your chance to make them like you!” I looked at him confused as he stopped dead in his tracks on the way down the street.

“They don’t like me?” He asked worriedly. I nodded at him.

“Well I mean my mum probably does kind of. And you know my sister does but well Jared and Tyler aren’t exactly your biggest fan and have probably convinced Dad not to be. Not to rub it in but you are popstar who has been famous for fooling around and you have ended up in jail quite a few times.” Liam frowned at me. I knew this was driving him further away from coming to my parent’s family barbeque tomorrow.

“But that’s why you have to come to show them that that’s not really you. Well not anymore. Then they can all praise me for the amazing transformation of you.” I teased him lightly at the end. A smile split across his face as he stepped forward, closing all the space between us.

“Oh all on you huh?” He teased me back, I had to angle my head upwards to look him in they eyes. I nodded quickly. He smirked and I thought for a moment he was going to kiss me. However he bent further down and sucked on the straw in my frappe before stepping back.

“That is really good.” He commented. I pulled a face at him and smacked his arm slightly, trying to calm down my racing heart.

“Please come.” I pouted at him. He sighed and glanced down at his shoes for a moment before looking back up at me.

“Fine but I can’t guarantee I can get your parents to like me.” He frowned at me. I smiled happily and moved towards him, wrapping my arm around his waist and directing him towards the park.

“They’ll love you. Just wait and find out.” I insisted as Liam’s arm came up to wrap around my shoulder.

-

“He’s so cute.” Lilly said, watching Liam chat with Dad through the window to the backyard. I laughed and pinched her side making her jump out of the way so I could use the sink. I glanced up, happy to see that Liam seemed to be having a good conversation with my Dad.

“He is handsome. You’re father was worried about him. But he seems like a decent guy. Not like the guy Jared described.” My mother said coming to stand next to me to watch as well.

“He’s different now. He had a bad past but he’s changing now.” I reasoned with her. Hoping that soon I will find out exactly what made him go like that in the first place.

“Oh there you boys are.” My mum announced, making me turn around in time to be pulled into a hug from Tyler before he picked up Lilly and spun her around. She giggled and squealed excitedly.

“Sorry, we’re late mum but they had to pick us up because Jade over there rode with her popstar boyfriend.” Aria announced placing a kiss on my mum’s cheek like it was her mum. Aria, Sarah and I always treated each other’s family like our own, so by now everyone was used to it.

“I’m sure Jared didn’t mind, hey Sarah?” I said smirking at her as she shot me a glare before pressing a kiss to my mum’s cheek followed by Jared.

“So where is he?” Jared asked looking around before looking out the window and instantly making a beeline for the door. I made to move but Tyler stopped me and followed after Jared instead, shooting me a reassured look.

“He’s just being protective Jade, he won’t do anything.” My mother said trying to comfort me.

“Oh really because last time he met Liam he was strangling him against the wall.” I told her lightly. Her face paled as she saw that I was serious.

“What?” She hissed, looking out the window to watch his exchange. “I’m going to kill him later. He knows better than that. What is he five?”

I smiled triumphantly at getting my brother in trouble before watching the boys interact with Liam. Liam’s smile was tight and unsure as he shook both of their hands. Obviously remembering the last time he had met them. I noted that Liam was not that much smaller, muscles wise, than Jared but Tyler being a personal trainer was bigger than the both. Dad was actually the smallest out of the four. It made an odd picture.

I saw Liam glance towards the window at me, almost pleadingly before looking back at Tyler who had started talking to him as Jared just glared.

“I better save him.” I sighed, heading towards the door. Aria and Sarah followed close behind. Liam looked at me in relief as I headed down the back steps towards him, he glanced behind me at Aria and Sarah confused.

He smiled at me the moment I reached him and his hand instantly latched onto mine. On the surface he looked like he was handling this well but by the grip on my hand I could tell it was starting to get to him. Liam had stopped trying with people a long time ago. He had stopped trying to be friendly or impress anyone. To start trying again with my family when half had already decided not to like him was definitely hard for him.

“Come on, I’ll show you around the house.” I said smiling up at him. A look of relief passed over his face, he needed a break. I tugged his hand to follow when I saw Jared move to follow as well. I turned to glare at him instantly.

“If you follow us, I will tell Sarah every embarrassing thing that has happened to you in your whole life.” I hissed at him. He seemed to debate whether I was serious or not before he backed down. Sarah looked curiously between us, obviously intrigued. Smiling triumphantly, I pull Liam along and into the house.

Instead of taking him on a tour, I headed straight for my old room, which had been turned into a guest room. I shut the door behind us as Liam instantly sunk onto the bed, his face was slightly pale and his body was hunched forward.

“I’m sorry, I’m okay.” He began to say as I quickly joined him and grabbed onto his hand.

“Hey it’s okay. I understand it’s hard.” I assured him, grabbing onto his hand tightly to show him I was there. He gripped back tightly as he stared at our intertwined hands.

“It’s just, I want to impress them. It’s just tiring, I don’t know if I’m doing a good job or not.” Liam told me softly. “I used to be really good at his you know. Parents always loved me. But now I have a stupid reputation and I don’t wan them to think I would hurt you because I really don’t want to.”

“You’re doing a great job Liam. Honestly. Dad has really taken a liking to you and Tyler has been trying to talk to you, so that’s something right? Don’t worry about Jared. He’ll come around eventually and if he doesn’t I’ll just blackmail him until he does.” I would have said anything to remove that desperate look from Liam’s face. He shot me a small smile.

“You can be quite evil you know that?” He replied softly. I smiled at him devilishly.

“I grew up with two older brothers. The only way I was allowed out of the house with a boy was if I blackmailed them.” I explained to him patiently. He chuckled lightly at me. My face lit up and warmth spread through my chest at his chuckles. I definitely wanted to make him laugh like that more often.

“We should go back before your brothers think I’m taking advantage of you.” Liam said, his eyes travelling down to my lips. I bit my lip and stared at him before shrugging.

“Let them think that. It will be fun.” I smirked making a lower chuckle fall from Liam’s lips this time as he leaned in closer. A knock at the door made us both jump apart.

“I would stop whatever you two are doing and head down here before your brothers stampede up.” Aria called through the door before her footsteps faded away. I laughed and tugged Liam off the bed and headed for the door.

“I thought you said it was always just family at barbeques?” Liam asked me. I nodded at him.

“Sarah and Aria are family. They’ve been coming to this for a long time. They’re treated like sisters.”

“Jared does not look at Sarah like she’s a sister.” I paused in my tracks and glanced at Liam before giggling slightly.

“No I guess he doesn’t.” I mused before pulling him towards the stairs.

“The lads and I used to be like that. Like brothers. Our families were really close.” Liam said, slightly sad. I stopped again and turned to face him.

“You still are. Liam they still care about you a lot. They’ve just run out of ideas on how to help you. Meet them halfway, you will be surprised how easy it is to be that close with them again.” I assured him, before tugging him down the stairs and out the back.

Jared looked us both over. I rolled my eyes at him.

“Would you like to see the hickey he gave me?” I asked Jared, smirking. Liam took a sharp breath beside me, his body stiffening. I probably shouldn’t put his life on the line like that.

“Jade stop baiting your brother.” Mum scolded.

“He started it!” I pouted.

“Jared stop being over protective.” Jared scowled as I smirked delightedly.

“Do you always get what you want?” Liam asked amused. I glanced at him shocked before Tyler burst out laughing and clapped Liam’s shoulder approvingly; even Jared scowled less at Liam’s words.

“Oi you don’t get to bond with them by picking on me.” I pouted at him. Liam smiled and pulled me into his chest by wrapping an arm around my waist. I blushed lightly but enjoyed the close contact.

“Let’s see if Liam can say no to our little princess.” Tyler teased, pinching my cheek as I tried to bite his fingers. Liam easily held me back by circling both arms around my waist. I laughed and placed my head on his chest.

My eyes met with Aria who smiled softly at me. I knew we would be having a long talk about this later. But I was okay with that, I wanted to explain to her and Sarah everything that happened. I needed them to understand that everything was okay. In fact it was more than okay.

“I like your family.” Liam sad softly into my ear. I glanced up at him from my warm position in his arms. “They’re so accepting. They don’t treat me any differently and I don’t have to try to be anything.”

“Not everyone cares that you’re a celebrity.” I teased him lightly. His eyes brightened up instantly and a smile slid across his face.

“Exactly that’s what I love.” He mumbled to me before pulling my body tighter against his and falling into an easy conversation with my father.

A frown slid across my face as I stood in his arms. It was all good and fine for Liam to be happy now. But he was a celebrity; he couldn’t get out of that. Pretending that he wasn’t, even just for a moment wouldn’t help him. At the end of the day he couldn’t escape his life and the disappointments that came with it. Maybe everything wasn’t completely okay, not yet.