Beneath Your Perfect

“Please just come out to dinner tonight.” I pleaded with my two best friends. They exchanged a look before Aria replied to me.

“I don’t know Jade. He seemed okay with your parents but he’s still not our favourite person right now.”

“Exactly why we should all go to dinner so you can get to know him.”

“I think we know enough.” She muttered. I glared at her and she apologized.

“We’re just worried about this whole real relationship.” Sarah shrugged. I sighed and fell down on the couch across from them and nodded in understanding.

“I know. I’m still trying to get used to it. I mean Liam actually liking me and not just using me is a big step for me. I didn’t actually think he would ever like me.” I admitted to them. Aria shook her head at me.

“Trust me girl. You are way out of his league not the other way around.” I laughed at her bias but ignored her statement knowing it to be untrue. Liam could have any girl in the world and he liked me. I could barely believe that, let alone get used to it.

Throughout the day Liam was either constantly texting me or calling me. It was sweet but a little distracting from my writing. I had actually barely done any writing since I had gotten to know Liam. A fact I was unhappy with.

“I know you’re worried about me. And it’s sweet but I’m trying to stop your worrying by getting you to talk to him.” I tried to reason with them.

“You tried to get us to talk to your last boyfriend as well.” Aria said darkly.

“And the previous one’s too and we’ve never liked them Jade.” I sighed exasperated at Sarah’s words.

“We don’t want you to get hurt Jade. You’re always the one that gets hurt in these relationships. You try to help the broken ones and it seems to go wrong.” Aria added sadly. I sighed and nodded. I understood where they were coming from. I hadn’t ever had a successful relationship. In fact my dating record was pretty horrid. I guess there was a reason why my brothers and two best friends were really protective.

“Liam’s different. I promise. Just please come out tonight and see that he is.”

“Alright, alright. We will.” Sarah said throwing her hands up and slouching back on the couch. I grinned largely and threw myself onto them making them both groan from the pain of elbows and knees.

“I better call Liam.” I announced happily, grabbing my phone.

“He better be paying!” Aria called out after me as I ran down the hallway to grab it out of my room.

“Is it bad to say that I was kind of wishing they wouldn’t come?” Liam asked me softly through the phone after I told him.

“Liam!” I scolded making him laugh.

“I’m joking, I guess I’m just a little nervous. I mean facing your family was enough but now I have to sit across the table to Aria and Sarah who have hated me from day one?” Liam asked half jokingly. He actually sounded exhausted, he must have been having a hard day.

“You won my dad over Liam. Aria and Sarah will be a piece of cake.” I stated positively. He sighed into the phone again.

“Okay if you say so.” He muttered in reply. I frowned and rolled onto my back on the bed.

“Are you okay?” I asked him softly, genuinely worried. There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, it’s just been a long day.” He said eventually.

“If you want we could do the dinner another night? It would probably be best if you just go home and rest.” I told him, rolling back onto my stomach.

“No.” He said instantly, taking me by surprise. “I want to see you tonight. I hated not being able to see you today.”

I blushed lightly at Liam’s words. I wasn’t used to him being so sweet. Better yet I wasn’t used to males being so openly honest about their feelings like Liam. I don’t think Liam had the energy to keep his feelings in check anymore so they always came out raw and open. I, however, was willing to accept them in any form.

-

“Hey,” I smiled brightly and stood up as Liam walked towards our table.

“Sorry I’m late.” He apologized quickly before pressing a kiss to my cheek. I smiled at him and noted the exhaustion lines across his face as he greeted Aria and Sarah.

“Are you sure you’re okay with tonight? You look exhausted.” I commented. He smiled at me as he took the seat next to me.

“I’m fine, really.” He said grabbing my hand under the table.

“Fine is not okay,” I replied instantly. He rolled his eyes at me and squeezed my hand, choosing not to reply to my comment. I frowned at him; he had been working a lot lately. He may have been feeling better but I still didn’t think he was okay to be working this hard. He needed a break from all this, more than anything else but instead he was pushing his way back through his work.

“So what did you girls get up to today?” Liam asked us all, smiling charmingly at Aria and Sarah. I smiled at the effort he was putting in.

“Nothing really. Jade was just trying to convince us to come to this dinner.” Aria shrugged before turning her head back to the menu. Liam frowned slightly before turning his head to his menu. I scowled and nudged Aria under the table with my foot. She met my eyes and shrugged. I turned pleadingly to Sarah who sighed at me in return.

“So Liam. What have you and the boys been doing lately?” She asked smiling at him. Liam immediately smiled at her and relayed what he had been doing today. They had most been participating in market meetings for their upcoming third album. Liam stated that they mostly just sat there and listened to everyone tell them what was going to be happening.

“So what you don’t really get a say?” Aria asked suddenly, breaking into Liam’s recount. He blinked at her for a moment before shrugging.

“Not really I suppose. I mean the songs in this latest album is almost entirely all ours. But the marketing scheme still stays with management. It’s mostly just how they want the pictures to work out, the kind of theme and where they want to start marketing it too. As long as the music is ours, the rest of it I don’t mind so much.” Liam explained to her. I eyed them both wearily wondering if Aria was going to provoke him at all. Instead she just nodded in acceptance and glanced back down at her menu. For now that was probably as polite as Aria was going to be to Liam.

I smiled softly at Liam and squeezed his hand, trying to let him know he was doing a good job. The waiter arrived at our table, distracting us from conversation for a while as we all ordered the food we wanted.

“So I’m sure there are some great stories you two could tell me about Jade here.” Liam said suddenly. My eyes widened as I glanced at the smirks sliding across Aria and Sarah’s faces.

“Don’t you dare!” I shook my head at them, glaring with full force. Liam laughed next to me as I turned to glare at him.

“Well she does have her moments.” Sarah commented, smiling at me.

I groaned and buried my head in my hands wishing to God that I hadn’t invited Sarah and Aria out for dinner.

“Where to begin though? Maybe with her wild college party days.” Aria commented.

“That wasn’t me, that was you.” I replied glaring at her. She laughed me off.

“No but the first time we got you drink was at college. Jade can’t really handle her drinks.” Aria told Liam. He smiled at me, he had already seen me drunk before.

“She is the most honest drunk you will ever meet. Ended up blurting out to her crush that she was so madly in love with him she wanted to do him in the bathroom.” I gasped as the blush coloured my cheeks darkly at Aria’s words.

“Then when he happily took her upstairs she vomited and passed out.” Sarah added. Liam chuckled softly at me as I shook my head at them. Out of all the stories they could have told, it had to be that one.

“Well I must say, I would never have pinned you for a drunken party girl.” Liam commented to me.

“I’m not, ever since that party I pretty much stopped.” I told him honestly. “I only go out when these two force me. Literally.”

“OH I know another one.” I kicked Aria under the table harder this time. “Or you know we could talk about something else.”

“Well how did you all meet?” Liam changed the subject after noticing my murderous expression.

“Oh well that’s easy, we were still in school. I think grade 10?”

“Grade 9.” Sarah corrected Aria as we received our meals.

“It was pretty simple really. Sarah and I ended up having seats together in class one day and we became friends. Then we were put into working groups with Aria and well we all kind of clicked easily. Nothing really too exciting.” I told Liam, shrugging.

“We were just all meant to be together. Definitely fate.” Aria told him seriously. Liam stared at her curiously before nodding, I could tell he wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. Aria smiled at him satisfied before digging into her food.

I glanced around at the table and smiled happily. This meal was turning out to be a lot better that I thought it would. A large part of me was worried that it would end with someone storming out or snarky comments all night. But maybe Aria and Sarah might now give Liam a chance.

-

“You sure you don’t want to come home with me?” Liam asked me softly as we stood next to his car. His hands were resting on my hips as he pouted down at me. He was almost too difficult to resist but I had to anyway.

“You need to go home and rest Liam. You yawned like ten times at dinner.” I told him sternly. He sighed and pulled me into his arms, burying his head in my neck.

“But I feel like I barely got to see you this week.” He whined in my ear, sending shivers throughout my body. I smiled into his shoulder; the feeling of his want was filling me with warmth. It was nice to have somebody who wanted to see and speak to you all the time. It was nice to have Liam wanting that stuff with me.

“You have a day off tomorrow right?” He pulled back and nodded at me, a pout still sitting across his lips. “Then how about I come over tomorrow and we can spend the whole day, just us two.”

“Sounds perfect.” Liam said softly his forehead leaning forward to rest against mine.

“You know you did really well in there. Aria and Sarah might actually be starting to like you.” I told him honestly. He smiled softly as his breath fanned across my face.

“Good because I’ve realized I really like you a lot and well I really would like your friends to like me too.” I blushed softly at Liam’s words.

“Like me a lot huh? I like you a lot too.” I admitted to him. This earned me a smile that slid across his features. His beautiful genuine smile that always seemed to make my breath catch for only just a moment or two.

“I really should go. Aria and Sarah are waiting.” I told him, making no move to disentangle myself from him. Noticing this, Liam smirked and pulled closer.

“The offer still stands to come home.” He muttered into my ear. I suppressed the shiver that threated to spread through my body before pushing out of his amrs.

“Goodnight Liam. And sweet dreams, you really need a good rest.” I told him smiling before leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. He smiled down at me fondly.

“Can you just text me when you get home so I know you’re home safe.” I nodded at his request before he pressed a kiss to my forehead and let me step out of his arms. He stood leaning against his car and waited as I waved and headed over to Aria and Sarah who were waiting in Arias car.

“About time.” Aria muttered at me. I smacked her in the back of the head as I climbed into the back seat. I waved at Liam one more time before shutting the door. Aria puled out of her park and I turned around as Liam began to step into his own car, a small frown gracing his features. The frown worried me.

“Okay, I’ll admit I kind of like him now.” Aria suddenly said pulling my attention back to the front.

“Well I will admit that I do like him. He’s really nice and a gentlemen to you.” Sarah stated. I smiled widely and squealed softly at them both.

“I knew you would.” I stated happily, letting a large smile take over my face.

“Doesn’t mean we are not still wary of him thought. He’s still quite capable of hurting you.” Sarah quickly said. I smiled fondly at her.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”