Half A Heart
Chapter Fourteen
Melody’s POV
“I’m sorry you want me to meet who?” I wasn’t sure I heard him clearly the first time when he muttered something about meeting his mum.
“Look, I know that it’s scary to think about, but I met your mum. I think it’s time you meet mine.” Liam smiled proudly at his logic as we stood in the middle of his living room.
"Or... or... I could give you a kidney." Liam tried not to smile.
"Too bad they already found my other one. Remember?"
"Dammit. Or! I could get your name tattooed on me."
"You are not getting my name tattooed on you."
"You've got my tattooed on you!" I argued.
"Okay, but you're still meeting my mum."
“She’s going to hate me.” I sat down on the couch, rubbing my temples.
She is not!” He gasped at my accusation. “My mother is a lovely woman. Loves everyone.”
“Does she know about the break up?” My eyes followed him as he went to the other side of the living room and sat down on his recliner.
“Of course.” He shrugged.
“Then she already hates me.” I groaned and dramatically fell onto my back on the couch, covering my face with a pillow.
“Oh don’t be so dramatic.” Liam’s voice got closer as he spoke. “She’s going to absolutely love you.” Two hands lifted my head and the weight shifted on the couch as Liam sat down before gently placing my head on his lap.
“How do you know?”
“Because I love you, and if she doesn’t, then she’s absolutely lost her mind.
~*~
“Breath, baby.” I hadn’t realized I had been holding my breath the whole walk from Liam’s car to the front door of his parents’ house.
“You know what? I think I forgot my… shoe at home. Darn. Guess we’ll have to go back.” I tried to turn around, but Liam caught my arm, twirling me around to face him.
“Okay, I know you’re nervous, but you really thought I would think you forgot your shoe when you’re wearing both of them?” I gave a small, defeated nod before Liam chuckled and kissed my forehead. “You’ll be fine. I promise.” He pecked my lips gently before taking my hand in his and knocking on the door.
The wait between when Liam knocked and when the door actually opened was the longest of my life. Two young, blonde women opened the door in a rush and squealed when they saw Liam. “Oh my god, it feels like it’s been forever since we’ve seen you!” The one with shorter hair gushed. I assumed this was one of his older sisters he talked about. “And you must be Melody.” She smiled as I stuck out my hand to shake hers. She ignored it and went straight for a hug. “It’s so lovely to finally meet you. Come in you two!” Liam placed his hand on my lower back as he pushed me (almost forcefully, there was no way I was going in without a literal push) through the door and into the house.
“Melody, this is Nicola and Ruth.” He introduced as the two girls waved. “They’re both a pain in the ass, but you learn to love them.” I chuckled as the two girls hit his arms before leading us into the living area.
“Mum! Dad! They’re here!” Ruth called up the stairs and I instantly went back to holding my breath.
Liam smiled as his mum and dad came down the stairs, his dad wearing a huge smile across his face and his mum… well not so much. “You have no idea what hell it is to live with three girls without another man in the house.” Mr. Payne laughed as he brought his son in for a hug. “This must be the lovely Melody.” He smiled and took my hand in his, shaking it fiercely as I tried not to laugh as the rest of my body shook with my hand.
“Hey, mum.” Liam smiled and hugged her, a huge smile spreading across his face before he kissed her cheek. “This is—“
“Melody. Hello.” Mrs. Payne smiled and shook my hand, quickly dropping it before walking into the kitchen. Okay, then.
“See? Told you she’d like you, didn’t I?” Liam smiled down at me as Mr. Payne followed his wife into the kitchen. Nicola shook her head and sighed before we were all instructed to go to the dining room for dinner.
Liam’s POV
I kept my hand on Melody’s leg under the table all throughout dinner, hoping to help relax her, but it only seemed to make things worse. “So Melody… what do you do?”
“I’m a full-time college student.” My girlfriend answered my mum with a smile.
“So no job then?” Mum asked.
“Not yet, but I’ve been looking like crazy. No one seems to be hiring.”
“Oh.” I could have sworn my mum rolled her eyes, but there was no way. The rest of dinner was silent.
“Dinner was delicious Mrs. Payne.” Melody complimented as she tried to help with the dishes.
“I’ve got it, don’t worry about it. And call me Karen.” My mother answered shortly.
“Are you sure? I have no problem with helping.” Melody offered.
“Honestly. It’s fine.”
“Okay.” I took her hand and lead her out of the room.
“She loves you.” I smiled and kissed Melody’s forehead.
“She can’t stand me.” She sighed and watched as my mum accepted help from Nicola and Ruth. “I should probably go home.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Liam, it’s fine. I’ll text Quin the address and she can come and pick me up.” I looked down at her and took her chin between my index finger and my thumb.
“You’re not going anywhere. We’ve got a hotel room booked downtown for the weekend. I was gonna show you around Wolverhampton before I leave for tour next week.” I stuck my bottom lip out.
“I’m not wanted here.” Melody placed her hand on mine and lowered it from her face. It killed me to have Melody think that my mum didn’t want her here. I placed my hands on Melody’s shoulders and bent down to get to eye-level with her.
“Stay right here. I’ll be right back.” I kissed her forehead and walked into the kitchen where the three women in my family were all laughing. “Hey mum, I need to talk to you.”
“What is it sweetheart?” She smiled up at me.
“It’s kind of private. Can we go in the other room?” She nodded and followed me into an empty room across the hall. “Do you like Melody?”
“Of course I do.”
“Please tell me honestly… do you like her?” My mum sighed and shook her head.
“I don’t.”
“I’m going to explain something, and I want you to hear me. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love her and one day I will marry her. I don’t want you just to put up with her. I want you to like her.”
“I can’t like her. Not after what she did to you—“
“We worked it out, mum! If I can look past it, can’t you?” My mum took a deep breath and nodded.
“I can try.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and wrapped my arms around the tiny woman before we walked out and I went into the living room. “There. All sorted.”
“Me, too. Quin will be here in a few hours.” My face dropped as the words left her mouth.
“No… no, no, no.” I reached into her back pocket and grabbed her mobile.
“What are you doing?” Melody reached for her mobile, only to fail as I jumped out of her reach, dialing her best friend’s number.
“Quin, hi! Listen, there’s no need to come get Melody. Everything’s fine. No worries.” I hung up, not giving Quin a chance to answer. “Like I said; all sorted.”
“Liam, I.... wait, how do you know my passcode?"
"Melody, please. I'm a genius." Melody crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "It's my birthday." I shrugged.
“Melody can I speak with you?”
Melody’s POV
“Melody can I speak with you?” I looked over at Karen as she approached Liam and I. I nodded and followed her outside to the front porch. “I’m sorry if I seemed so harsh earlier.” I nodded and kept my eyes on the ground. “It’s just hard to think about my son going through a breakup after how quickly you guys go so serious… I knew it hurt him, and I guess I was just thinking about then and not now.”
“I still feel terrible about the breakup, I regret it every day and I’m so thankful Liam is giving me a second chance.”
“I am too.” I looked up at Liam’s mum who was now smiling at me. “You seem like a lovely girl, and I’m sorry I passed up the opportunity to truly get to know you tonight.” I smiled at her and gave a small nod.
“I’m sorry for hurting your son.”
“Oh, please. It’s all in the past.” Karen suddenly wrapped me in a comforting hug and I awkwardly hugged her back, not sure of how to react. “So I have a question.” Karen broke the hug and sat down on the porch steps.
“I have an answer.” I sat down next to her.
“If Liam were to propose to you now, what would you say?” My heart jumped into my throat. Was he planning on proposing tonight?
“I don’t know… I still think it’s a bit too soon right now. Don’t get me wrong, I love Liam and would like nothing more than to spend all of my life with him…”
“But?”
“I’m just afraid he still doesn’t trust me like he did before. I wouldn’t blame him. I didn’t trust him in the beginning of our relationship.”
“Why’s that?” Now we were getting into an uncomfortable zone, but she needed to know about my past relationship, so I told her everything. “Oh, honey… I’m so sorry you went through that.”
“It’s okay.” I shrugged and took a deep breath. “Liam showed me that there’s a better life, and I’m forever grateful for him.”
“You know… you would make a great wife for my son, and a great daughter-in-law.”
“Okay, I have a question for you now.”
“Go ahead and ask.”
“He’s not proposing anytime soon, right?”
“He’s not told me if he was.” I breathed a sigh of relief and heard the front door open behind us.
“What’s taking you girls so long, eh?” I smiled up at Liam as he sat down behind me, placing his legs on either side of me.
“Just girl talk.” I shrugged and leaned into his chest.
“I’m sorry you want me to meet who?” I wasn’t sure I heard him clearly the first time when he muttered something about meeting his mum.
“Look, I know that it’s scary to think about, but I met your mum. I think it’s time you meet mine.” Liam smiled proudly at his logic as we stood in the middle of his living room.
"Or... or... I could give you a kidney." Liam tried not to smile.
"Too bad they already found my other one. Remember?"
"Dammit. Or! I could get your name tattooed on me."
"You are not getting my name tattooed on you."
"You've got my tattooed on you!" I argued.
"Okay, but you're still meeting my mum."
“She’s going to hate me.” I sat down on the couch, rubbing my temples.
She is not!” He gasped at my accusation. “My mother is a lovely woman. Loves everyone.”
“Does she know about the break up?” My eyes followed him as he went to the other side of the living room and sat down on his recliner.
“Of course.” He shrugged.
“Then she already hates me.” I groaned and dramatically fell onto my back on the couch, covering my face with a pillow.
“Oh don’t be so dramatic.” Liam’s voice got closer as he spoke. “She’s going to absolutely love you.” Two hands lifted my head and the weight shifted on the couch as Liam sat down before gently placing my head on his lap.
“How do you know?”
“Because I love you, and if she doesn’t, then she’s absolutely lost her mind.
~*~
“Breath, baby.” I hadn’t realized I had been holding my breath the whole walk from Liam’s car to the front door of his parents’ house.
“You know what? I think I forgot my… shoe at home. Darn. Guess we’ll have to go back.” I tried to turn around, but Liam caught my arm, twirling me around to face him.
“Okay, I know you’re nervous, but you really thought I would think you forgot your shoe when you’re wearing both of them?” I gave a small, defeated nod before Liam chuckled and kissed my forehead. “You’ll be fine. I promise.” He pecked my lips gently before taking my hand in his and knocking on the door.
The wait between when Liam knocked and when the door actually opened was the longest of my life. Two young, blonde women opened the door in a rush and squealed when they saw Liam. “Oh my god, it feels like it’s been forever since we’ve seen you!” The one with shorter hair gushed. I assumed this was one of his older sisters he talked about. “And you must be Melody.” She smiled as I stuck out my hand to shake hers. She ignored it and went straight for a hug. “It’s so lovely to finally meet you. Come in you two!” Liam placed his hand on my lower back as he pushed me (almost forcefully, there was no way I was going in without a literal push) through the door and into the house.
“Melody, this is Nicola and Ruth.” He introduced as the two girls waved. “They’re both a pain in the ass, but you learn to love them.” I chuckled as the two girls hit his arms before leading us into the living area.
“Mum! Dad! They’re here!” Ruth called up the stairs and I instantly went back to holding my breath.
Liam smiled as his mum and dad came down the stairs, his dad wearing a huge smile across his face and his mum… well not so much. “You have no idea what hell it is to live with three girls without another man in the house.” Mr. Payne laughed as he brought his son in for a hug. “This must be the lovely Melody.” He smiled and took my hand in his, shaking it fiercely as I tried not to laugh as the rest of my body shook with my hand.
“Hey, mum.” Liam smiled and hugged her, a huge smile spreading across his face before he kissed her cheek. “This is—“
“Melody. Hello.” Mrs. Payne smiled and shook my hand, quickly dropping it before walking into the kitchen. Okay, then.
“See? Told you she’d like you, didn’t I?” Liam smiled down at me as Mr. Payne followed his wife into the kitchen. Nicola shook her head and sighed before we were all instructed to go to the dining room for dinner.
Liam’s POV
I kept my hand on Melody’s leg under the table all throughout dinner, hoping to help relax her, but it only seemed to make things worse. “So Melody… what do you do?”
“I’m a full-time college student.” My girlfriend answered my mum with a smile.
“So no job then?” Mum asked.
“Not yet, but I’ve been looking like crazy. No one seems to be hiring.”
“Oh.” I could have sworn my mum rolled her eyes, but there was no way. The rest of dinner was silent.
“Dinner was delicious Mrs. Payne.” Melody complimented as she tried to help with the dishes.
“I’ve got it, don’t worry about it. And call me Karen.” My mother answered shortly.
“Are you sure? I have no problem with helping.” Melody offered.
“Honestly. It’s fine.”
“Okay.” I took her hand and lead her out of the room.
“She loves you.” I smiled and kissed Melody’s forehead.
“She can’t stand me.” She sighed and watched as my mum accepted help from Nicola and Ruth. “I should probably go home.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Liam, it’s fine. I’ll text Quin the address and she can come and pick me up.” I looked down at her and took her chin between my index finger and my thumb.
“You’re not going anywhere. We’ve got a hotel room booked downtown for the weekend. I was gonna show you around Wolverhampton before I leave for tour next week.” I stuck my bottom lip out.
“I’m not wanted here.” Melody placed her hand on mine and lowered it from her face. It killed me to have Melody think that my mum didn’t want her here. I placed my hands on Melody’s shoulders and bent down to get to eye-level with her.
“Stay right here. I’ll be right back.” I kissed her forehead and walked into the kitchen where the three women in my family were all laughing. “Hey mum, I need to talk to you.”
“What is it sweetheart?” She smiled up at me.
“It’s kind of private. Can we go in the other room?” She nodded and followed me into an empty room across the hall. “Do you like Melody?”
“Of course I do.”
“Please tell me honestly… do you like her?” My mum sighed and shook her head.
“I don’t.”
“I’m going to explain something, and I want you to hear me. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love her and one day I will marry her. I don’t want you just to put up with her. I want you to like her.”
“I can’t like her. Not after what she did to you—“
“We worked it out, mum! If I can look past it, can’t you?” My mum took a deep breath and nodded.
“I can try.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and wrapped my arms around the tiny woman before we walked out and I went into the living room. “There. All sorted.”
“Me, too. Quin will be here in a few hours.” My face dropped as the words left her mouth.
“No… no, no, no.” I reached into her back pocket and grabbed her mobile.
“What are you doing?” Melody reached for her mobile, only to fail as I jumped out of her reach, dialing her best friend’s number.
“Quin, hi! Listen, there’s no need to come get Melody. Everything’s fine. No worries.” I hung up, not giving Quin a chance to answer. “Like I said; all sorted.”
“Liam, I.... wait, how do you know my passcode?"
"Melody, please. I'm a genius." Melody crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "It's my birthday." I shrugged.
“Melody can I speak with you?”
Melody’s POV
“Melody can I speak with you?” I looked over at Karen as she approached Liam and I. I nodded and followed her outside to the front porch. “I’m sorry if I seemed so harsh earlier.” I nodded and kept my eyes on the ground. “It’s just hard to think about my son going through a breakup after how quickly you guys go so serious… I knew it hurt him, and I guess I was just thinking about then and not now.”
“I still feel terrible about the breakup, I regret it every day and I’m so thankful Liam is giving me a second chance.”
“I am too.” I looked up at Liam’s mum who was now smiling at me. “You seem like a lovely girl, and I’m sorry I passed up the opportunity to truly get to know you tonight.” I smiled at her and gave a small nod.
“I’m sorry for hurting your son.”
“Oh, please. It’s all in the past.” Karen suddenly wrapped me in a comforting hug and I awkwardly hugged her back, not sure of how to react. “So I have a question.” Karen broke the hug and sat down on the porch steps.
“I have an answer.” I sat down next to her.
“If Liam were to propose to you now, what would you say?” My heart jumped into my throat. Was he planning on proposing tonight?
“I don’t know… I still think it’s a bit too soon right now. Don’t get me wrong, I love Liam and would like nothing more than to spend all of my life with him…”
“But?”
“I’m just afraid he still doesn’t trust me like he did before. I wouldn’t blame him. I didn’t trust him in the beginning of our relationship.”
“Why’s that?” Now we were getting into an uncomfortable zone, but she needed to know about my past relationship, so I told her everything. “Oh, honey… I’m so sorry you went through that.”
“It’s okay.” I shrugged and took a deep breath. “Liam showed me that there’s a better life, and I’m forever grateful for him.”
“You know… you would make a great wife for my son, and a great daughter-in-law.”
“Okay, I have a question for you now.”
“Go ahead and ask.”
“He’s not proposing anytime soon, right?”
“He’s not told me if he was.” I breathed a sigh of relief and heard the front door open behind us.
“What’s taking you girls so long, eh?” I smiled up at Liam as he sat down behind me, placing his legs on either side of me.
“Just girl talk.” I shrugged and leaned into his chest.
Notes
New Chapter! Please let me know what you guys are thinking so far. I was mapping out a plan for the rest of this story and somehow this two parter turned into a three parter, then into a four parter. Would you guys read all four parts? Let me know!
xx
Ahhhh!
2/18/14