Chapter 12
Chapter 12: Proud Liam
‘You can have my body.’
‘Why in the world did he have to say that?‘ Scarlett groaned, turning to the other side of the bed. The image of Kaleb’s six-pack
abs, slender waist, firm biceps, and broad chest just kept flashing in her head and she found herself restless while laying next to
Liam.
An hour past midnight, the poor boy awoke, worried for her sake.
“Are you okay, my Beauty? Do you not like sleeping next to me?” He appeared hurt. His lips formed into a pout and he sniffed as
if he were in tears.
“Oh, I‘m sorry, Liam. I did not mean to wake you.” She rolled back to face the young boy and pat him on the arm. Your dad is
mentally torturing me!
“I – I just had something on my mind, something really mind–boggling,” she reasoned before forcing a smile. She rested closer to
him and pulled the blanket higher. “Let‘s go back to sleep, okay?”
“Will you go to school with me in the morning?” Liam asked, surprising Scarlett altogether.
“Can I?‘ She really needed to get her belongings from her co–worker and go home to her apartment. She needed to know if she
still had a place to call home.
Scarlett cleared her throat and gently answered, “I really want to, but I need to go home.”
“Please, just in the morning,” he said with puppy eyes, his hands together, pleading. “I really want to show you to my friends.”
“You want... to show me to your friends?” She echoed, stunned by his words. “Why would you want to show me to your friends,
Liam?”
“Just because,” he said under his breath, his eyes looking down as if he was figuring out. “I want to show my friends how
beautiful you are.”
Scarlett held herself from giggling. Instead, she smiled genuinely at the young boy and asked, “Do you think I’m that pretty?”
“Of course you are, and you are kind, too. That‘s why I want to marry you, remember?” A yawn escaped his lips before he
requested once more, “Will you please come with me to school? Pretty please with an entire tree of cherries on top?”
Scarlett wound up snorting as she laughed. The corners of her eyes watered in amusement. The boy sure knew how to
exaggerate his pleading. She sucked in a breath and turned to the boy, saying, “Okay. I‘ll go t o your school.”
“Great!”
***
The next day, Scarlett had a set of ten new clothes for her to wear and pairs of shoes to match each wardrobe. It had been so
long since she struggled to choose what to wear, but she ended up choosing a white dress, a coat over her shoulders, and a pair
of beige, elegant shoes for her feet.
They had breakfast at the hotel’s main restaurant before leaving for Liam’s school. Since Kaleb had workt o do, Boris dropped
him off at the Wright Diamond Corporation first, also fetching one other security personnel, Archer, who was meant to
accompany Scarlett to her apartment. Only then did they drive to Liam’s school.
It was yet another five minutes before their party would arrive at Liam’s school, but Scarlett saw how the young boy was very
excited to introduce her to his friends. He said, “Jake is my best buddy. And Troy, he always shows off the sandwiches his
mommy makes for.”
He then pulled out his lunch box and revealed a neatly layered club house sandwich marked with the Diamond Hotel logo. He
quickly remove the logo and added, “I‘ll tell him you made this sandwich for me.”
Scarlett‘s mouth fell open. She certainly hoped Troy will be convinced that she could make a sandwich as good–looking as the
one Liam was holding.
Meanwhile, Boris laughed behind the wheels, and said, “You go brag about Miss Scarlett now. This is your chance.”
Scarlett wound up flushing just as they pulled up in the school‘s driveway.
Stepping into the building of Braeton International School, Liam had his chin up, his small hand holding Scarlett’s slender fingers.
He proudly gazed in every direction, catching the attention of a few of his friends
Parents were allowed to enter the school building up to a reception area, where another location was designated for guardians
and parents. Scarlett understood it was where Boris was meant to wait for Liam.
As the crowd of parents and students thickened at the school‘s lobby, it did not take long for a boy and a girl to approach Scarlett
and Liam.
A young girl said, “Liam, how is your day?”
“My day is the best, Charlotte! Scarlett is here with me. Remember I told you, I call her my Beauty,” Liam excitedly reminded his
friend. “Isn‘t she beautiful?”
“Oh, she is so beautiful! Her hair is so shiny and long,” remarked the child named Charlotte. “Will she be bringing you to school
every day now?”
“Yes, she will!” Declared Liam.
Scarlett, “???”
“Last night, she tucked me into bed, and I cuddled with her too,” Liam happily shared.
“Really? Did she tell you a story at night too?” Charlotte asked.
Liam frowned. He sighed and said, “Oh, I forgot about that. My Beauty and I will choose a book later for our bedtime story. It
must be really nice.”
Scarlett,“...”
“It is! My mommy and I also drink milk and eat cookies before going to bed too,” Charlotte narrated.
“Wow! We‘ll do that too!” Liam proclaimed.
Scarlett, “...”
“Liam!” Said a boy with blond hair, running in their direction.
“Jake! This is Scarlett. Remember I told you about my Beauty? She is pretty, right?” Liam excitedly introduced Scarlett.
“Hi,“ Jake said, waving his hand at Scarlett.
Charlotte then went on, telling Jake, “She brought Liam to school today.”
“Oh, will she also pick you up later, Liam?” Jake asked.
“Yes, she will!” Liam replied with no hesitation,
Scarlett, ‘I will?
“She’ll change my clothes after I play and put powder on my back,” Liam said with enthusiasm.
Hearing just that, Scarlett felt a pang in her chest. She realized how Liam had been observing his friends and, perhaps, their
mothers. She thought, ‘Was this why he brought me to school today?’
Soon, the boy named Troy came over, and just like how Liam planned, he showed off the hotel’s clubhouse sandwich to his
friend, saying, “Troy, look my Beauty made this sandwich for me. She cares for me very much and made it with love!”
The boy named Troy frowned, studying the sandwich. He looked down at his lunch box, taking a peek of his own, and said, “I‘ll
tell my mommy to make me a better and bigger sandwich tomorrow!”
Before the group of friends could chat further, the school bell rang, alerting their mothers as well. Each of them was rushed to the
stairs, heading for the classrooms. Scarlett also followed Liam.
While Liam observed how his friends received a kiss from their mothers, he beamed, his eyes gleaming. +
e also turned his head, raising his cheek for Scarlett, suggesting he wanted a kiss.
Scarlett did as Liam silently requested. Then she heard him say, “My Beauty. If you can‘t come to see me later. It‘s okay. I‘ll tell
my friends you were busy with work. I‘m still happy I got to show you to them.”
Liam ran up the stairs before Scarlett could even respond.
With a heavy heart, Scarlett stood still in front of the school lobby, thinking. She did not even realize hou a tear fell down her
cheek. Of course, she realized how Liam was jealous of his friends. They had mothers, and he had none.
Somehow, having both her parents loathe her, she knew exactly what the boy yearned for.
Boris came up from behind her, handing her a piece of facial tissue, saying, “School ends at three. Do ya think you can make
it?”
Scarlett nodded outright, all while wiping her cheek. “Yes, I will.” Turning to Boris, she sniffed her tears away and asked, “Does
he – does Liam have a change of clothes A frown formed on her face as she resumed, “And powder?” Boris nodded with a
smile, saying, “Yeah, he has an extra shirt and a prickle heat powder in his school bag.” “Thank you, Miss Scarlett,” Boris added.
“Thank you for caring for Liam‘s feelings.”