A friend indeed

 

When Liam got the call, he was at Emily's. When was he not at Emily's? Granted she lived with her parents, but still, Emily was the queen of the house, evidently. All her siblings were married (except Bishop who might as well have been a ghost). She was the only one left at home and Liam ended up there a lot of times when he knew he should be home.

"What do you mean, your stranded?" He winced. It was going on after dark. Matty and Valentina were in Sioux City. "Sioux City!" He wanted to yelp, but he doubted his old car could make it there. He sighed, wondering why the two hadn't called their parents. He supposed they were up to no good.

"Is there a way you can get us?" Matty wanted to know.

"I don't know," Liam felt he wasn't good for much these days. He felt he was sinking fast in all the glory of what Emily's dad did at CITY in security.

Naturally, Emily said they could take her parents' SUV. It could make it.

Liam thought he might crumble. What was she talking about? Her dad would trust him? Sure they worked together, but to drive his SUV to Sioux City sounded ridiculous.

"I'll drive." She was so mattered of fact. Liam's eyes lit. Oh, why was she so smart for her own good? It felt everything they did was a competition. 

"Just a minute." He looked at Emily as if she'd really done it this time. Naturally, her dad said no. He said Liam could. He trusted Liam more. Liam thought he might pass out, but he kept his wits about him.

"OK, looks like we're coming to get you," Liam said and Matty said they would be waiting at a Truckstop this side of Sioux City. Naturally, Liam wasn't sure what that meant but he was driving and of course, Emily was on the passenger side guiding him all the way.

So they drove into the night and Liam was staying calm on the course.

"I should have made coffee," Emily sighed.

"I didn't think anyone in your family drank coffee." 

"Well, I do." She didn't look at him, but he couldn't help but look at her. Honestly, he didn't think she really liked him. But it was so hard to tell. Actually, he didn't think he knew anything anymore. Especially, after Lizzy's comeback just to tell him how she'd moved on.

But then he was the worst romantic guy in the world.

"Matty's one of my favorite co-workers," Liam found himself saying. "He's seeing someone older than him."

"How old? Old enough to be married and divorced with kids?" Emily shot him a look.

"They are both in high school," Liam told her.

"High school?" She sounded shocked that he would have a friend in high school. She hugged herself as if he would never ever be close to her. Besides, he was afraid she might kick him where it hurts. It was kind of hard to figure her out. Sometimes, she looked so mean, but sometimes she could do the sweetest things. Like bring him lunch. She liked to lean her cheek against his arm if a movie got too scary on Netflix. 

He didn't want to think they were a couple,  but it might look that way.

"He works at the grocery store," Liam said about Matty.

"So are you doing this because you two are friends and you don't want his Dad to know?" Emily didn't smile because it was as if she knew he wasn't going to smile at her.

"I guess," he said. "I really wouldn't want to keep anything from his parents."

She nodded.

"Did you ever do anything like this when you were in high school?" 

"Of course not." Liam winced. "I studied my butt off." He yawned then and she asked if he wanted her to drive.

"You know, you drive too fast." This he knew. Her father had told him so.