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The gift before him had long ago caused him to wonder what she was up to. At first, he’d figured that she’d gotten him the “worst” gift possible, just to juxtapose the treasure trove of high-quality presents that everyone else had received. Now, he was beginning to consider if her gift’s function had a specific purpose that she planned to spring on him once he sheared off its wrapping paper.
“Well?” the scheming redhead said, folding her arms. “We’re all waiting.”
They were. Glancing around, he saw that he’d monopolized the room’s attention. With that realization, another landed in his lap. He could mull over what Avril was planning for all of eternity. He could probably figure it out, too. But did that ultimately matter much? Whether he devised her scheme or not, everyone here knew she’d still make him vault over her hurdles. So, he supposed that it was simply best to continue playing along ad nauseam.
Picking up the hammer, he dug his finger into the section where tape bound the colorful wrapping paper together. In short order, a few rips here, a few tears there, he’d revealed its wooden haft. He glanced at Avril, finding her watching him smugly.
Seconds later, he sent the cocoon of wrapping paper fluttering to the floor. And… to no one’s surprise, he held a hammer. After that, they all looked at Avril for what would come next.
“Ohhh,” the gorgeous troublemaker said, bopping herself on her forehead with her palm., causing the bells on her headband to jingle. “I knew I’d forgotten something. Yourothergift.”
Shocker,Liam thought, and he suspected he wasn’t alone in that droll internal response.
Unaware or not caring about the flatness of his stare, Avril leaped to her feet with a grin. “Anna, want to come help me out?”
“I very much do not.”
Sighing loudly, Avril glared at her unwilling roommate for several seconds. It had little effect. Alongside Victoria, Anna was one of the few individuals who might possess immunity to the redhead’s insistences.
“Fine, fine! You all wait here. I’ll be right back.”
Scampering toward the front door, it wasn’t long before they all heard it open and close.
Tess spoke first. “I think I’ll get some of these gifts into the kitchen, where they belong. Victoria, will you help me?”
This time around, the request for assistance earned its desired response. As the two women stood, grabbed as many of Tess’s presents as they could currently haul, and disappeared into the kitchen, Liam and Anna found themselves briefly alone in the living room. Naturally, that led their eyes to one another.
Now’s the time, if there ever was one,Liam realized, remembering Avril’s earlier command of him.
“So, is this how it always is?” he led with, nodding in the direction that Avril had taken a few moments ago.
“Without fail,” Anna answered, sighing softly. “Ever since we were kids, she’s been this… extravagant about things. She never does anything without fully committing.”
“There’s something admirable about that,” Liam admitted honestly. “It’d tire me out if I had to do what she does every day, though.”
“It tires me out by association.”
“Sometimes, I can tell. But I can also tell that you two are about as close as two friends can be.”
Anna slightly blushed, but she didn’t object to his observation. “You’re right. At the end of the day, I am always happy to have her in my life. I think you will be, too. She thinks very highly of you.”
Now, it was Liam’s turn to fight away the crimson scourge. The last thing he wanted to do was give Anna any cause to be suspicious about his relationship with Avril. He fully meant what he’d said about their bond, but that didn’t mean he wanted to test it by accidentally revealing justhowhighly Avril seemed to think of him. Knowing as he did about Anna’s discerning eye for such things, he rapidly forged ahead to his final goal amid their brief time alone, clumsy as it might be for him to blurt it out.
“I really like your dress, by the way. You look great in it.”
Her response was… odd, to say the least. Anna blinked rapidly, treating his compliment like a flashbang. Her rapidly arriving blush matched the hue of her dress, and she immediately glanced—as if expecting to find Avril standing at the room’s threshold like a horror villain—toward the hallway. Once she found her fears unfounded, she sighed relievedly.
“Th-Thank you, Liam,” Anna hastily said, clearing her throat as she sought to soothe the warmth swimming in her fair face. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I really do,” he said, almost feeling as though he ought to apologize for how his compliment had affected her. “I’m glad you decided to wear it.”
“Well… Ididn’tdecide to wear it. Not really.”
His eyebrows knit together. “No?”
“No. I was tricked into it.”
“Avril.”
