Series Starter Firsts in Series Collection - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,382

her a gentle hug and I can feel my chest expand with love for all three of my best friends.

“Thank you all for spending the holiday with me. I’m so glad my Allie girl has met such nice friends,” Gran says as she turns to face Aiden. “And you, it’s been way too long. I think I’m going to need another hug,” she tells him with a smile.

Aiden quickly obliges her as the rest of us take a seat. We sit and talk to Gran for a few hours until it’s obvious she’s completely worn out.

“Guys, I’ll be right back. I’m just going to help Gran get settled,” I tell them. I help Gran ease out of her chair and lead her down the hall to get ready for bed.

“You love him,” she says matter of fact.

“Yeah, I really do. He and Aiden have been best friends since Aiden’s first year of college. He’s such a great guy, Gran.” I blush from my onslaught of gushing over Liam.

“He loves you too, you know,” she states. “He’s the color on your canvas.”

I feel tears prick my eyes at her referral to what she has told me since I was a little girl. Life is a giant canvas, Allie, and you should throw as much paint on it as you can. I nod my head to agree with her. “Yeah, I really think he does, and I think he is. He tells me every day how beautiful he thinks I am and how much I mean to him,” I tell her as I finish helping her into bed and kissing her cheek goodnight.

“Follow your heart, sweet girl. It will lead you to happiness.”

“Goodnight, Gran. I love you.” I kiss her cheek again.

“Goodnight, Allie girl.”

When I get back to the den everyone is exhausted from the long day, it’s after midnight. Hailey and I walk the guys out to the porch.

“So, dinner will be ready at one, so don’t be late,” I tell them.

Aiden laughs. “Mom will be here early to help cook. Do you really think we’re going to pass up a big home cooked meal?” he asks me, like it’s the craziest thing he has ever heard.

“Can I do anything to help you?” Liam asks me.

“Holy shit, you’re more whipped than I thought,” Aiden says, punching Liam in the arm and laughing.

Liam smiles. “You’re damn right I am, my girl comes first, always,” he says, kissing me softly. He pulls away and rests his forehead on mine. “Sweet dreams, beautiful girl.” Then he kisses me again, slow and sweet. I could stand here all night, but Aiden and Hailey clearing their throats brings me back to reality.

“Goodnight,” I whisper against his lips with one last chaste kiss.

Hailey and I head to bed as well. I have a queen bed in my old room, and she’s going to be sleeping with me. I wish it was her brother. Once we’re settled, lights off, and everything is calm, the realization of how used to sleeping with Liam I really am sets in. He must have been reading my thoughts because my phone vibrates on the nightstand with a new message.

Liam: I miss you. I can’t sleep without you.

Me: I miss you too.

“Is that my brother?” Hailey questions me.

I’m glad it is dark, so she can’t see me blush. “Yeah,” I reply.

We’re quiet for several minutes, my phone buzzes again.

Liam: I love you, baby. Sweet Dreams.

Me: I love you too.

“He really does, you know.”

“He really does what?” I’m confused as to what she’s referring to.

“Liam, he really loves you. I heard him talking to our parents, he told them that you’re ‘the one’,” she says.

I swallow the lump in my throat. “The one?” I question her.

Hailey laughs softly. “He’s different with you, better.”

I debate on what I should tell her. She’s his sister, but she’s also my friend. I decide to go with honesty without the intimate details of our relationship. “I love him so much. I really feel like he’s my soul mate. Is that crazy? We’ve only been together a short amount of time.”

“No, it’s not crazy. I wish I could say I had found ‘the one’.”

I don’t respond as my mind drifts to Liam and the depth of my feelings for him. In such a short amount of time he has become my world. I have to admit I’m a little worried about the draft and how those events will affect us. I try not to think about it and just