Stay Strong

Chapter 9 Getting to Know Each Other

Melanie's POV

I feel so relaxed and really at a peace of mind since my fun invigorating night and morning with Liam, he relaxed me just like he promised he would.. He has really been a man of his word so far and I adore it.

He makes me feel so many things that I just never want to end, making me want to be around him all the time, as crazy as that might sound since I barely know him.. but at the risk of sounding crazier.. I feel like I have known him for a while with how comfortable he makes me feel when I'm around him. Everything I do just comes naturally to me when I'm around him. Since I have no experience with having a man around, it's just suprising to myself.

I dry my hair, then straightening it with the hot iron. I get changed into a matching sexy bra and thong set, because I want to make sure I look as good as I can for Liam. It's a nice feeling to have someone to look nice for.. nice change of pace.

I get my favorite pair of skinny jeans on, that hugs my curves in all the right places, along with my rainbow striped, off the shoulder long sleeve shirt.

I put make up on my neck, for the little bit of bruise you can still see. I put some light make up on, just mostly accenting my eyes before I make my way out of my room and to the kitchen.

I put together lunch for the kids as I hear from behind me, "Why are you looking hotter than usual? You're looking good today almost as beautiful as your mom.. but you better not be going to see that guy. It's your day off so you need to be here cleaning and taking care of me." My step father says, pressing his body against mine from behind as he continues, "Come on Mel I could help make you feel good and relieve that stress of yours."

I can still smell the alcohol on his breathe and with his body pressed against mine I can feel that something is hard in his pants. I turn around quickly pushing him away from me by his chest. Stating as if it's just obvious or at least should be obvious to him, "I don't need help in that area, you're disgusting, that's disgusting.. what's wrong with you?.. and it's none of your business where I'm going or what I'm doing. You're an adult anyways you should be able to take care of yourself."

He scoffs at my response as he states back "What else are you good for, if not for the cleaning, cooking and a piece of ass. I will get my way one of these days. Mark my words there is nothing you or your boy toy can do about it."

I glare back at him with so much hatred that he is lucky I can't kill him with that one look.

So much spite is laced in my voice as I state, "Don't touch me again, keep your filthy hands off of me, just be sure to remember that and there won't be any problems with me or my boy toy."

He looks shocked at my response as he c***s his head at me before responding back. "Where did you get all this confidence from? I'm just going to have to knock you down a peg if you keep up with the attitude. But that's okay because I like it better that way, I like it way better when you put up a fight, it's more entertaining."

I push him away more making him stumble back still looking shocked at my aggressive physical response to him.

"Stay the f*** away from me and I mean it." I glare daggers at him holding my stern look to make sure he knows I'm serious and not backing down or changing my mind.

I hear my brother and sister coming out of the back room as I turn back around, Continuing to prepare them some breakfast before we have to leave for school.

I hear my step father step closer to me as I feel his breathe on the back of my neck. I feel a smack, then his full hand grasping my butt cheek and squeezing stating, "don't tell me what to do, you're mine don't forget that."

He turns then leaves the room to head back to his own.

"Are you okay sissy?" Emily asked with concern in her voice as I respond quickly, "yes I'm fine Buttercup don't worry about me, you know I can handle all of this.. just hurry up and eat your breakfast and we'll get you to school."

They both finish up their breakfast in no time at all, as we wash the dishes and put them away before leaving.

The both of them grab their things slipping the backpacks onto their backs.

I grab their lunches for them, helping put the lunch boxes into the backpacks then we make our way out of the building and downstairs.. headed towards the schools.

We almost prance to school because the kids love getting out of that hell hole we call home as much as I do, any chance we get, we take it. I give them kisses and hugs making sure to watch them enter the schools because I'm protective and always have to make sure they get in just fine. I would rather be safe then sorry.

I start to make my way back to the apartment buildings just enjoying the nice winter day. It's chilly of course but not a cloud in the sky and it's a nice bright sunny morning making the snow sparkle all around as the nice cool breeze passes by.

I start to get nervous weirdly enough. I love being outside and normally this is the way I make myself feel better with the combo of music of course, but today is different.. I feel as if I'm being watched.. I take a look around and see nothing at all but I can't seem to shake the feeling that I'm being looked at.

I'm soon consumed by the uneasy feeling so I quicken my pace and make my way back to the apartment building in no time at all, feeling a little better once I get inside..

Instead of going up to my place I stay on the bottom floor and go to where I think Liam is staying. I have never been to this part of the building oddly enough but he said he stays directly under me so that's exactly where I head. I knock once and no one comes to the door, so I knock twice feeling nervous wondering if I picked the right place to come to..

Within that moment the door quickly opens to expose a smiling ear to ear, Liam looking excited. This action alone makes me smile so big at his reaction to seeing me.. He gestures for me to come in and I take his lead following him into his place, taking a look around. He still has boxes that haven't been unpacked but it looks about half has been unpacked and organized.

Liam smiles at me pulling me into his comforting embrace hugging me tight within his strong arms. "You look gorgeous... it was too long that I've not seen you, I missed you already beautiful." I giggle at his comment as I state back, "I was only gone for about an hour."

"Well it was too long for my liking." I giggle again at his response and ask, "what are you doing?"

"I'm just preparing for lunch." Confusion is evident across my face so I have to ask, "What are you preparing for lunch? It's not even lunch time yet."

He shrugs his shoulders responding, "well I figured since we will be going out to dinner with your siblings later today, that I could make you lunch here, while we're at my place.. if that sounds okay to you of course." He says sweetly staring at me with anticipation for my answer.. I'm frozen in place just shocked that he can cook and wants to cook for me, I don't really know how to cook because I haven't had much time to learn different types of cooking.."that sounds great, I can help."

"No Mel I don't want you to have to help. I want to help you relax and not have to do anything for once.. it's your day off baby.. that's why I want to spoil you." He says to me as if his intentions are just obvious. I know he is not trying to be rude at all just trying to spoil me so I decide to explain why I want to cook with him.. Not wanting to ruin his suprise I just want to learn.

"Well that's really sweet of you Liam but could you teach me anyways? I would love to learn, I never get the chance to cook I'm always working and don't get to cook very often so I always have to order out for the kids.. I'd love to learn if you could teach me."

"Well in that case.. yeah of course I would love to teach you, sounds like a great afternoon of entertainment. But it is not the afternoon yet so how about we have a seat on the couch and talk?" He responds so sweetly grabbing my hand in his and taking me to his living room to have a seat..

"Okay what would you like to talk about?" I ask this so curiously wondering if he has a topic in mind.

"No topic in particular, I just wanted to get to know you better that's all." he says as he guides me the rest of the way to the couch to sit down. Liam sits down right next to me as I flip my legs over his, turning to face him.

I don't really know where to start, I never had moments like this during school, never really went on dates to often at all.. I just don't really know what's the protocol for getting to know each other topics.. So I look up at him locking my gaze with his as I decide to just get this started.

"Okay well I love music.. music is the only thing that keeps me sane.. it is my get away from this awful world, besides you now of course.. I love being outside.. The outside is so calming in it's own aspect, so I tend to stay outdoors as much as I can especially when it comes to the siblings.. That's the only time that we can all get out of that hell hole we call home. So most of my days off I take the kids to do something fun outside. Hence why we're going to ice skating later today I just needed to get them out of the house, for all of us to keep our sanity... but I love to ice skate I love to do almost anything outside that you can think of.. If you can think of it for this area, I've done it and loved it. I'm not very good at a lot of things, but I do love to try new things.. that's how I figured out what I really like... so tell me about you, do you like doing stuff outside?" I hope I started the conversation off alright.. He does have a look on his face that shows he is completely enthralled by what I'm saying, which suprises me like no other.. I don't know how many dates, if not all of them that I have been on, where I have caught the guy not listening at all.. so to have him so interested in me, my life and what I have to say, makes me feel so special.

"I've done some things outside but not a whole lot I was a bookworm for a very long time hence why I got bullied at school and had to learn how to take care of myself.. but I do love trying new things and always willing to try new things." He responds back, smiling at me.

I match his smile as I continue, "okay so since you like to try new things what have you tried lately?"

He thinks for a moment until he answers, "Well I have been working a lot lately.. which puts a damper on things, but I did try a couple different recipes I had been dying to try that turned out really good.. and I read a couple new books but for anything outdoors.. well I can tell you the answer to that, after I've ice skated.. I've never ice skated before so we'll see how it goes."

I have shock all over my face at this explanation as I ask, "Why did you agree to go ice skating if you had never been before?"

"Well that's easy.. because I wanted to spend more time with you and that's what you were doing. I like you and just want to be around you." He says shyly to me as I feel my genuine smile growing bigger at his explanation.

"That's so sweet, but don't feel like you have to come.. If you don't want to it's not a big deal either way.. I don't want you to feel any pressure to have to come with me, my brother and sister." I try to explain to him giving him a way out of the late afternoon activity if he doesn't want to join.

"I swear no pressure felt at all, I just wanted to spend more time with you and I love learning new things so I figured why not give it all a try. I feel spending the day with you is well worth any bruises I'm going to aquire being out there learning something new." He says to me making me giggle.

I shake my head as I respond, "I'll help you the whole time if you would like.. I taught my brother and sister how to ice skate so I'm sure I could teach you as well.. It's a lesson for a lesson huh? You teach me how to cook and I teach you how to ice skate.. I think it sounds like a fun fair deal if you ask me."

I feel his hand rubbing on my legs that are still laying upon his lap. "So you know about my horrible home life how about you tell me a little bit about your home life." I comment as I lightly touch his strong looking jawline.

"Well.. My parents both died in a car wreck when I was younger so my grandmother took us in.. She is as sweet as sweet can be and I always loved spending time with her, mostly cooking.. but she would let me explore her huge library reading anything I wanted and I loved that the most.. I have two older brothers, they were the jocks, anything you could imagine as amazing in school, they did it.. all.. and passed with flying colors.. everyone loved them and honestly it was like I almost didn't exist. They always tried to take care of me as much as they could and when people would learn I was their little brother then most would leave me alone.. but with them being years older than me it's not like they could help me out being at college.. So I got bullied a lot. I learned to fight back and started to work out here and there to make sure I had some pack behind my punch, so everyone would just leave me alone. They didn't completely stop but did for the most part. I didn't have a whole lot of friends honestly.. But I was always okay with escaping my reality with a new world in my books. I excelled as a book worm passing all of my classes with straight A's and even doing college courses in high school. I got my business degree in no time at all and didn't really know what to do with it honestly, so I started working with our company and worked my way up mostly succeeding in the numbers for sales.. so once your manager got fired they asked for my help so I literally packed up everything in one day and moved right over.." He explains to me. At some point in his explanation I had scooted closer to him, with me almost sitting on his lap and his arm around my back.. I didn't even realize I was doing that, how is that even possible. It's like I'm in a trance when it comes to him, or at least my body is.

"Im sorry to hear about your parents, I know all to well how hard it is to lose a parent but to lose both must have been so much harder.. I'm happy you had your grandmother there to help you, she sounds so nice. Is your grandmother still around?" I ask him as I feel his hand start to caress on my back as he responds, "Yes she is still around and I hope you don't mind. I have told her about you too, this morning actually, I was getting off the phone with her when I heard you knocking.. You're the first girl I have really ever actually been interested in and she had to know all about you.. so of course I told her." He says sweetly to me.

I smile shyly at that thought as I ask, "I'm the first girl you have been really interested in.. really? So I have to know.. what did you say about me? If you don't mind me asking of course."

He chuckles at my inquiry as he responds. "Yes you really are the first girl to really catch my interest, that's why my grandmother had to know about you.. I told her how gorgeous you are, how funny, caring, strong minded, sassy and just you're the strongest woman I have ever met, all around."

"Really? You think all that? You have got to be on drugs or are you drunk already? I will cut you off from the alcohol if I have to." I say so playfully as he chuckles and says, "You can try to cut me off but I'm completely sober.. I just like what I see, that's all and there's nothing wrong with that. You're an amazing goal to strive for in my life, that I would work for every single day if you let me."

I feel my face heating up as I respond back, "So do you think, if you can stand me as long as you think you can.. can I meet your grandmother?She sounds lovely."

He nods his head smiling at me as he states. "Funny enough, she asked the same thing.. I already paid for a flight to bring her here.. she asked to meet you and I was going to try to figure out someway to convince you to meet her but I guess no convincing required. She still works as a librarian and won't be able to come down until the weekend but she has asked to stay a week or so and of course I told her she could.. I will never turn down a visit from her." He says to me making me a little nervous but mostly excited that he actually likes me this much to want to meet his family. I have never met a guy's family.. they never stuck around long enough for that.

"I'm nervous what if she doesn't like me? I have never met a guy's family before.. I don't know how to act or what to do." I say nervously as he smirks at me responding, "Oh just be yourself my love and I guarantee she will adore you just as much as I do." He says to me as I smile and nod. He leans in kissing me softly as he whispers into my lips, "Let's get this lesson started before I get even more enthralled with you and we miss lunch all together."

I giggle at his response, I smile and nod getting my legs off of his. He stands up taking my hand in his and leading me to the kitchen to start the first lesson. I can't wait.