My Favorite Date

Five in the morning came quicker than both of us realized but we both got up and made our way to the plantation’s grounds and Liam looked at me.

“So where are we going Mel?” he asked as we stretched.

“You’ll see,” I smiled as we started running.

I was going to take Liam down by the river that ran through the plantation. It was one of my favorite places as a kid and I would always be caught playing and swimming in there with my grandparents’ maid’s children. My nana would always yell at me because southern ladies don’t do that but my papa laughed and told me that I was just becoming well rounded. I could tell that on our run however, Liam was hanging back a bit but I had no clue why. When we got to the river, I smiled lightly and Liam came up behind me and I could hear his breathing.

“Did you come here a lot as a kid?” he asked wiping his forehead.

“Yeah,” I breathed, “I would get in so much trouble because of it.”

We sat down on the grass and Liam pulled me closer to him as we just watched nature.

“You know I’ve never been this close to a client before,” Liam said and I looked over at him.

“Really?” I asked shocked, “I figured you would be with your regulars anyway.”

“Not like we are,” Liam said looking at me and smiling, “And I don’t think I would want that with any of them except you.”

I then looked at him confused and he just smiled lightly and pulled my hand into his lap.

“Mel,” he said as he played with my hands, “I’ve never felt this comfortable with anyone before. You can ask my sisters, I’m not a very welcoming person and then I met you and things have been changing. You’ve opened my eyes to a lot of different things and I just wanted to thank you for that. No one’s ever stayed when I pushed them away.”

I just gave Liam a small smile and looked at our hands.

“It’s what friends do Li,” I said smiling, “I also want to thank you for something too.”

“Oh yeah what?” he asked.

“Making me realize what I deserve,” I said and Liam looked at me shocked.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said, “And I hope you have your last date very soon.”

“Me too,” Liam said, “Me too.”

Liam and I were just watching the river flow when my cell phone started ringing. I answered it without looking at the id and regretted it immediately.

“Where are you Melanie!?” my mother demanded, “We need you to go run errands! It’s eight o’clock in the morning where are you!?”

“Liam and I went for a run Mom,” I said, “We’re down by the river. We’re on our back now. Liam wanted to see some of the. . .”

“I don’t care,” she snapped, “This is your sister’s time in the spotlight so quit being so selfish.”

She then hung up and I bit my lip to keep from crying.

“Who was that?” Liam asked quietly but I’m pretty sure he could hear my mother screaming at me.

“My mother,” I said quietly, “We should head back, I have to run some errands for the wedding and I’m pretty sure my mother wants you, Jake, Harry, Niall, Greg, Thomas, Dad, and Papa to all hang out since Greg and Lily’s friends are coming into town tonight.”

“Alright,” Liam said as he stood up and helped me up, “But I want to help you run the errands. I’ve never been to Savannah before and I want to experience it.”

I gave Liam a small smile and shook my head as we walked back to the house hand in hand.

“It’s best if you just hang out with the boys,” I said, “It’ll make everything easier.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Liam asked frowning and I shook my head.

“I don’t want to talk about my relationship with my mother,” I said quietly.

Liam frowned at my knowing what he wanted to ask.

“Just know that I can never do anything right in her eyes,” I said and Liam pulled me closer to him and he kissed my temple.

“Well I’m very proud of everything you do Mel,” Liam stated, “No matter what.”

“Thanks Li,” I said smiling at him as we headed inside the house.

“Finally you two get here,” my mother stated, “I thought you two got lost.”

“I just wanted Mel to show me around the grounds,” Liam said, “She said this was one of her favorite places growing up as a child.”

I then closed my eyes slightly and I could picture my mother cringing slightly. My mother hated that I loved being here in Savannah than being at home or with my mother’s family. She wanted me to be like her and my sister. She wanted me to marry into another rich family and she hated that I loved being a nurse and working.

“I’ll go get changed and take the list,” I said trying to lessen the awkwardness, “Leave it on the fridge and I’ll go.”

“Use the Explore,” was all my mother said and then pulled Liam along and Liam gave me a concerned look and I smiled and shook my head.

I went upstairs to the room Liam and I were sharing and showered and got ready for running errands. I was cleaning up the room a bit since last night Liam and I just threw clothes all over the place when I heard Louis’s voice outside my room.

“She hired him,” I heard him say and I felt my face pale, “Yeah Mel hired her so called boyfriend. They were talking about it on their run. . .No I didn’t. . .Okay so I did sue me. . .You think telling her family is a bad idea. . .what kind of friend are you Garrett? You’re supposed to be on my side. . .You really think telling her family will make her hate me. . .Well you obviously don’t know Mel like I do then.”

He then moved away so I couldn’t hear him and I was starting to panic. If Louis told my mother I knew I would never hear the end of it and it would completely ruin Lilly’s wedding and I would be named the worst sister in the history of sisters. I backed away from the door and quickly finished cleaning up and then opened my door to find that Louis was making his way towards the stairs.

“Morning Mel,” he said.

“Morning,” I said not wanting to talk to him at all after what I heard.

“What are you doing?” he asked as I walked down to the kitchen.

“Louis!” my mother grinned, “Perfect you and Mel can run errands for the wedding.”

“Where’s Liam?” Louis asked confused.

“Oh your father took all the lads to the lake today to fish,” she smiled, “Now I want you back here by four Mel. We’re going out again for dinner at your father’s favorite steak house.”

“Got it,” I said grabbing the list and keys and didn’t wait for Louis.

Louis and I got into the car and I could tell Louis was looking at me with concern.

“Has she been nicer since she hasn’t. . .” Louis started but I cut him off.

“No,” I said, “And I don’t want to talk about it Louis.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled and I sighed.

“No,” I replied, “I’m sorry that I snapped at you. It’s just angering you know. I try everything in my power to make her like me but nothing I do ever works. Maybe I was right I was the oops kid.”

“Mel,” Louis said, “I know I have no right saying this since we’re not together or anything but you are the most successful, beautiful, and talented woman I’ve ever known. You literally moved out on your own at seventeen and had no help from your family. Even I couldn’t have done that. You should be proud that you’re living the life you want, not the one you. . .”

“Would’ve had if I married you,” I stated before I could stop myself and I closed my eyes as he stopped talking, “I’m sorry Louis. I shouldn’t have said that. . .”

“Don’t be,” Louis said giving me a small smile, “You were being honest. You and I both know that I wouldn’t have let you work and you would’ve been forced to all those teas with those women my mum and your mum hang out with.”

“I still shouldn’t have said it,” I said, “It was rude.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said shaking his head, “So how are things with you and Liam? Good I assume since you two are so close.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly and smiled lightly, “He’s a really good guy Louis. Like an absolute gentleman good guy. I could see you two being really good friends actually.”

“You can?” Louis asked as we pulled up to the first place on the list.

“I can,” I said, “You two like a lot of the same things. He’s a huge football player too.”

“Really?” Louis asked and I nodded my head.

“Yup,” I said as Louis held the door open for me and I thanked him.

I grabbed what my mom had on hold and then we headed back to the car.

“Well maybe I’ll give him a chance,” he said and I just laughed and shook my head.

“I don’t know if I should be excited or nervous,” I said and Louis just laughed.

“Well I’ll let you know how it goes,” Louis said, “So tell me the real reason why you love your job in London and are refusing to move back to New York because you and I know that it’s not because you absolutely love London.”

Shockingly this was how the rest of the day went. Louis and I fell into a comfortable banter. I caught Louis up on the last year of my life while he did the same. Shockingly we both were focusing on our careers and trying to make in the real world. Louis was working in a firm and was close to making partner. No matter how much Louis broke my heart and how much I hadn’t forgiven him, I was proud of him. It was Louis’s dream to become a partner in a law firm or to even start his own firm. I told Louis about my adventures of working in the hospital and all of the amazing little kids I have met and the lives I have saved. By the time we got back to the house we were of course late because we never were on time when we were together. When Louis opened the door however, we were both shocked to see that it was Liam and not my mother.

“Hey,” I grinned, “How was fishing?”

“It was great,” he said confused, “I thought you had to be back twenty minutes ago.”

“Shit twenty minutes ago?” I asked and Louis just laughed.

“Mel when we ever on time?” Louis chuckled and I shook my head.

“Never,” I said, “Let me go get changed really quick okay?”

“Sure,” Liam said and I rushed up the stairs knowing I was going to have to explain a lot to Liam after dinner.

Notes

Here's a second update! For some reason it's not linking on my computer so here's the outfits for Mel. http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=127953761

Let me know what you think!