Chapter 53

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DELILAH

We arrived atSmithsonian National Zoo at about two in the afternoon. With our asses hurting from sitting for so long, we were all eager to get on with this new adventure.

"This place is beautiful," I said to Liam, who placed an arm around me.

"Who would have ever thought we'd be in DC?"

I laughed at the memory of us discussing this when we were younger. We said we would travel all around the states and later the world. After we had Adrian there was obviously a change of plans but now, it looked like that dream would come true after all.

Luckily Liam seemed to have let go of what happened with Brian, though I knew we still had to talk about things and clear them up. He knew better than to try and put the blame on me, especially after what happened with Carissa. I wasn't going to bring it up, but the situations were similar, so I hoped he understood.

"Momma if you don't feel good let us know, okay?" 

Everyone looked at me, waiting for me to agree as if I was some fragile creature. I loved that they all cared, but it felt as if I was limiting the amount of fun they would have. I felt fine, in fact, I was excited about the trip. 

Expectant eyes met mine and finally, I agreed, giving them the answer they wanted. The first place we visited after gaining the majority vote was the panda exhibit. It was delightful to see them in all their beauty and glory. As much as I enjoyed seeing the beautiful animals, the best part of the trip however, was being with my family.

I took so many pictures that they nearly filled my phone's memory. Moments like these where everything is in peace and life is so good - perfect - are the ones that I wanted to forever remember. In the midst of the pain, the hurt, these were the moments that would keep us alive. 

Problems were far from over, I was aware of that, but there was no way I would teach my son to live in fear. At his short age he'd already gone through so much, I didn't want to tarnish his innocence. He was such a happy and lively boy, nothing should ever change that. 

After a long while exploring, we stopped at a hot dog stand and bought a couple of snacks, my feet slightly aching after the constant walking. I closed my eyes, savoring the food and the coolness of the lemonade, my taste buds much more aware than ever before. 

"What?" I said, opening my eyes only to find everyone else's on me.

"You're eating a lot," Adrian said with a smile. "Is it because of my little brother?"

I nodded, leaning on to Liam's shoulder. "Mmhm, little brother makes me hungry and a bit tired too."

"You want to head to the hotel?" The question was nothing but a murmur, but I didn't miss the concern in it.

"Yeah, I do actually."

My parents nodded and we headed to the hotel. It had been a long day on the road, even longer with all the walking so I opted for taking a nap. All I knew was that Liam and Adrian went down to the pool with my parents, which I didn't mind at all. If it was my time for relaxing I would take full advantage of it. 

I hated feeling so tired, especially when we were supposed to be having fun. They all understood that it was part of being pregnant; the same thing happened with Adrian. 

*****

My eyes were still closed when I heard Adrian and Liam laughing as they walked into our hotel room. They were talking about something my dad did while at the pool that apparently had been hilarious. My lips tilted up in a small smile when I felt Liam watching over me, his fingers ghosting over my skin ever so gently.

"What was so funny?" I asked, opening my eyes slowly only to notice that it was dark out already.

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah," I replied.

The grin that showed on his face made me melt. "When we went out to the pool it was still a bit sunny, so your mom asked your dad for sunscreen."

"Oh, okay?"

"He put ketchup on her instead."

My eyes widened and Liam chuckled once again. "Is my dad still alive?" I asked, seriously concerned. My mom was not one to play pranks on. 

"He was when we got out of the pool. I'm not sure about now," Liam said, still grinning. "How are you feeling?"

"Still tired." I sat up, a small pout on my lips at the sight of him.

Shirtless, toned and in swim shorts, surely many women had ogled over him. Women typically had a weakness for a handsome man that also happened to be a good father and well, Liam was both.

He leaned in, kissing me. "Why the pretty pout?"

"Other women saw you," I mumbled, running my finger down his chest. 

"A bit jealous, I see," he murmured, kissing me once again. I heard the water in the restroom running, Adrian was showering, so I took advantage and pulled him on top of me, letting him settle between my legs. 

I ran my hands through his wet hair, feeling his tongue slip past my lips and into my mouth. My back arched... I was feeling too damn needy at that moment, and he didn't seem to mind. 

"I love you," I whispered.

He hummed, lowering his lips to my jaw and neck. "Do you want to go out tonight?" The question caught me off guard. Even then, I knew the answer already.

"No," I replied. "But if you all want to, we can go." The words came out breathless as his lips continued their assault on my neck. 

"How about I tell your parents to take Adrian? They wanted to go for a walk through the city but I know you're tired. We can go out with everyone tomorrow, hm?"

I nodded, pressing my lips together to fight back a moan. "Okay, I'll talk to them," he murmured.

The water shut off and Liam pulled back, a smirk on his lips and a large bulge behind his shorts. I giggled, blushing while he tried to hide what was so painfully obvious.

It took minutes for Adrian to be dressed and ready to go. It turned out that he had much more energy than I did at the moment and was anxious to leave to explore the city.

About an hour later my dad, still alive, walked into our bedroom. 

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" He asked, handing me an apple.

"Yes, dad," I smiled. "I'll just get tired and I don't want you all to cut the walk short because of me."

After agreeing to take Adrian with them, my parents left with a very awake and excited eight year old.

"What do you want to do?" Liam asked, organizing the clothes that had been taken out in the past few hours.

I shrugged, flipping through the channels, then throwing the remote when I couldn't find anything interesting.

"We still need to talk about what happened," Liam said with a raised eyebrow.

Right.

"What do you want to know?"

"I don't really want to know anything," Liam said, his eyes finally meeting mine. They looked... regretful. "You know I didn't mean to leave you alone that day, right? You know I didn't want to go to the shop."

Why was he bringing this up? I was aware that he had to go to the shop, otherwise he would have stayed with me.

"I don't understand," I said.

Liam gave me a half smile. "He said you weren't okay when he got there, which I suppose explains the new dent on the wall. I didn't want to leave you alone, but I had to Delilah. Only for those couple of hours and you don't know how worried I was the whole time."

"I know. I don't blame you for that," I replied.

"I knew you needed someone so I called him. I trusted him in that moment to be there for you. He betrayed that trust and now I don't think we can have him around as often. I'll leave it up to you, though. He's your friend, but if he so much glances at you in an inappropriate way I don't think I would be willing to keep him on the case."

"I guess I need to talk to him then," I muttered.

"It's for the best, Delilah. His feelings for you clearly haven't changed."

It was a shame to be in this situation. I truly did care for Brian, but Liam was right. It was unfair to keep him around if his thoughts were fleeting to something that would never happen. Feelings can't be controlled, I knew that, actions could though. And though that kiss might have been something he did out of impulse, I didn't want it to be repeated. Nor did I want problems with Liam.

"Delilah?"

"Yes?"

"I hope there's not a next time, but if there is, please tell me."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," I said.

"Don't apologize. I know it's a difficult position to be in." Finally, Liam sat down next to me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "We have too much to lose to argue over someone else's mistake," he murmured.

Overall, I was proud of the conversation we had. Liam had controlled himself, both his words and his anger and didn't put the blame on me. It was reassuring to see that we could have collected conversations after a problem like that.

"We should order room service," I said with a small grin.

"You hungry?" Liam asked, lowering his hand to my bump.

It was then that I felt it; the familiar fluttering that occurs when the baby moves. My eyes widened and I pressed Liam's hand firm underneath my shirt.

He appeared confused for a moment until he felt a little nudge, just barely there.

"He's moving," he said in awe. Liam looked at me with reverence and so much admiration, like I was the most amazing human being for carrying his child in me.

"Our baby is moving," I said quietly and with tears in my eyes.

He laughed happily and kissed me; a happy kiss that melted away any insecurity.

After losing one of the babies, feeling this one move was comforting. It was our glimmer of hope, our sign that he was going to be just fine.

"I think he moved because he agreed with the idea of room service," I said with a wink.

He erupted in laughter, shaking his head. "I'll get the phone."

*****

A/N: What do you think about their little talk?

& they felt the baby move for the first time:)

Have a lovely day everyone. Stay tuned for the next chapter!

-Luz❤

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