We got out of the car and headed up for the door. Liam knocked, and then looked to me. “Ignore her mom. She's a snob, but her dad is really laid back. He's nice,” Liam whispered, just as the door opened.
The man I had seen before opened the door. I assumed he was her dad, and I was proven right when Liam shook hands with him and called him Mr. Turner.
“She's in the living room,” he said, smiling. He then looked to me. “You must be Falon,” he said, and extended his hand. I shook it.
“Yes sir,” I replied.
He moved out of our way. “There's some meatloaf in the kitchen if you boys are hungry,” he told us.
“They didn't come to eat, dad. They came to see me,” she said, emphasizing the last word.
Liam moved quicker than I did, leaving me and her dad behind a few feet. He got on the floor beside Hilary, and reached forward and touched her face.
She jumped, and then I watched her land a punch between his chest and arm. “Stop doing that! Make sound. It's not like I can see you,” she argued.
“And it's not like I can hear if I make a sound or not,” he told her. She broke out into a laugh, and felt his chest with her hands. Then she brought herself closer to him and rested her head on his shoulders.
Hilary was wearing dark glasses, the kind that were round, and nearly the size of her face, but completely black. She looked more like a movie star than a blind girl.
“I brought Falon, just like you asked,” Liam replied.
Hilary lifted her head and reached out to touch Liam's face. She squeezed his nose and then smiled. “Where is he? I want to touch him,” she said immediately.
I widened my eyes at Liam and mouthed 'Touch me?'. He grinned and gestured for me to come closer. I did, hesitantly, and sat down on the other side of her.
“He's right in front of you,” Liam told her.
Hilary turned, and she reached out her hands. She touched my arms, and then she started to move up. I sat stiffly as her hands moved up my neck, and then touching my face.
I was taken back to my night with Julie, when she had held my face. When she had looked into my eyes and told me that it was just us on the dance floor. No one else.
Just us.
And then I ruined it.
Hilary spread her fingers across my face, over each scar and deformity, until every inch of my face had been surveyed. When she pulled away, she was smiling, and she turned her head in the direction of Liam.
“And you said he was ugly,” she told him.
Liam grinned and started to laugh, running his hand through her hair. “That's my girl,” he told her, kissing her forehead.
“One of these days, someone is going to punch you in the face,” I told him with a glare.
Liam grinned. “Want first whack at it?”
“You can let me for a birthday present,” I told him, smiling in return.
“Birthday? Did I miss your birthday?” Hilary asked quickly.
“No. You've got another month,” I assured her.
“Julie will force you to have a party. She'll-” Hilary started, and then Liam pinched her arm. “Ow! What was that fo- Oh. Sorry,” she said.
Maybe she didn't see my face pale, but Liam did. He saw that look of pain that her name brought along with it, and he rescued me. I'd have to rethink that 'punch him in the face' idea.
“So, um, I hear you're the one that tracked me down,” she said, her voice unsure. She wanted to quickly ease the tension.
“Yeah. Strike of luck, I guess,” I said.
She scoffed. “There's no such thing as luck. Only fate. If God hadn't placed you there at the right time, we wouldn't have met,” she replied, touching Liam's face the entire time.
“I guess you should be glad that kid threw up everywhere. Otherwise, you may have never been blessed by my presence,” Liam told her, and Hilary laughed at him.
“I can't see it, but it feels like your head is getting bigger from that ego of yours,” she told him.
Liam smiled, and I watched how the blind girl, and deaf boy were able to make this work.
There was something surreal about their relationship, a kind of simplicity in something so complicated. What one couldn't give, the other could. She would never see his face, and he would never hear her voice, two things that were usually needed in couples.
They didn't need it. For the next few hours, most of our conversations were spent with them facing each other, Liam watching her mouth, ignoring half of what I said, and Hilary holding his face, smiling at the feel.
I wasn't sure what Liam was trying to pull by bringing me here, but I had a feeling he was trying to arouse those feelings I was desperately trying to push down.
By showing me how their relationship worked, and how smoothly it could just roll by, Julie and I had no problems.
Reverse psychology. I could punch Liam.
♥
It wasn't until Liam parked in my front yard that I said anything to him. When I asked him 'why' Liam merely smiled his signature grin and shrugged.
“Because it works out for guys like us. You just have to take the risk,” he told me.
“It's not that easy,” I said. “Julie already went through a disastrous relationship. I don't want to put her through another one.”
“You don't have much say in the matter,” Liam replied. “Julie can decide if she wants to risk it. She's earned the right to say what she
