He opens his mouth to respond but snaps it shut when the front door opens and I hear my precious daughter laughing at the top of her lungs. “You feel it yet?” he asks after a few minutes. Today has been the most fun that I’ve had in a long time.
I look down at where he’s kneeling against the floor and just drink him in.
He looks up from where he’s been studying my thigh and gives me a long accessing look. “I feel fine,” I tell him and honestly I am. “It’s going to hurt more if we don’t put ice on it. I look up, smiling at him and shake my head. If the look on his face was any indication, he liked seeing that big wonky smile. It was still shining huge when his phone came up, flash went off, and I know that had I looked when Liam did, I would see one big wonky smile on my face in that picture. That smile was shining bright when I watched Liam hand his phone over to the owner, grab me by my middle and position me in front of him. Of course, the pain was easily forgotten when I watched Liam stop and turn sharply and pelt the guy with one try before he dropped down to make sure I was okay. Not even when one of the last blue players got me right in the back of my thigh and the burning pain caused me to face plant in the middle of the field. I look over at him with a smile, the same smile that hasn’t left since my first hit during the paintball game. “LET ME PUT ICE ON it, please,” Liam asks for the tenth time since we pulled up at my house. He gives me a nod and for the next thirty minutes I feel, just like he asked, and for the first time in a long time, while the adrenaline is rushing around and my heart is about to beat out of my chest, I’m looking forward to every second that is to come. When I pull back, his smile matches my own. I drop my gun and grab his padded shoulders and give him a huge hug. When I drop back down to where Liam is waiting and turn to look at him, the smile on my face can’t be stopped. I can’t explain the feelings running through my system. When I hit her clear in the back with one of my yellow paint balls the adrenaline rushing through my body spikes, and I feel like my body might explode with excitement. With a ridiculous amount of jittering, I bring my own gun up and let off a few pops. I see a few yellow helmets, but my gaze zeros in on one lone blue one with her back to me. My hands shake as I pull myself up and peer around the side. My mind is telling me to run, but the look of joy on Liam’s face, transforming him from handsome to panty-soaking gorgeous, makes me want to keep it there. I can’t figure out if I’m feeling pure fear or excitement. My blood is pulsing through my veins so hard that I can hear it roaring in my ears. I hear a grunt and then a muted curse before Liam turns with an even bigger smile. It takes me a few seconds to get my head in the game, but when I hear Liam laugh, I watch as he pops his head around the side before pulling his gun up to pop off a few shots. Liam grabs my hand and pulls me toward one of the bunker like shielded areas. Liam looks over and gives me a wink through his goggles and when I hear the buzzer sound I watch as everyone scatters. “Ready?” the owner asks when we make it to the group of ten or so other people all geared up in yellow and blue helmets.
There are different areas clearly meant to shield and some that look like my worst physical education nightmare come to life. The whole thing looks like some weird obstacle course. I kept chanting that as we make our way out the door into the back of the center. He taps my yellow helmet and then points to his own. “How do I know they’re on our team?” I ask lamely. “I think you got it, darlin’, just point and shoot. His grin grows and he walks over to show me how it works. He laughs and hands over my paint ball gun. Liam looks over after he adjusts the strap on his own helmet, and gives me a grin. I’m not sure how I’m expected to move around like this. After the longest hour of my life while the owner runs us through the rules and safety procedures, I’m being suited up with more protective gear than the swat team probably wears.
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