Left With Liam

Chapter 6

Mel

Liam and I quickly make ourselves scarce, shutting the door to the apartment firmly behind us so the lovebirds will hear that we've left. We plan on giving them several hours alone to celebrate their good news.

It's been a long journey for them to get to this point. T.J.'s doctors were exercising extra caution before allowing him to play again, and they wanted him to return for several additional scans to make sure nothing was missed anywhere. They had difficulty believing that he came out of his accident unscathed.

They thought for sure, there would be some kind of residual damage. That assumption has proven untrue. His recovery was a miracle.

I often tell myself that Justin is still watching over us, that he somehow helped bring T.J. back to Tay so she could have a long, happy life with her soulmate. That thought warms my heart. I smile lightly as the idea permeates my mind.

Liam must have noticed. "What's the smile for?"

I look up at him and notice a glint in his eyes. "Just thinking about how happy I am for them. They deserve this."

He nods thoughtfully, looking away for a moment before responding. "Yeah. Those two have been waiting for this day for a long time. The what-ifs have been haunting them for too long."

I feel my brows furrow as our pace slows. "The what-ifs?"

Liam replies, "Yeah, you know- what if the scans missed something, what if the damage hasn't made itself known, what if his next concussion will be his last. Those lingering, frightening questions that would wreck their world."

Letting those questions sink into my mind, I start to feel a heaviness weigh on my heart. "Wow, I hadn't even thought of that."

Before I can delve too deep into the rabbit hole, Liam tries to lighten the mood. "Hey, they got great news today! Don't think about the heavy stuff. It looks like those nightmares are over. Just one more scan to be sure, and T.J. can go back to living normally without the weight of the what-ifs on his back. They both can."

That makes me smile. "You're right."

I let out a heavy sigh, willing the negative emotions to leave my body along with my breath. Then I turn to Liam. "Let's do something fun. Something to celebrate the news in our own way."

Liam gives me a toothy smile, making my stomach flutter. "Fun stuff coming right up!"

He puts an arm around me, stroking my shoulder lightly as we head in the direction of my favorite food truck- Nico's Tacos.

~

After finishing our food, Liam suggests we see a movie. Since we intend to give our roommates privacy in the apartment for the next several hours, I figure it's a good place to start. We decide on a comedy and head to our designated theater.

During the movie, I can't help but notice how close Liam and I are. The dim lights and cozy setting inside the theater make this situation seem kind of intimate. More than once, our arms brushed against one another on our shared armrest. When that would happen, we would both shyly remove our arms and exchange apologetic smiles.

I don't know why, but as the movie continued, I found myself wishing that he would leave his arm touching mine. It gave me a warm, comforting feeling, and I found myself wishing for more contact.

When the movie ended, Liam said he knew something else we could do to pass the time before we returned home. Without question, I told him to lead the way. I had no idea what he had in store, but I found myself incredibly excited to find out the mystery location we were headed to.

~

When we reach our destination, I can't help but laugh. Liam has brought us to the Central Park Zoo. I don't remember the last time I went to the zoo, but I always loved walking around and seeing the animals, especially the penguins.

Liam looks at me expectantly. "So, what do you think? Yes? No? Totally lame?"

I shake my head, my smile still spread wide across my cheeks. "I love it! Let's go!"

He laughs as he grabs my hand, pulling me toward the entrance. "I haven't been here in so long, but I think you can feed the penguins at one of the exhibits."

Unable to contain my excitement, I walk us faster toward the zoo. "Oh, heck yes! We have to do that!"

Liam chuckles as he easily falls into step alongside me.

~

After two and a half hours, we leave the zoo. It was so much fun. We not only got to feed the penguins but also the sea lions. I don't remember the last time I had so much fun at the zoo. Maybe it had something to do with the company.

We're still laughing as we start to head back home, both assuming that it's safe to return at this point. We decide to walk since it's nice out, talking about the day we just shared. It's nice to do this, to get out and do things with Liam, just the two of us. Usually, when we hang out, it's in a group setting, so we are surrounded by people.

Now, when it's just the two of us, I'm starting to see Liam in a new light. The awkwardness of the other day in the kitchen hasn't come up or even crossed my mind. He hasn't made me feel uncomfortable in any way. And he's been a perfect gentleman.

He insisted on paying for lunch, the movie, and our trip to the zoo. The more I think about it, the more this day seems like a date, but it isn't. Is it?

No. It can't be. Can it?

He invited me out to give Tay and T.J. some alone time. That's all.

But what if I'm wrong. What if he used that as an excuse to take me out on an unofficial date?

Huh...

My wandering train of thought is stopped in its tracks as Liam nudges my side. "Hey, you okay? You seem distracted."

I shake away my confusing thoughts before they can ruin this otherwise perfect day. "I'm alright. Just zoned out for a second. Do you think they're still going at it?"

He laughs softly. "I think by now, they'd be worn out. If I'm wrong, we'll just have to find more to fill out our day." He smiles sweetly at me. His eyes betray him, telling me he has more he wants to say. They're boring into me, questioning, longing.

I almost ask what he's not saying but decide better of it, unsure if I'm ready to hear the answer. I choose instead to change the topic.

"So, what was your favorite part of the day?"

He turns his gaze to the sidewalk as he contemplates. "I've got to say, the zoo. I know most of the stuff there is for kids, but I had a lot of fun."

I smile, thinking the same thing. "Me too. The penguin feeding was the best. They're my favorite."

He looks back at me. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yep. Did you know penguins are one of the few members of the animal kingdom that mate for life? Most of them anyway."

Liam looks down at his feet for a second before turning his attention back to me. His eyes meet mine as he softly replies, "I do know that."

The air between us starts to grow heavy, and I feel myself growing nervous under his intense stare. There's something there, behind his eyes. Something he refuses to put to words, but I have a feeling that something is going to come out sooner or later.

And I think I know just what that something is. It's the one thing haunting my conscience. The one thing I've been thinking myself, ever since that night in our bathroom.

I just don't know if I'm ready to face it yet.