Say Hello For Me

t h i r t y - s e v e n || the light

Not even Vy knows how long she has been standing in the doorway. All she knows is that she's heard enough of the conversation to understand. She stands still, the palm of her hand still wrapped around the metallic doorknob. She's afraid that if she takes even the slightest step forward, her already broken heart will shatter into a million pieces onto the floor for both Liam and Nessa to witness.

"That's why you didn't say it back the other night," Vy utters after multiple beats of ear shattering silence.

The gears in her head churn, processing all the information as it continuously smacks her in the middle of her forehead. Her brain is in overload, her vision partially blurred, and her judgment severely inhibited by the rush of emotions flooding her system.

"I think I'm supposed to be angry," Vy squeezes her eyes shut and nods her head slowly, "but I don't want be angry with either of you right now."

Liam's the first to approach Vy, his hand reaching out for her arm. He waits for her hesitant approval before he pulls her against his chest, taking her into his arms. It's hard to tell if the moisture collecting on her cheeks are remnants of the rainstorm outside or freshly fallen tears. Nessa hopes it's the former.

"Vy," Liam says quietly, whispering into her ear. "You're allowed to be angry. In fact, you're supposed to be furious with me. I think this is the part where you're supposed to smack me and make sure the curve of your hand stays imprinted in my skin."

"Why would I hit you?" she wonders aloud, stepping back from Liam. Her swollen brown eyes are tinted red, but there's a certain warmth emanating from the depth of her irises despite the temperature of the cold atmosphere.

"Because I deserve it," Liam tells her honestly. "I really do."

"But you don't, Liam." Her voice crescendos against the raindrops tapping on the window, begging for their attention. "It's not like you've really done anything wrong anyways. You fell in love with someone else. So what? Thousands of people fall in love with other people around the world every day. Love is supposed to be celebrated. Why are we focusing on the heartbreak?"

As Nessa stands off to the sideline, she's reminded of something she's always known about her best friend. There are few people in this world with Vy's empathetic capacity, her endless compassion for other people. It's in the way she always manages to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the way she's always certain that there's light even when she's surrounded by complete darkness.

But the one thing Vy hasn't realized is that she herself is the light others are searching for.

"Maybe this was just an accident or maybe it was planned from the beginning. But the point is, you weren't trying to hurt me," A teardrop falls from the corner of Vy's eye as the words leave her mouth. "At least, that's what I'm telling myself. And maybe I'm just being incredulously naive, but I like to believe in the best of people."

"That's what we love about you, Vy. I wish my heart was half as big as yours," Nessa says. "I just want you to know that this was never supposed to happen. It was the last thing either of us wanted."

"I know, Ness."

"How can you not be mad at us?" Liam asks. "Because even if I didn't physically cheat on you, my heart has been unfaithful."

"How can I be mad at you when you say things like that?"

She answers when he can't. "Trust me, Liam. I want to be furious at the two of you for stomping on my heart, but that's even harder than letting myself be happy for you. But I shouldn't be anything but happy because two of the people I love most in this world have someone managed to find each other. You two would've never met each other if it weren't for me. I'm equally responsible for this."

Nessa glances at Liam, thinking about the fate he's so keen on believing in. But what if there isn't such thing as fate? What if all fate really is comes down to luck, timing, and coincidence? Who controls that if we are the ones who make our own choices?

"And since I love both of you, the transitive property tells me I should love the idea of you two together even more. I can't possibly be mad at that."

"This really isn't the time to slip math into the conversation." Liam chuckles lightly.

"I guess you've really influenced me, and I'm thankful for that. This is just a means to an end."