Inevitable

Decision Made

I figured I had two options. I could get upset and ruin my night or I could act like I wasn't phased by their presence and continue to enjoy myself. I decided on option B. Liam spotted me first. I didn't know what he expected from me after declaring that he loved me the other night. I didn't feel that way about him anymore. I wanted to be with Henry.
    He came over to me and pulled me in for a hug that lasted longer than I felt comfortable with. I pulled myself out of his arms and he left one arm resting on my shoulders. Jess, Nick, and Melissa followed behind him. I moved away from Liam to stand next to Jess. I didn't want his arm around me. Why did he have to be pushy about it?
    I turned to Jess and said, "Hey, I'm surprised to see you here. Sorry I never called you back. I had to work all day."

"It's cool. We figured this is where you would be. Liam wanted to come see you. Isn't that so sweet of him?"

So this is how she was going to play it. She was going to try to push Liam and I together to keep me away from Henry. I almost wanted to laugh at her. It felt like being in the middle of a late 90's teen rom-com. She could do whatever she wanted. I had made my choice. If she wanted to stay my friend, she needed to accept that.

"Yeah, real sweet. I'm just going to grab another beer and head back to the music. I came here to see Henry and his band. They sound awesome. Jane and Bill are still in there. You should go and try to find them."

At least I had my intentions perfectly clear. I hoped Liam took the hint and would back off a little. I really didn't want to have to confront him here tonight. I promised myself I would let him down gently tomorrow. But this wasn't the time or place.
Liam walked up to the bar and pushed his way to the front. He started talking to the guy behind the bar like they were best friends. I guess he knew some people here. The guy handed over a bunch of beers and he walked back over to our group. He handed out the cans and Nick clapped him on the back in gratitude. He handed one to me last and came and stood next to me. I thanked him and turned to walk back to the room where Henry was playing. I felt Liam follow me. I really didn't want Henry to see me with Liam. They almost came to blows the other night. I didn't want a repeat of that.
I pushed my way through the crowd again to where Jane and Bill were dancing. When I found them, I gave Jane a look that I hoped conveyed how uncomfortable I was with everyone being there. She looked shocked to see everyone and gave me a look of sympathy. At least she understood.

I tried to keep some distance from Liam but every time I would move, he followed me and stood next to me. Jess and Melissa had satisfied smiles on their face. I was getting angrier by the minute seeing them so happy with themselves. It was like my feelings meant nothing to them. As much as I hated the idea of getting into a fight with both of them, I was going to have to confront them. What they were doing was bordering on disrespect.
I needed to salvage my mood. I came here to see Henry and there were so many obstacles being put in the way. I decided to try to get as close to the stage as I could. I started weaving my way through the crowd. Even though I was getting a lot of dirty looks, I continued to push forward. I had no clue if anyone was trying to follow me but I really didn't care. Finally I was up front. There were only a few people between me and the stage. They were playing a Killers song. I doubted Henry would be able to see me but at least I could now see him.
I don't think I would ever get over seeing him perform. He had so much confidence and just was so into it. I would have to tell him how good he was. I was singing along to the music when I noticed that he was looking directly at me. I figured with the lights he couldn't really see anything. He smiled and pointed at me to let me know he saw me. I blew him a kiss and he laughed. It was so unlike me but he brought out that side of me.
I continued to dance and sing along to the music. Thankfully, no one had followed me to the front. I wasn't going anywhere while Henry was performing. After a few more songs, Henry announced that they were taking a break and would be back in 15 minutes. He hopped off stage and made a beeline for me. I jumped into his arms and gave him a hug. I didn't care that we weren't suppose to be touching each other. I was just so excited to see him after watching him perform. I could tell there were some very disappointed girls in that room.
He shouted into my ear that he needed some fresh air. He grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd. I quickly saw Liam's disappointed face in the crowd as we walked by. I knew I had done nothing wrong but I still felt bad. It would have been easier if he had never come here.
Henry grabbed a couple of waters from behind the bar as we walked past and then headed towards the back of the house. We went through the kitchen to the backdoor. A rush of cold air hit me in the face when I stepped outside. I decided I didn't want to hold back anymore. High on liquid courage, I grabbed Henry's face and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up to bring me closer. I ran my hand along the stubble on his cheek. I put everything I was feeling into that kiss. I let him know with my actions that I wanted to be with him. Nothing else mattered.
He lowered me back to the ground and pulled away from my face. He cupped my face in his hands and looked directly into my eyes.

"What does this mean?" he asked me.

"I don't want to just be friends. I want more. I want.....everything. I don't care about what's happened in the past or what other people think. I trust you."

He smiled down at me and leaned in for another kiss. This one was gentler and slower but it felt more intimate. After it was over, he sat down on the steps and pulled me down next to him. He grabbed one of the water bottles and handed me the other one. He downed half of his in one gulp. I took a sip of mine. We both just sat there with goofy looks on our faces. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. I buried my face into his shirt. I don't think I had ever been happier in my life.