Second First Chances

Chapter Three

It was six o'clock and I was sitting with Mum on the couch in our living room catching up with her. I missed this place so much. My home was a 5-bedroom bungalow with Victorian styled interiors and wooden flooring. Mum had hung our pictures all over the house. The living room had a huge couch in front of the television with a hallway leading to the kitchen and the dining space. My brother, Luke, has a giant piano that just sat in the corner of the living room. Though he has been living in San Francisco for the past seven years, with Jenifer, his wife, no one is allowed to move the piano. Mum had her room on the ground floor along with the room that was Grandpa's which she changed into her office after his death.

My room was on the first floor along with Luke's and the other guest bedroom. Exactly as it was when I left. The walls of my room where plain white except for one of them which was pitch black. Sharon and I painted it that way when I wanted to put up all my Polaroid along with some fairy lights all over the wall. All twenty-one years of my life right in front of my bed.

It was 4 o'clock when Mum went into the kitchen to get started with dinner and I decided to go back to my room to unpack. I got back to Oxford last night and there is still a lot of stuff that I have to unpack but no matter how hard I tried my mind just drifted to Liam, thinking of how I will face him tonight.
Especially after I left. Again.

I start looking at the Polaroids. Liam was in most of them. There were Polaroids of us on swings in the playground, when we graduated middle school, Homecoming, Halloween parties, when we went to the country house, when we went trekking, when we went to the beach, and so much more like a picture diary of my life.
I eventually came to the most recent picture, taken at a fair, a few days before the night that changed everything for me.
And suddenly I was playing the entire incident in my head all over again.
Without me realizing, a tear rolled down my left eye.
And I broke. Again. All over again.
And I just sat on the bed trying to stop myself from feeling anything; crying and remembering what happened three years ago, not knowing when sleep and exhaustion hit me. 

I woke up to Mum's shout, at quarter to seven, telling me to get dressed and come downstairs. I went to the bathroom and looked at the dried tear marks mixed with my mascara all over my face.
Get a grip, Kiera. It's okay. It's been three years and you cannot change the past.
After a feeble attempt at reassuring myself, I changed into some clean clothes, combed my hair and went downstairs, straight to the kitchen.

"Anything I can help with, Mum?" I say hoping she doesn't hear the exhaustion in my voice.
"No, thank you darling."
I was about to pick up the apple from the fruit basket when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get that", I said heading to the main door.

I open the door to find a screaming Sharon and Seth standing just behind her chuckling at us.
"Oh my God! Don't you ever disappear on us like that. I will murder you. I know a thousand new ways now" she said.
"I know not to mess with a doctor."
"To-be doctor. And look at you, did you start modelling at Cambridge."
I hugged her immediately. She was my best girlfriend in the whole wide world and not talking to her for the past three years has been incredibly tough. I missed her so much and having her back in my life, made me feel little better about coming back home.
I welcomed them inside, while unconsciously looking at the house in front of me expecting to catch a glimpse of him.
Well, he will be here soon enough.

Mum came out of the kitchen, smiling and screaming just like Sharon was moments ago, hugging the both of them.
"I don't see you two enough. I am beginning to feel you only come here for Kiera."
"Psshh. I only come here for you and your mint chocolate chip cookies", Seth attempted at buttering her up.
"Mhmm", Mum replied feigning him away.
"Now go do whatever you kids do, I will be in kitchen only." she added.
"We are almost in our mid-twenties but she still sees us as 13 year olds", I said as Mum went back to the kitchen while we sat on the couch.
"So, how's Cambridge been like?" Sharon questions me.
"It was great. I learned a lot. The professors were great and the vibe is so different from Oxford. I am glad to be back though."
We started chatting away. It's been almost 45 minutes and I couldn't stop myself from looking at the door every minute, getting more anxious as time passed by.
I know Sharon and Seth noticed me, though they were kind enough not to say anything...yet.

We were about to head to the dining table when the doorbell rang making my heart skip a beat.
"I'll get it", Seth said heading towards the door whilst I sat still just staring in the direction of the door.
As Seth opened the door, Samantha, Liam's mom, entered, smiling and walking to the living room to hug me. She was Mum's childhood friend, which is why she has been like a second mother to me all these years. Even after three years I could see the sadness in her eyes. I can't even comprehend what went through her mind that night and how she had the courage to behave so normally, with no ounce of resentment or hatred towards me or Mum.
Samantha told me how much she missed having me around as she pulled apart from the hug bringing my attention back to her.
"You look so pretty."
"Thank you, Sam. You look as young as ever. Mum's been in the kitchen asking about you for the past half an hour", I said, my gaze averting towards the door.
She chuckled at my attempt at flattery, playfully hitting the side of head and headed to the kitchen clearing my line of vision for the door.

Seth entered soon enough with a pitiful look on his face.
"I forgot to tell you. He had to go to London for a client emergency. I am sorry."

I was relieved.
I was devastated.
He is busy.
He is angry at me.
I tried to put on a bold front acting that it was okay, trying not to read too much into it.

The rest of the dinner went by rather quickly. We shared some laughs and everybody kept telling me about all the amazing parties I have missed and how they were so happy that I was back.
I was happy to be back with all of them. It was easy to go to back to normal with them.
All except one.
It almost felt like a normal, casual evening except for the thought of Liam not being here lingering at the back of mind.

At around half past ten, Sam left, followed by Seth soon enough. Sharon stayed back for a "girl's night out".
This is going to be interesting.

********

Author's Note:

You get to meet new characters in this chapter. I understand if you are keen on seeing Kiera and Liam together but you will have to wait a little bit longer, just a little bit.

I hope you guys like it.
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Happy Reading ❤❤