Second First Chances

Chapter Eleven

"Seriously, not even Kate?" Seth asks me as we are sitting in my kitchen eating breakfast right after I told him the events of last night. I might have skipped a few details here and there.
"That was not why I told you the story, Seth" I say glaring at him.
"No, I get it and it does sound like progress but seriously, why didn't you Liam? I mean even back when I liked Sharon before I had the balls to ask her out, I dated other girls, actually made me realize how much I loved her,"
"I shouldn't have told you,"
"C'mon man, you know what I mean!" Seth urges me to speak up.
"I don't know why, Seth. She has always been the one for me. What was the point of leading someone else on when I know there is no one else I can lo—, I don't know, man."
"Even after she left and you didn't know how things are going to end?"
"I don't feel what I feel on the condition that she has to too and you know how fucked up things were. What else she would have done?"
"No, I know that and I am not blaming her. I am just saying that nobody would have blamed you if you would have moved on, not even, Kiera."
"You know I am not gullible to believe that soul mates exist and all that. I do believe that you can find several people who are meant to be with you. I was just lucky enough to find her this soon and nobody else ever mattered, you know that"
"You are whipped, mate"
"Shut up," I say as he teases me
"I am going. Kiera and I are carpooling to the university,"
"Hey, I study there too,"
"Too bad, shouldn't have irritated me,"
"Yeah, that's why you are not giving me a ride," he says smirking with insinuation again.
"Fuck off," I say as I exit the house to get my car.

Brushing off Seth's insinuations, I send a text to Kiera as I wait outside her house. The memories of last night fill my mind as soon as I see her walking out. An involuntary smile creeps on my face as I remember her reaction after what I said to Reece last night. I saw the faint blush on her cheeks as I murmured in her ears in the study. It took all my will favor to walk back to Reece because I knew she had her dosage of unexpected last night and anymore would just bring back her emotional wall, the one that I am finally seeing break a little.
"Erm, good morning," she greets me with a small smile, awkwardness evident in her tone.
"Good morning, Let's go?"
"Yeah,"
"Do you want to grab a tea from the Bistro before we head for college?" I ask her as I open the door for her to sit in the car.
I can see her think, before she hesitantly agrees.
As I drive to The Bistro, I can see Kiera fidget with the hem of her white dress in my peripheral vision.
"'Did you sleep alright after losing three times to a nine-year old boy, Liam?;'Gee, thanks for asking, Kiera. Yes, I did,"
Kiera turns her head to me with a puzzled expression, "What are you doing Liam?", she ask in a monotone.
"Well, since you have decided not to speak whatever's going on in your head and be a bore, I thought I will start a pretend conversation, you know, a conversation, something two people have,"
She rolls her eyes before turning back the other way looking outside the window now.
Think, Liam. Think.
"Erm, I, erm, just wanted to thank you for last night, Liam," she says as she slowly looks at me, finally breaking the silence.
"...For which part, love?" I say winking at her.
"The talk, Liam," she says slapping my arm.
"It just kind of hard, you know?"
"What is?" she says her eyes scrunching together in confusion.
"To digest sorrys and thank yous when all I have heard is jerk and arsehole from you all my life,"
"Shut up!" she feigns anger but I see a small smile escape her lips.
"That's more like it."