The Things We Lost // l.p.

Chapter 8

How did I not make those connections? His friends father. I should have seen that coming, I can't believe I didn't?

"Oh." I choke out, I reach for my coke taking a large sip. The liquid not helping me at all.

"Yeah his son's name is Liam. Do you know him?" he asks, looking at me. I search his eyes before giving him an answer, trying to decide if he knows about Liam and I.

"No, I've never heard of him." I say putting on a friendly smile even though on the inside my frown has to be bigger than the permanant one my father wears after everything he's gone through in his life.

"Maybe you'll meet him one day, with me." he says hopeful.

"Maybe," I try to laugh but it ends up sounding like an awkward cough. "So are you guys close or. . ." I ask hoping I'll be able to figure out how close of a relationship they have.

"Liam and I?" I nod, anxious to hear this answer. "We've known each other for a long time, I'd say ever since him and his father started living here five years ago- I think." So Liam has been here five years? I know him and his father stay here but I wonder how often he gets to see his mother? Probably not very, with her and her father both working all of the time, in seperate countries if I may add.

"That's. . ." I pause trying to find the right word, "awesome?" I decide on. It's awesome for him, not for me though.

"Yeah he's great, you'd probably like him." he smiles at me and I laugh. A real laugh, the sound is awful as everything between me and Liam flashes before my eyes. "Are you okay? Did I say something?" he asks frowning, his eyebrows pulling together in concern. My obnoxious laughing draws Donna and Sean's attention, each of them raising an eyebrow.

"He's talking about his friend Liam." I say laughing, pointing to Niall with my thumb and trying to control the insane fits of laughter. Donna frowns when she hears this, worry overtaking her face and giving me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry." she mouths to me and I shake my head, frustration clear in my actions. Niall doesn't say anything, he looks at me a little bewildered. Great, he thinks I'm insane now.

Misfortune isn't even a good way to explain what is happening. I'm literally only drawn to things that have to do with Liam, now that I've met him. He's freaking everywhere, unavoidable apparently. The frustrating part of it all is that I needed this, so badly and even with my blind date he magically becomes the center of my conversations. I've sworn him off, I need to stay away from him or he'll hurt me and throw my weakness a.k.a my feelings for him back in my face like he's done multiple times already. I can't handle his bipolar status or whatever the heck he has. It'll be the death of me if I'm not careful. Niall was perfect until I asked him about his friends dad. I regret asking, I didn't need to know. Why did I have to be so nosey. I'm sure I would have found out eventually, just maybe when I was in a better state of mind would have been nice.

I'm relieved when the waiteress brings our food because that means that the date is more than halfway over, that's what I'm hoping anyway. I don't take my eyes off my food, even when Donna asks me if I like it, I nod and continue to push the chicken around on my plate eating some of it every now and then. By the time Niall has downed his whole burger I only have about half of my own food eaten. My appetite is gone after our talk about Liam. The whole table is quiet as we all eat, my creepy laughing the last part of a long and sturdy conversation we'd all had. I feel bad for making everything so uncomfortable. The waitress brings the check and a box for me to take the rest of my pasta home, since I'm the only one who didn't finish eating. Liam always seems to distract me, no matter what I'm doing. Niall and Sean split the bill, paying half of it each.

"Thanks." I say in an awkard tone, saying the first word to him I've said in over ten minutes.

"No problem." he smiles to me, something about it makes my skin crawl, in a good way though.