Only You

Chapter 4|Liza

•...people would have high expectations of me, expectations I knew that no matter how hard I tried I would never measure up to them.•

For a while, no one said anything. We both stared at each other with stupid smiles on our faces. Close up, I could see the actual colour of his eyes, they were more blue than green like a mixture of both colours, but they still reminded me of the ocean. Ocean eyes.

He cleared his throat, embarrassment bloomed in me and I quickly looked away.

"I'm Cole by the way. Cole Grayson." He held out his hand which I shook, a little too eagerly.

"Liza, I mean Elizabeth Barnes but call me Liza."

"So um, I noticed that you came here with Lea Monnet. Do you two know each other?"

He spoke with such confidence and clarity, obviously this wasn't his first time talking to a girl unlike me who was currently struggling to get words to come out of my mouth.

"Lea? Uh yeah, we're roommates actually." I found a common ground and I was going to use it well. "How do you know Lea?"

He smiled. "We grew up together, she's basically my little sister. Although I wasn't aware Lea had a second roommate. I've met the first one and I'm honestly quite surprised and disappointed that I had never met you."

I flushed, partly because I was flustered mostly because I was embarrassed. Lea had mentioned that she had someone in Uni who was like a family to her and she wanted me to meet that person, but the mere thought of just being in the same room with someone acquainted with Lea, overwhelmed me. It me feel insufficient, like the fact that I was roommates and best friends with someone like Lea meant people would have high expectations of me, expectations I knew that no matter how hard I tried I would never measure up to them.

I looked away, suddenly wishing that I had let my hair down today so I could hide behind it.

"Um do you have any idea where she might be?" I asked, still facing away from me.

"Actually I do. She and her friends are most likely to have hit up the bar at the far west side. Do you want me to take you there?"

I didn't but I would probably end up lost and crying if I tried to find my way around on my own. So I nodded.

He walked past me and I followed closely behind him. I bit my lip in annoyance, if my hair was loose I would have most definitely pulled it.

What the hell was wrong with me? Why couldn't I at least make small talk with him? Why was it that whenever I opened my mouth to say something, the words would die at the tip of me tongue? Why was I so fucking awkward? I hate myself so much.

I sighed, looking down at the ground as I walked behind him deep in thought. I didn't see him stop so I ended up walking into his back. I stumbled back but didn't fall over.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" He placed his hand on my shoulder.

His touch distracted me and I couldn't form a proper sentence so I just settled for a nod.

Eyes narrowed, he stared at me with such intensity that I couldn't help but look away. I couldn't hold eye contact with anyone and it was no different with him. "You know Liza, you don't have to be so awkward around me?"

My heard thundered at the sound of my name from his mouth for the first time. When my brain finally registered to what he just said, I flushed wishing the ground would just open up and swallow me whole, anything to save me from embarrassment. He didn't know that I was awkward around everybody not just him but with him, my awkwardness was a hundred time worse.