The Final Project

Chapter 45

Ava

I watch my reflection in the bathroom mirror, my hair wet, and Liam's clothes engulfing my body. I look ridiculous. His sweatpants, even with the waistband folded in, are loose, and his t-shirt many sizes too big. I wander downstairs anyway, too tired to consider changing into my old outfit.

"Hi," I announce myself in a quiet voice, unsure how to go about this whole situation. What does one even say when they're at their 'ex's' house?  Liam watches me as I walk down the stairs, his eyes shamelessly tracing down the length of my body. I can already feel myself getting flustered from his gaze, my cheeks burning in embarrassment.

This stairway feels too long, and I so badly want to reach the bottom. Something in my mind is saying, "Run, Ava. Run before you fall so hard that you can't get up." But I don't. I don't run. I walk slowly, watching Liam as I take meticulous steps. I like the reaction I'm getting out of him-I look so silly, but he isn't making me feel that way. He's making me feel kinda...good? I guess he likes that I'm wearing his clothes, but that's just an optimistic thought. He more likely thinks that I look ridiculous, but is trying to be nice about it. Once I get down the last step of the stairs, he smirks subtly, eventually meeting eyes with me again.

"Hi," he says back, as quietly as I did.

"Well, hello to you too." I hear an unfamiliar voice. Liam and I break eye contact, and I find a guy sitting on a stool in front of the kitchen island. And before I'm able to question who he is, he gets up from his seat, and reaches for my hand. "I'm Jason." He pauses to grin at Liam with a knowing smile.

Liam rolls his eyes, both of them now communicating through expressions. My head goes back, and forth as I try to decipher what they're saying, but it's of no use. "What is it?" I end up asking. I half-laugh as I grab a plate of pasta, curious but trying to hide it.

"Nothing..." Jason replies, still a hint of a smile on his face. Liam doesn't say much, now sitting beside me on the kitchen stool. I can feel the warmth of his body, our arms almost touching while we eat. Our legs are also in close vicinity, and as I shift myself under the table, my knee brushes his lower thigh. I let the touch linger a second too long, and quickly pull it away. Stop, Ava. It's not like that anymore.

Jason sits to the other side of me, munching so atrociously loud that I can't help but grin. As if reading my mind, Liam speaks. "Can you chew any fucking louder, J?" I take a sip of water, enjoying this encounter. It's not malicious at all, more or less harmless. In response to Liam, Jason flips him off.

And then he rebuttals."Can that stick be shoved any further up your ass, Li?" I choke, stifling a laugh that's lodged in my throat. I can feel Liam's eyes boring the right side of my face, and I wince.

"Sorry..." I look away from him in misery, but he turns me back around, handing me a medicine bottle.

"The doctor said you have to take it." I sigh because I know he's right; I just hate taking pills. I take one out anyway, and start to put it towards my mouth. Clearly, I'm too slow because Liam does it for me, a water bottle meeting my lips immediately after. I grimace at the sour taste coating my tongue but swallow it away quickly.

"You have to sleep now," he instructs while running his hand through his hair, his eyes everywhere but on me. "I'll stay down here."

I watch Liam's apprehensiveness, like he so badly wants to show how much he cares, like he so badly wants to be that boy from a year ago, but he's afraid of having his heart burned...again. By me. In a quick decision, I say, "Stay with me." And that's when his eyes finally meet mine.