The Whisper Seekers

A Fist to the Face

A few minutes later, we're walking out of the locker room and heading straight to my car. It only takes the promise of a mocha frappuccino and a chocolate scone to pull Harper out of her mood.

Once we're parked outside Starbucks with our drinks in hand, she doesn't even check the calories before tearing into the pastry. While she stuffs her face, I keep the breakup details vague. Lily is shocked because of how cuddly we were on the boat that day, so she didn't see it coming.

I'm not ready to talk about what actually happened, so I just tell them we realized we were on different pages and I was tired of the constant fighting. I also mention that Derek pushing me against the locker was a major red flag and I'd been thinking of ending things ever since.

I steer the conversation back to Harper's earlier drama and convince her to go to homecoming with me—no boys involved. We decide we'll have way more fun going stag, so we can dance with whoever we want and hit up any after-parties without worrying about anyone else. 

We're both in chipper moods as we pull back into the school lot just in time for third period. We arrive right as second period ends, and we all split off to head to our respective classes.

As I turn down the English hall, I spot Liam leaning casually against the lockers. The moment he sees me, he pushes off the wall and hurries over.

"Two minutes! Please!" He begs and I fold my arms across my chest. I might not be ready to discuss what happened on Saturday with Derek, but I do deserve to know how Liam ended up under Harper. 

"In case you haven't heard, I am currently cutting men who play games with me from my life. I'm finding it's much easier than I thought it was going to be." 

"Ellie..." He starts and then shakes his head. "Shit, okay, let me try and explain..."

"Please do," I retort with as much sass as I can muster. 

"So, Harper wanted to go tux shopping while you were out with Derek, so I agreed and picked her up. On the way home, she asked if she could see where I lived to decide if it'd be better to take pictures at my house or hers. You know my place is right on the way to hers, so I figured a quick detour wouldn't hurt. I could tell she was trying to get me alone, she kept looking for a make-out spot the entire time we were shopping, so I was trying to make the stop fast. She looked around my house, then went straight upstairs, assuming that's where my room was. I followed her up with my tux bag. When we got to my room, I hung the bag in the closet and when I turned around... Harper was on my bed."

The bell rings, cutting off Liam's fast-paced confession. I can tell he's frustrated, it's obvious he's been thinking about this all weekend. He knew exactly what he wanted to say.

I slip around him to get to the open classroom door, and he follows close behind. We take our usual seats, and without a word, he silently continues his story.

I told her we had to go, but I could tell she wanted to hang out. I walked over to my window because I thought I heard something, and when I turned back around, she completely caught me off guard. She lunged at me, knocked me onto the bed, and that's when you walked in. I never wanted to kiss her, Ellie. I swear. You know that would've crossed a line. He pauses, searching my face. I know I haven't talked to you... I was just trying to figure a few things out. I needed some time, some space. But then you walked in, and I could tell you were upset...

He trails off, running a hand through his hair, visibly frustrated. If anyone looked over right now, they'd probably think Liam is super stressed about something. He drops his hand and, without looking, reaches under the desk and finds mine. He squeezes gently. We exchange a look, and I know he's telling the truth about Harper.