Love Beyond Scars

Chapter 3: Voice of an Angel

Chapter 3: Voice of an Angel

-Liam-

The morning sun slowly crept into the room, casting a blinding light on everything in sight. Displeased, I let out a groan as I peeled my eyes open. Mother nature was definitely playing a cruel joke on me by forcing me out of bed so early on a Saturday. Still groggy and half-asleep, I rubbed my eyes as the events from the day before began to replay in my head.

The new girl on campus was no longer a mystery. Rose Hayes was her name, a name so graceful and perfect that it seemed like it belonged in a book. Yet, despite the progress made in discovering her identity, I was no closer to understanding her demeanor. One minute, she was pleasant and polite, and the next, she was cold and unapproachable. Women were supposed to be easy to read, right? At least that's what they said, but I found myself struggling to understand her.

"Why do I even care?" I muttered to myself as I got out of bed, still feeling frustrated from the previous day's events. "It's not like we're dating or anything." Darin's words from the day before echoed in my head. "Don't tell me you're whipped already!" he had laughed. 

Whipped, HA! I scoffed in disbelief. As if I, a grown man, could be so easily whipped. Did he mistake me for some inexperienced teenage boy who just stumbled upon his father's Playboy magazines and couldn't control his excitement, leaving drool and other bodily fluids all over them? Absolutely not. That wasn't me.

 Yet, the thought lingered in the back of my mind as I made my way to the bathroom.

I splashed my face with cold water, hoping to clear my head, but it didn't do much good. My reflection in the mirror revealed a tired and disheveled version of myself, but I couldn't bring myself to care. 

Whatever.

I made my way back to my room and decided to work out, hoping that some physical exertion would help alleviate the frustration I felt. Push-ups, pull-ups, and a few rounds with the punching bag later, I finally felt somewhat better. Grabbing my running gear, I headed out of my apartment complex and towards Taliyah's place. As soon as she saw me, she greeted me with her usual chirpiness.

"Good morning, lazy ass! Ready for some power workout?" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with energy. "It is way too early for you to be in such a good mood," I clapped back but instantly regretted my harsh tone when I saw the hurt in her eyes. I really hated hurting a girl's feelings, especially if that girl was my best friend. Sue me.

"Gee, how many spoonfuls of douche did you have this morning?" she snorted, scrunching her nose. "I'm sorry, Tay. I'm just in a bad mood," I sighed, hoping to make amends. Taliyah rolled her eyes at my apology but decided to let it go. "Wanna talk about it?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"Do I look like one of your girlfriends? Cause I don't remember having grown a vag-," I started, but Taliyah cut me off by placing her hand over my mouth, causing me to mumble the rest of my sentence.

"I got it, tough stuff," she groaned, clearly unimpressed with my attitude. 

"Much better. Can we go now?" I grinned victoriously, glad that she had forgiven me so easily.

-

"Would you get out of the car already, Tay, I'm starving!" I grumbled, my stomach growling impatiently. We had been driving around the city for hours, exploring every nook and cranny, but now all I could think about was sinking my teeth into a stack of fluffy pancakes.

Taliyah, my best friend and partner in crime, rolled her eyes at me as she emerged from the passenger seat. I couldn't blame her for being annoyed. I had been complaining about my hunger for the last hour, and she had to put up with it.