Falling Without Caution

Chapter 3 - Elise

"He's..." Liam shoves me, and I offer him a friendly gesture known as the middle finger behind my back. Haley might miss it, but from the subtle smirk on his face, I'm sure Liam is more than aware of me flipping him off. Well, good for him, he deserves it. "A... whopper of a person," I tell the interviewer, a very fake, very forced grin on my face.

    She chuckles. "I'm sure he is. He's also a very popular person. What do you have to say to all the other girls who were praying to, uhm as you Gen-Z folks say, pull him?"

    It takes every ounce of willpower I have for me not to gawk. People are swooning over Liam?

    "I'd say..." I bite back a chuckle, "They should go for someone else instead." What I actually mean is someone way better for them. Someone who's not arrogant, rude, bitter, annoying... oh I could go on and on. But now Liam's talking about me and I just have to listen in. You know, it's practically a requirement of this whole fake-dating scandal.

    "...what do you think of Elise?" the interviewer finishes as I tune back in, and I'll admit, I'm curious as to what Liam has to say.

    "She's..." his voice is rich and deep, the tone he uses only when he's being asked a question, "Well, obviously she's drop dead beautiful. I see her in the morning, and there's always this moment when my heart just... stops. And it's not just all the fancy outfits and makeup she wears to suit the demand on set. She just radiates genuineness.

     "Her beauty isn't necessarily on the outside, no, it's in her whole aura.  I have to admit, her elegance captivates me every day. It's in the way she walks, the way she smiles at everyone she passes, the way her approval can brighten up someone's entire day."

          Liam takes my hand in his, and I know it's just for show, but for some reason I don't want to pull away. It may be the grandest lie I have ever heard, but let's be real, no girl goes her whole life without at least once dreaming of a similar vow.

    Haley seems satisfied with Liam's answer, and once she's gone I can finally breathe normally again. Or maybe it's because the moment she's gone I can finally pull my hand out of Liam's. Still, if he thinks one cute little speech will make me forget every time he's been an absolute piece of dumpster trash, then he's either very naive or a moron. Likely the latter, if you ask me.

    "Hey, Ellie," Liam addresses me as we pack up to go back home; the director decided to be generous and give us a day off because apparently our interview was a 'success in itself'. I grit my teeth and brace myself for a snide comment. But the blow never comes. "Ellie?" Liam repeats, his voice soft enough to get my attention.

    Why is he being so weird? It's unnerving. Well, if he won't act like he normally does, I'm more than happy to do it for him.

    "You mean, Elise," I correct, but, shockingly, my voice is devoid of any malice. "Go on."

    "Ellie," he smirks, earning him an eye roll. Nice job, Liam, you win the grand prize. "Next time we go live, you need to stop doing-" He takes one curly ringlet that didn't quite get the memo when he cut the rest of his hair between his fingers. "This." He takes the hair and twirls it between his fingers to a point at which it's almost hypnotic. "I think you do it whenever you're nervous," he notes. "Don't be. I've got your back alright?" He gives me the most genuine smile I have ever seen him offer up, and it does wonders for his already cute face. He doesn't quite have dimples, but when he smiles, his eyes crinkle a little at the corner, and you can tell that he's truly just... happy. The smile along with his words still running through my head, I see her in the morning, and there's always this moment when my heart just... stops, make for a volatile combination that ends with him falling into step next to me as I text my mom that I'll be going out, and lead the way to my favorite bubble tea shop.