All That She Needs

Part 30: Liam

Warning: This is a long, long chapter.

White rose. That was what I always associated her with. A white rose in a sea of brambles. A beauty that stood out dazzlingly, so intricate, so layered, it was nearly impossible to grasp all at once. Her radiance felt almost ethereal, as if she belonged to another world. She captivated me. And I wondered if I'd ever stop being mesmerized by her.

Walking beside her on the crowded sidewalk, the noise of honking cars and the rush of people faded into the background. The chaos of the city dimmed into a sigh, the world around us seemed to be moving too fast while we strolled leisurely in our own quiet bubble. I could have stayed in that space, in that bubble with her, for a lifetime.

Was I being overly dramatic? Probably. But in my mind, it was an honest fucking truth.

I didn't know what had prompted her sudden change of heart about going out with me, but I didn't care about her reasons. All that mattered was that she was walking beside me, and we were about to have dinner together. Our official first date. This might be a life-changing moment for me.

"Liam," Asha said my name. I always loved the way she called my name. There was always a little sigh at the end of it, like there was a soft, velvety h added to my name. It never failed to stir something deep within me. I decided then that my new goal in life would be to hear her say my name as many times as possible for the rest of my days. "Do you have an idea where we should have dinner?"

"What do you want to eat?" I asked, while gazing down and counted each of the shadowy freckles on her nose.

"I remember you mentioned you love Chicken Kung Pao. Know any good spots?"

"Of course!" I replied, perhaps a bit too eagerly. But when I saw her eyes widen, glinting with amusement, I figured my excitement had somehow delighted her in some way. "We'll need to grab my car first to get there."

"Oh, I can have Brody take us." She started reaching into her small bag, likely for her phone.

I stiffened. "Brody?"

"My driver," she clarified.

"Absolutely not," I said, frowning. "It'd be embarrassing for me if our first official date involved being chauffeured by your driver. We either take my car, grab an Uber, or ride the subway."

As I spoke, I noticed her face light up, and my heart softened instantly. "Which one made you light up like that? The idea of the first date or the subway?"

"Both," she replied, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"It is our first official date, isn't it?" I said softly, wanted nothing more in my life than to kiss her right now.

"Yeah..." And she flushed even more. Oh, God. Give me strength.

"What do you say if we take the subway?" I suggested. "When was the last time you've been in one?"

She looked like she pondered about it, before she said, "I don't even remember. It's been too long."

"So, what do you think? The nearest station is just minutes from here."

"Okay," she nodded, seeming almost too eager for the prospect of commuting in the most commonly used, budget-friendly way of transportation. I'd bet my right arm she wouldn't be this excited if I'd offered to take her there in a limo. That just made me love her even more.

I love her. I really love her. I've told her this before, but I wasn't sure she truly believed me. Maybe I hadn't said it with enough conviction or shown it in the way she needed to see. But standing here now, every part of me knew it was real.