Twenty-Two ➳ l.p.

Chapter Three: Okay

“Okay is kind of a funny word, don’t you think?” Liam asked me, head turned up to clouds. “I mean, it’s really just two letters. But it’s also four.”

                  “Only you would think of that,” I muttered, hitting his shoulder lightly, and he chuckled.

                  “Yeah, of course. Only me.”

Chapter Three: Okay

                  Dinner was interesting, to say the least. I didn’t really contribute to the conversation, leaving that up to my mum and the boys—all of which had no trouble picking up my slack, mind you.

                  I just wasn’t really into it.

                  And then it was two days before I spoke with him again.

                  I had just finished straightening my wild mane of hair, and Matt was pounding on the door for me to hurry up so he could shower.

                  Reluctantly, I opened the door, slipping out before he could spew anything else.

                  “It smells like girl in here,” he groaned, and I could hear as he padded around the bathroom. “Like female and daisy-scented soap.”

                  I ignored him, not really in the mood to squabble, and went in my room, looking for something mildly attractive to wear. It was subconscious, I swear, but I had been much more aware of my fashion statements since the boys arrived.

                  Since Liam arrived.

                  I hated myself for it; hated the fact that I couldn’t even put on a pair of clothes without Liam crossing my mind.

                  (Will this red make my hair stand out too much? Will these shoes make my feet look huge?)

                  And even now I was debating whether Liam would think I was trying too hard if I paired my butterfly necklace with the shirt I was wearing.

                  I was pitiful.

                  “Alice,” my dad called up the stairs tentatively. I could hear the hesitation dripping from his tone, and I could pretty much cut through the tension with a knife.

                  Something wasn’t right.

                  And I had a slight clue as to what it was.

                  “Yeah, Dad?”

                  He paused. “Karen… She uh—you need to… Can you drive the boys to meet Liam, please?”

                  I felt the air hiss from my body as I groaned, closing my eyes. I should’ve known that it had something to do with Liam. I didn’t mind the other four members of the band, sure, but still. “Do I have to?” I felt bad for asking, but I really, truly, honestly didn’t want to have to deal with this today.

                  “Alice, please—”

                  “Yeah, Dad, okay,” I cut him off, staring at my dresser; the chipped wood peeling off of one of the corners. I sighed, grabbing my phone from my bed before putting on a pair of sandals. It was relatively nice outside today, and I was definitely going to take advantage of that.