Imperfectly Perfect

Chapter 23 - You and I

I stand before the tiny mirror that I've placed inside one of the racks of my wardrobe. Squinting my eyes, I push inside the diamond earring through my ear hole. A present from my grandmother, this is the second time as far as I can remember that I'm wearing these earrings. After I'm done, I brush my hair and take a glimpse of myself one last time before my phone buzzes into a song.

"Hi," I smile as I hold the phone by the crook of my neck and tie the watch around my left wrist.

"Ready?" Liam asks.

I knit my brows as I hold the phone by my hand now. "Liam?"

"Yeah, are you done?"

"Yeah, just about to head out. Where are you guys?" I ask back as I turn off the lights and grab my purse before slipping into a pair of stilettos.

"We're just leaving; we'll pick you up in another 10 minutes."

"Cool, I'll wait downstairs," I lock the door shut behind me and dump the keys inside my purse.

"Great," Liam hangs up.

I jog down the stairs and soon reach downstairs. I exit the building and wait outside, looking to my left to see if any car lights are flashing.

Niall is having a party at his office today, and he has invited Liam, Sophia and I. I'm excited and equally nervous because this is the first time that Niall will be introducing me as his girlfriend to his office mates. Not that he is my first relationship, and I don't have experience of being introduced to my boyfriend's friends before, but with Niall everything feels so picture perfect that the thought of any trouble and imperfection scares me.

However, I don't muse over these thoughts too much because I know how disastrously I procrastinate. And, the more I allow myself to get woven into its deadly web the more I'll lose my mind.

A car soon pulls in and Liam scoops his head out from inside and flashes me his cute smile.

"Hey," I smile back, and wave my hand.

"Get in," Liam says and gets down from the backseat.

I nod and open the door as Sophia smiles widely at me.

"Hello," she says.

"Hey," I reply and sit beside her before closing the door.

"You look gorgeous," she keeps a hand on my shoulders.

"Thanks. So do you," I scan my eyes throughout her blue dress that beautifully compliments her amazing body.

Liam fits himself in the front seat beside the cab driver as the latter starts the car.

"How long will it take including all the annoying traffic?" I ask Liam.

"1 hour at most," he retorts and I growl.

"Missing Niall?" Sophia giggles.

I look at her and bite my lower lip. "No...not that. So much traffic is so irritating, isn't it?"

"It's not a novelty in Bangalore, and you should know it."

I smile, and bite my lower lip harder. "Whatever, it's just irritating."

Liam and Sophia breaks into a massive laughter.

For the next 30 minutes, they tell me how they've always figured that Niall and I are going to end up together.

"He is really amazing," I look out the window and smile, alongside turning crimson.

Liam locks sight with me through the front rear mirror, and strangely his expressions are the same agitated and anxious as that of Niall I caught on Wednesday. I don't know if this is only my mistake or an illusion or I've gone mad, but I swear to God they're the same countenance.