Under the Bridge

chapter thirty three- "under the bridge"

I FEEL LIKE MY HEART IS BEATING outside of my chest like one of those cartoons. It's so loud it's producing its own rock opera, pounding like the crescendo of drums as it thumps faster, and faster. 

Liam's hand is on my knee, which makes me feel stable, but also like I'm going to throw myself out of the window. It's a fun little oxymoron in my head, and it won't stop bursting though my skull. 

Nothing really makes sense right now. 

I have no idea where we're going, all I can see is the snow and the city. We've gone through my neighborhood, with the radio blasting loudly through the car. I kind of want to kiss him. Scratch that, I really want to kiss him. 

We stop at what appears to be a park, with snow covered pines and a warm midday sun hanging over us. There's no flakes falling down, but it doesn't change the air from looking like a scene of white. I'm surprised as to how Liam isn't cold in just his light jacket and hat. 

I follow him to the trunk, where he silently grabs a guitar case from the backseat. He tosses it over his shoulder, and I don't say a word. 

"Are you cold?" Liam asks, his breath smoking up the air. 

I shrug. "Kind of." I say, honestly. 

Liam extends out his palm, and takes my small hand in it. (How is his hand warm? It's below freezing out here!) I link my fingers with him, and I feel myself calm down a bit. This is Liam, my Liam. One of the best friends I have, who I also kind of want to make out with. 

"Come on, I want to show you something." He says, softly. 

I follow along, feeling his thumb move across the grooves of my knuckles as we walk, side-by-side. We look like a couple, but nobody is here to witness this. I remember yesterday, when Sam called me his girlfriend and he didn't correct him. 

I blush. I can blame the cold for my rosy cheeks, so it's fine. 

"I was on a run a couple months ago, after I got a C on my college algebra test and I was angry at my math tutor," The expression on his face is kind and open as he laughs. "And I stumbled upon this place, and I just kind of sat here. I thought it was tranquil, you know?" He says, stepping through a trail, icy snow crunching below our feet with each step. Through the trees, there was a bridge, connecting two hills above another trail, where two benches sat, untouched by nature. "I'm not super romantic or anything, sorry. I'm also kind of broke, but I figured the two of us could just get some fresh air and hang out down here." 

I smile. In fact, I think I look crazy, because the smile is probably stretching from ear to ear. I do my best to cover it up, but I think Liam can tell, because his lips have curled up in a cute way. 

I remember when he didn't smile at all. 

We take a seat on the bench, and he lets go of my hand. I look up, and notice we're under the metal bridge, which is covered in frosted-over graffiti. 

Here, Under the Bridge, a thought floats into my mind. I think back to the song he played back when I was nearly in tears a few weeks ago. 

"Remember when you played me that RHCP song?" I ask, meeting his gaze. 

He chuckles, quietly, under his breath. "It's literal now, isn't it?" 

"Will you play it?" I ask, looking over at the bulky, black, guitar case. 

"Will you sing along?" He asks, unclasping the metal and setting it on his lap. It's his electric, which I haven't seen him play before. 

I shrug. "We'll see."