Going the Distance ✔️

Chapter forty.

It was silent for the most part as Liam and I trailed back down to the parking lot. My tears had finally dried up, but my eyes hurt from crying too hard. I knew it was well needed and I was grateful that I had no more tears left in me. It was emotionally draining and I felt exhausted, but I knew it was worth it.

"How are you doing?" Liam asked me as he took my hand and helped me over a large branch that was in our path.

I jumped down and Liam followed shortly after as we let go. "I think I'm going to be okay."

He smiled at me as we were getting nearer to the parking lot. "You can come to visit any time you like," he began, "just let me know and I'll take you."

I smiled at Liam's words and even though it was out of town, Liam still offered. "Thank you, Liam," I said as we reached the parking lot, "you've done so much for me and you hardly even know me."

Liam chuckled as he unlocked his car and we both got in. "That's an understatement," he buckled his seatbelt, "we've been spending a lot of time together over these last six months so I think I know you pretty well."

I buckled my seatbelt too as Liam started the engine and drove off. "Oh, really?"

He nodded, looking pretty confident. "Yes. I know that you don't drink coffee because you hate the taste and I know that you prefer to have a shower in the morning. I know that you tap your pen when you're studying and trying to concentrate. I know that you can't sleep with any light on and you like to read when it's dead silent. I know that you have about ten alarms set on your phone. I know that you have a noticeable frown line when you get angry and I know you push your glasses up the bridge of your nose when you're trying to explain yourself. I also know that you like scented candles and that you stress way too much so maybe that's why you like the candles."

As Liam was talking, my eyes widened and I was shocked that he knew all of that. I knew that he noticed me and studied me and for the months we had been spending together, it was pretty impressive. "What just happened?"

Liam cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck and concentrating on the road. "Uh," he looked speechless, "nothing."

Nothing was an understatement. "How did you know all of that?"

He said nothing for a second before finally responding. "I-I just notice a lot of things."

I heard a stutter in his sentence and it made me wonder if he was lying. But, if he was the king of lying then it seemed impossible. I was still shocked by what just happened and I realised that he was right about all of those things and some of them I didn't even realise until now. They weren't big things like how I liked to study a lot or how I have two brothers, they were the small things that people rarely ever noticed. My mouth suddenly went dry and it took me back to the time when drunk Liam said that he was in love with me. I've known Liam for five months and you don't just notice those small things in that amount of time without it meaning something.

"Liam?" I turned to him.

He looked at me and then back on the road. "Yes, Lou?"

I swallowed hard, getting the courage to ask him. "How can you know all of those small details and not be in love with someone?"

Liam continued to drive, clearing his throat. "What?"

I sighed, rethinking what I just asked him. "Never mind." And with that, I left it and the ride home had suddenly gone dead silent.

*

It was the last few days of January and at the end of next month, I would be going back home. I wasn't sure if I was ready or not, but after what Liam did for me with Mason, I felt like I would be ready in time. I was thinking about all of this as I was sitting in Chemistry and then Liam popped into my mind like a balloon. I wanted to erase him from my mind, but instead I got a text message from the man himself.