Going the Distance ✔️

Chapter forty five.

When I unlocked the door, the house was silent. No lights were left on and it was pitch black. I went into the kitchen and dropped the car keys into the key bowl. My mind was still racing with what happened and all I wanted to do was pack my bags and head back home to England. I wasn't supposed to be here anymore, and how was I supposed to face Liam after what happened?

He told me that he loved me, how did that even happen?

Shaking the thought out of my head, I went into the refrigerator and poured myself a glass of milk. It was dark and the only source that I had was the refrigerator light. It brought me back to the first time I had laid my eyes on Liam. I was getting a glass of milk when he appeared out of nowhere and I dropped the carton onto the floor. It felt like yesterday when that happened and it made me smile at how far we had come as friends.

Friends. That was a such a different word to me now.

Cutting me out of my thoughts, I heard Liam's car pull up and I was hoping he wouldn't walk into the kitchen because now would be the perfect time to avoid him. I was about to leave when the front door opened and closed quietly. I was surprised that nobody realised that we had left and I knew we were incredibly lucky.

I took a sip of milk trying to calm down my stomach, which was invested with butterflies. It wasn't long until Liam appeared in the dining room's doorway and I could only make out his figure, but I knew it was him. "Lou," he said softly, "we need to talk about what happened."

I swallowed what was in my mouth and shook my head. "No, we don't." I finished the milk, washed the glass and placed it in the dishwasher and I knew Liam was watching me.

"Why did you run off?" He continued the unwanted conversation.

I didn't want to talk about it, but what choice did I have? I knew I had to, otherwise Liam would be stuck in the dark and I couldn't do that to him. He ended up being a really sweet guy and I didn't want to break him, but I knew it was coming. I took a breath before replying. "Because I can't be with you, Liam."

"Why not?" He walked further into the room. "I love you and you love me so it would make sense."

I shook my head, staying in my place. "It doesn't make sense," I told him truthfully, "I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you."

Liam took another step forward, getting closer and closer to me. "But you did." He said as we were meters apart and I could still taste the kiss he had left lingering on my lips. "We're meant to be together, Louisa. Can't you see that?"

"You're not right for me," I told him, "you skip class like it's your day job, you steal, you trespass and you don't care about anything. How am I supposed to be with someone who does all of the wrong things?" I wanted to leave him here and I wanted to catch the first flight out of here and be gone for good.

"I've changed," he said, "because of you. You made me see that I have a future if I just try in school and look at me now. I'm getting good grades and I hardly ditch school anymore. I know what I want to do with my life and you helped me see that." Liam explained and his voice sounded so soft and sincere, like he was begging me to give a relationship with him a chance.

I didn't know if I could do that. "And you've taught me how to live." I said to him in a whisper and I didn't want to believe it was true. He taught me to face my fears, to get out of my comfort zone and to try new things. I did all of those things because of Liam and I never would have if I hadn't met him. I would have had a boring time in America with only going to school and studying. He helped me to have fun and even though a lot of the things we did were wrong, I had the most fun I have had in my entire life.