all i need // l.p {au}

chapter twenty-three

My phone ringing woke me up at an early hour. I groaned as I reached for it on my bedside table.

"Hello?"

"Logan, hey. I was thinking that it's time we go on a real date," Liam said, his voice fairly chipper for the morning. "I know we've been to dinner, but I have something else in mind."

It had been three weeks since Liam and I made up. When we spent time together, we were either at his or mine, cuddling and watching movies.

"Ok, yeah," I smiled. "Do I get to know what it is? I need to know how to dress," I explained, hoping he would.

"Don't try and be sneaky on me. Wear something nice but comfortable? Yeah, that should work."

I laughed. "Do you really have something planned?"

"Of course I do," he defended but I wasn't sure if I believed him.

"When are we going on said date?" I asked, still laughing a bit.

"Saturday," he said. "Can you get the night off?"

"I should be able to. You know, Ivy being the amazing new bartender and all," I said sarcastically.

"Don't hide your disgust for her," he said, him being the one laughing now. "She was alright when I was there."

"Except she tried hitting on you and Niall."

"She was being nice, but let's not argue. Just plan on me picking you up at six tomorrow."

"Ok. I'm going back to bed because you woke me up and I still have four more hours to sleep."

"Alright, goodnight love," he said before hanging up.

I set my phone back on my bedside table and settled back in my sheets. I got butterflies whenever Liam called me "love." I smiled to myself while I closed my eyes and hoped to dream of him.

***

I woke up late, forgetting to set an alarm. I had to rush my shower and I wasn't in the greatest mood. I skipped stopping for my vanilla latte and sped off to work. 

"Logan, I need to ask you a question," Tristan pulled me aside when I walked into the building. Ivy had the night off, so we were working alone.

"Yeah, what is it? You seem flustered or something," I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion. Tristan was always one to express his emotions very clearly. 

"I, uh, need to ask for your opinion on something," he avoided my eyes by looking down at his feet. He moved from foot to foot, showing his anxiousness. 

"Come on, Tris. We're friends, you can ask me."

"Ok, so I think I like Ivy. Like, really like her. I want to know your opinion of her," a light blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Ivy, really? What, do you have a thing for girl bartenders?" I wasn't trying to be mean, but he had pined over me for weeks. I hated that I felt something against Ivy and didn't want her to be with Tristan. I guess it could be that I had slept with him or that we were friends, I wasn't sure. A part of me felt stupid for even caring. 

"Seriously, Logan? Just because you're a bartender isn't the reason I liked you and it isn't the reason I like her." He took a deep breath, clearly frustrated. "So, what do you think of her?"

"I don't know! I mean she seems kinda over confident so she seems cocky."

"You're just mad that people like her. You're used to being the only bartender that's a girl."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "I am not!" I said, trying to defend myself even though what he said was true. "If you go after her, just be careful. I don't want her to break your heart."

"Like you broke mine?" he asked quietly.

I sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, Tris." I placed my hand on his arm. "I didn't mean to lead you on, I wasn't in a good place then. I really didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know and I knew you would never love me. Liam is a lucky guy," he said before walking off. 

I stood there for a few minutes contemplating what he said. Liam was lucky to be with me, but was he really? I had some issues and I clearly messed things up on a regular basis. 

I worked through my shift only focusing on the task at hand. That was until someone came in that I had been ignoring.

"What are you doing here?" I sneered at my father, perching atop a bar stool. He had been calling me almost everyday for awhile and I had declined every single call.

"Coming to see my daughter," he smiled. "I'll have my usual, pumpkin."

I poured his drink of whiskey and placed it in front of him. "Why do you still call me that? I'm not a little girl anymore." It frustrated me, but also made me nostalgic. When I was a child, I loved when my dad called me that, but it was normally after he yelled at me. 

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to ask you over for dinner on Sunday. I want you to meet my family, your family." He seemed so happy about this, that he had basically replaced mom and me. He seemed proud that he had his life together now, but he couldn't when he was with us. It was like he started over, but we stayed with all of the pain he caused. 

"They aren't my family and neither are you." I willed for my tears to stay in and not stream down my cheeks.

"Please, Logan," he begged. He looked hopeful and desperate at the same time for me to agree.

"Can I bring someone?" I decided if I had to go through this torturous dinner, then Liam would go through it with me.

"Of course," he nodded. He slid a piece of paper across the bar with a phone number and address. "Come by around five," he said.

I shoved the paper into my pocket and walked away to help another customer, not saying another word.

so i planned to update this morning, but then i was rereading it over and i felt like it sucked so i rewrote some of it. 

please vote and comment xx zoe

gif because if no has told you today, i love you and so does liam (: