Bad Liar

Chapter 16

"Hey," he says softly.

"Hi," I reply in the same tone of voice, "you came?"

"Of course I did," his face lighting up, "I love you."

"Thanks for coming," I smile.

"It's the least I could do. Even if you've invited me up here to break up with me I owe you that. I'm really sorry," he says.

"Wait Daniel-" I start.

"No, please let me talk. I wrote this whole note to you and it was so embarrassing. I want to tell you how I feel now, unfiltered. Y/n I love you. I love every single thing about you. I've never been more sorry in my entire life, but I hope you can understand that I just wanted you to like me like I liked you. I wish I had known how you felt about me in school. I would've done something about it. And I know I've said all this before but I'm saying again. Also, no more lies. We're both bad liars. I never meant what I said when I told you I wish this never happened. I'd do it all over again if it meant spending time with you. And before you say anything, if you choose to break up with me then I won't stop you. Just know that I love you with my entire heart and a part of me always will and always have. I love you so much. I know you never said it back, but I'm glad you didn't if it meant you were lying. You're always so honest with me when it matters. I wish I was more like you. You're genuinely the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and I love you, even the parts you don't love about yourself," he says.

"Daniel," I say breathless.

"I'm not done yet," he continues, "I hope that even if we break up that we can be friends. But I'm not expecting anything. You trusted me to help you love again, and I hope that someday you will. Even if it's not me that you're loving. Just know that I really do love you and I meant every word of what's been said the last five minutes I've been standing on this cliff staring into your eyes. And I mean this too, I want to marry you. I know it's too soon to ask, but I have the intention to. Maybe I'll ask tomorrow, or next week, or three years from now, who knows? I'm not saying this to make you choose me. I'm saying it so you know the truth about how I feel about you. You make me crazy. I'm so in love with you that without you I can barely breathe. You came back into my life and it's like everything looks better, feels better. I know this is probably the hundredth time you've heard me say this but I love you, more than my words could ever explain."

"I love you, Daniel Seavey. I always have, but didn't realize it until a few days ago," I smile.

"Really?" He says stepping closer to me.

"Yes. I love you so much. You make me smile and laugh so much and you make my heart happy. I haven't been this happy in so long. Ever since you walked back into my life it's felt like a breath of fresh air. You have changed. You dyed your hair. You moved to LA. You're taller. But you're still Daniel. Just without the brown hair. You still have the passion for music and love for your family and friends. I admire that. You're still the Daniel i fell in love with. You have all the good parts of the Daniel i loved in school still with you. I hope you never lose that. I know you hurt me, and honestly I'm still a little hurt. But your friends know you better than you know yourself. I've now realized how much I mean to you and why you did what you did. I love you. You took a chance on me and I hope it's paying off. You taught me it was okay to love again and I'm so grateful that you did," I say.

He runs up to me the rest of the way and wraps his arms tightly around my waist and places his head on my forehead. I close my eyes and press my lips against his. I kiss him with so much love, showing him how much I love him because my words could never do it justice. He kisses me back with the same intensity. The same fear of losing each other. The same longing for the feeling that we had been missing. The same love.

"I love you, always," I whisper.

"I love you, always," he whispers.

I move out of his arms but he still grabs my hand, as if he didn't want to let go of me. I walk behind the rock and pull out my picnic basket and a blanket. He laughs and smiles at the date I planned. I set down the blanket and we sit down. I pull out the food that I packed as we sit and watch the sun set. I rest my head on his shoulder.

"So what made you realize you loved me too?" He asks.

"Mostly the note you wrote, but also Jonah and Corbyn and Eben. I also talked it out with Caleb," I say.

"What note?" He says.

"The one you crumpled up while you were drunk. Eben found it and—," I start.

"Oh no you read it," he groans, "I just wrote down all my feelings in a fit of me being drunk and confused."

"You didn't want me to read it?" I ask.

"I mean, at the time I did. I wrote all of that because I figured if you didn't want to listen to me explain myself then maybe you'd read my words," he says.

"Well I'm glad I read it," I smile.

"Yeah?" He asks.

"Yeah," I say.

"I'm still sorry about everything," Daniel apologizes.

"It's okay. I understand," I say.

"It's not okay. I should have accepted the fact that you didn't like who I had become," he sighs.

I lift my head off of his shoulder and place my finger under his chin, turning his head to face me.

"I'm glad you did because if you hadn't then I wouldn't be doing this," I say before kissing him again, "everything happens for a reason."

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world," Daniel smiles.

"I love you, Daniel James Seavey," I say.

"I love you, y/f/n," he says.