Learning to Swim

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“What’s she like?” I ask suddenly and Liam takes his eyes off the road to glance at me. “Your ex-girlfriend, I mean.”

“Why does it matter? I thought you didn’t care that I was talking to her,” he responds.

“I don’t. I was just wondering about her, I guess. Like I don’t even know her name!”

“It’s Melanie. Anything else you need to know?” Liam seems uncomfortable with this conversation, but I’m interested so I decide to ask him more about Melanie.

“How long did you guys date?” I question and he runs his hand through his hair.

“About two years,” he mumbles.

“Wow. That’s a long time,” I reply and Liam looks ready to defend himself or something. I don’t give him the chance because it doesn’t bother me that he was with her for so long. He is with me now and that is what matters to me. “So, why did you break up?”

“Why does it matter? We just didn’t work out.” Liam brushes it aside, which only makes me more curious.

“Tell me. Please?” I beg and he sighs deeply.

“Fine. It was right after I found out my dad was cheating on my mom. I was pissed off and I took it out on Melanie. She was trying to help, but I was just done with everything. We argued for awhile and she told me to call her when I cooled down and wanted to work things out. I never did. I didn’t see the point. I figured even if we did get back together it would never last anyway, so I decided not to even try,” Liam explains and I can tell he still feels bad about it.

“What about now, though? Something must have changed if you’re dating me. I mean, wasn’t the point of you not getting back with Melanie because you basically stopped believing in love? What happened to change that?” I ask and he gives me that smile that I love so much.

“Dakota Gray happened, that’s what,” he laughs and I stick my tongue out at him.

“I’m serious, Liam!”

“I was being serious too. I ran into Melanie a few times after everything happened, but it wasn’t like it used to be. I just didn’t feel anything like what I used to. I didn’t for any girl for awhile. No one caught my attention until I saw you.”

“I’m glad,” I reply, blushing.

“Me too, Kota,” Liam says and I raise my eyebrows at him.

“Did you just call me Kota?” I ask and then shake my head at him.

“Yeah, I think it’s cute.”

“I don’t even think that is a real nickname for Dakota, Liam.”

“It definitely is. You’re just upset because you can’t think of a good nickname for me,” Liam jokes and I narrow my eyes at him.

“Oh yeah, because Kota was such a creative nickname. All you had to do was take off the first two letters of my name,” I reply sarcastically and he laughs.

“All you have to do is take off the last two letters of my name and you have a nickname for me too,” he tells me.

“No way am I calling you, Li. It just doesn’t sound right to me.”

“You’re right. It does sound kind of weird. I still like Kota, though,” Liam says and I decide to just drop it.

The car slows and I look out of the window to see that we are already at Marie’s house. Before I even get out of the car, Addie is racing outside. Her little legs can move surprisingly fast and seconds later she launches herself into my arms.