Liam

Chapter 26

So, there I am, at school. I hadn't seen Liam for about a week, and I don't know what it was, but things were starting to get kind of awkward between us. Not awkward like we don't want to hang out with each other anymore, but the kind of awkward where you can tell someone wants to say something, but neither of you know what.

He still came with me for lunch in the library almost every day which I felt a little bit guilty about because he was missing out on his own social life, but I was not about to brave the cafeteria. Before it was scary just because of the people, but then you add the food on top of it, and it is a recipe for disaster. Pun intended I mean, Liam talked about things like school work, and finals and then summer coming up. I kept trying to get out of him what group we were going with and what we were doing, but his lips remained as tight as ever.

We began working on homework, and Liam pulled out the leftover pasta his dad had made last night, and to my surprise, he had brought some for me.

"Hey, my dad made some extra, and I knew it is your favorite," he says handing me a tuperward of his pasta with his dad's "secret sauce"

"Oh, that's OK, I'm not really hungry," I replied. "Tell him thanks though,"

"How are you not hungry, you already skipped breakfast?" he asked

"I don't know, I guess I ate a lot yesterday,"

"You couldn't have eaten that much you skipped lunch,"

"Why is this turning into an interrogation I'm not hungry OK?" I snapped.

"Come on, just a little bit,"

"Fine, do you want to hear the truth, I don't really like your dad's pasta. Can we just get back to studying now, or do you want to keep grilling me?"

"Kelsi, I'm sorry, I'm just worried about you. I know you haven't been eating,"

I'm not going to lie that takes by surprise. "I am too and even if I wasn't, it isn't any of your business. You don't need to keep pretending that you like me OK? I can be done being your pitty project. You have officially been relieved of your duty," I whisper/yell as we are still in the library. I start gathering up my stuff, but he grabs me by the hand and the look he gives me causes me to stop dead in my tracks.

"Kesli, sit down. I just want to talk to you. I don't know where you get all of those crazy thoughts in your head, but I'm not pretending. I'm not hanging out with you because I feel bad. It's not even because of chemistry either. I'm hanging out with you because you're funny, smart, down to earth, kind," he leans in a little closer, "and beautiful," I can't breathe. I lean in too. Then it happens. His lips come in contact with mine and I feel like there is a whole disney firework show going off inside my head. He pulls away for a second, and I find myself disappointed, but then he comes back stronger, and we almost go into a full out make-out sesh before we hear the librarian clear her throat while she stares down out us. Blushing, I grab my things, and Liam and I head out. He reaches out for my hand, and our fingers interlock.

We still have about a half hour left of lunch. I start praying that maybe all of that kissing has wiped Liam's brain of all of that "I'm worried about you" nonsense.

'Hey, you wanna go hang out in my car until the bell rings?" he asks?

The part of me that wants to get away from anyone hitting that soft spot of my food issue wants to say no, but the other part of me that wants Liam to kiss me again wants to say yes. That part wins out, and we head out to his car. It's hot out, so he starts it up to get the A/C going, and I turned on the radio. But, before I can even hear half of the song, he turns it off, and looked me dead in the eye, just like he did in the library. He reaches out and puts his hand on mine.

"Why don't you tell me what's really going on? I promise I won't laugh, or mak jokes. I just want to help,"

"Liam. NOTHING is going on!"

"Ok, fine," he says, but not in an angry way, but more in a triumphant way. He then starts up the engine, and starts backing out of the stall.

"Wait! Where the hell are we going? Class is going to start in fifteen minutes,"

"We are going to go to the fro-yo place, and I am going to buy you your favorite flavor,"

Panic suddenly starts flooding my chest. It's easy to pretend to eat when you are in a group, but not in a pair.

"Liam, no, please," I tried to control myself, but it was starting to sound like I was begging.

"See, Kelsi," he says pulling back into the parking spot and turning off the car. "Something is obviously wrong."

"I'm fine,"

"Then why won't you eat something?"

"I just can't Liam,"

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just can't! You wouldn't understand,"

"Then explain it to me,"

"I can't explain it to you when I don't even understand it myself,"

"Ok, just tell me this. What have you eaten today?"

"Nothing,"I mumble under my breath

"Let me get you something. You can choose. Anything you want,"

Now I am not one for smooth pick up lines and making the first move., or anything like that, but i have to say i was impressed when, "how about this," came out of my mouth as I leaned in to kiss him again, and he didn't hesitate to kiss me back.

"I'm serious Kelsi," he says in the brief moment our lips part

"I am too,' I say firmly, and I make sure that is the end of it. I kiss him one last time,and with that we get out of the car and walk to chemistry holding hands.