Cupid's Mistake

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

I didn't get up to go to school the following morning. I hadn't slept much the night before, and it seemed impossible to lift my heavy body from the bed. I laid there, watching my phone hoping the black screen would light up and her name would appear. So, I waited.

I started to drift off to sleep when I heard someone pounding on my door. I jumped up and rushed to throw a hoodie on, her hoodie. I felt a flicker of hope from deep within my stomach. She came back. She's going to let me apologize. I will tell her how sorry I am. I will tell her that I do love her, that I will slowly work on being the one she deserves.

I rushed to the door and took a deep breath before opening it and seeing Liam. The hope that had come back ran dry and drained back into the cold lifeless body I had moments before.

"Hey!" Liam said, all too happily.

"Hi," I said, trying my best to smile back. I stepped to the side for him to enter, which he did.

"I got a call from Talya, she's worried about you." Liam said and took a wrapped bagel out of his coat pocket. I smiled and accepted it, with no real intention of eating it at the moment.

"I'm okay." I said and walked to my kitchen so I could set the bagel down.

"I'm not so sure I believe that." I turned back to see him looking around my wrecked living room. Couch cushions had been strewn around, blankets tossed across the room, and all of the pillows had mascara stains on them.

"I'm fine, Liam, really." I sighed and turned back to him with the best smile I could manage.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. I thought for a moment. It would help me to get some of that pent up emotion out, but I didn't want to make Liam uncomfortable, he was a good friend.

"Are you sure?" I asked, nervous to take him up on his offer. He nodded and walked into my kitchen so he could sit on my bar stool.

"She said I didn't love her." I sighed and rested my elbows on the counter and my chin on my palms. He looked at me expectantly.

"I don't know," I sighed, trying to sort my thoughts. "It felt like I was choosing between our happiness together and my lifelong career plan. I have been given a golden opportunity. How can I pass that up?" I scoffed thinking about my upcoming album.

"It's selfish of her to want me to choose." I scoffed, feeling some of my anger boil to the surface. Liam just continued to nod and listen.

"But all she wanted was for me to love her. She told me that she'd give me time to figure things out and I have no doubt that she stayed true to her word." I sighed at the conflicting feelings.

"So what changed?" Liam asked, looking ever so focused on me.

"I basically broke up with her on live TV." I muttered, suddenly realizing the true depth of her hurt. No one knew we were together but my mom, Naeem, Yossef, Talya, and Liam, but none of them mattered.

I basically told her that I didn't like her, didn't love her, on TV. I felt so ashamed. How could I have hurt her so bad.

"Hey," Liam whispered and stood up. He walked over to me and wiped away the falling tear from my cheek.

"I know you're hurting right now, but it doesn't last forever." He said and embraced me. I folded into his warmth, appreciating his comfort.

"How about we go out for some lunch and I'll walk you to work." He smiled and pulled me away to see what I thought of his idea. I smiled slightly and nodded. I appreciated his help, even if I preferred the loneliness that I had been drowning in.