Though, seeing him in the flesh after a month apart… all of our memories in Sydney and the reasons why I had fallen for him in the first place came rushing back. This man was the guy I had vowed to keep… and hopefully to marry someday.
“Hi,” I croaked out, shifting on my feet.
“Hello,” he mused. “Hungry?”
No, I wasn’t; not anymore. My stomach was filled with dread and those damn butterflies. What a damn combination. It made me want to vomit.
I nodded. “Sure.” Why wasn’t I jumping all over him, kissing him like I usually did back in Australia? I was sure he noticed that, too. After all, it had been only a month.
We walked towards the main door after he told me he’d rented out a car. I remembered not seeing any new vehicles on the driveway.
“I parked across the street.” Liam pointed out as we got out of the house. His hand lightly guided me towards the rented, white SUV. Apart from the light touch, he didn’t touch me again after the huge hug he gave me earlier.Thisthought made me nervous.
What did this unexpected surprise mean? Was he going to cut all ties with me? What if he planned to continue going steady and really push for a long distance relationship? Would I be ready for that? All these questions kept swirling through my head to the point that I was dizzy with them when we reached The Corner Bakery.
Navigation was an amazing thing; I didn’t have to tell him anything. He figured it all out all on his own. I was sure Mom had told him the address. She was helpful like that.
Not once did Mom make my life hell when it came to dating guys. She was the kind of parent where I could call at three in the morning, crying my eyes out because a guy dumped me for not wanting to have sex with them. She’d go wherever I was, give me a loving hug, a warm cocoa and let me vent until I was all out of tears.
She was the best and for her to give me her thumbs up with Liam, it made it all the more official that I could move in with him once I got back to Sydney. She and Dad had discussed it. As long as I was being responsible and always promised to be happy, they would both support me all the way.
Yes, I had the best parents in the world and I loved them to the moon and back.
It wasn’t until we were seated and finished ordering before Liam looked me straight in the eye with both hands on the table. Clearing his throat, he asked me what I had been dreading this whole time. “Should I be worried about that text message you sent me, Olivia?”
Pressing my lips together, I thought about his question for a quick flash before I nodded my response. “I didn’t mean for you to worry. I’m sure it’ll go away…” Will it? Grey had been in my thoughts… even now, when I was facing the guy I planned to spend the rest of my life with. He simply littered my brain and it was the most confusing thing; to be here with Liam and still think about the guy who had my body thrumming like a slut. I hated that word, but fuck, I sure was becoming like one when it came to Greyson.
Liam pondered my answer before he leaned back against his chair and stared at me like he was trying to read my mind. For a full minute he stared before saying, “Worried…”He murmured the word. “Your eyes don’t look excited to see me…you think I’m not worried?Fuck, yeah, I’m more than worried now.”
He saw too much in me, I didn’t like that. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. It’s nothing serious.” The hurtful look on his face struck me deep in my core. “God—” I gulped. “I’m so sorry.”
This had been his idea, to see other people. Saying sorry wasn’t part of the deal, but I found myself saying it anyways, which in turn made him scowl. I wasn’t dampening any suspicions he had on me.
The attraction with Greyson was all physical. It didn’t mean that I wanted to throw away the life I had pictured and thought out for myself. I still aimed to follow that path. He was just the guy that was too hot to resist in school, nothing more. It didn’t mean anything, I was sure of that.
Yeah, Grey didn’t mean anything to me, I repeated in my head. Nothing. He was just a sexy guy I made out with whenever I got a chance, that was all.
Hesitantly looking over at Liam, I licked my lips before I tried to reach out for his hand, grazing it with a shaky finger, staring at them with an ache in my heart. “I love you, nothing will ever change that.” I did. I really did.
“Who is he?” he asked, sounding wretched.
How did I answer this without giving too much away? I didn’t want to get in trouble with my mom. I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet anyway. “He’s a guy from school…” Amongst other things.
“You’re not falling for him, are you?”
My eyes bulged out, shocked at his assumption. “What!” I shrieked. “Of course not!” I said, gripping his hands with my own. “You’re the only one. Don’t even go there, Liam. It’s not like that. He means nothing to me. This is just a phase, so please, don’t over-think everything.” He was definitely overthinking too much. His questions were giving me into an immediate panic attack. In love?With Greyson?Was he fucking crazy? Hell no I wasn’t.
His cool blue eyes studied me again, holding me entranced. “How sure are you?”
Liam was all I had ever wanted in a man, and I had him here with me… “One hundred percent. That woman you were dating—”
He cut me off. “Bled my ears dry from her stories.” He gave my hands a squeeze. Hard. Powerful. “I came here to ask and hope that things haven’t progressed as far as I feared… if I lose you…”
God, I had been thinking the worst with that date he’d had before. Knowing that nothing happened made me somehow happy. As for Grey… “I’m still planning to move in with you in Sydney. My mind is set. I’m going to be with you soon.” I wanted a time warp, one where I could fast forward this phase and be with him already.
“And the guy in the picture?” He frowned.
I had to make a choice, and I was going to choose the right man for me, not the man for right now. “If it makes you happy, I’m going to stop things with him…” I could do it. There was nothing going on. Apart from kissing, nothing substantial had really happened.