A Unique Kind of Love (11 page)

“So did Liam, yesterday!” She chuckled softly. I was alarmed and I clutched her hand in fear.

“You okay?”

She waved her hand over her face and nodded. “Never better.”

Liam reached out and held her hand as well, placing it over mine. I tried to ignore the shocks that slightly jolted my body. Darla’s eyes went to our hands and she chuckled, as if sharing an old joke with herself.

“Do you have any new jokes?” I asked.

Her eyes lit up, and the wrinkles on her face seemed to fade from the joy. “What did the green grape say to the purple grape?”

I stayed silent.

“Breathe, idiot. Breathe!” And she broke into laughter. We laughed heartily with her, but remained cautious.

I had to admit though, hearing Liam laugh made me feel somewhat better. And it felt like old times, when Darla would sit on her old, oak rocking chair and tell us jokes, as her face glowed with tranquility.

She blinked several times and her presence was deflated every time she blinked. She finally closed her eyes, and soft snores were heard. She’d fallen asleep again.

I looked down to our hands, which hadn’t left Darla’s. Liam typed something on his phone with his free hand and showed me.

“You came for the coffee, didn’t you?”

I simply replied with, “You promised.”

“The hospital’s cafe has the best coffee around.”

I smiled. “Let’s go then. Mom wants a coffee too; I’ll give her one and then tell her to go home. You’ll drive me home anyways.”

I turned to him, and his eyes were burning into me.

They could say every word his lips and tongue couldn’t. They were the way he expressed himself and I found it bizarre yet normal that I could read them so easily.

Today, there was fear laced with relief.

I nodded. “I’m glad we’re friends again too, idiot.”

12

Love Jitters

“Maybe it’s the way she walked straight into my heart and stole it.”

~One Direction~

Lena Rose Winter

I laid my head against the cold, hard metal of my locker. I felt my eyes close, as I melted into Ed Sheeran's raspy voice in
Give Me Love
. It felt as if I was in a different world. I felt peaceful, considering that it was lunch time and I still had an hour ahead of me.

I had eaten, then extricated myself from Liam's company with the excuse that I had some "homework" to do. Frankly, I just wanted a little time to myself.

"Oi, why are you sitting in front of your locker being all depressed?" said a voice that could only belong to Victoria. I opened my eyes to see her sitting beside me. Her face softened when she saw my expression. I took off one earphone, to hear her better.

"What's wrong, babe?"

I smiled a little, I always loved it when she called me "babe" and it was cute, unlike the way Jonah used to say it.

“Well…” I trailed off, not knowing exactly how to explain anything.

"Can I guess?"

“Sure,” I shrugged, highly doubting she knew what was on my mind.

"You really want Liam to ask you to the dance, but he's not doing anything," said Tori, stroking her invisible beard.

My eyes widened. How could she do that? I hadn’t mentioned anything to anyone.

She grinned mischievously and then held one finger up. "Wait, I'm not done. You're in love with Liam, but you don't want to confess anything," she finished in a singsong voice. I snuck a peek at her, frowning when I saw her eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

“I do not like him.”

Tori raised an eyebrow. “And you’re worried about his grandma and you want to take his mind off things.”

I didn’t answer because it seemed as if this was the only piece of indisputable truth she’d said so far.

Tori's expression only got worse. Then, she poked me. She perfectly poked my belly button.

Coincidence? I think not.
I ignored her, replacing both of my earphones in place.

Poke.

I squirmed a little.

Poke, belly button poke.

I let out a small squeak and tried to find refuge in the music.

"
No, I just want to hold you.

Give a little time to me, to burn this out,

We'll play hide and seek, to turn this around
…"

Tori started fully tickling me. She giggled as she achieved a series of shrieks out of me. My legs started kicking the air and I felt as if I was being tortured.

In no time at all, she had almost finished me. "Hide and seek, my arse."

I felt my smile turn upside down.

No one gets away with insulting Edward Christopher Sheeran.

"Hey! He's beautiful and perfect, okay! You ruined my mood," I exclaimed, retrieving my iPod from her hands.

"Your mood wouldn't be ruined if you asked Liam to the dance,"

I re-crossed my arms. "No, I most certainly will not ask him to the dance.”

"You know you want to."

"I do,” I sighed. “But a girl's got to have some pride."

Tori groaned in frustration. "Come on."

"No."

"If you don't, I'll tell—” She paused, a dramatic look only a maniac could muster appearing on her face, “—Jonah that you've always loved him."

That made me gasp, "You wouldn't."

She smirked. "Oh, I most certainly would.”

"Fine," I surrendered.

Tori got up in a flash and started jumping up and down — also known as
Winter Happy Dancing.

"But how should I… ask?" I stuttered, whispering the last part. Tori put her hands on my shoulder and looked at me with dead serious eyes.

"You just say it, okay, Lena?"

Receiving no change in my facial expression, she shook me frantically.

"Lena! I'm going to go tell him to come here and you just do it, okay? Where would he be?"

"Library," was my automatic answer.

"He'll be here in a jiffy.”

Jiffy?

Breathe, Lena. Breathe,
I commanded myself.

"Okay," I managed to say, just before Tori stormed off, reminding me of a lightning bolt.

What if he says no?

You'll be strong.

He wouldn't hate me, right?

No, Lena. He'd never hate you.

How do 
you
 know? You're just me.

I 
know a lot more than you do about everything.

Oh yeah? Like what?

You like Liam, more than as a friend.

Oh, me. Always lying to me. I 
don't 
like him!

Yes, you do.

It's my mistake anyway, who has a conversation with themselves?

You.

During all this time, I was searching the hallways for 
his 
red sneakers.

He walked towards me, looking worried. In his arms, there were several, heavy looking books. I recognized 
The Host.
 

That's your typical Liam.

"
What's wrong?" 
he mouthed, running a hand through his perfectly tousled, soft chestnut hair.

"N-Nothing, I-I..." The floor was suddenly the most interesting thing to look at.

Pride, regain yourself, Lena.

I felt myself get stronger, a surge of adrenaline coursing through my body. I lifted my head up, directly looking through Liam's beautiful, deep, ocean blue eyes. I melted. I fiddled with my arms.

"I-It's just, you know!” I grunted. “Would you stop that?”

Liam raised his eyebrow questioningly.

“Stop being all you, when you know exactly what I want to say," I blabbered, my hands getting strangely sweaty.

I sighed loudly, waving my hands around. "Ah, I'm just going to say this. Don't find me weird or stupid, okay?"

"Never."

"Willyougowithmetothedance?” I said, barely coherent. “Justasfriends, ofcourse, likeduh."

I put my head down, letting the heavy silence settle in.
I should've never said anything.
Being a coward, I couldn’t even look at Liam.

He was going to say no.

I took a chance and lifted my head a little, only to meet adorably confused eyes. He furrowed his eyebrows.

Darn it, he didn't understand me.

"Well, I just... will you go to the dance with me, as friends of course?" I asked, never taking my gaze off him this time.

His eyes went wide and his mouth was agape.

I shouldn't have.

I felt my bottom lip slightly quiver, thinking I had just ruined everything. My eyes met the ground again.

Soft hands held my chin and slowly lifted my head up.

Liam was smiling.

His eyes were shining with happiness. Cheeks, faintly tainted with a fair color reminding me of a rose, merely blooming. Loose strands of smooth brown hair perfectly framed his face. The blue eyes brought out his striking natural beauty and I couldn't help but stare. His thick light eyebrows showed contentment, but amused at the same time. My eyes unconsciously flickered to the lips. Red, was all I could think. He licked his lips, making them even more of a strawberry color.

I liked strawberries. 

I bit my lip.
Expect the worst.

Liam blinked. My nervousness made my muscles tense.

Don't get your hopes up,
I reminded myself.

His lips moved, making my heart race faster. I sighed in relief and then realized what was happening.

I felt my mouth curve into a smile, which immediately transformed into a huge grin.

"Yes."

That was the one word I would've died to hear his voice say, but his mouth tracing it was good enough. It was better than that, it was extraordinary.

I don't know if it was something about his smiling expression or the way his mouth curved around that word, but it took me all the restraint and will in the world not to break into a happy dance right there.