Falling Away #Watty 2023

•Chapter 27•

"I got accepted into NYU," Gemma exclaimed cheerfully as we stood in line for lunch together, her excitement palpable.

"That's amazing, Gemma! I'm so happy for you!" I nearly shouted, wrapping her in a tight hug. After we separated, we grabbed our trays of food and made our way to our usual table.

"I saw the text message you sent last night. Are you really dating Liam?" Gemma asked as she unwrapped her sandwich.

"Yeah, I guess we are," I replied with a shrug, trying to downplay it. "He confessed his feelings to me. It was kind of cute, actually." I took a bite of my sandwich.

"What if he has ulterior motives? I don't trust that guy," Gemma frowned, her expression serious.

"I don't think he does. Liam's just a guy trying to move on from the tragedy of his family. Ever since that day you confronted him about his past, he's changed a lot," I explained, defending him.

"If you say so," Gemma said, picking up her cup of fruit parfait.

"We're working on the final design of our project at his place today. Why don't you come with me?" I suggested, offering her a smile.

She hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Okay."

AFTER SCHOOL, Gemma and I went together to Liam's place. I took a seat next to Liam on the bed as he worked on the app we were creating. Gemma was on the other side, engrossed in a book she found on Liam's shelf.

Her brown curls bounced against her shoulders as she flipped through the pages. I admired her love for books before turning my attention back to Liam, who was busy with the laptop on his lap.

The door creaked open, and Mrs. Lanai stood in the doorway. "You guys should come down for dinner; you've been here all afternoon," she said, walking closer to Liam, who didn't look away from his screen.

"We'll come down for dinner after we're done with this," he finally muttered without looking up.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Gemma sprang into action, excitedly discussing our project. I listened attentively, eager to hear her ideas.

Gemma's phone rang, and she walked to the other side of the room to take the call by the window. After the call ended, she turned to me. "Zoey, my mom called. My grandma just arrived from Oklahoma, so I'll have to go home now," she said, putting on her jacket, her eyes avoiding Liam's face.

We bid each other farewell, and when Gemma was gone, I turned back to Liam, who was still engrossed in typing away on his laptop.

"This is perfect. I like the blue and white display," I whispered, trying to catch his attention. He finally looked up at me, closing the laptop and placing it on the other side of the bed.

"Let's go down for dinner," he said, grabbing my hand, and we walked down the stairs together.

"What about the project? We need to finish it today. Our presentation is tomorrow," I said as we entered the dining room.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the rest," he reassured me, pulling out a chair for me to sit and taking a seat next to me.

"It gives me joy to see that you're getting better, honey," Mrs. Lanai said as she served spaghetti sauce onto Liam's plate.

Liam didn't say a word, focusing on his food instead.

"Thanks," I mumbled as she served mine, taking the fork and starting to eat.

"Who would've thought you two would be this close," Mrs. Lanai remarked, pouring orange juice into our glasses. "I must be dreaming, right? This is the greatest thing that has happened to me." She sighed happily before taking her seat at the head of the table.

She started telling me about the hardships she had faced since her only child died when he was six months old. The sorrow and joy she felt when they first brought Liam to her. Liam, on the other hand, remained silent, simply eating and minding his own business. It was clear that Mrs. Lanai loved him more than anything in the world.

"I heard you guys are working together on a project," Mrs. Lanai said, looking between me and Liam.

"Yeah, we're almost done with it," I replied.

"Well, good. Good!" She smiled happily. It seemed like she had forgotten about the earlier conversation, but then Liam spoke.

"Why do you have to do this?" he suddenly said, making me look up at him. His eyes seemed devoid of their usual sparkle. "Why do you always remind me of how much my life sucks, and you being the saving grace to it?" He stood up angrily and turned to leave the dining room.

Before I knew what was happening, his chair had slid back, and he threw a chair at the wall, shattering it instantly. Liam stormed out, and I ran after him, finding him in his bedroom rummaging through his closet.

He took out one of the sachets he had snatched from me earlier, opening it hurriedly. He was about to take the drugs. I reached out and hugged him from behind, causing him to flinch.

"Don't let your past get the best of you," I whispered in his ear. He turned to me, tears streaming down his cheeks. His hands were clenched at his sides, his expression one of hopelessness.

"I was ten when it happened," he said softly. My eyes locked onto his as he spoke. "My dad came home drunk and started shouting at my mother. It wasn't the first time, but that night was different. My mom had had enough; she packed her things and told my sister and me that we were leaving. But my dad caught her and stabbed her four times. My sister and I tried to stop him, but he didn't stop."

I wrapped both my arms around his waist, holding him tightly. He buried his face in my shoulder, his sobs wracking through his body. We stayed like that for a moment, neither of us wanting to let go. When his tears finally subsided, he wiped away the remaining tear tracks with the sleeve of his hoodie.

"You're the strongest person I know, so don't ever forget that," I told him, giving him one last embrace and slowly taking the sachet from him.

Thanks for reading please vote comment and share