Falling Away #Watty 2023

•Chapter 47•

I WALKED OUT OF MY LAST class of the day, feeling exhausted as the lecture had ended late in the evening. Making my way through the hallway, I headed towards the field, intending to reach the parking lot where I hoped to find a cab.

"Hey, mind if I give you a lift home?" Dylan offered, standing next to his car with his hands in his pockets.

I smiled gratefully and approached him. "Thanks," I replied as I climbed into the car.

Dylan settled into the driver's seat and started the engine, pulling out of the driveway. "I was thinking since you haven't found a good apartment yet, you should consider the one I suggested for you."

"Thanks," I murmured, staring ahead at the road.

"Sorry about the situation yesterday," Dylan said, tapping his fingers lightly against the steering wheel. "The counseling session was awkward, but I think we managed to sort a few things out."

"Yeah, it was quite intense. But Mrs. Winston is surprisingly funny," I chuckled. "Can you believe she even gave me a book to read? I actually like it, but I hope I won't need to see her again under such circumstances."

"I'm just glad the whole drama ended that day," Dylan said, flashing a grin. "And I'm relieved to see that Mackenzie is starting to move on."

"She is?" I asked, surprised.

He nodded. "But she doesn't want to discuss anything related to him anymore. Poor girl."

"I feel terrible for her. I just hope she'll eventually forgive me, and we can go back to being friends."

He sighed, his fingers still tapping slowly on the steering wheel. "Give her some time, I'm sure she'll talk to you."

Dylan pulled into Sarah's driveway, turning off the engine of the car. For a moment, everything felt awkward, and I couldn't think of anything else to say. It seemed like he was waiting for me to speak first.

"Uh, thanks for the lift," I mumbled, moving to exit the car. But he stopped me, and I turned to face him, feeling numb to the situation.

"Will you go on a date with me on Friday evening?" Dylan asked in a low tone. I knew he was apprehensive about my response, and I was speechless for a moment.

"I'll think about it," I mumbled before grabbing my bag and stepping out of the car.

I pushed open the door and tossed the keys I was holding into a nearby flower vase, the one Sarah had told me to always use so she could easily find them. Collapsing onto the bed, I grabbed my phone and typed a message to Gemma.

Zoey: Yeah, they did.

Gemma: You've got to be kidding! Poor Liam. I think he might be confused right now.

Zoey: Everyone keeps saying that. I'm just tired of all the drama in my life recently.

Gemma: What are you going to do now? What if Liam comes begging you once more? What will you do?

I wanted to type my response, but a knock on the door interrupted me. I pulled myself off the bed and trudged to the door. Opening it, I sighed as I saw Liam standing there. I gestured for him to come in.

He walked in and sat on the single-seater couch in the small living room area. It was evident that Liam hadn't been having a good time lately; he looked pale, stressed out, with dark circles under his eyes and unkempt hair.

Despite everything, I couldn't deny feeling some sympathy for him.

I stood by the doorway leading to the kitchen, arms wrapped around my chest and a thin smile on my face.

"Zoey, it hurts me that all those things happened and that you're treating me this way," Liam said, standing up and approaching me. "I'm really sorry for hurting you, and I wish you'd come back to me."

I swallowed back the angry words I wanted to say. It was time for me to set things straight and speak my mind.

"Liam, we have a past. Things we can't just overlook and act as if they never existed. I've moved on, and I don't love you anymore. I know we can't erase everything that happened, but we can start afresh as friends," I said calmly, with as much composure as possible.

"Friends?" The word came out of his mouth with a tinge of sadness. I wondered if I shouldn't have mentioned that possibility
but I had to.

"Zoey, please give me a chance to correct all those mistakes. I love you, Zoey, and I don't think I'll be able to look at you as just a friend," Liam said, his eyes glistening with tears.

I took a deep breath. "I don't love you anymore, and I think you should apologize to Mackenzie. She really loved you, and I don't think she deserved everything you did to her."

He ran his hand through his hair, pacing around the room, clearly overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. I watched him with sympathy, wishing our paths had never crossed, making it easier for both of us to move on. But as for me, I had moved on, and I hoped he would do the same.

"Okay, I understand. I don't deserve you after what I did. Thank you for forgiving me," he muttered, turning towards the door. "Goodbye, Zoey."

As soon as he left, I collapsed onto the couch and sobbed. I wished things hadn't turned out the way they did.

I used to love Liam Crawford.

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