Isabella
He had done it. I was nervous when he started crying. Like I had made it all worse, but he was crying because his heart was finally whole again. I still have no idea why it had broken to begin with or why the ice cream shop was the key to fixing him, but he had done it.
Liam hadn’t stopped smiling since we left the store and it was infectious. Now, he seemed even more determined than ever to make sure I recovered from my own heartbreak. So we could both start moving forward together. So, here we were. At the bowling alley.
“You are a terrible bowler,” I teased him as his bowling ball only knocked down one pin.
He just turned around and beamed at me.
“I don’t even care. I’m so happy right now.”
Laughing, I tried to concentrate on the pins, but Liam was skipping and humming and completely distracting. I tried to yell at him but he would only stop just long enough for me to toss my ball before he was back to being a big goofball. It was nice to see him happy. As the crack of my strike sounded in the distance, Liam’s arms came around me and he lifted me up and twirled me in the air. I couldn’t stop laughing. When he put me down, his eyes were sparkling.
“I’m going to get a drink. Do you want anything?”
I shook my head and watched as he hurried toward the concession stand. He had just disappeared when I felt someone come up behind me.
“You seriously brought him here? Toourbowling alley?”
Marco. I froze for a moment, then took a deep breath and faced him. I looked around but didn’t see Gina plastered to his side like usual.
“It doesn’t belong to us, Marco. It’s the neighborhood’s bowling alley. And yes, I brought him here.”
He glared at me.
“I saw you withourenvelopes at school too. Are you just trying to replace me with him? Because he will never be me. And you can never be his. You are mine, Bella.”
Anger was rushing through me. I had rarely gotten angry, but something about Marco saying I was his pushed me to a new level.
“I am NOT yours, Marco. You wanted Gina, remember!”
Marco moved closer.
“That’s over now, so toss the fool back into his fancy car, and I’ll take you home.”
Marco actually grabbed my arm; a jolt of pain shot through me. He had never done anything like that before. Never touched me with anything but gentle hands. I was so surprised I froze, but Liam returned at that moment, and I watched in shock as he grabbed Marco and tossed him on the ground next to me.
“Donottouch her!”
I could see anger and concern swirling in Liam’s eyes when he looked at me. My hand impulsively went to rub my arm, where Marco had been squeezing it. Liam looked like he was about to lunge at Marco, and my brain finally started to function. There were too many people here. I really didn’t think, when it came to a serious fistfight, that Liam would get out of here alive. Although he had never touched me before, Marco had been in a lot of fights.
“Liam. It’s okay. Please.”
His gaze met mine, and I pleaded with him silently. Marco had risen now and was heading over.
“You want to fight, pretty boy? We can fight. Then you can see Bella deserves a real man and not the pathetic excuse for a boy you are.”
The two lunged at each other. I threw myself in between them, my arms outstretched, and pushed them each on the chest.
“Both of you stop.”
Neither of them seemed to even notice me so I looked around, desperate for help. A crowd was starting to gather now but no one seemed to care that the guys were about to fight. I looked back at Liam.
“Look at me, Liam. Please.”
For a moment, I caught his attention, so I begged.
“I don’t want this.”
