“Not to downplay your shower plumbing issues, which I don’t doubt exist, but what would you think if I said I wanted us to give this a real shot in some capacity?”
No. No. No.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
“I would say you’re crazy.”
“I might be,” he replies. “And I know you’re going back to New York and I’m going to Paris, but I still believe we have something worth exploring here. Don’t you?”
“I...”
My words trail off. I don’t know what’s right. I know what Ishouldsay, but it doesn’t at all match up with what Iwantto say. I’m about to tell him just that when I hear the building door open and close behind me. I turn around just as Phillip strolls out, stepping forward and arriving at my side.
“Hey there,” he says to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “I was just peeking out to see if you were back yet. The dinner’s ready.” He then turns his smile over to Liam. “Hello.”
Liam stares blankly back. “Hello,” he answers uncertainly. His eyes shift from me to the man standing beside me. “Sorry, who are you?”
“This is my friend, Phillip,” I blurt out. I then casually slide Phillip’s arm off my shoulder as I twist to face him. “Can you actually give me a minute? I’ll be right up.”
“Sure.” Then to Liam, “Nice to meet you.”
“A thrill,” Liam answers, his voice entirely flat.
Phillip goes back inside, and I’m left with a very stern and crestfallen Liam. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel sick.
“You’ll be right up?” he asks accusingly.
“Stop. Don’t say it like that.”
“Don’t say it like what?”
“Like you think something’s going on with me and Phillip, because there’s not.”
“Oh, obviously not,” he scoffs. “He’s just waiting for you to pop back upstairs for your romantic dinner. That’s what he’s doing, isn’t he?”
“He is, but I didn’t plan it. Juliette told him I would come over, and I only went through with it so she would get off my back.”
Liam lets out a humorless laugh, looking down the street before turning back to me. “Of course, because I forgot, you always do everything Juliette tells you like a good little girl, right?”
“Hey!” I answer back defensively. “Don’t get nasty just because you’ve decided to jump to conclusions. I told you, Phillip is a friend, and I’m sorry I didn’t mention him, but it didn’t seem relevant whenever we were hanging out. I see now that maybe I should have.”
“Hanging out? Is that really what we’ve been doing?”
I don’t answer and Liam shakes his head. “This is ridiculous. Sorry to have interrupted your dinner.” He turns and walks away, and I stay frozen in place. He makes it several feet before he stops and walks back, the tips of his ears visibly red. “That’s it, then? You’re just going to let me leave?”
“I don’t... What else was I supposed to do?”
“How about ask me to stay? Try to make things right between us instead of being fine with me leaving you with no intention of coming back?”
Leaving. Leaving me. No intention of coming back. The words strike a dark chord inside of me and I feel my whole body tighten. Liam seems to notice, his stance instantly faltering.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “But just answer me this. Have you been seeing this guy the entire time you’ve been here?”
I don’t want to lie, but I also know the truth is deceiving. Ultimately, I end up saying, “I hung out with him one time, but not in the way you think. I told you, we’re just friends.”
“Then why did he have his arm around you?” he demands.
“How should I know?” I fire back. “Maybe he thought I looked cold or something? What does it matter? All that should matter is what I’m telling you, and I’m telling you, I don’t like him like that. Nothing happened between us nor is anything going to happen.”
