That One Summer...

Chapter 26

“You should go to sleep, Sage! Enjoy your last slumber as a single woman because tomorrow, you’re getting hitched for life!” Aden yelled into Sage’s room before she gently shut the door.

We looked at each other and laughed.

“It’s a good thing she didn’t drink that much or else she’d have a massive hangover on the biggest day of her life,” I asserted.

Aden nodded as she started making her way down the hall towards our rooms. “Just watch, though, she’ll go crazy at the reception.”

I hesitated to follow her.

She stopped and glanced back at me. “You coming?”

I looked back at the elevator. “Actually, there’s something I need to do before tomorrow.”

Aden winked and replied, “Go get him, tiger” before she continued walking to her room.

I hurriedly pressed the button for the elevator, but it wasn’t coming fast enough, so I walked to the very end of the hall and headed up the stairs.

I rushed to his door and pounded on it repeatedly, anxious to see him. But he didn’t answer. I waited for a few minutes, banging on the door and calling his name over and over again, but he either didn’t want to talk to me or he wasn’t there.

So I gave up and decided that I would talk to him tomorrow, and I opened the door to go back down the stairs and get some exercise.

And there he was, sitting at the top with his knees up to his chest, his arms folded and resting on his knees, and his head resting on his arms. He heard me and opened himself up when he saw me.

“When did you get here?” I asked.

“I just got here. What? Are you going to slap me again?” Liam asked bitterly.

I didn’t reply and sat down on the stairs next to him.

“So now you want to talk to me?” He started to move like he was getting up, but I stopped him and put my hand on his arm.

“Wait, Liam. I just need to get something off my chest,” I said earnestly.

His dark brown eyes stared at me intently. “Do I have the right to slap you if I don’t like what you say?”

I sighed impatiently. “I’m trying to apologize. I’m sorry for slapping you, Liam.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah whatever. It’s not like I’ll ever get through to you.”

I didn’t say anything, but instead entwined my hand with his.

He looked down at it, perplexed. “I don’t understand.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to cry as I poured my heart out. “Liam, I love you. I love you in the same way that you love me. I’m still desperately in love with you after spending forever being angry at you.” I opened my eyes and looked intently at him. “But I’m desperately in love with Greg, too. And as much as I want for it to be you, as much as I hopelessly crave for it to be you, it’s Greg who I love more.”

He pulled his hand away from mine and looked away. “Just stop. I don’t want to hear the rest.”

I shook my head. “No, Liam, you need to get this through your brain. I will always be in love with you. I’ve been told that’s how first loves work. But I want to spend the rest of my life with Greg. I want to marry him and have his kids and grow old with him and love him for life. And the thing is, Liam, I want the same with you. I want to marry you and have your kids and grow old with you and love you for life. But I want it more with Greg. It pains me, Liam James Payne, that I can’t be with you. But that’s just it – I can’t.” I couldn’t help it; tears started falling down my cheek. “I want to be your friend, but I just don’t have the strength in me right now to see both of us hurt.”