Bad Liar

Chapter 7

I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tightly. He stumbled backwards a bit into the door but put his arms around my waist and hugged me back. I didn't really know what to say. I had just told Daniel one of my biggest secrets and fears.

I pull away and wipe the tears off of my face and try to wipe them off of Daniel's shirt. He stops me and holds my hand.

"Give yourself a chance at love, even if it's not with me," he smiles.

He places a kiss on my hand and walks out the door.

I stand there and stare blankly at the door, not really sure what I wanted to happen. Maybe I wanted him to turn around and beg me to be with him. Maybe I wanted to run after him. Maybe I wanted that door to stay shut so that no one else could come in.

After a long time I make my way back to my room and lie down in bed. I pull the covers over me and drift off to sleep.

The next morning I wake up and my ankle is a little sore. I hobble into the bathroom to get ready for work. The drive to work seems more dreary than usual, even though the LA sun is shining. Work drags on and every time I hear the door open I hope it's him. I head home and and flop down on my bed, not bothering to take off my clothes or make up.

I'm lost in thought when I hear someone at my door. I quickly get up and open it.

"I have a package for y/n," the man says.

"Oh, thanks," I say as I take the package.

"Looks like it's going to rain," he says trying to make conversation.

"I guess so," I say before saying goodbye.

I don't know why I thought it was going to be Daniel. We aren't going to go out again until Saturday anyway. I don't even know if we'll go out again.

I head to the kitchen and grab a pair of scissors to cut open the package. When I open it I pull out a photo album. There's a note with it.

"Y/n,
I miss you so much and I wish you could have come home for the summer. I was going through old files on the computer and found some pictures from your old phone. There were so many and I thought you'd like to have them. I printed them out for you and put them in this album. Enjoy! I love you.

Love,
Mom"

I get a little teary reading the note. I wasn't able to come home this summer and my mom was devastated. After calling her and thanking her I take the album to my room and open it.

There are pictures starting from my sophomore year of high school when I got my first real phone. My first one was a little flip phone, but by sophomore year my mom finally decided to get me a phone that could take pictures. When I went away to college she gave me a new one so I lost all my pictures from the old one.

I flip through the pages and see countless pictures of my cat and my dog. I see pictures of my swim team that I lost touch with because of distance. I see pictures of my family. I see pictures of my friends from school. Then I see the picture I needed to see the most.

It was the only picture of us in the entire album. I had tried to teach him one of my dances and he failed pretty miserably. I started laughing at the memory. I was trying to teach him the part in my dance where my partner picked me up. He dropped me on the ground. I was laughing and so was he as he helped me up. There was a moment where my hand was in his and I was laughing and looking into his eyes. I looked so happy in that picture. In that moment I was happy.

I didn't realize that I was crying until a tear fell onto the page. I had cried a lot in the past 24 hours but these weren't sad tears. They were happy tears. I slipped the photo out of the album to look at it closer.

I could never admit to myself how much I liked Daniel. On the day of graduation I almost told him, but I backed down. I regretted doing that until I met my boyfriend. He reminded me so much of Daniel, but he wasn't him. I always knew that deep down but I still loved him with my whole heart. I still miss him. I still love him, but now I'm about to let Daniel walk out of my life again.

I'm not going to let that happen.

I look out my window and of course it's just my luck that it's now pouring outside. I change out of my uniform and put on some leggings and a sweatshirt. I grab my raincoat, the picture, and my keys and run outside to my car.

I quickly get in, soaking my seat as I do so, and start driving to Daniel's house. Luckily I found his address again. The rain was coming down hard and I could barely see the road or what was in front of me. I just prayed that I would make it to Daniel's house.

My prayers were answered as I pulled into his driveway. I ran up to his front door and rang the bell.

No answer.

I rang it again.

No answer.

I knocked three times.

No answer.

Five times.

No answer.

Eleven.

Nothing.

"Daniel!" I yell banging on the door again, "Daniel, it's y/n! Please open the door. I need to tell you something."

Still nothing.

I sit down on the small step in front of his door and place my head in my hands. How could this have happened? I'm finally ready to let myself try and love again and I can't even tell him. He's not even here.

I'm completely soaked now, but I don't care. This was my one shot at telling Daniel how I feel and I waited too long to make up my mind. I took too long to make my decision and he walked out of my life again. I get up and walk back to my car and get inside. I rest my head on the steering wheel and curse under my breath.

I hear someone banging on the window. When I look over I see a soaking wet Daniel begging me to roll down my window.

"Daniel?" I ask.

"Y/n," he panted, "I was so worried."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I went to your house and your door was unlocked. You weren't there. I thought something happened to you," he said out of breath.

"I'm okay," I say.

He looks like he's almost in tears. I get out of the car and hug him. He takes my hand and leads me into his house so we aren't in the rain anymore. Daniel hands me a towel and some dry clothes to change into and shows me where the bathroom is. I quickly dry myself off and put the clothes on. The sweatpants he gave me barely stay on me and the hoodie looks like it's swallowing me. When I step back out Daniel is also changed and sitting down. He pats the spot next to him and I sit down. We sit there in silence before one of us decided to talk.

"Why are you here?" He asks.

"Why were you at my house?" I ask.

"I was um—I," he stutters, "why are you here?"

I take a breath.

"Because I'm giving myself a chance to love someone again. I'm ready to try and love someone again, to give myself a chance. I realized that one of my biggest regrets was not telling you how I felt about you before I left for college. I'm not letting you walk out of my life again, not without a fight. I'm ready to give myself a chance. Will you give me a chance to love you? Will you take a chance on me?" I ask.

"Of course I will. I never knew you felt that way about me in high school. I never knew you felt the same. If I had known I would have—"

I cut him off placing my lips onto his. It had been less than a day and I was craving the feeling of his lips on mine.

"Thank you for taking a chance," I smile.

"Always," he smiles.

"Always," I whisper.