The Art Of Unrequited

thirteen

t h i r t e e n

I am still cradled in Liam's arms and embracing him like a koala when Jen abruptly opens the door and ruins every possible romantic moment.

I refuse to stare at her and instead nuzzle my face against Liam's chest in hope that he does all the speaking. Because I cannot find my voice under the wild butterflies swarming my stomach.

"Okay, so be honest with me now," Jen says sighing. "Are you two just friends or something else? Y'all are confusing me."

I feel my cheeks burn after hearing her words, causing me to tighten my hug.

"I guess we're something else," Liam replies in a quiet voice, but he doesn't only reply. He pats my head and presses his lips into my hair.

She scoffs. "Get a room."

I hear her rummage through her things noisily and I'm afraid she might ask me about Alex. I plant a kiss on Liam's neck and he giggles.

"So I guess no more Alex huh?" Jen speaks, her voice a little teasing with a hint of annoyance.

I let go of Liam to face her while she fixes-whatever she is fixing.

"I'm sorry Jen, really sorry. He's a good guy. My heart's just... somewhere else," I say in almost a whisper.

She looks at me with an unexpected bright face. "I know he's a good guy."

She walks over to squeeze my cheeks. "I understand. That's why I'm going to visit him now," she smiles and ruffles my hair.

Before she walks to the door, she stares intensely at Liam. "If you hurt her-"

"You'll kill me," Liam interrupts with a grin plastered on his face.

She smirks. "Don't forget that."

"I won't. I'll never hurt her."

She ruffles my hair again, then takes a leave.

The moment she shuts the door, I throw myself onto Liam for another hug. He laughs and hugs me back. He wraps his arms around my waist, and mine around his. I feel him nuzzle his face against my hair sending a hundred chills down my spine. If he keeps doing this, he might just be able to kill me. I imagine dying from the amount of affection. I imagine seeing my name printed in bold on tabloids. Madeleine Wright Cause of Death: receiving too much love from Liam. I chuckle from the thought.

Right, too much love from Liam. After years, this is the first time I've felt loved. I missed it so much.

It's been two hundred and forty-nine seconds. Is it weird to count every second of our hug? Yes. But I count anyway. It's funny how the amount of hundreds is only less than five minutes, when it feels like I've been living the happiest ever after of my life. It feels like time stops the moment he touches me. That the world somehow knows when he touches me, and it forces everything to become silent at the very moment he does.

"Can I ask you a question?" I mumble against Liam's chest. His grip tightens and I could feel him tense.

"Sure," he says.