Dedicated to ko2290 because she is my most recent follower and I thank you for doing that. You are awesome my friend!
Chapter Fourteen: The Story of Us
Laughing softly, I smile as I feel him hold me closer to his side, I look up to see him smiling down at me. His light green eyes stare at me with adoration and I send him a cheesy grin.
"In all honesty, our feelings became quite real our junior year - like there was no denying it. It wasn't until senior year when we began to make plans to attend the same college and we knew we wanted to be together in the future." I tell a few of the swimmers and surfers the story of Liam and I falling in love.
"Ah, skinny love at its finest." Kaiko states with a knowing smile. Liam drops his arm from my shoulder and reaches for my hand entwining our fingers together.
"You two are just too cute! Honestly when you and Liam won Prom king and queen, I knew you guys would be tied together for good." Jess gushes.
"Seriously, you two were goo goo eyes from day one. It's been what nine years? When is the damn wedding?" Kaiko grins, elbowing Liam's side and my heart jumps at the thought of Liam proposing and then getting married and having kids. Holy shit.
That's how it would have been though, exactly how it would have been. At least, that's how I imagined it in my mind if the fallout we had back in high school didn't happen. The only real thing was that we both won Prom queen and king, which turned out to be a horrible night, but that's whole different story. Now I'm standing alone in the back of the room fiddling with the sides of my dress while watching everyone talk about how it's been the past year and how their summer has been, and then there's Liam, telling everyone about how his life has been for the past three years. I used to be such a big part of his life to the point that I knew everything about him and now here I am, not knowing where he is in his life. All because of the damn, stupid fall out in high school.
Long story short on the swim and surf reunion. It's been going on since my generation of swimming and it all started with play dates, mind the fact that I started swimming when I was five and began swimming competitively at the age of seven when I was torn between swimming and surfing. I wanted to surf because I loved being on the beach all day with the smell and taste of salt air all around me, I wasn't too bad as well, but swimming was my calling because I had the discipline and talent for it. Of course, I could have enjoyed swimming if it wasn't for the snobby kids on the team. Anyways, play dates turned into these fancy, nice reunions that we have once a year, especially since everyone went their separate ways after high school. I, for one, have avoided coming for the past four years...well, you'll see why.
Suddenly, our eyes catch each other and I almost have whiplash when I try to look somewhere else. Abort! Abort! Abort! I turn my body to flee the room.
"Gaby, is that you?" I whip my head into the living room where I see the one person I have not seen in forever. She may not have been my best friend or anything, but she was the one person I liked on the swim team. She took my spot as captain because everyone voted for her instead of me. One, she was prettier than me. Two, she was in second place behind me. Three, they would actually listen to her.
"Malie?" A real grin spreads across my face as we meet in the center of the room and embrace each other in a hug. As we extend in arm's length I take a quick look at her. Her black hair has grown down to her torso and she's glowing.
"I almost didn't recognize you. You look incredible." She grins at me. That's right, she moved to Texas the year before I had all my glamour changes in becoming a mermaid. "Not saying you weren't beautiful back then."
"Aw, you're too sweet." I wave my hand dismissively, and we catch up on what's been going on for the past few years like high school, college, friends and family - the usual small talk.
"Speaking of serious," I turn my attention to her and raise my eyebrows as I fold my hands behind my back. "When are you and Liam tying the big knot?"
"What." I exclaim loudly and she begins dying of laughter while I start stammering, "We - we we're not together. I - it's not like that!" Shit...!
Malie composes herself and her eyes widen, "Oh, you're serious!" I widen my eyes at her as to say "DUH" or "OBVIOUSLY," "You two still haven't proclaimed your unrequited love for each other?" my heart is racing and I feel my cheeks burning up.
"No...?" I nervously say. Is it getting hot in here?
"I just figured you two were together by the way you and Liam keep glancing at each other and I don't know...even though it wasn't official or anything you guys were like high school sweethearts."
I chuckle nervously and place my hand on her shoulder pushing her a little harder than I expected because she takes a step back, "Don't be silly."
"I'm not. I'll be waiting for a wedding invitation in a few years, okay? Just send it over to my parents in Texas."
"Right...I - I'm gonna run to the ladies room. I'll catch you later." I leave before she responds and as I try to get as far away as possible from that conversation, I find the kitchen. Thank the Lord! I step inside and see Rita eating an olive off a pick. I walk over and bump my side to hers, "Hey."
"Girl, where have you been?" she takes another olive, "I thought you died, I haven't seen you since Syd -" My eyes catch Bella across the room mingling with some of the girls on the surf team and I nudge my elbow into her side letting her know not to say a thing, "Right...anyways, I'm so glad you're here. This reunion isn't fun without you." She pouts and I roll my eyes.
"Ladies," I turn and face Chelsea with two glasses in her hands, "Champagne." She offers, eyeing me closely with her cold, light blue eyes.
"Fancy." I take the glass in my hand and take a small sip, with a small smirk growing on my face.
"Mahalo, baby girl." Rita says taking the glass and Chelsea smiles tightly at us before walking back to her guests. "There's your reason. I can't stand her."
I scoff and clink my glass to hers, "Cheers to that."
"By the way, you are all everyone is talking about. Liam and Gaby foreva...!" she laughs at her own sentence and I place my glass firmly on the table. Liam and I haven't been seen together since high school and now that we're in the same room together, completely avoiding each other, everyone thinks we're a freaking couple. Either Liam and I are just good at acting casual or everyone is just blind and lost in their little fantasy of us.
My lips have been pursed tightly for the past hour, as one by one each teammate tries to get Liam and I together, but every time I get close, Liam makes an excuse to get away. I on the other hand try to avoid getting near him and everyone.
"Lookin' hot as ever Gaby." I internally scream when I hear Kai just a few feet away from me. I turn my head with an uneasy smile when I see he's with Kaiko, Veronica, Malie, and...Liam. I'm just about to punch Kai in the face, or have Bella do it since she's stronger than me. They beckon me over and I'm trapped. We're trapped. Liam has no where to run. I awkwardly waddle over...beside Liam. Lord have mercy. The others resume their conversation and I nibble on my lip trying to keep my cool.
"Aw look who it is, my favorite love birds." Chelsea's innocent mocking voice reels me back. She standing before us with a forced grin on her face. Her overly white teeth shine from her light tanned face, and I wonder if she's had botox done to her cheeks. I force a chuckle and discreetly take a step away from Liam. I want to say something like it's not freaking like that you blind imbeciles, but I'm tongue tied. "Lunch is ready outside." She announces, sounding sickly sweet. Right at the sound of food, everyone briskly makes their way out back. I take a step forward when a hand wraps around my arm and I instantly melt with dread. He tugs me gently and I take a deep breath and turn on my heels to face him.
"What?" I ask and exclaim at the same time, confused as to why he is now trying to converse with me after all his succeeded attempts at avoiding me.
"Why the hell are you telling everyone we're together." He exasperates in frustration, waving his arms around.
I jerk my head back at his utter accusation, "What? I - " I'm lost at words. What an absurd accusation! I place my hand on my chest, "Why would you even think that?" He opens his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, "No - you were the one who was goo goo eyes for me from day one!" I point out only realizing too late that that was just a little fantasy of mine. His eyebrows crinkle together in confusion and I stare wide eyed, "Uh - Why do you even care? Why are you so upset that they're saying all these ridiculous things. You and I both know it's not true." I exclaim in the same exasperated tone Liam was just in. This reunion is now getting to me. His face contorts into a straight, cold one and he leans in almost nose to nose and I unwillingly shrink down from intimidation.
"Because, I'm tired of hearing it. There was never an us. There will never be an us." His voice lowers in an icy tone with each word and I'm stuck still. He leans back and takes a deep breath. "Apparently no one can see that." He walks out and once again leaves me speechless.
Chelsea, it seems, as we step outside had hired servants, really? Now this is over doing everything. While everyone is sitting down, I lose Bella. Shit. I puff out my cheeks and look at the long dining table stretching out across the backyard. Sweet Jesus. Why? Seeing an empty seat next to Rita, I head on over until someone takes the seat and I stop. Shit. Then I see Malie, I go over to her and I'm about to take a seat across from her when one of the surfer guys places his hand on the seat.
"Sorry it's taken."
"Right..." I hear glass clinking and when I look up ahead, I see Chelsea standing at the end with a glass of champagne in her hand and a forced smile on her face.
"Gaby, are you having trouble finding your name on the table?" I quickly glance at the table seeing name cards placed on it and I feel like tying an anchor around me so I can sink to the bottom of the ocean. "To the other end, where Bella is." Chelsea says monotonously, with a hint of impatient in her voice.
"Right." I mutter as I turn on my heels and make my way to the other end and as I get closer I see Liam sitting at the end with an empty seat across from him. "Shit..." I breathe out. When I make a turn across the table, Bella and I lock eyes and she gives me a thoughtful smile. I just breathe in deeply trying to calm my emotions. I take a seat and quickly brush my eyes over to Liam to see him looking down at the table. Completely, and obviously avoiding me. There's glass clinging and we all look over to where Chelsea is.
"Thank you to everyone who is here, it's always nice to see everyone here. It brings many lovely memories. I know we have the swim and surf team from our year and to be honest, we are the best year the program has had," she causes everyone to laugh and agree, "anyways, Lahaina offered us the pool and ocean which gave us a second family -" she chokes on her words, "I'm sorry -" she wipes her eyes and fans her face.
"Oh, sweet Jesus." I mutter quietly so no one can hear and throw my head back and take a glimpse of the clear sky.
"Gaby." I hear Bella hiss, but there's a hint of laughter in her voice. I pull my head back up just in time to see Liam adjust his head to see Chelsea better wearing an almost faint smile on his face.
"Hopefully, we can carry this reunion for years to come, but for now, let's just enjoy the company of each other. Come what may in the future. Let's enjoy the summer freely. And a good luck to everyone graduating next year, may your future be bright." She raises her glass and I reach for my glass and then raise it in the air with everyone else. "Cheers."
"Cheers!" we all say and then as I take my sip, I involuntary look at Liam, but when I see his eyes already looking at me, I quickly look away.
After the toast, lunch is served. First is the salad, then the some sort of pasta, and finally desert, which as it is being served in front of me is a fudge sundae. My mouth waters just looking at it and I immediately dig in. Besides the delicious dessert, this reunion thing is still bad, exhibit A, the person sitting across from me. Exhibit B, Medusa at the end of the table. Exhibit C, I feel is yet to come. As I finish my last bite, I lean back against the chair and stretch my arms over my head and then stretch my legs out, when my feet brush against a leg, Liam's leg. His leg stiffens at my touch and my eyes pop open, my heart races, and I pull back like a rubber band.
"You okay?" Bella asks with her eyebrows furrowing together. I open my mouth when someone taps my shoulder. I glance up to see Jess.
"How are you guys?" she chirps with a grin on her face while rocking back and forth on her heels and hands folded behind her back. One of us were about to respond when she squeals, "I know we saw each other at my bonfire, but it's just been so long since the three of you have been together! I literally can't!" Knowing Jess, we stay quiet waiting for her next outburst. "Wasn't it your senior year and my junior year that we were all together?" no one says a thing, "Ah," she sighs contently, "Wow, how time flies. But, I mean here we are."
"Here we are." My voice strains and I take a drink my champagne, rudely as it is, I call the waiter over with a flick of my hand in the air.
"I know I sound creepy, but I look up to you guys because you three are so close and I wish I had a friendship like you guys."
"That's so sweet, Jess, but -" Bella begins, but Jessica opens her mouth again.
"And a love like you and Liam!" she gushes, a frown slowly forms on my face. Liam as it sounds, is having a coughing fit, "Ugh, you two are just so adorable together!" Holy shit. My heart is racing and I feel like I can't get enough oxygen into my lungs.
"Jess, that's so kind of you but - it's not really like that between us." Liam says and I start to feel a heat stroke coming along.
"Waiter!" I call out waving my hand in the air, holy shit. I'm starting to hyperventilate, I see Bella's glass is empty and the only glass full is Liam's, "Can I have a sip of that?" I don't give him a chance to respond because I take it and start downing the drink. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. I see Liam about to speak when I place the glass down and turn around to Jess. "Girl...what are you talking about? Liam and I? Psh!" Her eyebrows furrow together like a little innocent girl. "Damn it! Where's that waiter?"
"But, I heard there was going to be a wedding?" Bella snorts at this and bursts out laughing, I glance at Liam and I've never seen him this flustered, I on the other hand feel like fainting. This cannot to be happening.
"I'm just going to run to the bathroom." I stand up and hastily walk inside the house. I hear Bella call out for me and then Liam excusing himself. Inside the empty house I hear the thumps of my wedges echoing on the floor and then Bella's quick strides following after me as I try to find a bathroom.
"Relax, Gaby. Relax." Bella tells me as she steps behind me. I find a staircase that goes downstairs and I miraculously make it to the bottom without falling flat on my face. I find the bathroom and throw the door close carelessly, but Bella steps inside before it closes completely, I take a seat on the toilet and place my hands on my face. I hear Bella shut the door and she sighs softly. "I'm sorry," I don't know why she's apologizing because she hasn't done anything, so I stay quiet. "Don't let them get to you just because of some future gossip they made up." Something in me shakes, and it's because I also made that future up. So this is the story of us? While everyone else thinks our relationship is as sweet as pie the truth is Liam hates me and no matter how hard we try to avoid each other, we just keep running into each other and it's killing me.
"I know." My voice comes out muffled through my hands, "I - " I stop and take a deep breath, "It's...I don't know." I knew this was going to happen, I just didn't expect it to be this bad. Shit... I'm losing my mind here. I want to tell Bella exactly how I feel, but I can't, I don't want to argue with her, especially now. I drop my hands from my face and turn my head sideways to glance at Bella who's giving me a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sure Liam is just as annoyed as you." I groan and cover my face once again, but then I freeze, I never thought about how Liam felt about the whole thing. Is it killing him just as much as it's killing me?
Here is that update just as I promised. I will try to be consistent - I'm sure I will be now that I'm getting my life in check. Tough times my friends tough times. But anyways enjoy :) xx
Love,
Mar