How do you feel about best friends falling in love with each other? Whether it's hiding their feelings towards each other until one of them gets jealous and admits their feelings, or watching them slowly develop feelings towards each other as their relationship grows and eventually become something more than friendship.
If your answer is similar to "Yes, I enjoy best friend love stories", then keep on reading.
What about love triangles? The way two guys fight over the same girl? Or when a guy happens to be confused about his feelings about two different girls? Vice-versa. Do you enjoy watching three people suffering and just trying to figure out their feelings?
Again, if the answer is yes, keep on reading.
Best friends falling in love with each other can be sweet and absolutely adorable. Love triangles can be exciting to watch and seeing how it unfolds in the end. I happen to love both romantic scenarios. I can't help myself. I'm a sucker for love, and the drama and cheesiness that comes with it.
However, I was starting to think I must have done something wrong in my past life because my love life consists both scenarios.
Recently my two guy best friends confessed that they're in love with me. I was surprised. Honestly, I was shocked but looking back at it now, I guess I should have noticed something changed when they started giving little gifts, leaving me notes, constantly texting or calling, and having the sudden urge to hang out just the two of us and not all three of us. I was oblivious to the whole thing. I thought they were just competing against each other as they always make everything a competition; who's the fastest runner, who's better at lacrosse, who's stronger, has more control, who got a higher score on a test. Anything could be turned into a competition between those two, including trying to get my attention and turning it into this sort of competitive love triangle.
Liam Dunbar and Brett Talbot are two completely different guys. Liam was sweet, kind, and really sensitive, but when it came to it, he wasn't afraid to defend and protect me from anyone who hurt me in anyway. If I needed advice or comfort, talk about anything or something serious, Liam was the perfect person to go to.
Brett was more of a daredevil. He loved to do dangerous things. I'm not sure if it's because he's a werewolf and he doesn't have to worry about the risks, but he isn't afraid to dive headfirst into anything. He's also not the kind of guy who shies away from the truth. He'll tell you the truth straight to your face, no matter if it hurts your feelings or not. He doesn't do it in a mean way, but rather more in a sense of he wants you to be hit with the truth instead of letting you believe what you want to hear. However, like Liam, Brett would defend and protect me from anyone who hurt me.
Besides lacrosse, the only thing they had in common was me. I clicked with both of them for different reasons, and even though the two hated each other, they clicked because of me. They tolerated each other because of me.
After two weeks of being showered with gifts and fighting for my attention, I was getting tired of it. I didn't like how they kept fighting with each other because of me. I'm guessing they got tired of it too because here they are, standing in front me, figuring out a way to end this competition and claim me like some prize. I was beginning to think it wasn't about me anymore and about the satisfaction of winning this competition.
"So we'll play for your heart," Brett pulled me out of my thoughts as he stood next to Liam with his arms crossed tight to his chest. "Create some sort of challenge, lacrosse, weights, track, or whatever," Brett suggested. "And who ever wins, wins you."
My eyes shifted between Brett and Liam. I bit my lip as I looked down at my Converse. I couldn't believe Brett even suggested this. I honestly didn't know what to do. I had never been in this situation before. I needed advice and I knew exactly who to ask. My eyes shifted back to Liam. "What do you think about this, Liam?"
"I think Brett is stupid," Liam said honestly.
"Hey!" Brett snapped back.
Before he could even add a smart-ass remark, Liam continued, "If you knew Y/N at all, you would know she would never test us. She would never play us like that just to figure out who she should pick. This isn't something she can decide by who runs the fastest, can bench more, has the better body or good looks." Liam shook his head, "No, this is something she needs to figure out. She needs to sort out her feelings and realize what her heart wants."
"Damn," Brett's arms left his chest and his shoulders slumped forward.
"What?" Liam looked back at Brett with his eyebrows scrunched forward.
"I think you just won...." Brett's voice was traced with defeat.
I let out a deep sigh before I shook my head. I felt warm tears pooling in my eyes. I couldn't believe I was in this situation. I know they didn't do this on purpose; falling in love with someone can't be controlled. The heart wants what the heart wants, but the million-dollar question was 'what does my heart want?'
"I... uh... umm..." I looked down at my thumbs fumbling with each other.
Liam's hand covered mine, causing me to look up. "It's okay, take your time." Liam nodded. "I'm not rushing you and I don't think Brett will either."
Brett agreed with Liam as he nodded his head.
"Okay," I whispered as I walked away and didn't look back.
Over the next two weeks, I avoided Liam and Brett to sort out my feelings. It wasn't easy. I often daydreamed of different scenarios to see who I imagined myself with, which somehow felt wrong. I couldn't picture who I pictured myself with. I needed to figure out what my heart wanted. I didn't know what my heart wanted and I was in need of some serious advice.
My knuckles rapped on my mother's bedroom door.
"Come in!" She called out.
I opened the door and leaned against it. Her face faltered as she looked at me. "Honey, what's wrong?"
"I don't know what to do," I managed to squeak before I sobbed.
Mom immediately rushed to me and pulled me into a hug. After I let everything out, she took me to her bed, where my head rested on her lap as her fingers massaged my head. I explained how Liam and Brett admitted they both were in love with me and wanted me to pick one.
"Honey, if I've learned anything about love it's that's it isn't practical. It isn't meant to be easy. You can't just wave a wand and make it appear on command." Her fingers ran through my hair, comforting me as she spoke. "Love is hard work and hard work sometimes hurts. Just listen to your heart and be honest with yourself. I have no idea how things will turn out, but if I know one thing about Liam and Brett, they'll respect your decision."
"But how will I know what my heart wants?" I sighed.
"There will come a moment when you just know."
As I walked back to my room, trying to figure out the riddle advice my mother gave me; I got my pajamas and quickly changed for bed. I plugged in my headphones to my phone and pressed the shuffle button on my music playlist. My eyes closed as the music began to play.
The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath.
And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth.
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love...
My mind replayed the moment Liam and I had our first dance as the song played. My eighth grade boyfriend, Wesley, had just dumped me for the new blonde girl in school. I was absolutely devastated as he was my first boyfriend and my first heartbreak. Liam skipped lacrosse practice and came over right after school to check up on me. I ended up crying on his shoulder as he held me tight, reassuring me everything would be fine and Wesley was stupid for letting me go.
After the tears stopped, Liam grabbed my iPod and looked for a song before connecting it to my iHome. As Edwin McCain's I'll Be started playing, Liam offered me his hand and I slipped my hand in his. Liam's other hand rested on the small of my back. As the song continued, he pushed me closer, making me rest my head on his chest, and whispered, "I'll always be there for you, no matter what."
My eyes flew open. I quickly grabbed my phone and dialed Liam's number. Liam answered on the first ring.
"Y/N?"
"Liam!" My voice sounded alarmed. "I know this is going to sound so random and stupid, but I need you to answer this honestly, okay?" I rambled.
"Okay, Y/N-" Liam started before I cut him off.
"If we had a song, what would it be?"
"Easy, 'I'll Be'," Liam immediately answered. "I can't remember the dude's name right now but I know it's from 'A Cinderella Story'."
I closed my eyes as my heart began to race and my stomach did this flip thing I had never experienced before.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Are you okay?" Liam's worried voice echoed through the phone.
"I think so. Sorry for springing this on you. I know I haven't talked to you in two weeks but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"
"Of course, but, hey Y/N?"
"Yeah?"
"I miss you."
My lips couldn't help but smile. "I miss you too, Liam."
I hung up on Liam and dialed Brett's number to ask him the same question.
"Hey Brett! Quick! What would our song be?"
"'Watch me Whip Nae Nae'." My face fell as he laughed. "Remember that time we tried to dance to that song at Sinema and you hit Liam as you brought your arm up for the nae nae?"
I was glad Brett couldn't see my face because he would have known I was giving him a forced smile. "I remember," I tried to say with the same excitement as Brett.
Brett didn't even notice as he quickly asked, "Hey, so have you decided? I mean like have you picked already?"
"Actually, I have. Any chance you can meet me tomorrow?"
***
I looked up from the picnic table as soon as my nose caught Liam's scent and immediately locked my eyes locked with his worried baby blue eyes. Without breaking eye contact, Liam shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked towards me. My heart began to pick up with each step Liam took towards me. I wasn't sure if it was because of the situation or because he heard my heart, but Liam's heart was thundering against his chest.
I finally looked down at my fingers when Liam approached me and took a deep breath before I looked back at him. He looked so worried and nervous. I didn't blame him. He had no clue what I was about to say and I wanted nothing more than to take away his anxiety.
I hopped off the table and immediately pulled him towards me, tightly wrapping my arms around his neck. Liam was taken aback, but was quick to wrap his arms around my waist. He was tense, probably thinking I was giving him a sympathy hug.
I didn't want to build the tension anymore. I pulled back a little and rested my forehead against his. My nose rubbed against his, causing Liam to close his eyes. I felt the warmth of his breath as I put my lips in front of his; making me want his soft, full pink lips against mine even more.
"I love you," My lips brushed against his as I whispered.
Liam pulled me in closer and then his lips were against mine, soft but full. My hands slid around his back to hold myself to him closely and he cradled me with his strong arms.
My lungs started burning, begging for air, and I whined as I pulled myself away from his lips. Liam's forehead pressed against mine with his eyes still closed.
"I love you too," he said breathless.
I knew he did. Every bone in my body was telling me this boy meant every word, and my heart knew I had nothing to worry about.
"But what about Brett?"
I shook my head. "I don't love him, and yeah he's bummed about it, but he'll be okay. He said he respects my decision and will respect you because you make me happy."
"Wow."
"But," I continued. "He said he'd kick your ass if you ever broke my heart."
"Brett has nothing to worry about because I don't plan on ever breaking your heart, babe." Liam leaned in for another kiss.