A Unique Kind of Love (15 page)

For the last time, and without turning back, I took Liam's hand and walked out the gym.

♥♥♥♥♥

Liam had been giving me looks ever since the incident at the gym. He was eyeing me with a judging look in his eyes, then shook his head. We were walking through the halls, heading for my locker. I hoped I'd find 
anything
to wear. Frankly, the sticky substance on my back made my mood horrible.

"Liam! Stop looking at me like that!" I exclaimed, having had enough. He raised an eyebrow, then continued to stare at the cold, hard floor.

Fine, be like that.

I opened my locker, rummaging through it, wishing I'd be lucky enough to find an old shirt and sweatpants or something. Liam leaned against the locker beside me, observing me. I didn't take my eyes off the mess I call my locker.

"I mean, honestly, she ruined my dress and insulted me—" I half-yelled, talking to myself.

"—and she insulted 
you. 
She could've done anything else but 
that!
 You're my best friend, and a person I really care about, a-as a friend of course. No one gets away with—"

I was cut off by a peck on my cheek. I stopped, then turned to face him.

"
Thank you," 
he mouthed, smiling at me. For a moment, I was so mesmerized by the way he'd smiled, that I just wanted to stay like this forever.

I shook my head to get a reality check.

"Liaaam, what am I going to wear now?" I whined, sounding like a little baby. He grinned, then typed something on his phone.

"
Stay like this, you still look beautiful." 

I blushed, and looked at him through my eyelashes.

"Really?" I asked, biting my lip. He nodded, still smiling at me. I took my coat out and wrapped it around myself, my skin suddenly feeling a lot colder.

"What shall we do now, peanut?" I asked.

A twinkle appeared in his eye. Before I could even process what was happening, Liam was running and carrying me at the same time.

"LIAM CHRISTOPHER BLACK! PUT ME DOWN, NOW." But my pleas did nothing. I closed my eyes, and got comfortable.

Might as well get something out of it, right?

When I felt a cold breeze on my face, I opened my eyes. Liam gently set me on the ground, widely grinning. I took in our surroundings.

We were standing on the snow covered grass, outside the school. Crisp, white, shining covering that transformed the landscape, making it a magical land full of wonder and undiscovered mysteries. The snow did not glide, but rather it created random patterns within the air. As it settled, it dissolved slowly into the snow already placed there by the last sprinkling. Everything looked breathtakingly beautiful, including the angel standing in front of me.

I felt confusion flood over me, though.

"Liam, why are we here?"

He smiled even more, a hidden secret appearing more mysterious than ever. He held one finger up, signaling for me to wait. He turned, his back to me as he did something on his phone.

I focused on the weather, and shivered. I was freezing. Goosebumps were present all over my arms. My teeth were chattering.

Liam finally turned to face me, then music was blasting from his phone. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, laid it on the snow and put his phone on it.

I immediately recognized the song.

"
Settle down with me, cover me up, cuddle me in..."

"Liam! Will you please tell me what's going on? I'm dying over here," I said. I felt warmer. He placed his hand on my waist and my hand on his shoulder.

"You owe me a dance," 
moved his mouth, as he shrugged. My breath caught in my throat. I gulped what was left of my saliva, as my mouth went completely dry. I took deep breaths to steady my heart which, as usual, was beating inhumanely.

This time, I didn't concentrate on dancing, my attention was fully directed towards the guy holding me.

And all of a sudden, nothing in the world mattered. The way he was looking at me was making me melt. As if my insides were being mashed. I finally understood the riddles. I figured everything out. From the sweaty palms, to my heart racing when I see him. From admiring his blue eyes, to having dreams about him.

I felt this way about Liam because I loved him.

"
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet. And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now," 
sang Edward Christopher Sheeran, who shared his middle name with Liam's.

I don't know what came over me at that moment, was it the way his eyes were reading my soul or the way he was absent-mindedly smiling at me, making his eyes sparkle.

"Liam, can I tell you something?"

He nodded, curiosity shining on his face now. I let go of him, so we weren't dancing anymore. The song had been over for more than five minutes now.

I plopped myself on the grass, he mirrored my actions. I pulled on the grass, slightly easing my nervousness.

"Promise me that no matter what happens, we stay friends after I say what I need to confess, deal?" I said, butterflies exploding in my stomach. His eyebrows furrowed now, with worry. I looked at him in the eyes. It was almost like he glowed.

"Liam, I lo-" I was cut off by a ringtone.

Maybe that was a sign, I shouldn't say anything.

"You need me, but I don't need you, you need me, nah I don't need you,"

Liam jumped and grabbed his phone. When he saw the caller's I.D, his face flushed and he gave me the phone, his hand shaking with worry and concern. He reminded me of a little scared child. I immediately pressed the green answer button. That's how it worked, when someone was calling him, he had to give the phone to the nearest person beside him. I put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm guessing this is a friend of Liam's," greeted a manly voice, slightly trembling.

Liam was observing my every move, "Yes, what's wrong?"

"This is Doctor Morrison, it's about his grandmother."

Liam tensed.

"Yes? What's wrong with her?" I asked, worried myself. There was a long pause.

"Well, her heartbeat's slowing and she's barely breathing-" trailed off Dr. Morrison. Liam clenched his fists.

"Spit it out, Doc," I exclaimed, troubled. There was a long, tired sigh on the phone.

"He has to come as soon as possible. His grandmother only has about an hour or two left before-" My breath hitched in my throat, just as Liam gasped.

"Just tell him that he has to come...it's time to say goodbye," finished the doctor, before muttering something about having work to do and hanging up.

I had to run to catch up with a very worried and angry Liam sprinting towards his car.

"Take me with you," I demanded, huffing, now standing in front of his black automobile. He ignored me and I took that as a yes. I buckled my seat belt on, just as Liam started the engine. He drove.

What terrified me wasn't the fact that he was fuming, it was that behind that cover, I saw a little boy, afraid of losing 
everyone 
he loved.

16

Thanatophobia

“I’m only human, I bleed and I fall down.”

~Christina Perri~

Liam Christopher Black

I felt like I could explode at any moment. My mind was filled was a million questions, but only one was standing out: Why me?
 I couldn't lose her
. I just couldn't.

Grandma was and will always be the only person in the entire world who understands me better than anyone. She simply couldn’t leave me. I wouldn’t allow it.

I couldn't stand the thought of arriving at home and not seeing her smiling face asking me how my day went. If she left me, I would be alone. I was not counting Lena of course.

But she was 
Lena. 
Ever so unique and so freaking beautiful.

Back to your dying grandmother, Liam.

I had to control myself from completely destroying the gas pedal. I had to get to the hospital as soon as possible. I took deep breaths to calm myself down when the lights turned red. I avoided looking at the brunette observing me from her seat.

After what seemed like a lifetime, I pulled up to the entrance. Taking the keys, I closed the car door and forgot there was a girl with me. Now, all I cared about was being with Grandma.

"Son! Son! No running in the halls!" called a nurse whose name I vaguely remembered:
Cindy.
I paid no attention to her.

Without looking back, I ran and ran through what seemed like a million halls, a never-ending maze. I knew the way to her room by heart. After all, I came here every day after school. The intensive care ward.

My most hated place.

I halted to stop in front her door. I couldn't get in. I couldn't see her die before my eyes. But I 
had 
to.

She was the most important person in my life. My hand shaking, I turned the knob. Instantly, I regretted doing so.

"Grandma! Where are you? Please don't-" came out a voice that resembled mine.

She wasn't there. The bed was empty. And I wanted a hole to dig itself up in the ground and swallow me.

My knees gave out and I fell to the floor. Soon enough, every part of me was shaking. Tears came out of my eyes, without stopping. I was too late.

It's my fault. I should've-no, I could've- I don't know, damn it!

Out of nowhere, a hand rested on my shoulder. I turned to see Dr. Morrison looking at me with concern and pity in his eyes.

"Where is she?" I whispered, barely audible. Doc sadly shook his head, his face looking exhausted.

Voila
. There goes the last crumble of hope inside me.

"Son, she's not... We just transferred her to another room, she requested that. She's in her old room. Mrs. Black said she wanted to see you," he softly explained. I shot up, my legs carrying me to room 561.

For the second time today, I hesitated. No, I wouldn’t waste time.

 
Every second, every moment 
had to be spent with her. She couldn’t leave without saying goodbye.

I turned the doorknob, hoping she'd be there. Through my tears, I managed a small, fake smile so she'd see that I was alright.

There she was, lying on the bed, a million wires connected to every part of her body. Trembling like a leaf, as white as a sheet, her cracked lips managed a small smile when she saw me. She looked a hundred years old, every wrinkle on her face visible. Somehow, I didn't see the old, wrinkled lady everyone saw. Darla Black was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her face glowed.

In a flash, I was sitting by her side. Holding her hand as gently as I can, I cried. Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw my tears fall on her hand. She let go, then wiped my cheek with her hand just like every time I cried in the past. That soft, motherly face that would comfort me. I couldn't. How could I live without her?