The One For Me(29)

Jen rolls her eyes and follows me into the hallway. “Why didn’t you tell me Liam was coming?”

Jen sighs and rolls her eyes. “I didn’t think it mattered, since he is your boyfriend and all.” She crossed her arms across her chest.

“It doesn’t, but normally ya warn somebody, ya know.”

“You’re super weird, ya know that?”

Says the girl in a reindeer sweater. That’s only okay when Rachel does it.

“I would die to be able to spend time with a boy. The only boy I see is my dad and our mail man.”

“Yeah, I guess I kind of am.” I point for her to go back inside. She does.

“So, ladies, let’s get to studying,” Liam says, kicking off his boots and placing his feet on my bed. “I’m trying this new thing…actually try and pass my classes.”

“That’s a start,” I mumble.

We study for an hour before Jennifer gets a call from her Mom. “I have to let your mom talk to my mom. Ugh, Asian people,” she mumbles jumping off the bed and running downstairs.

Liam is quiet for a few minutes. “Katy, I wanted to talk to you about the other day.”

“What day?” I ask, picking at a string at my bed.

“At the beach,” he says. I feel his warm hand on my thigh. “Look at me, this is serious.”

I look up and smile. “Serious? Liam Erickson is being serious? What is happening to the world? Our fake relationship has taken a toll on you.”

“It has, in more ways than you would understand.”

My body freezes. I can’t make myself move. Liam licks his lips. I envy them. I wish he would put his mouth on mine. I’m not sure why I feel the need to jump him but it is running through me. Liam clears his throat and moves closer to me. “Katy,” he whispers. My name coming off his lips is memorizing. His calloused hand spans over the back of my neck, pulling me closer. “I really…”

“Damn, Momma asked about everything but your mom’s social security number,” Jen says, bursting through the door.

Liam and I jump back. I straighten my papers; he scratches his non itchy neck. I can barely feel mine; the heat from his hand is still lingering on my skin. “Let’s study this stuff people,” Jen says, grinning.

I nod and glance at Liam. He is staring at me. I focus on my paper. You have got to get a grip.



Jen and Liam leave around seven. I sit in my room and study more after they leave. I take a long bath, then play Angry Birds, until my mom tells me I have to go to sleep. When I am about to doze off, after hours of trying to force my eyes close, I hear a peck on my window. I sit up in my bed. I’ve never been one to like the dark, or anything in it. So I jump up and grab my baseball bat. I can’t see through my window for the green curtains, so I peek outside. Someone is hanging on to the trellis for dear life.

“Who is it?” I whisper, my voice cracking.

“Your sexy, pretend, boyfriend coming to make you bear his children, get back woman,” he whispers back.

Ugh. I step back and open the window, letting Liam in. “What are you doing here?” I ask, shutting the window behind him.

“What? Can’t a boyfriend pull a Romeo for his girl?” I’m almost awake enough to consider how romantic that is. Almost. “I thought girls were supposed to be the romantic ones, jeez.” Liam pushes his hands inside of his hoodie.

“I know, I’m super unromantic, now what is going on? It’s,” I look at the clock, “one thirty in the morning.”

Liam sighs, kicks at my carpet. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“So, you come make it where I can’t sleep?” I ask, crossing my arms. I’m suddenly reminded; I’m in sleeping shorts and a shirt with no bra.

Liam runs his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. I thought we could talk.”

I know he wants to finish his conversation from earlier, but I’m scared. I bite my lip and try to think of a way out of this. This is pretend! I want to shout. “Um, okay,” I say shakily. I eye my bed, but I know we shouldn’t talk there. It’s too tempting.

Liam looks down at me. “There is a hammock in the back yard, right? Why don’t we go there? Since you don’t want to sit on the bed.”

“Why would you think--,”

“I know you better than you think, Katy. Come on,” he says, tossing his head toward my door. I open my door gently, walking down slowly; we tiptoe outside toward the hammock. The sky is dark, but there are streetlights positioned around the back of my house.

I sit down on the hammock, awkwardly; swinging when Liam sits down beside me. “So,” I whisper.