CHAPTER 9: NB: always keep one eye open.
2052 Words
ODESSA
“What?” My mouth is filled with donut so the question is muffled.
“Not like a date.” Liam laughs.
I’m glad he finds the idea of a date with me very funny. I’m laughing loudly inside too, I swear.
I put the donut down and wash down the rest with a milkshake as he rubs the back of his neck and waits for me to compose myself.
“I meant it as a thank you.” He clarifies, “I know you won’t accept a gift and I can’t cook for s**t. Please let me buy you a hotdog or something,” he hands me his phone.
I look at the screen and the keypad is in view.
No, he wants my number too?
“Liam, you really don’t have to do this.” I shake my head.
Please don’t do this, is what I really mean. I’ll even take a gift instead, who doesn’t like receiving gifts?
“You have no idea how much you helped me last night. Please let me make it up to you and apologize again for this catfish mess.”
Queue the gut-wrenching guilt. I am convinced now I will never really kick it as long he is around and talking to me.
“Come on Vecker, its just food.” He pops a smile.
I get the same feeling I got last night when he was pouring his heart out to me. To make matters worse he says “please” and gives the puppy dog eyes that won’t normally work but the guilt is too much.
Shit.
“It’s not a date?” I double check and only type in my new number after he nods.
It’s probably not smart thing to do but it’s the least I can do after ghosting him and lying about everything.
“Do you need me to drop you off?” I resume eating to distract myself.
Wait—did I just offer to be in a closed space with the guy I am lying to?
Wow…maybe I am stupid.
“No, John B is dropping off America in a minute so I’ll be catching a ride with him.” He looks up from the screen, “you’re watching Big Bang again?”
A change of subject—yay!
“Yeah, it’s been a tough few weeks for me so I’m behind.” I play with the remote, “are—are you okay?”
His eyes move from the Tv screen to me as I hesitate to continue. Just rip the band aid off Vecker and get it over with.
“You said some things last night and—” I want you to know that I am the one who’s sorry.
I wish I could say the last part out loud because Liam doesn’t deserve to feel like he lost someone. He doesn’t deserve to question if our friendship was real because it was.
From every picture to every message and text. And even though he doesn’t know it, I do miss him too…surprisingly so.
“I’m better than I was last night,” he says more to himself than me. “It seems a good night sleep with a stuffed pig is all I needed.”
“Good to know Mr. Pigs did his job.”
We are both laughing about my only and favorite stuffed animal when the door flies open.
“I love Valentines!” America walks in holding a bouquet of pink roses. “Oh hello…Liam?” She adds when she sees him stand up.
“Bye,” he smiles and takes his exit.
My phone buzzes on my lap when she begins to talk about her great night while devouring some donuts.
Unknown: I’ll pick you up at 7pm. Liam.
Unknown: Assuming you don’t have work.
Me: 7 o’clock is fine.
It’s rare that I have a whole day off from classes, practice and work and it seems Liam sensed that because today is that day. I’m usually at work but like I said I had to take fewer shifts because weekends are prime hunting hours for the sheepeople at Mickey’s.
I’m in skinny jeans, a sheer button up long sleeve shirt and sock boots with a block heel when the doorbell rings.
Jessica curled my high ponytail because some untamed curly strands are falling around my face. Since it’s not a date, I only have mascara and clear lip gloss on. I’m in all black so I shrug on a dark grey coat that matches my chain handbag.
I know I’m not overdressed because Liam is in black joggers, a white high neck plain t-shirt and a black denim jacket that matches his beanie and Adidas sneakers.
“Hi.” Liam looks at me up and down before smiling a “well you look great.”
“And so do you.” I step outside after waving goodbye to my friends.
They find this weird too.
“Where are we going? Never been on a thank you dinner before” and I hope this is my last one.
“It’s a surprise.” He says the worst sentence in the English vocabulary after we need to talk.
The ride to wherever is filled with the Fray playing from the radio. We’re driving for almost 33minutes in silence when a light rain begins.
“Crap.” Liam curses as the wipers move side to side.
It’s the first thing he has said since he picked me up.
“What?” I notice the car is slowing down.
“I think I busted a tyre.” He pulls to the side of the road.
“Okay?” The car has totally stopped now, “do you need help? My father taught me how to change a tyre.”
He didn’t want me stuck on the side of the road with a flat tyre and being serial killer bait. To say he was paranoid would be an understatement but he had good reason.
“No, just give me a minute.” He unbuckles his seat belt and walks out.
I wait for 3minutes before following him out.
“Liam, its full-on raining now. What’s going?” I pull my coat over my head to shield my hair from the rain.
Good thing I have waterproof mascara on or I’d look a mess. It’s raining harder than it looked in the car.
“Well, I definitely busted a tyre but the thing is this is Jonathan’s car as mine is in the shop getting repainted.”
“Okay so get the spare.” I look at the SUV with contempt.
We’re in the middle of nowhere and the rain is beginning to pour down hard. We need to go, I don’t want to be serial killer bait. (What, I am my father’s daughter.)
“I checked and he doesn’t have one.” He’s not bothering to shield himself from the rain so his short sleeve is getting soaked and showing a lot.
“s**t,” I look around again.
They are no cars passing here soon and we’re surrounded by trees and a long road.
“Let’s get back in the car.” He opens the passenger door like he did for me earlier.
“Where exactly, were we going Liam?” I wipe my face with a tissue I found in my bag.
Now I’m really glad I didn’t listen to the girls about makeup, the coat really didn’t shield much and now I’m cold.
“A carnival an hour away.” He’s tapping on his phone. “I checked online and there’s a Mexican restaurant across from it.” He frowns at the screen, “it was where we were going to eat.”
“Well I don’t have any service too.” I look at my phone.
“The place is like 20minutes away. I can walk and maybe use their phone to call a tow-truck.” He removes his beanie to rake back his hair.
Holy, wet hair gods.
“You want to walk in the rain? Alone at night?” I look outside the window, “we’re in the middle of nowhere Liam.”
Is he crazy? Is what I really want to know.
“We can’t stay here Vecker.” He gestures at the car, the big and fancy piece of crap.
“Keeping the heat on will blow the battery eventually and I—look it’s not pouring down that bad.” He looks out the window and I scoff.
It’s basically raining cats and dogs.
“Fine.” I throw my bag over my torso and button my coat. “Let’s go,” I push the door and hop out.
Being serial killer bait is better than being stranded and in a closed space with a wet Liam Griffith. It’s not worth the risk.
“What—dude it’s raining and you’re in heels.” Liam follows as I walk down the dark street in expensive boots, I very much regret wearing.
“You said it yourself, we couldn’t stay there.” I keep walking and hear him lock the car.
“Vecker!” He’s on my tail, “Vecker! Vecker! s**t, Odessa!” I stop because he’s getting better at the pronunciation.
“Yes?” I face him.
I don’t care how cool it looks on TV, being rained on sucks ass and I lived in Russia for 8years and the weather there is brutal.
“I can’t let you walk in the rain at night.”
“You rather leave me in the middle of nowhere? Alone?” I arch a brow and his face falls, “thought so.” I resume walking.
“Fine,” he shrugs off his jacket. “Use this to shield yourself from the rain then.” His shirt is wet and see through so his sculpted upper body is on display.
Oh come on!
I know he is an athlete but this is just ridiculous…Nobody looks good wet, don’t let the movies fool you. But surprise-surprise Mr. I-look-great-waking-up is the exception to the rule.
He has to have a genetic defect? Its only fair.
“Shield yourself.” I peel my eyes away, “now let’s go.” I’m already walking away and…blushing.
We walked for 23minutes before we reached the carnival where we found it closed because of the bad weather. Then we walked 3 more minutes to the restaurant across the deserted parking lot.
Now I’m in the bathroom trying to dry myself with the hand dryer and failing immensely. I am cold, frustrated and very pale. My hair has turned curly which means its tangling and becoming a nightmare.
My wet coat feels like it weighs a ton, so I draped it over the counter while I placed my socks under the hand dryer to at least get my feet warm.
I’m afraid if I kick something that they will actually shatter, they are so cold and frozen.
I knew this was I bad idea but karma didn’t have to make it clear but blowing the tyre and making it rain so hard. Worst part is, I can’t even be mad at Liam because this is not even his fault.
It’s mine.
I have let this whole catfish mess get too far. Now I’m in the middle of nowhere with a guy who feels so guilty he hasn’t stopped apologizing since we got here.
And me? I haven’t said a single word to him not even one.
I feel so guilty and angry, I’m scared I’ll say the wrong thing and make the situation worse and he still has to take me home.
“Vecker?” The call is followed by a tap on the door, “are you okay? You’ve been there a long time?”
“Yeah.” My voice sounds hoarse and all wrong.
See, I told you I am bad liar.
“I was just checking.” He lets out a defeated sigh before saying, “I’ll be by our table but shout if you need anything.”
“Okay.” I’m barely audible but I see the shadow of his feet move away from the door.
What are you doing Odessa?
- Writer
