Take me Somewhere

Chapter 5

Harper hadn't heard another word from Daren the rest of the day and she thought that was really odd; he always texted her like clockwork. She didn't even go home to freshen up in case he hadn't listened to her and was waiting there and decided to stay at work late to kill some time before heading to the restaurant where she had first met Liam.

He was waiting outside when she pulled up to the valet station, "My god he looks amazing." She said out loud to herself and drug her eyes away from him to step out and hand the keys to the young man taking her car.

Liam met her at the sidewalk and grabbed her hand and placed it on his arm, "five minutes early. My kind of girl." Harper tried to respond but nothing came out.

"You look amazing by the way." Liam held the door open for her and gently placed his hand on her lower back as he guided her through the door.

"I'm wearing my work clothes." She mumbled as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"And you look amazing. This way; I already have us a table."

He pulled her chair out and seated her just as he had that morning and took his place across from her. Harper watched his every movement as he rearranged the table to give them more space and handed her a menu.

"What is it?" Liam's brow furrowed when he noticed her still staring.

"I'm…" Harper's stomach dropped as she continued to stare at him and thought about what she needed to say, "I'm…" Liam sat his menu down and smiled reassuringly waiting for her to find her footing.

"I'm sorry." She finally blurted out and immediately crumpled up the napkin from her silverware in front of her and watched as Liam's gaze continued to grow more confused.

When she didn't continue he finally filled the silence, "Sorry for what Harper?"

Harper took a deep breath and pushed her mutilated pile of paper away from her. She had let him believe something she should have corrected the moment he called. She had put herself in this situation and whether or not he ever wanted to speak to her again after this she could only do as he wanted. It had only been a day but she felt like she was telling someone very important to her that she had disappointed them.

"I'm in a relationship." She inwardly cringed as the words left her mouth and almost got up from the table and ran out of the door when she saw the shock, hurt, and then anger flash across Liam's face. It quickly transformed into reserved and Harper hated that even more than the first three.

Harper rushed to fill the silence; afraid of what he might say, "I should have said that this morning when you asked me out for coffee. I know that. I'm sorry I didn't. It's just….I wanted to know why anyone like you wanted to see me. It's been so long since I've felt a connection with someone, felt important…felt comfortable…" Liam continued to watch her with that same reserved expression and Harper rushed on, "You're handsome, polite, funny, and so many more things that I've already discovered from just talking with you for this short while. I know that's too much way too soon but I feel like you feel that connection too."

Liam still said nothing and Harper winced. She was never this talkative or open with people and to get zero feedback after doing so was painful, but she didn't blame him.

"I knew that if I was feeling this kind of connection to you that you must be feeling something too. I knew that I had already emotionally gone way over the line and I needed to be honest with you. You deserved to know and I was obligated to make sure this didn't go beyond what it is. I couldn't live with myself if it did while I was still in a relationship with Daren…that's his name by the way…Daren…" Harper awkwardly shut off the flood gate that her mouth had magically transformed into and waited for Liam to say something.

After another minute of him just sitting there and staring back at her she finally couldn't take it anymore, "Liam, I'm sorry I led you on…I had no idea that I would find you so…that you would be so…" Harper shoved her chair back and yanked her purse from the back, "I'm sorry." Her voice caught on her last word and she quickly walked past him and out the front door.

She took in a deep breath of the night air and gave the valet her ticket. She had never been so mortified in her life. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes to fight off the tears. She could never and would never be mad at him for his impassive response but she would go to her death replaying his beautiful hurt face sitting there saying nothing as she tried to say everything.

"Ma'am."

Harper jumped at the sound of the valet's voice and tried to smile as she murmured thank you and handed him a tip. She jumped in her car and barely had her seatbelt fastened before she sped away from the curb. She felt one tear slide down her face and quickly wiped it away; angry that a day that had started off so wonderful could end so terribly, "You have no one to blame but yourself." She said to the empty cab and pressed the pedal harder; just wanting to be at home and alone.

()()()()()

Harper held back her tears until she pulled into her driveway and shut off the engine. She didn't know if she was crying because she was ashamed of herself, embarrassed, or sad that she would never see Liam again. The later only made her tears fall faster and she hit her hands against the steering wheel, "Get a hold of yourself Harper, you barley knew him, you are in a relationship, and you are being ridiculous."

Harper's phone went off in her purse just as she was done giving herself a talking to and she froze, "There's no way he could be…" She snapped out of it and quickly scrambled to grab it before it went to voicemail and felt her heart jump into her throat when she saw 'restaurant' at the top of the screen.

"Hello." She noticed the stopped up sound of her voice from her earlier tears and cleared her throat, "Liam?"

"Harper, I'm sorry."

She sat there for a moment shocked at his words and tried to get her mouth to form a reply but it seemed she had used everything up at the restaurant.

"Listen, I shouldn't have just sat there like a jack ass while you were trying to be honest with me." When she still didn't say anything he continued, "I know this is probably overwhelming for you and just listen and then I'll hang up and you won't have to say anything."

She swallowed and looked out from her silent car and stared at her dark house, "Okay." She whispered.

"I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not a little bit hurt and angry. You should have never met up with me for coffee when it was clear that I was asking you to meet me because I was interested in you." Harper closed her eyes at his words. He was right and she felt terrible.

"But I understand what you said earlier and I felt that connection too; which is probably why I was so angry. I just needed to call you and let you know that I was shocked that someone like you would give me the time of day. I usually have someone after the things I have or that are only interested in looks or one night stands. You are so innocent and sweet that it's a breath of fresh air to be around you. The pull I feel towards you is honestly a little scary." Harper was gripping her phone so tight her hand hurt as she hung onto every word he said.

"And that's why I think this should be our last conversation. You're with this Daren guy and I don't want to interfere with that in any way. I don't want you to hate me for it and I've been cheated on and would hate myself. I would say we could just be friends but I'm not an i***t and I know exactly where this would lead."

Harper finally managed to speak, "Liam, I don't know what to say."

She heard his sad laugh and added that to another thing she would never forget, "There isn't anything to else to say."

With that she heard the call end and looked at the phone and its flashing call ended signal, "I guess that's the end of that…" She said sadly and dropped her phone into her lap and let the tears she had been fighting fall.