Chapter 8
Liam strolled in with a smile and greeted everyone, but he froze as soon as he saw Stephanie. “Steph? What brings you here?”
Everyone’s eyes went wide with shock.
“She has to be here. We were classmates in high school. Come on, Liam the Heartthrob, you’re not that forgetful, are you?”
Classmates in high school?
Those few words hit Liam like a ton of bricks.
He stared at Stephanie, shocked, his lips moving as a stormed emotions crossed his face–maybe he felt bad for forgetting Stephanie, or maybe he was confused as to why she never brought it up.
A few young women in the group noticed something was up and started looking back and forth between the two.
“Steph? You’re calling her that, huh? Liam the Heartthrob, what’s going on between you two?”
Before Stephanie could answer with “just classinates,” Liam jumped in, “Steph’s my girlfriend. We’ve been together for six years
The room exploded with excitement. Everyone started grilling them about their love story.
Liam never expected Stephanie to be his classmate, and she was just as surprised that he’d be so open about their relationship.
The group gathered around Liam and Stephanie and bombarded them with questions, making the duo uncomfortable
Liam kept sipping his drink, trying to change the subject, while Stephanie slipped away to the restroom
After knocking back three drinks, the class president, who wasn’t much of a drinker, grabbed Liam’s hand and started rambling endlessly.
“It makes me so happy seeing you two together. Stephanie finally got what she’d been after. Bet you didn’t know she’d been into you for so long, huh?
“There was this one time in gym classy you were asleep in the classroom, and I went back to grab something I saw her blocking the light so it wouldn’t wake you up–that’s when I figured out she had a thing for you.
“There were tons of girls into you back then, but Stephanie was the one who really made an impression. Remember when you hurt your ankle playing basketball? She took care of your class duties.
“When you got into a fight with some troublemakers and ended up stuck in an alley, she skipped class to get help for you. When people outside school gossiped behind your back, she jumped in to defend you and got into it with them even though she’s such a shy person.
“Young love is so pure and real. I’m so happy for you two. She’s a keeper, so you better treat her right, or you’ll definitely regret it.”
Liam went statt. This was the first time he had heard all of this
He always thought they were just in the same college, never realizing Stephanie had been his high school classmate, let alone that she’d secretly loved him for ten years,
Liam recalled how he’d ended up dating her for six years, all because of a promise, while she had no idea about the truth. Suddenly, an emotion he couldn’t name hit him, leaving a bitter and unsettling feeling
He lost the nerve to face her. All he could do was drown his feelings with one drink after another.
Once the reunion was over, Stephanie helped Liam, who was drunk, to get home. She brought a warm towel to clean his face, but he grabbed her hand and wouldn’t let go.
Liam gave her a sympathetic look. “Are you stupid? Why didn’t you tell me?
Stephanie knew he probably heard something at the reunion, but she didn’t care anymore. She pulled her hand back and said quietly, “Loving you is my choice. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
Liam was still somewhat clear–beaded when he caught her words, and a flood of uneasiness washed over him. He tried to find the right words, but nothing came to him. Eventually, he went quiet.
The room fell silent.
He lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the harsh light, unknowingly showing the tattoo on his waist. It was two simple letters–MS.
On those nights when things felt intense between them, Stephanie would lie in Liam’s arms, and every time she saw the tattoo, she’d ask him what it
Liam would pause and look down as tenderness and longing filled his eyes. “A faith, one that’s greater than my life itself.”
Stephanie had no clue the letters meant Maeve Stewart back then. She took him at his word, without any doubt.
She took on his dreams and faith as her own, even getting the same tattoo. Loolding back on everything that happened, she didn’t feel heartbroken Anymore. I just felt kind of absurd.
But then again, who never dreamed of finding “the one” and living happily ever after when they were younger?
‘It wasn’t until Stephanie went through her fair share of highs and lows that she realized that some relationships just weren’t meant to last.
She and Liam had come to a fork in the road, and it was time to go their separate ways.
