We were silent during the car ride, just listening to whatever came on the radio. Liam didn’t say where we were going, saying it was a secret. I was nervous either way. I was, however, surprised when we started driving through downtown. Most of the buildings were old and aside from the few bars that were scattered about, there wasn’t much to do there.

We pulled into the parking lot of one of the older buildings. The outside of the building looked as though it was once painted a soft yellow color, but the paint was chipping away to reveal the red brick beneath it. Whatever lettering used to be on the building was long faded and now unreadable.

Liam’s smile was wide as we walked into the old store. The door jingled as we entered, revealing a room filled with nick-nacks and antiques. An old man who reminded me a lot of my late grandfather, stood at the counter. Most of his hair was gone and what was left was pure white. He had thin metal frames hiding his eyes and a very kind smile which immediately made me feel welcome.

“How are you today, Archie?” Liam said, to the man behind the counter. The man smiled brightly at him.

“I’m doing quite well today, Liam. It’s been quiet so I’ve been able to finish the book I started yesterday.” Archie said. “I’m assuming you’re going to the backroom, right?”

“Yes, sir.” Liam smiled. Liam grabbed my hand and led me through the cluttered store. In the distance, I could hear Archie’s quiet but rough laughter.

Liam opened a door at the back of the store. It wasn’t a very big room, but was decorated like a book nook of sorts. String lights were hung up on the wall, illuminating the room in soft yellow light. Books were piled up in the corners, all of which looked well-read.

In front of the window was a wooden table with upholstered chairs.

“Wow,” I muttered to myself at the unbelievable space.

“I know right,” Liam said, excited. “When I first saw the place, I thought the same thing.” Liam walked forward and took a seat at the table, leaving his backpack on the floor next to his chair.

“How on Earth did you find this place? It’s amazing.” I said, following him to sit at the table.

“He’s a friend of my mom’s. My mom apparently told him about how I was spending all of my time at the library studying since I got too distracted at home, and he told her that he had a backroom at his store that his son used to use when he was still in high school.” He said. “He offered to let me use it since it’s closer to my house than the library. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it’s truly a great space.”

“So, that’s why you didn’t tell me where we were going,” I said, still somewhat amazing. “Keeping the place a secret so it can stay your special place.”

“Something like that,” Liam said, quietly. “But I wanted to bring you here, so I guess it’s not so much of a secret anymore.” Something about his words made my heart race. They felt so special.

“I guess this can be our special secret then.” I smiled. Liam’s eyes lit up. “We should probably get to studying though. You know, before it gets too late.”

“Of course,” Liam said, leaning down to grab his notes and textbook. “I’m a bit of a lost cause when it comes to this stuff though.” I let out a small laugh.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” I said, holding up my notebook. I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I take pretty damn notes.

Liam and I studied for the next few hours. We got through about a unit of information. I had always thought that jocks didn’t really take schoolwork seriously. Most of them would just do the bare minimum and spend all their time playing their respective sports.

But, not Liam. Once we started, he was completely locked in. He asked questions and helped me make flashcards. I found it fun, actually. I’ve never been one to study with other people. I always thought it would be distracting, but if anything, I feel more focused than ever.

“Ugh.” Liam groaned. “We’ll never get through all of this today.” He was right. Even though we had made a lot of progress, we still had two more units to get through and we needed to finish the study guide.

“Well, we could always do this again,” I said, boldly. “Maybe we can come tomorrow after you get out of practice again.” Liam just stopped and looked at me. His gaze made me nervous. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. But then, his face brightened as he once again graced me with his gorgeous smile.

“I’d love to.” Liam beamed. “If we keep this same pace, we’ll probably need to meet up the day after that as well.” I could feel a light blush on my cheeks. I could only pray that Liam didn’t notice.

The flutter I felt in my chest confused me. I had never felt like this towards someone else. I constantly felt nervous when I was around him, and I was always worried about doing and saying the right things around him. And whenever he smiled, it made my heart race. I would do anything to see it again.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

We packed up our things, and Liam took me home. I walked up the steps to my house, thoughts of my day with Liam still lingering in my mind. I was excited for tomorrow. I was excited to spend more time with him.

I unlocked the door to my house. It was quiet, not unusual for my place. My mother was likely out with some of the wives of my father’s business associates, and my father had probably locked himself in his office doing work again.

I wandered into the kitchen. Our housekeeper Kristen was in the kitchen fixing a salad and had something in the oven that smelled like heaven. Amelia, my younger sister, was sitting at the kitchen island working on homework. Despite only being in middle school, she was always super diligent with her work.

“Hey, Lia,” I said to her, setting my bag down on the floor. She looked up from her homework and gave me a big smile like I was her favorite person in the universe.

“Harper!” She exclaimed. She got off the stool and ran to give me a big hug. “Where were you? You’re late.”

“Sorry, Lia,” I said, hugging her tight. “I was studying with a friend of mine.” She looked up at me, pouting her lips.

“Well, you were gone too long.” She said in a whiny voice. “I was lonely.” I knew she wasn’t going to be very happy with me for the next few days. I usually didn’t leave the house except for when I was with Mikki. But when I wasn’t there, Lia was left by herself in our big house with just Kristen.

“I’ll try to get back a little sooner tomorrow, but we have a really big test coming and I need all the time I can get studying,” I said, not letting her break free from my hug. She looked sad, but just nodded. “If you want, I’ll bring you back something sweet next time.” Her face instantly lit up. Nothing like sugar to get a kid on your good side.

“Okay, but you’ve got to promise.” She said, excitedly.

“I promise,” I said, holding out my pinkie to her. She gripped it with her own and then pulled away from my hug. She scurried back to her place at the counter and got back to work.

“Do you know when my mother will be home, Kristen?” I asked, walking to grab a water bottle from the fridge. She shook her head, but I wasn’t surprised.

“The food will be out of the oven here in a few minutes,” Kristen said a sad smile on her face. “I made Lasagna, your favorite.”

“Thanks, Kristen.” I smiled. “I’m just going to run my bag upstairs real quick.”

She nodded and went back to finishing the salad. I grabbed my bag from the floor and wandered through the halls of the house which I always thought was too big. I climbed the stairs and walked straight to my room at the end of the hall. I set my bag down in the chair by my desk before crashing face-first into my bed.

I was exhausted but for the first time, I didn’t mind it. Spending time with Liam was fantastic. Everything about him had me feeling like I was on air. I didn’t want to admit it, but I really liked Liam. More than anyone I had ever liked before, more than just friends or a crush. I genuinely liked him and that was terrifying.

I had never been in a relationship. I had crushes in the past and had been on a few dates when Mikki had forced me to go on some double dates with her. But Liam, he was different. I couldn’t keep my head straight around him. He made me nervous in a way I both loved and hated.

And the worst thing of all was I didn’t know if he liked me back. He could be with anyone he wanted. There was no way he would go for me, a nobody who no one’s heard and spends more of her time taking photos than socializing. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I held onto hope. I held onto the subtle signs and actions that I noticed and prayed that maybe, just maybe, he liked me half as much as I liked him.

“Harper,” Kristen yelled from the first floor. “Dinner is ready.”

I forced myself up from the bed. I made my way down the stairs to the dining room where my sister was already seated at the table. I couldn't help but think. When was the last time my parents had actually been home to eat dinner with us? Had to have been years.

Kristen’s food was always amazing. She could probably make more money working as a professional chef somewhere else than she would have working for my parents. But, for some reason, she had stayed with us since the day my younger sister was born. She had been more of a parent to me than either of my own. But at the end of the day, she would go home to her house where her husband and two baby boys were waiting and I would be there, alone in that big, empty house.

I ate the food which felt like a blessing to my stomach after such a long day, before heading back to my room. However, just as I had reached the stairs, her voice halted me in my tracks.

“Harper, I need to talk to you.” My mother called from behind me. I turned around and walked to the living room where she had taken a seat on the sofa. She peeled the heels from her feet, leaving them scattered across the floor.

“We have an event you need to be at tomorrow.” She said, letting out a sigh and falling back against the sofa. “I ordered your dress last week and someone is going to pick it up tomorrow morning.”

“I can’t go tomorrow, Mother,” I said, more urgently than intended. She looked at me as if the words that left my mouth were the most absurd thing she had heard.

“And why is that?” She said, not bothering to hide her cruel tone. Whatever I said would not matter. She would see to it that I attended, even if it would be the death of me.

“I have a big test next week. I’m spending every free moment I have after school studying.” I said, hoping my words would persuade her but already knowing they were in vain. “It's worth a third of my grade.”

“You will be fine.” She snarled. “This is more important. This will help to secure our future.”

“But-” I started but was immediately cut off.

“My word is final. Now, I’ll send you a note tomorrow, so you can leave school early to get ready. Your brother will come pick up up.”

I couldn’t even fight back. Instead, I just rushed off and ran up the stairs to my bedroom, locking the door behind me. I pulled out my phone and pulled up Liam’s contact. I pressed call and waited as the phone rang.

My heart ached when I heard his quiet and confused hello.

“Hey Liam,” I said, trying to pretend I wasn’t upset. “I’m gonna have to cancel tomorrow.”