FIVE

 

MARGARET

 

The change in Liam’s confidence and his growing success with women was exactly what I’ve always felt Liam needed. Only, I felt like I was losing my best friend. He’d missed all of our Friday night film fests and he started cancelling on our daily breakfasts and I was sure he was going to skip out on this one too. He was fifteen minutes late, but I still didn’t want to give up and leave just yet. As I took a big sip of my second glass of orange juice, I saw him hustle through the front doors.

“So nice of you to show up,” I said with an attitude. I still hadn’t fully forgiven him for the way he’s been all year, let alone going to the prom with Brooke but that’s okay because I went with Roger and we had a great time.

I hated to admit it to myself, but seeing Liam with Brooke at prom hurt but when he confessed to me (with glee I might add) that he lost his virginity and slept with her that night hurt my heart completely and I vowed never to forgive Liam for that. He was far beyond the guy I used to call my best friend and I don’t think the old Liam would have done anything like that to me.

“Mags, I told you a million times that I was sorry.” he sighed. I couldn’t help but feel like he was moving on, as if he didn’t need me anymore. Was I just a place holder because he was lonely?

“You guys ready to order?” the server asked as she walked up. I had already ordered for the both of us.

“No, I’m just going have an espresso,” Liam said quickly. My stomach dropped. Did he just say he wanted just an espresso? Liam loved their breakfast biscuits.

“What?” I asked.

“Sorry, I have to get going soon so there’s not much time to eat.”

“I promised I’d meet Brooke,” Liam said uncomfortably. I crossed my arms and sighed, the server taking a hint and walking away. “Margaret don’t make me feel bad. We can have breakfast anytime.”

“I know, but I can’t help but feel like I’m the one weighing you down.” I said honestly.

Just as I tried to elaborate on my point, there was a loud knock at the window right outside the table we were sitting.

“Hey, Brooke.” Liam waved with a smile. She didn’t even look at me and instead started giving seductive eyes to Liam.

“Have fun,” I said with a sigh, not looking up at Liam. Even if he was willing to cancel on Brooke, I didn’t want him to at this point.

“Margaret,” Liam said, not continuing with much else. I maintained avoiding eye contact as Liam got up from the table and left. He walked outside and Brooke ran towards him, wrapping her arm around his as he walked her to school.

*****

It had been three weeks since I’d seen Liam for longer than a minute. We stopped talking after that day he ditched me for Brooke. I never would have thought that Liam was interested in girls that we both vowed was on our shit list. She was pretty, but just the type that gave away a little more than necessary. I couldn’t see her being someone that Liam would end up with long term.

Ever since our falling out, it gave me the courage to put more effort into what I already had going on with Roger. We never took anything serious nor did he ask me to be his girlfriend because we didn’t spend much time together in person with being three states away at Stanford and we both weren’t the long distance type.

For most of the year, one of the reasons why I typically held back with Roger and didn’t want to progress further was that I wanted Liam to be my first and I knew that was probably what was stopping Roger from asking me to be his girlfriend. Roger had this plan for us to officially be together with the assumption that I got accepted to Stanford. I found out last week that I did and next year I would be able to be with him if I wanted, that’s if I accepted the college invitation.

The one thing holding me back was Liam. I was afraid that if I decided to go to college in Stanford that would mean that I would have to cancel on our graduation plans and somewhere along the way I knew that if I got into a relationship with Roger, I would lose Liam in the process and Liam was the most important person to me.

Right now, however, our friendship no longer existed and any contact Liam and I had with each other was completely awkward and uncomfortable and we pretty much hung out with each other less and less because the only thing I could think of was how he broke my heart and I couldn’t forgive him for that. So I made the decision to go to Stanford and start my new life with the guy who actually wanted me back.

I was scared shitless but always ended and once they did, a new door happened even if it meant losing Liam wasn’t on the other side.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

The End

I wanted to thank all of you for taking the time to read the cliffhanger prequel, Because of You. This book has been a major labor of love and I took a risk in writing a book that was slightly different than my usual books but I had this idea and I just had to run with it.

I hope you loved it as much as I did and I can’t wait to hear from all of you about it.

If you want to continue reading what happens next with Liam and Margaret, check out the Book One to the series called Every Day I Loved You.