TWENTY-THREE: FUNNY FEELINGS

KIMBERLY



I watched Liam's face turn ash, his eyes widened and he moved closer to Pat. "Did you just call me obnoxious?"

I saw Pat's hands clench into fists. "You heard me right," Pat said in a snare, looking at Liam, daring him to do his worst.

I couldn't say I have seen Pat that mad at anyone before. He didn't know what was going on with us. I appreciated his concern for me, but I didn't want him to make things worse for me. I also saw Liam's hands tighten, I knew I had to step in.

"Guys, please!" I yelled coming between them, Looking from one to the other. "Stop this."

But they still glared at each other, as if they did not hear what I said. I looked at Liam. I might have seen him insensitive, but I don't think I have seen him this mad at anyone, the look in his eyes was that of vengeance and anger and I wondered what he was going to do to Pat. I grabbed his hand.

"Let's go, please."

Pat's eyes left him and rested on me, looking surprisedly at me. I ignored Pat's surprise stare. I should leave with Liam before Pat would cause more trouble for me. It was only the right thing to do. right? Liam was my boyfriend, whether or not he was fake, it was only right I walk away with my boyfriend instead of my best friend. As I dragged Liam to the car and I saw a smirk on his face as he stared at the surprised Pat.

"Kim?" Pat called.

"Get back to your store, Pat, please!" I said.

I stopped when Pat turned his back and walked away, his head hung dejectedly. I held Liam's hand still looking at Pat. When I turned to look at Liam to give him a piece of my mind, I realized he was smiling and looking at our hands. He looked up at me, the smile still on his face.

"Did you miss me too?" he asked.

I quickly dropped his hand. Heat crept up my face as I remembered his text. I cleared my throat. "Why are you here?"

He smiled, looked around, and opened the car door for me. Something tugged in my heart when he smiled. I have seen him smile rarely and in my most secret heart, I agreed he was charming, even more than Aiden. I willed my mind to think of something else aside from him, I didn't even want to look at him and I wondered why he was there. I went into the car, he closed my door and went over to the driver's seat, slid in, and looked at me with the smile still on his face.

"My girlfriend shouldn't stay out late and you shouldn't be seen with other men, that's bad publicity for me."

I should have known, it was always about himself. Did he come all the way here to tell me to stop seeing other men? "Pat is my friend and I don't care what any other person thinks about it."

"I care. I don't want anything to go wrong with this. I have made you a celebrity, you should be grateful and enjoy it while it lasts. My mother is very sensitive and would detect any move." He ignited the car.

"This talk about making me a celebrity is completely unnecessary in this conversation."

"It is necessary. Nothing I say is unnecessary. I run a multinational organization and I make decisions that hold the organization, so you dare not say what I say is unnecessary. You are a celebrity now, courtesy of me, so whatever you do would be watched, your moves, your plans would be, so don't ruin things."

I scowled and turned to face the road. He was so full of himself and each day, he shows a new character that made me hate him the more— hate is a strong word, maybe I just dislike him. I saw him from the corners of my eyes casting glances at me.

"Did you get that message I sent to you?" he asked finally.

I rolled my eyes and looked out of the window, completely ignoring him. But he wasn't someone to give up, he asked the question again. "Why are you asking when you sent it?"

"Because I wanted to be sure you got it so that I can tell you it was a mistake."

I sighed. "You don't need to tell me, I know that already." Everything with you is a mistake, I thought. If I could turn back the hands of time, I will never even meet him once. I will avoid him at all costs.

The ride back home was silent until we got back to his house. I have already texted mum and dad that I won't be coming back and I had switched off my phone so that mum won't call to yell in my ear.




Aiden was no longer around when we got back to Liam's place. Emily had set the table for us but Liam insisted we go freshen up first before we come down to eat. I followed him up the stairs and I was marveled by the appearance of different other staff. They were running about and I wondered why. I have never really seen other staff in the house except for Emily.

As if Liam read my mind, he said, "They are putting everything in order because my mum would be arriving tomorrow."

"Oh," I said and followed him up the stairs.

After walking about the complicated interior of the house, we arrived at another huge door that I have never really seen before and I figured it was Liam's room. My heart rate quickened all of a sudden as thoughts of being alone with him in the room crossed my mind. He opened the door and went in, I followed him in and my jaw dropped as I entered the room. Liam's room was larger than my whole house and the interior decor was magnificent. His bed was king-sized, and a large portrait of him hung above the bed. He stood in the picture, looking confident, proud, and tall.

He started to unbutton his shirt as he walked into the room and my eyes widened in surprise. I stood still by the door, wondering if he even remembered I was there. He stopped and turned to look at me.

"Will you just stand there and look at me or will you get ready to go freshen up?"

I slowly walked up to the couch and lowered myself on it, afraid of sitting on the bed because of the white sheets. Liam walked to his closet took something from there and walked to the bathroom. I still marveled at the largeness and the beauty of the room. After a few minutes, Liam came out with a white towel wrapped around his waist and another towel he was drying his hair with. My eyes bulged at his well-structured body, His defined chest and his biceps hide in clothes. Drops of water ran down from his chest. I blinked and removed my eyes when I realized I have been drooling.

"I know I am handsome but I'm not interested," he said and dumped the towel he was using to dry his hair on the bed and walked towards his closet.

I scowled and rolled my eyes. "Can I get a towel?" I asked standing up and heading towards the bathroom.

"There are spare towels in the bathroom."

"I didn't come with spare clothes."

He stopped and turned to look at me. "Really?"

"You didn't allow me to go home and get some clothes for myself."

He took out a big t-shirt and tossed it at me. I drew it down and glowered at him. His cologne wafted into my nose and for a reason, I couldn't fathom, my eyes ran down his body again and I felt a warmth all over my whole body. I don't know what this strange feeling is. I quickly went into the bathroom, shut the door, and clutched my chest, breathing heavily.

"What is wrong with me?"