I left my house and headed towards Liam's place for our group study session. I took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell, but then I remembered Sophie and Ace.
 
Should I wait for them to arrive so we can all go together? Plus, it would make me feel less awkward around Liam.
 
I immediately called Sophie. She picked up after just a few rings.
 
"Hello, Sophie. Where are you guys?"
 
"I was about to call you, but you beat me to it."
 
"So, where are you?"
 
"We won't be able to make it, Mira." Her voice sounded disappointed.
 
"Sophie, that's not a good joke! You know I'm not comfortable being alone with Liam, right?" I replied.
 
"Yeah, I know. But Ken is still there. I'm really sorry, it was a last-minute decision."
 
"Where are you guys going, anyway?"
 
"Dad suddenly planned a quick family vacation without telling me. He wants to make up for the times he couldn't spend with us. He even asked me to bring Ace so they can get to know each other better."
 
I sighed at her words. "I see. Well, have fun then." I ended the call.
 
Just as I hung up, Liam emerged from his house, looking like he had just finished a call as well. "Alright, Ken." he said before ending the call.
 "Mira, you're already here." He said, noticing me standing in front of him.
 
"Where's Ken?" I asked, changing the subject.
 
He let out a sigh before responding. "He won't be able to make it."
 
"So, that means it's just the two of us?"
 
"Yeah, that's right." He said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
 
I thought for a moment and suggested. "Maybe we should just reschedule for another time since our friends won't be joining us. What do you think?"
 
He frowned. "But it was supposed to be just the two of us, right? That was our original plan since you're going to tutor me."
 
I knew that was the plan, but I couldn't handle being alone with him at the moment.
 
"Wait, are you avoiding me? I thought we were okay." He said, as if he had read my mind.
 
"We're definitely okay, Liam. There's no reason for me to avoid you." I denied it, avoiding eye contact.
 
"If that's the case, then shall we go inside?" I nodded and followed him reluctantly. Do I even have a choice?
I glanced around the house, wondering where Quinn could be. It would have been nice if she was here, at least I would have someone to keep me company.
 
"Are you looking for something?" Liam seemed to have noticed.
 
"Where's your sister?" I asked.
 
He shook his head. "She's not here."
 
I let out a deep sigh. It seems I really have no choice. Maybe I just need to stop dwelling on my feelings for this guy. I'll focus on being professional. After all, I'm here to tutor him. No other reason.
 
We both sat down in their garden near the swimming pool. I prepared the books we would need for the subject he was struggling with and placed them on the table in front of us. Liam furrowed his brow as he looked at the thick books.
 
"Are you sure these are the ones we're using? Why are they so thick?" He asked, his gaze still fixed on the books.
 
"These are the ones Mrs. Zamora gave me. Don't complain. Besides, it's not that difficult." I replied, feeling a bit awkward. I couldn't look straight at him while talking.
 
"For you, it may be easy because you're smart. But for me? I'm not that smart. I'm just handsome." He said with a smirk.
 
I rolled my eyes. This guy is so full of himself, just like Ken and Ace.
 
"Well, let's get started then." I said, quickly grabbing the book and flipping it open to the part Liam was struggling with.
 
He listened attentively as I explained the concepts to him. Surprisingly, he caught on quickly, so I handed him a questionnaire to answer. I thought he might complain again, but he eagerly took the questionnaire and started answering.
 
As he was answering, Bea arrived with two sandwiches and juice.
 
"Thank you." I said after she placed the snacks in front of us. She smiled in response.
 
She really does look like Briana. In fact, she's even more beautiful than her. She just needs a little bit of grooming to bring out her true beauty.
 
Bea paused for a moment as she was about to leave. "Bea, may I know your surname?" I asked.
 
I noticed the person sitting next to me briefly stopped writing and glanced at us.
 
"Why are you asking?" She asked softly.
 
"I'm just curious." I replied, smiling.
 
"Uh, it's Garcia." She said quietly before leaving.
"What's with the sudden interest in Bea's surname?" Liam asked, still writing.
 
"I just thought of asking my mom later if we have any relatives with the surname Garcia."
 
"Why? Because she looks like Briana?"
 
"Yeah. They really do look alike."
 
"So what are you thinking? Maybe she's related to you because she resembles your cousin?"
 
"I don't know. I'm just curious." I replied after taking a sip of juice.
 
I heard him sigh. "You're worrying about all sorts of things. You know what, just check my answers." He handed me the completed questionnaire. I quickly checked it and was surprised by the result. It was almost perfect, 17 out of 20. It seems I underestimated him. He's even easier to teach than the others I tutor. "Not bad." I said, handing back the results to him.
 
"Not bad? I almost got a perfect score! It should be 'very good'." He complained.
 
"You're so demanding! Why don't you just tutor yourself?" I handed him another questionnaire.
 
"What's this for?" He asked.
 
"You're supposed to answer it, obviously." I replied, a bit snappy.
 
"Can we do it later? Can you let me eat first?" His voice was filled with laziness.
 
"We won't stop until you get it perfect. Besides, you can eat while answering." I retorted.
 
"Seriously, it's already almost perfect! I'm tired." He complained.
 
Tired? We've only just started and he's already tired? This guy is so lazy.
 
"Almost is not enough, it has to be perfect. This is for your own good, so stop complaining, okay?" I said firmly.
 
"Alright, teacher." He teased, rolling his eyes.
While I was fiddling with my phone, he suddenly spoke up. "Mira," he called me.
 
"What now?" I replied, still keeping my gaze fixed on my phone screen.
 
"Can you feed me the sandwich?" He said, his response furrowing my brow.
 
"Don't you have hands?" I retorted.
 
"You see that I'm writing, right?" He shot back.
 
"Then use your other hand," I said.
 
"Please?" he pleaded, using his irresistible charm. Well, actually, it did get to me. Even though I wanted to avoid him, I couldn't resist him. I don't know why I'm so affected by this annoying guy.
 
The universe really is testing my feelings for him.
 
"I-I don't want to." I stammered suddenly.
 
"Please? You know, you're actually lucky. So many girls dream of feeding me, but I only give you the chance to do it." He said with a cocky attitude. This guy really knows how to get under my skin.
 
This time, I looked at him. I don't know why, but suddenly, my awkwardness around him disappeared. "Is that so? Fine, I'll feed you." I took his sandwich and fed it to him in one go. The sandwich was so big that it didn't even fit in his mouth. Let's see if you can handle that.
 
He was saying something, but I couldn't understand because his mouth was full of sandwich. "What was that? I couldn't understand." I teased him, laughing as I watched him. You deserve it, you jerk!
 
He took a bite of the sandwich, leaving only half of it because of my forceful feeding, and then he drank his juice. "Are you trying to kill me? You literally shoved it in my mouth." He said, coughing because he choked on it.
"That's fine, like what you said, you're still handsome, right?" I replied, teasingly, while still laughing.
 
He smirked. "That's why you have a crush on me, right?"
 
I stopped laughing at his words. I suddenly felt nervous. Did he know that I liked him? "W-what are you talking about?" I asked. Darn it, why do I always get tongue-tied?!
 
And at that moment, he laughed. "What's so funny?"
 
"It's your face." He said, still laughing. "Chill, I'm just joking, Mira." Well, this guy is so annoying. He has joked several times about me having a crush on him, but it doesn't faze me. Well, that's because it's actually true that I have feelings for him, and it's not just some simple crush. I already love him. Damn it.
 
I gave him a glare. "Just focus on writing there. And stop being annoying!"
He just smirked and continued writing. "But you know what? You're different from other girls that I've met, Mira, and that's what makes you so intriguing." He said, his tone serious as he kept his gaze on his writing.
 
I couldn't help but feel a smile forming on my lips, and my heart started to flutter, but I fought against it. I needed to be strong, no room for getting all giddy over a guy who still has feelings for his ex. "W-why is that?" I asked, trying to ignore the mix of emotions swirling inside me.
 
He turned to look at me.
 
"Because you're something else, and I think I'm starting to like you, Mira."
 
I couldn't help but chuckle at his words. I mean, seriously, it's just another one of his damn jokes. But here's the thing, why did my heart decide to go into overdrive? It started beating like crazy out of nowhere. Deep down, I know what he said is completely false, like a total fabrication. But why am I experiencing these strange and confusing emotions? It's like my heart and my brain are having a heated debate, and I'm caught in the middle, trying to make sense of it all.
 
I wanted to hope that maybe it could be true, but I know it's impossible.
 
I wish he would stop saying these things to me because, honestly, it only deepens my feelings for him.
 
I don't want to fall completely, especially when I know he can't catch me.
 
"Is that another one of your annoying jokes? You're not funny anymore." I said, staring at the juice in my hands.
 
"I wish I was joking, but I'm serious." He said, his tone serious. He looked at me, leaving his gaze to the questionnaire.
 
"You know what? Just finish what you're doing. Stop with your jokes." I changed the subject, still avoiding eye contact, while pretending to look at the book in front of me.
 
He placed his hand on the book, causing me to stop flipping through the pages. He held onto my shoulders and faced me.
 
"I'm being honest, Mira. I can't explain it, but I am absolutely certain that I have feelings for you. Genuine feelings that I can't ignore or deny."
 
I chuckled lightly. "You're crazy. Maybe you're just saying that because we're always together, but in reality, you're not."
 
"I'm sure about what I feel. I'm sure that I like you. Why don't you believe me? Are you not interested in me? Do you like someone else?" He lowered his head and fell silent for a moment.
 
"I can accept it if you don't feel the same way about me, but please don't make me feel like I'm lying about my feelings for you." He continued.
I couldn't help but close my eyes, unable to hide it any longer. "I'm just scared," I admitted.
 
"Scared of what?" He asked, sounding confused.
 
"N-nothing," I stammered. Maybe I'm not ready yet. Should I express my true feelings to him at this moment? Is it the right time to let him know how I truly feel? Maybe if it were before, I could have told him because it was just a crush. But now, it's different.
 
He gently held onto my shoulders again, trying to turn me towards him, but I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze. "Mira, tell me. What are you scared of?" He insisted.
 
Feeling frustrated and helpless, I finally decided to go with the flow. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm scared of getting hurt again because I like you too!"
 
It was a confession that I didn't expect to say. It was a risky move, but I needed to express how I felt. I opened my eyes and looked at him, feeling vulnerable and exposed.
 
He paused at my words, looking at me with surprise, and I could feel my heart racing. "Wh-what?" He stammered.
 
"Yes, Liam. I like you too." It's not just a simple like, I already love you.
 
A smile spread across his face as if he couldn't believe what I had just said, and he suddenly pulled me into an embrace. "You don't have to be afraid of, Mira. I won't hurt you. I'll prove my feelings for you. And I am going to court you, whether you like it or not."
I pulled away from his embrace and faced him. "You want to court me? Liam, are you out of your mind? What about Hailey? Shouldn't you be getting back together with her?"
 
He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, as if he had forgotten about his relationship with Hailey. Honestly, I also forgot about her for a moment, and it only hit me just now. I was too overwhelmed with everything that was happening. "I don't know, Mira. It feels wrong to go back to her."
 
"Liam, there's nothing wrong with that because both of you still have mutual feelings for each other." I replied.
 
"But we both have the same feelings for each other, don't we?"
 
"You love her, you just like me, Liam." I insisted.
 
"Then let me rephrase it. Maybe 'like' is not the best way to describe my feelings for you. I love you, Mira."
 
I averted my gaze because I could feel my face heating up.
 
"Yes, maybe I still love her, but I love you more now." he continued. I didn't know what I should feel, but because of what he said, my heart started beating faster. I tried to stop it. I didn't need to feel this way.
 
From every angle, this is all wrong. Why does he have to express his feelings towards me when he still loves Hailey? This is all wrong.
 
Before I could say anything, a maid approached us. "Liam, you have a visitor."
Liam furrowed his brow. "A visitor? I'm not expecting anyone. Who is it?"
 
Before the maid could answer, a woman appeared in the garden and spoke up. "It's me."
 
She was gorgeous, tall, with a pointed nose and black, wavy hair. She looked like a model for a clothing line. I felt completely inferior compared to her.
 
"Hailey? What are you doing here?" Hailey? She's Hailey?!
 
"I'm just bored, so I came here. I always do this, right? I hope I'm not disturbing anything."
 
Liam looked at me, as if trying to gauge my reaction. "Ah, actually Mira is tutoring me right now."
 
"Liam, it's fine. I've already taught you a lot. Maybe we can continue next time, and I think I really should go." I said, quickly gathering my things and preparing to leave.
 
Hailey immediately stopped me, which surprised me. "No, I'll be the one to leave. I'll just come back some other time."
 
"I'm already done anyway." I insisted.
 
We insisted back and forth until Liam finally stopped us. "Stop, you both stay."
———
"How long have you been friends with Liam?" Hailey asked me as Liam left us briefly to pick up Quinn outside. I could see in his eyes earlier that he didn't want to leave us, but he had no choice.
 
"It's only been about two months. Why do you ask?" I felt a bit weird talking to this girl.
 
"Because it seems like you've known each other for a long time. I can sense that you're really close." She said, making me pause and think. Do we really look that close?
 
I didn't say anything, just forced a smile. We remained silent for a few seconds until she spoke up again.
 
I was surprised when she started telling me about their entire conversation from last night. I didn't expect that. I couldn't believe that he said all of that to her. And It was hard to believe that Hailey would say all of those things to me.
 
"I don't understand why he's pushing me away from Chris. I really don't get it. I thought he loved me, but why is he doing this?"
 
I didn't respond and just let her speak.
 
"Chris is such a nice guy, and you know that. But right now, my feelings for Liam are stronger. I asked him if he loved someone else. He said no, but I know he's lying. Mira, do you know anything?"
 
"W-what do you mean?" I asked, caught off guard by her question.
 
"Does he love someone else?" She asked directly.
 
I was taken aback because I knew that he did love someone else, and what surprised me even more was that it was me. "I don't know, Hailey. I don't know anything." I lied.
 
She held my hand that was resting on the table. "Then help me, Mira. Please."
 
I looked at her without saying a word.
 
"Help me get back together with Liam. Talk to him and convince him to take me back." She pleaded. I didn't know what to say. Why me? Out of all people, why did it have to be me?
 
"Hailey—" I tried to speak, but she stopped me. She must have sensed that I was going to refuse.
 
"Please, Mira. I'm begging you."
 
"Why does it have to be me?" I asked.
 
"Because he's close to you, and I know he will listen to you. And one more thing, I know I can trust you." She explained.
 
"Fine, I'll help you." I said, not knowing what came over me and why I said that. Damn it. 
 
She hugged me, catching me by surprise. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Mira!" Her voice was filled with joy.
 
Seeing her happiness, I realized that maybe, just maybe, she deserves happiness more than I do.
 
Perhaps sometimes we need to be selfless for the sake of others in order to bring them happiness.