"Oh my gosh, Mira! I told you he's into you." Sophie exclaimed after I filled her in about the day's events with Liam. She shook me so vigorously I almost fell off her bed.
 
"But I'm still mad at you guys! You left me and him alone. Do you know how miserable I felt being alone with him?"
 
"It's probably better that way. If we were there, there wouldn't have been any confessions." She said. She had a point, but being alone with Liam and his ex was far from pleasant. It was awkward to the max!
 
"And guess what, Hailey was there too."
 
"What?!" She sat up abruptly from her lounging position.
 
I then recounted the whole story of Hailey's arrival and her plea for my help.
 
"What?! You agreed?!" She exclaimed, pushing me because of how surprise she is. I literally fell off the bed. I wasn't sure if she did that on purpose or if she was just genuinely shocked.
 
"Ouch, Sophie! Why are you so violent?!" I winced. My fall was quite painful.
 
She ignored my complaint and continued her tirade. "Are you out of your mind? Why did you agree?!"
 
"As if I had a choice." I muttered, climbing back onto her bed.
 
"Of course, you had a choice!" She sounded so sure. "Liam made it clear he loves you more than her. So what's the problem?! It's clear he chose you over her." Her words echoed in my mind, making me think.
 
"I just thought that maybe she deserves more happiness than me. Maybe they both deserve a second chance."
 
"Is that all?" She sighed heavily.
 
"Yeah, and because she's Jhea's cousin. I don't want her mad at me. You know how she is about family over friends, right?"
 
"But if she's really your friend, she'll understand. She can't blame you if Hailey gets hurt. They're not together anymore, they're exes. And you two are just being honest about your feelings. Mira, it's not wrong to fall in love, especially when it happens naturally."
 
Sophie had a point. But even though they're no longer together, I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and uncertainty. Was I being selfish for wanting my own happiness? It's hard to fully embrace my feelings for Liam when I'm also worried about hurting someone else.
———
I was about to get in the car when our family driver stopped me. "Mira, I can't drive you to school today, your mom gave me an errand."
 
"What? But who's going to drive Briana and me?"
 
"Briana isn't going to school, she's not feeling well. And your ride's already outside, he's been waiting for a while."
 
I was puzzled by his words. A ride? I quickly stepped out of the gate, and sure enough, there he was.
 
Liam.
 
He glanced at his watch while leaning against his car. "I've been waiting for you for almost 30 minutes."
 
"Who asked you to pick me up?"
 
"I did." I rolled my eyes to his response.
 
"What are you waiting for? Get in." He continued, opening the car door.
 
"I don't want to." As soon as I said that, he swiftly moved towards me, lifted me up, and placed me in the car. Was he a kidnapper in a past life? He sure liked to lift people into his car.
 
"Are you crazy?!" I yelled at him once we were both inside.
 
"Yes, I'm crazy over you." I quickly averted my gaze, feeling my cheeks heat up. Darn you, Liam! I can't be blushing over you until you sort things out with your ex.
 
"Why did you even have to pick me up?! Everyone at school will gossip about us."
 
"If you think I'm doing this just because I want to, like before, well, I'm doing this out of responsibility now." He said, eyes on the road.
 
I furrowed my brows. "What responsibility are you talking about? Did my mom hire you as a driver?!"
 
I heard him chuckle. "This is my first day of courting you, Mira."
 
"Excuse me, Liam, but I don't recall giving you permission to court me." I retorted.
 
He burst into laughter.
 
"What's so funny?!"
 
"Am I a judge that needs to order you on the court?"
 
"One more stupid remark, Liam, and I'll punch you." I threatened.
 
He sighed. "Okay fine, you're no fun." In response, I rolled my eyes. "But did you forget already? Didn't I say that I will court you, whether you like it or not? So you have no choice." He continued.
 
"Well, I'm not obliged to say yes, right?"
 
He glanced at me briefly before returning his attention to the road. "As if you won't. I've never been turned down, Mira, not even by you." I could feel his cockiness radiating off him as he said that. Lord, why did I have to fall for this guy?
"But Liam, seriously, what about Hailey?" I asked earnestly.
 
His face instantly turned serious. I almost regretted bringing it up.
 
"Let's not talk about her for now, Mira."
 
But how could I not think about her when she's out there, hurting and hoping? It's crucial to acknowledge her feelings too and find a way to explain everything to her.
 
I chose to remain silent, not pressing him further.
 
We quickly reached the school. As usual, the students stared as we walked by. The stares didn't bother me as much anymore. Actually, I was getting used to it, thanks to my daily encounters with Liam.
We arrived in the classroom without any trouble. As soon as we got there, our instructor was already present.
 
"So it's really official that Liam is courting you, huh?" Ace remarked after we ordered our food at the canteen.
 
Liam wasn't with us because their coach gave him a task, but he said he would join us later. Jhea was also absent, busy catching up on the subjects she missed while she was away.
 
I looked at Sophie, as she was the only one I confided in about it, but from the looks she gave me, it seemed like she was denying any knowledge. Ace noticed our exchange, so he spoke up. "Liam told us."
 
Right, they're Liam's best friends. Why should I be surprised?
 
Before I could even say a word, Ken spoke. "So when are you planning to say yes to him?"
 
"To be honest, I have no intention of doing so." I said, trying to keep it brief.
 
I could see the confusion on Ken and Ace's faces, while Sophie remained serious, looking at me intently.
 
"If you have no intention, then why did you agree to let him court you? And didn't you like Liam from the start?" Ken asked.
 
"First, I had no choice. Even if I wanted to refuse, I had no choice because he said he would court me whether I liked it or not. And yes, I did like him from the start." But now, I regret ever falling for him.
 
"Well, if that's the case, why?" Ace replied. I looked at Sophie again, but she remained silent.
 
"To be honest, I like what's happening between Liam and me, but it's wrong, completely wrong that he feels the need to court me. This isn't right. While we're caught up in our own little world, there's someone out there who is hurting, and it weighs heavily on my heart. I can't just ignore Hailey's pain."
 
Sophie sighed. "Mira, I've told you before, there's nothing wrong with it."
 
"Yes, I know, but what about Hailey? Especially since I agreed to help her get back together with Liam."
 
"What?!" Ken and Ace exclaimed simultaneously. They had the exact same reaction as Sophie when I told them about it. The only difference was that they didn't push me like Sophie did to me.
 
"Are you out of your mind?!" Ace questioned.
 
"Wait, does Liam know about this?" Ken asked, his confusion evident.
 
"He is completely unaware, and I have absolutely no intention of telling him. So, I kindly beg you to please, do not even think about it." I shot a piercing glare at both of them.
 
Ken and Ace exchanged glances.
 
"So, what's your plan then?" Sophie asked.
I was left speechless by her question. What is my plan, really? Because honestly, I have no clue, and I'm getting more and more confused by my own actions and emotions. All I know is that if I let Liam court me, someone else will end up getting hurt. Between the two of us, she deserves him more, and I'm more content with just being friends. "I-I don't know. All I know is that I need to make Liam realize that Hailey is the one he deserves, not me."
 
I could see the frustration in their eyes as they listened to my answers.
 
"Do you know what your problem is? You always think about what others will say and how they will feel. Don't let their opinions hold back your happiness, Mira." Ken said to me with a serious expression. I was taken aback by his words. It was a side of him I had never seen before, him being genuinely serious.
 
"Ken's right, Mira. Look at me, did I care about what you and Jhea would say when Ace and I got into the relationship? Even though you didn't approve of her at first because you thought she would just hurt me in the end, I still fought for him because I love him. And in the end, everything turned out fine, didn't it? You accepted him. It's the same for you, Mira. Maybe at first, Hailey won't understand and she might get hurt, but trust me, they will understand and accept it, not now but in the perfect time." Sophie said straightforwardly.
 
"You're so focused on how Hailey would feel, but have you ever considered how Liam feels? If only you knew, Mira, he has liked you for a long time. He just didn't admit it to himself, but he liked you from the start. Between you and Hailey, I can sense that his feelings for you are more sincere compared to her. You have no idea how happy he was when he told us about you liking him too. Hailey may find happiness in your decision, but Liam, he'll be hurt, especially if he finds out." Ace replied.
 
My heart felt heavy with their words. When I heard those words, especially Ace's, I felt surprised and even more confused. It made me realize that I may have overlooked Liam's feelings for me. I've been so focused on Hailey that I didn't consider how my decisions might hurt Liam. It made me feel guilty and made me think about what I should do next. I need to take a step back and consider how my choices affect both Hailey and Liam. I want to find a solution that respects everyone's feelings and avoids causing any pain. It's really tough. I don't know what to do.
 
I was about to speak when I suddenly heard Liam's voice.
 
"You all seem so serious. What's the topic?" We all looked at him.
 
"Nothing," I replied, allowing him to sit beside me.
 
I'm completely clueless about what to do now. The decision I made seems so foolish, and it's making me feel like a total idiot. I have no idea how to fix this mess or what steps to take next. It's really frustrating!
 
I wish I could turn back time and undo this foolish choice. It's hitting me hard that I messed up, and it's leaving me feeling down and uncertain about what the right thing to do.