Chapter 12: The Reason Why

JADE:

I unlatched the lock from my side of the door, and I opened it to welcome my unexpected guest.

“Hi,” he said. “Sorry. Did I bother you?”

In front of me what Liam’s immaculate smiling face. My heart started skipping a beat as I gazed back at his tender eyes and handsome stature.

“No, it’s alright,” I said. I unconsciously tucked a few wisps of my hair into my left ear. “Um, come in,” I blabbed afterwards, embarrassed that I was keeping him outside like that.

“Alright,” he said, still smiling. It made my chest instantly warm.

“Come and take a seat,” I pulled a chair at my small dining area. “Why were you looking for me?”

“Uh, about our group project earlier. I wanted to see if you had any ideas on what to do.”

“Ah that,” I could feel my face turning red in embarrassment. “Um, I was a bit distracted since this morning, so I haven’t given it any thoughts about it yet…”

I wanted to slap my face right then and there. I thought he wanted to talk about something else with me. It turned out that it was because of our joint school work.

His face turned a bit worried. “I’m sorry. I almost forgot about what happened this morning… It was so insensitive of me. Are you alright?”

I was a little touched at the thought that Liam cared, but at that moment, Dianna’s words came ringing back into my ears.

“Don’t you think you might be reacting just a little bit over the top here?...”

“You were too sensitive too, and everything went out of hand…”

Dianna was right. Maybe I’m just being too sensitive. Maybe this is all the overreacting part of me kicking in, but somehow, I was hoping… I was dreaming that Liam might somehow like me, even just a little bit too…

“Um, are you alright, Jade? You seem to be spacing out… Are you sick?”

Suddenly, he raised his hand above my forehead and tried to feel my temperature with his right palm.

This sudden action had caught me off-guard. He was leaning so close to me that I could even smell the faint scent of mint cologne from his body, and this closeness produced even more heat in my face.

He looked down at me, still resting his hand on my forehead. Why did it seem that he was looking so tenderly at me just now?

“Jade, I think you really are sick. Your face is too red…”

I laughed nervously trying to change the mood, and in the process, I flicked his hand away gently.

“No, I’m just a little… I’m a little out of my elements today…”

I had always suffered from touch aversion since I was young, and when kids started to harass me after that incident with Kix, it became even worse to the point that I would hyperventilate just by seeing him…

Now, however, even though Liam was so close, I didn’t feel even the least repulsed. It was really quite surprising.

Was it because of how gentle his hand had descended into my head, or was it because I kind of liked him too?

But, why do I even like him in the first place?

“Let me get you some water,” he said. Liam rose from his seat, fetched a cup on my kitchen, and opened the refrigerator. He poured cold water that was just enough to fill the glass.

Liam was always so sweet and gentle. It was as if he could do nothing wrong. I think that’s what I truly like about him…

“So, why are you out of your elements today,” he said turning a bit serious as soon as he sat from across me again. “Do you want to talk about what happened this morning?”

I nodded a bit towards him. Liam must be concerned since he was there at the crime scene with me. Surely, he would understand what I feel about Marian and the need for me to help her.

I started to pour out everything that had happened at the CHS building to him. No, I went back further than that. I started telling him what had transpired at the police station and at the alleyway when I got lost earlier.

Liam just sat there listening empathically at what I said. He didn’t say anything about me overreacting or being too nosy or sensitive. He didn’t tell me I was just plain crazy and that I should get treatment like everyone else from back in high school…

When I finished talking to him, I felt relieved.

“So,” he said,” what do you plan to do now? Are you planning to pursue this case?”

I nodded towards him. “I have to… I think I owe it to Marian.”

Like me, Marian was a lonely person. I wanted to give her some comfort even though she had already died. I wanted to tell her someone understood her pleas and that someone isn’t going to leave her until she has done her best to help bring the culprit into justice.

“I agree. I think helping her is the right thing to do,” Liam said. “But, Jade, I’m afraid that you might be putting yourself in utmost danger. What if the person who killed Marian is really the maker of that blog site? Based on what you said, Marian seemed to want to investigate the cases of disappearing female students before she died too… What if you get yourself in such peril too?”

“That won’t happen of course,” I replied, making a brave front. In truth, I was very scared. I didn’t want to do it alone. I wanted to investigate this case with someone who believes in me…

“Actually, when you went missing today, I got really worried. I hated to think that you were alone and crying somewhere, unable to get back since you were lost…”

Liam’s gaze felt intense. I avoided his direct stare and smiled a bit to shake the heavy tension between us in the air.

“Yeah, I admit it was foolish of me to walk on my own like that. Sorry I made you all worried…”

“What are you saying? You don’t need to apologize for making me worried, Jade…”

I blinked back in surprise at him. Did he just say ‘me’ and not ‘us’?

I swallowed a lump at my throat. “You were worried about me?”

“Yeah… I can’t explain it, but my chest just felt so anguished thinking that you were all alone this afternoon at that weird alley… Why Jade,” he started to lean closer to the table towards me. “Why do you think I’m feeling this way?”

It looked like he was saying something else, but all I can hear was my heart making infinite somersaults inside my chest.