Chapter 103 Stay Away
Liam's POV
"I am so excited to wear your jersey this coming Friday," Stacy said cheerfully as she walked beside me, her voice loud enough for the students around us to hear.
I kept my eyes forward, pretending to be focused on the hallway ahead. "You don't need to wear my jersey, Stacy. You'll stand out wherever you go," I replied flatly.
It wasn't meant to be sweet. It wasn't meant to encourage her. I just wanted the conversation to end.
"Oh really?" she laughed softly. "Liam, that's so sweet. But I want to wear it. You even let Mia wear your jersey before." She paused, then added with a mocking tone, "She was just a nobody, yet you allowed her to wear it."
My steps slowed.
The word nobody echoed in my ears like a slap.
I turned to her, my jaw tightening. "Don't ever call her that," I said quietly, but there was nothing gentle about my voice.
For a second, Stacy looked surprised. Maybe she didn't expect me to react that way. But I didn't wait for her response. I walked past her, needing distance before I said something I might regret.
"Liam! I'm still talking to you!" she called out behind me.
I didn't stop.
If she wanted to keep up, she had to run.
And she did.
The hallway felt suffocating. Every step toward our classroom felt heavier than the last. There was a time when walking into school filled me with excitement. I used to look forward to seeing Mia in the morning. I used to search for her smile before anything else.
Now, school felt like a punishment.
Because I would see her.
And I wasn't allowed to talk to her.
Stacy finally caught up to me and walked ahead as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn't just insulted the girl I still loved. As if everything between us was normal.
But nothing was normal.
When we entered the classroom, my eyes betrayed me. I looked for her immediately.
And there she was.
Mia.
She was sitting quietly in her seat, her head slightly lowered as she arranged her books. She looked thinner. Paler. Tired.
My chest tightened.
I knew I had hurt her. I knew every time I ignored her, every time I walked past her like she was invisible, it cut deeper than any words could. I told myself it was for her own good. I told myself staying away would protect her from my family, from the pressure, from Stacy.
But looking at her now, I wasn't sure who I was protecting anymore.
Because she didn't just look hurt.
She looked exhausted.
There were faint shadows under her eyes, like she hadn't been sleeping well. Her movements were slower, as if she was carrying something heavy inside her chest.
And that scared me.
What else was bothering her?
Was it still me?
Or had I pushed her so far away that she was now dealing with everything alone?
She didn't look up when I entered. Not even once.
Before, no matter how angry she was, I could always feel her presence searching for me too. There was always that invisible string pulling us toward each other.
But now... nothing.
It was like she had built a wall so high I couldn't even see over it.
Stacy sat down beside me and started talking about Friday's game again, about how excited she was, about how everyone would be watching. I nodded occasionally, but I didn't hear a single word.
All I could hear was the silence coming from Mia's direction.
At one point, Mia finally lifted her head and our eyes almost met. But she quickly looked away, like even the possibility of looking at me was too much.
That hurt more than if she had glared at me.
At least anger meant she still cared.
I clenched my fists under the table. I wanted to stand up, walk to her desk, and ask her what was wrong. I wanted to tell her I never meant for things to become like this. I wanted to apologize for every time I pretended she didn't exist just to keep the peace with people who never truly mattered.
But I stayed seated. Because I was a coward.
I told Daniel before that I was respecting her decision. That she wanted space. That she was choosing her future over me.
But deep down, I knew the truth. I was the one who let Stacy manipulate the situation. I was the one who thought I could handle losing her if it meant protecting her.
And now I was watching her fade right in front of me.
The teacher walked in, and the room slowly quieted down. But my mind was far from the lesson.
I kept stealing glances at Mia when I was sure she wouldn't notice. She wasn't smiling at her friends.
And for the first time, I felt something colder than jealousy. I felt the fear of losing her.
What if one day I walked into this classroom and she didn't even feel anything at all?
Stacy leaned closer to me, whispering something about after school plans. I nodded again without listening.
Because all I could think about was the girl sitting a few rows away.
The girl everyone else might overlook. But the girl who was never a nobody to me. She was my everything.
I left the school grounds after making sure Stacy wouldn't notice.
"Liam? I don't think you needed another haircut."
Josh didn't even try to hide his confusion the moment I stepped inside his salon.
The place looked different from the last time I saw it. Brighter. Busier. There were women getting their hair done, a few men waiting for trims, soft music playing in the background. The scent of shampoo and coffee mixed in the air.
For a second, I found myself wondering again how he ended up here.
Josh came from a wealthy family. His father owned a company big enough to guarantee him a comfortable future. Yet instead of preparing to take over that empire, he chose to run a beauty salon.
I used to think it was ridiculous.
Now, looking around at the full chairs and the satisfied customers, I had to admit he was doing really well.
Maybe he was braver than me. At least he chose what he wanted.
"No," I said quietly. "I don't need a haircut. I need to speak with you."
He raised an eyebrow, studying my face as if trying to read what kind of trouble I had walked into.
"Well," he said after a moment, "you're lucky. I was just about to take a break and grab some coffee."
He told one of his staff he'd be out for a while, and we walked to a nearby café. The afternoon sun felt too bright, too warm against my skin. My hands were cold despite it.
We ordered and sat across from each other.
I didn't waste time.
"Is Mia okay?" I asked the second we were alone.
Josh didn't answer immediately. He just stared at me.
"No," he finally said.
My pulse jumped.
My chest tightened like someone had wrapped a rope around it and pulled.
"What happened?" I asked quickly. "Is there anything I can do to help her?"
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Of course there is."
Hope flickered inside me.
"You can make her happy, Liam. And you know that."
I swallowed.
"But you're not doing that," he continued. "You're doing the exact opposite."
I looked down at the table.
"I know why you're avoiding her," Josh said. "She asked you to stay away, and you decided not to fight for what you have. Maybe you think you're protecting her. Maybe you think you're respecting her wishes."
His voice hardened.
"But you're failing."
The word stung.
"You're making it harder for her to move on," he went on. "You ignore her at school like she doesn't exist. You walk past her like she meant nothing to you. And yet... you show up at my salon."
I clenched my jaw.
"I just wanted to check if she was okay," I muttered.
"Then why don't you ask her directly?" Josh shot back. "Why do you keep finding ways to be near her but not brave enough to actually face her?"
I had no answer.
Because the truth was simple.
If I stood in front of Mia, if I looked into her eyes, everything I had built to stay away from her would collapse.
"And now you're asking me what you can do?" Josh continued. "If you really want Mia to have peace of mind, stay away from her. Completely. If you keep appearing, she'll never get over you."
The words felt like a punch.
Stay away.
Wasn't that what I had been doing?
But hearing it from someone else made it more real. More final.
Josh sighed after a while, his tone softening slightly. "Don't worry. She's managing. She's strong."
I looked up at him.
"She's just been down lately," he added. "After we visited her family."
My heart skipped. "Her family?"
Josh nodded and started telling me everything. About how her mother treated her like a stranger. About how she wasn't even allowed inside.
With every detail, my chest felt heavier. I could picture her standing outside that gate. I could imagine the way she must have forced herself not to cry in front of her.
And I wasn't there to hold her hand. I wasn't there to tell her she wasn't unwanted. I wasn't there at all.