Chapter 98 Just Like A Stranger
Mia's POV
"Hey, kids, dinner is ready!" Daniel's mom called out as she gently pushed the door open and peeked into the game room.
The warm smell of home cooked food drifted inside, wrapping around me like a familiar hug. For a moment, I forgot everything that had been hurting me.
"Let's eat. I'm starving," Daniel said dramatically as he stood up and grabbed my wrist.
"Daniel!" I laughed as he pulled me along with him. I tried to walk properly, but he kept rushing like he had not eaten for days. I could not stop giggling as we followed his mom down the hallway toward the dining room.
The moment we entered, I froze slightly.
The table was full of dishes. Not just random food, but my favorites. There was creamy carbonara, crispy fried chicken, garlic butter shrimp, and even mango float for dessert.
My chest tightened.
"As always, Mrs. Rodriguez, your cooking is amazing," I said sincerely as we started eating.
"Thank you, Mia. I'm happy you like what I prepared tonight," she said warmly, her eyes soft as she looked at me.
I knew right then that Daniel must have told her I was coming over. She did not just cook dinner. She cooked for me.
"I always loved your cooking, Ma'am," I said softly. "I really missed it."
She smiled proudly, and I could see how happy she was hearing that.
For a moment, I felt like everything was normal. Like I was just a regular girl having dinner with people who genuinely cared about me. No pressure. no painful memories, just warmth.
After dinner, I helped clear the table even though Mrs. Rodriguez insisted I did not need to. When it was finally time for me to go home, I thanked her again.
"Thank you for dinner, Ma'am. It was really comforting."
"You're always welcome here, Mia," she said gently. "This house is open for you anytime."
Those words meant more to me than she probably realized.
When Daniel grabbed his car keys, I shook my head immediately.
"You don't need to drive me. I can just take the bus," I said.
"I insist," he replied firmly.
There was no arguing with him when he used that tone.
I slowly slid into the passenger seat beside him. The inside of the car was quiet, the only sound was the soft hum of the engine and the faint music playing from the radio.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
The city lights passed by outside the window, blurry and distant. I stared at them, pretending I was not thinking about him.
"Do you miss him?" Daniel suddenly asked.
I knew exactly who he meant.
Liam.
My heart reacted before my mind did.
I sighed and kept my eyes on the road ahead instead of looking at Daniel.
"Of course, I do," I answered honestly after a few seconds.
There was no point in pretending.
"You can always text him," Daniel said carefully.
I let out a small laugh and shook my head.
"And say what? That I miss him so much it hurts every single day?" I said quietly. "That I still think about him every time I wake up and before I sleep?"
Daniel did not answer right away.
"That you still want him," he said instead.
My face grew warm, and I turned slightly toward the window so he would not see how embarrassed I suddenly felt.
"I can't say that, Dan," I whispered.
"Why not?"
"Because I have nothing else left except my pride."
The words felt heavy in my mouth.
"If I run back to him now, what would that make me? I was the one who asked him to stay away. I was the one who said it was better for both of us."
My fingers tightened on my bag.
"And I understand that in the end, he would choose Stacy," I continued softly. "She fits in his world. She belongs there."
I swallowed.
"There's nothing I can offer him. I'm not rich. I don't come from a powerful family. I work part time just to survive. I'm nothing compared to her."
The car slowed down at a red light.
Daniel finally looked at me fully. "Mia," he said firmly, "if you're talking about money or status, that's crazy."
I stayed silent.
"They were born with privilege. That doesn't make them better than you," he continued. "You should be proud of yourself. You're strong. You work hard. You survive on your own. Do you know how rare that is?"
His words made my chest ache in a different way.
"I was stupid before," he added quietly. "I left you behind when things got hard. I regret that every day. But right now, I promise you something."
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"I will never leave you again."
I finally looked at him. There was no teasing in his eyes. No jokes, just sincerity.
And for the first time in a long while, I did not feel alone. I still loved Liam. That truth had not changed.
But at least tonight, I was reminded that even if the boy I loved chose someone else, I was not invisible.
I was not small. And maybe I was worth more than I allowed myself to believe.
I was on my way to the library, hugging my books tightly against my chest, trying to focus on the long list of homework I still needed to finish. I kept telling myself to think about school, about my scholarship, about anything that would keep my heart steady.
Then I saw Liam and Stacy were walking toward me.
For a second, I thought about turning around and taking the longer way just to avoid them. I did not think I was strong enough to face him today. Not when my heart still reacted to him the same way it always did.
But it was too late. They had already seen me.
Before I could look away, I saw Stacy slide her arm around Liam’s arm as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She leaned closer to him, smiling like she had already won something.
My chest tightened so suddenly that my fingers lost their grip. My books slipped from my arms and fell to the floor with a loud thud, the sound echoing embarrassingly down the hallway. Papers and notebooks scattered everywhere.
I froze. I could feel their eyes on me, and my face burned with humiliation.
I quickly knelt down to gather my things, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor. I did not want to look at Liam. I did not want him to see the way my eyes still searched for him without permission.
Before I could finish picking them up, I noticed another pair of hands helping me.
Liam crouched down silently and began gathering my books. His movements were calm, careful, almost distant. Not like before. Not like the Liam who used to tease me for being clumsy and then steal my notebook just to make me chase him.
This Liam felt like a stranger. I swallowed hard and kept my eyes down, afraid that if I looked at him, all the walls I had built around my heart would crumble.
And then it happened. A small photo slipped out from between the pages of one of my books.
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It was the picture I had secretly kept hidden there. A photo of Liam and me. We were both smiling in it, standing too close, looking too happy. I used to look at that picture whenever I missed him too much.
I had forgotten it was there.
Before I could reach for it, Stacy was faster.
She bent down and picked it up.
“Oh,” she said loudly, examining it with a smirk. “Looks like someone is still crazy about you, Liam.”
My entire body went hot.
She stepped closer to me, holding the photo between her fingers as if it were something dirty. I could feel students around us slowing down, pretending not to stare.
I wanted the ground to open and swallow me whole. I knew I was still in love with him. I knew my heart had not moved on. But I never wanted him to find out like this. I never wanted to look pathetic in front of him.
Stacy waved the photo slightly. “This is so cute,” she added mockingly. “Keeping souvenirs now?”
I could not speak. My throat felt tight, and my hands trembled as I finally stood up.
For one brief second, my eyes met Liam’s. I waited for him to defend me. For him to tell her to stop, but he did not.
He simply took the photo from Stacy’s hand and gave it back to me along with my books. His expression was unreadable. Calm. Polite. Empty.
“Here,” he said quietly.
That was all, just one simple word. As if I were just another classmate he was helping. As if he had not heard Stacy’s mockery.
I forced my fingers to close around my books and the picture. I nodded slightly, unable to trust my voice.
“Thanks,” I whispered.
He stood up and walked away with Stacy without another word. She slipped her arm around him again, smiling as if she had just proven a point.
And I stayed there in the middle of the hallway trying to breathe.
It felt like someone had reached into my chest and pulled my heart out with their bare hands. The pain was quiet but unbearable. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just heavy and crushing.
He did not even look back. And that hurt more than Stacy’s words ever could. Because the boy who once said he would never let me cry alone walked away like I was nothing more than a stranger.
And for the first time, I realized that maybe I was the only one still holding on.