Liam had a horrible night's sleep and felt groggy as he lethargically ambled around the kitchen.
When he had heated up last night's dinner, he walked into the living room with a canned soda in his free hand.
He then plopped down on the couch. When he was settled, he grabbed the remote and flipped on Netflix. As soon as he had settled on a show, his cell phone rang in the pocket of his pajamas.
He knew it was his mom based on the ringtone of "You'll Be in My Heart." He answered it and greeted, "Hey, Mom." He couldn't help the yawn that followed.
Emma chuckled before she told her son, "Hey, kid. I don't think I have to ask if you just woke up."
Liam couldn't help but smile before he told her, "Yeah, well, you know I'm a hard sleeper."
"Oh, I know. It's one of the few things you got from me," Emma agreed. She then asked, "You sticking with that binge-watching plan of yours?"
The teenage boy considered his plan seriously before another idea struck him. He then told his mother, "Actually, I think I'll head to the batting cages and work on my swing. I know that baseball season isn't until the spring, but I need to stay in form."
His mother didn't need to know that this idea was also a stress-reliever.
"Sounds like a good idea. Just make sure you're home for dinner," Emma told him. She decided against asking about Grace, knowing that her son would talk when he was ready.
"I will, Mom," Liam replied.
"Alright, kid," Emma told him. She then continued, "I've got to get back to work. I'll see you this evening, Liam."
"See you later, Mom," he told her before hanging up the phone. He then placed it on the table before he resumed eating and watching the show.
About 45 minutes later, Liam was parking his truck at the batting cages. He couldn't help but feel slightly relieved that the place was empty.
He grabbed his bat from the backseat and took a deep breath before he moved from his vehicle to the cages.
Once he had grabbed a bucket of baseballs and loaded them into the machine, he walked over to the plate and got into position.
It wasn't until he missed the first four balls that he realized just how badly distracted he really was.
"Bloody hell, Liam, why are you standing in the right-handed position when you're left-handed?" he scolded himself out loud.
He adjusted his stance and channeled everything he felt about Grace leaving before the next ball shot out. This time, there was loud crack as the ball and bat connected. The ball soared and bounced off the top center of the net.
"That's more like it," Liam muttered before he prepared for the next hit.
He had the same result as he watched the ball fly in what would be a home run on the field.
Liam readied himself for the next incoming ball when he heard two male voices behind him.
"You know, Jones, you are one of the best hitters we have as it is. But when you hit like that, you must be using that ball and bat to work out that temper of yours. Or some other emotion."
"Lay off, Cole. We're here to work on your hitting."
Liam then turned to his friends and teammates and spoke, "Andrew has a point, dude. You're lucky to get past the pitcher's mound," a teasing grin on his face.
"Whatever," Cole deadpanned before he slung his bat over his shoulder.
"Come on, man, let's go," Andrew spoke, tossing the ball to and from his baseball glove.
The two guys then walked into the adjacent cage as Liam got another hit. Both Andrew and Cole wondered how he didn't break the bat.
A little while later, Liam was laying on a bench behind the cages. He was tossing a baseball in the air when a bottle of water appeared in his peripheral vision.
"Thought you could use this," he heard Cole say.
Liam sat up and took the bottle from his sandy-haired friend before he told him, "Thanks." Liam then gulped down half the bottle.
"You sure you're alright? That was some pretty intense hitting you were doing," Cole commented.
Liam ignored his question and remarked, "You're just jealous that you can't hit like that."
Cole rolled his eyes before he pointed out, "We both know that where I lack in hitting, I make up for in pitching."
"Touché," Liam told him before he took a sip of water.
Andrew plopped down beside Cole and asked him, "We still on for Call of Duty?"
"Yeah, man," Cole replied. He then asked Liam, "I know that the Mario Brothers are more your speed, but you can come play, too."
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass," Liam responded.
Andrew simply nodded but Cole continued, "Tell Grace that we say hi," in a non-teasing sort of way.
Liam furrowed his brows before he asked, "Why do you assume I'm hanging out with Grace?"
"Well," Andrew began before he continued, "Aside from the fact that she's your girlfriend, it's common knowledge that she's also your best friend. She always has been."
Liam thought for a moment before he agreed, "I guess I can't argue with that."
"And we'll forgive you for blowing us off. Like we always do," Cole jokingly added.
Both Liam and Andrew rolled their eyes before the former spoke, "You're such a dork, dude."
Cole only shrugged before the three of them heard a female voice calling for Liam. They all turned to see Grace walking that way.
"Speaking of Grace," Andrew spoke with a grin.
"I thought her hair was brown," Cole then observed.
"She dyed it back to the natural red," Liam explained.
"Ah," Cole replied. He then joked, "Lucky for you, her temper doesn't match her hair. You two would kill each other."
"And you wonder why I didn't want to hang out with you," Liam teasingly fired back.
"I'm starting to question it myself," Andrew continued with a lopsided smile.
Cole rolled his eyes before Liam bid goodbye to his friends.
He then turned and began walking to meet his girlfriend. She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek before he asked, "How'd you know I was here?"
"Well, I wanted to spend some time with you after classroom supply shopping with Mom, When I didn't see your truck at your house, I figured you'd be here or at the docks."
"And you picked here because I never drive to the docks," Liam supplied.
Grace smiled and nodded in response. She then suggested, "If you're up for it, I thought we'd head to the park."
The dark-haired teenager resisted the urge scratch behind his ear as he weighed his options. Despite the flood of emotions and the whirlwind of thoughts he'd spend the last couple of hours trying to forget, he really did want to spend time with Grace.
So, he smiled and told her, "Sounds awesome." She smiled back at him before he laced his fingers with hers.
A few minutes later, Liam and Grace began making their way toward a quiet and shaded spot when he felt a tug on his hand.
He turned to Grace and asked, "What is it?"
"Well, I think it'd be pretty fun if you taught me some baseball," she told him.
Liam looked at his girlfriend strangely as he asked her, "You want to know how to play baseball? Why?"
Grace smiled as she began, "Well, it is a big part of your life." She then twirled the ends of her hair and continued, "And I sort of owe you for Anne of Green Gables."
A wide grin spread across Liam's face as he teased, "I think it is about time you know a thing or two about the sport."
She rolled her eyes before she watched him walk to his truck. He returned with his bat and a ball that he discovered under the seat.
"Let me guess, that's the ball you lost," she teased.
He simply rolled his eyes before he told her, "You know, I'm not sure it's the best idea to make fun of your coach."
Grace could see that he was trying to be serious, but a mischievous grin overtook his features.
She shook her head before she looped her arm through his. They then walked to what had become their spot.
Liam dropped the ball on the ground before he led Grace to another spot a few feet away and gave her the bat.
He told her how to stand and position his feet before he walked behind her and placed his arms on hers to help her with the bat.
A couple of minutes later, he let go and told her, "I'm pretty sure that's right."
"Pretty sure? Liam, I'm positive you could make a baseball stance in your sleep," Grace pointed out.
"That's probably true, but I'm not right handed," he told her.
Her brows furrowed before the realization hit her: "Oh! That's why you stand the opposite way from your teammates."
Liam had to resist rolling his eyes before he commented, "Grace, baseball is as big of a deal in your family as it is in mine. You had to have already known that."
The red-haired girl only shrugged in response before she asked, "You gonna pitch or not?" She couldn't resist a grin.
Liam grinned back before he walked over to where he had dropped the ball. He picked it up and told her to relax her shoulders before he gently tossed the ball to her.
He stifled a laugh as she awkwardly swung the bat. She managed a hit, but the ball didn't even get back to Liam.
She tilted her head as she looked at the ball. She then looked back at him and spoke, "Maybe I should stick to watching baseball."
Liam chuckled before he told her, "Well, you weren't completely horrible if it makes you feel any better."
"Not really," Grace replied before she started giggling. She then asked, "Any pointers?"
"Well," the dark-haired teenager began, "You swing was pretty awkward. And you almost fell over."
Grace nodded before she told him, "Well, show me how it's done, Coach."
Liam grinned before he walked over, and she handed him the bat as she took the ball.
He took his stance before he told her, "You gotta keep a tight grip." He then began to swing and continued, "And your swing needs to be one fluid motion."
As he was standing regularly once more, he finished, "And you also need to keep your balance." He then gave her the bat and she tossed him the ball.
He watched her take some practice swings before he told her, "Alright, let's see what you've got."
She nodded before he walked back over to where he had pitched. He tossed her the ball, and this time, there was a more favorable result.
She had a decent hit that went a little to the far right, but Liam effortlessly caught it.
Grace then complained, "You couldn't have at least pretended that you couldn't catch it?"
"Sorry. Force of habit," he responded before he scratched behind his ear.
She smiled before she closed the distance between them. She laid the bat on the ground before she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist.
She then told him, "It's alright. But next time, you better at least act like I hit it past you."
He grinned back before he told her, "I think I can do that." He then smirked and continued, "If you want, I'll still catch it, but I'll pretend it hurt my hand."
Grace narrowed her eyes before she spoke, "Oh, you mean like you pretended to had a hand cramp a few weeks back so you wouldn't have to admit that I was beating you at Mario Kart?"
"You were not beating me," Liam defended.
Grace shook her head before she told him, "You are so stubborn." She then kissed his cheek and commented, "You're lucky you're cute," with a teasing smile.
"And you're lucky that you're adorable," Liam returned, knowing that she hated being called that.
She narrowed those brown eyes once more before she responded, "I'm still older than you."
"But I'm bigger than you," he smugly replied. He then moved one of his arms from around her and patted her head.
She then tried to think of an equally smug comeback, but she started laughing instead.
When she had stopped, Liam told her, "I guess that means I win this round," with a wide grin.
"Yeah, I guess you do," Grace agreed. She then glanced down at the ball and bat and observed, "I'm pretty sure the lesson is through."
Liam nodded before he unwrapped his arms from around her and picked up his gear. He then spoke, "I'll just put this in the truck." Grace nodded in response.
When he returned, a bug started buzzing around his head. He swatted at it and complained, "Bloody mosquitoes."
Grace started giggling, and Liam asked her, "What?"
"I just think it's funny when the English side of you comes out," she replied.
He smiled slightly before he said, "It paid off in drama class when our assignment was reciting a monologue in a different dialect or accent."
"I'm pretty sure you had all the girls in the class swooning," Grace reminisced.
The dark-haired teenager rolled his eyes before he spoke, "It was so stupid. It was like they've never heard a British accent before."
Grace only laughed in response. She then took his hand in hers and suggested, "How about we take a walk?"
"I think that's a great idea," Liam responded before he kissed her forehead.
The two of them then set off around the park. They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Grace let go of his hand and looped her arm through his.
As she rested her head on his shoulder, she teased, "I am glad you grew taller than me."
Liam rolled his eyes before he pointed out, "You were never that much taller than me."
"No, but it was fun while it lasted," Grace told him jokingly. Her boyfriend shook his head in response.
He then told her, "You really enjoy making fun of me, don't you?"
"Consider it payback," she responded smugly. However, her comment was soon overshadowed when she started laughing a moment later.
"If you want to be successful at making comebacks, unleashing that beautiful laugh of yours after you give one isn't the way to do it," Liam told her.
Grace ignored his observation and questioned, "You think I have a beautiful laugh?"
"I think that every part of you is beautiful," he responded as though it was an absolute truth.
Grace slightly blushed before she smiled at the compliment. She then unlooped their arms and took one of his hands in hers.
She then stopped walking and moved to stand in front of him. When she had taken his other hand, she looked at him and smiled as she spoke, "And you, Liam Jones, are quite good-looking yourself."
He looked down as his face slightly reddened. He looked back up at Grace when he felt her hand on his cheek.
She then continued, "And you have been the best friend I've ever had. And an even better boyfriend this past year and a half."
That time, a genuine smile broke out across Liam's face, and his blue-green eyes lit up as he replied, "And you have been the best girlfriend."
Grace smiled back before she closed the distance between them for a kiss. Liam happily returned it as his hands settled around her waist.
All he could think about was how much he loved the feeling of Grace being in his arms. And about how much he loved her laugh, her smile, her determination, and that she sang off-key.
He felt his hear skip a beat as it dawned on him: those were the reasons he had fallen in love with Grace.
He abruptly cut off the kiss as his head and heart were swimming with emotion.
Grace looked a bit stunned as she questioned, "Hey, are you alright, Liam?" with concern in her tone.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't, uh, want to lose track of time and be late for dinner," Liam forged.
She tilted her head in suspicion as she told him, "We still have time before dinner."
He resisted the urge to scratch behind his ear as he continued, "Maybe, but I sort of left the kitchen a mess earlier, and I need to take care of that."
He didn't give her a chance to respond as he took her hand and led her to his truck.
"I'm sure that Aurora needs help sorting through the classroom stuff anyway," he continued.
Before Liam could open the door for Grace, she took his face in his hands and observed, "I know that something is up. Just tell me what it is."
He could see that she was worried, but his mind was made up. He sighed before he decided to go with what wasn't a complete lie: "It's like I told earlier – I need to clean up the kitchen. My mom works hard enough as it is without having to deal with that."
Grace nodded, seemingly satisfied. Liam was internally grateful before his girlfriend continued, "Why don't you get me home?"
The dark-haired teenager nodded in response before he opened the door for Grace. When they were both inside, he started his truck and headed toward her house.
A little while later, Liam was laying on the couch staring up at the ceiling. He was trying to calm his racing thoughts when he heard the door open.
He sat up as Emma greeted, "Hey, kid."
"Hey, Mom," Liam replied as he traipsed into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter as Emma announced, "Your dad has to work late tonight, so it'll just be us for dinner."
"I'm not really that hungry," Liam admitted as he fought the urge to scratch behind his ear.
Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She then stepped over to her son and placed her hand on his forehead.
She then observed, "Well, you don't have a fever." She then crossed her arms and continued, "Are you getting sick?"
"No," Liam stated. He then questioned, "Why do you think I'm sick?"
"That's the only reason you'd turn down food," Emma told him with a grin. Her expression then became one of concern as she perceived, "Unless there's something that's really bothering you."
"I'm fine, Mom," Liam lied. Unfortunately, his hand moved behind his ear, and he couldn't help but rub that spot.
"You do realize that you got that nervous habit from Killian," Emma pointed out.
The teenage boy then moved said hand and shoved it in his jeans pocket. He then sighed and admitted, "Yeah, I know. I just…just can't help it."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Emma then asked.
Liam shrugged before he told his mother, "It's not going to help anyway."
"It may," Emma tried to coax.
Her son's only response was looking down and shuffling on his feet.
"Well, you know I'm here if you do want to talk about it," Emma told him before she started making dinner.
She couldn't help but watch her son as she moved about the kitchen. He stayed leaning against the counter, and she could see that he was deep in thought.
Along with scratching behind his ear, he kept running his fingers through his hair. He then ran his hand over face and took a deep breath before he spoke, "Can you, like, not be my mom on this one?"
Emma smiled as she replied, "I believe I can manage that." She then continued, "I'll make us some hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon and then we can talk."
"Because hot chocolate magically fixes everything," Liam sarcastically remarked.
Emma couldn't help but shake her head before she told him, "It may not be magic, but it does help."
Her teenager smiled slightly before he went into the living room. A few minutes later, the blonde joined her son on the couch and handed him his Captain Jack Sparrow mug.
She then suggested, "Why don't you tell me about you and Grace?"
Liam furrowed his eyebrows as he questioned, "How did you..." He trailed off as it hit him: "Never mind. I'm really bad at being subtle."
"Yeah, you are," Emma agreed with a smile. Her expression then became serious as she continued, "I know that Grace leaving is hard on you. You two are practically inseparable."
"Of course it's hard. Not only is she my girlfriend, but she's my best friend. And she's moving seven bloody hours away."
"And you wish you could go with her, but you still have another year of high school," Emma added.
Liam thought over her words for a moment before he simply spoke, "Yeah, I guess so," before he raked his fingers through his black hair.
His perceptive mother then keenly observed, "There's more to this, isn't there?"
"No," he answered a little too quickly.
"Liam, I know how difficult this is, but I can't help if you don't tell me what else is wrong."
He buried his face in his hands and groaned. He then got up and began pacing the room.
Emma took a breath and considered her words before she tried once more, "Look, kid, I know how much you care about Grace and watching her leave will..."
"You think I only care about her?" Liam cut her off. He then stopped pacing and continued, "The girl that I'm in love with is moving away! And it's not like I can just go after her two months from now and we'll start our lives together! There's nothing that I can do!"
Emma took a moment to absorb the information before she pointed out, "You can tell her how you feel."
"That is not going to happen," he argued.
"Do you really want her to leave without knowing that you love her?"
"And give her a bloody reason to stay?" he asked.
"Liam, you don't know that will happen," Emma tried to reason.
"And you don't know that it won't," he maintained. He then took a breath and continued, "You do realize that Grace filled out multiple college applications and got offered multiple scholarships. She wasn't entirely set on NYU - she doesn't have to go."
He then sat back down and began fiddling with a string on his t-shirt. Emma then ran her hand through his hair as she told him, "You're staking a lot on ifs, kid."
Liam quietly told her, "Just because it's an if doesn't mean it can't happen."
Emma took a breath before she spoke, "I understand, kid, but if you don't tell her how you feel, you'll be the one who will be hurt the most."
Liam took a deep breath before he pointed out, "I'll be hurt more if I'm the reason she doesn't go to New York. I can't take a chance that she'll even think about staying."
Before Emma had a chance to reply, Liam was stalking off to his room. She followed her son and pleaded, "I see why you think you're doing what's best, but if you'll just talk to her..."
She was interrupted by her stubborn son: "Talking didn't help this time - why would you think it would help with Grace? This whole thing sucked to begin with and my bloody feelings make it worse! The only possible solution is to just let her go."
He then slammed the door, and Emma sighed and leaned against it.
Seeing her son in so much pain made her feel the pain as well. But as much as she wanted to make it go away, this situation was out of her hands. All she could do was hope that her 17-year-old would come to his senses.
Behind the door, Liam was lying face down on his bed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fight the tears that began streaming down his cheeks.