Page 54 of Back to Willow

Liam

Likeadeercaughtin the headlights, that’s how Willow is currently looking at me.

My body awakens in the worst way possible as mayhem rises in my blood. I’ve been warring internally for the past few days, and these unplanned encounters mess up my brain more than I’d like to admit.

“What are you doing here?” I bite out as, once again, my impulsiveness talks louder than my rational side.

Willow visibly flinches at the harshness of my voice, and for a second, forgetting all of the hurt, remorse gnaws at my chest, constricting it. The urge to hold her, protect her, and apologise is still inherently part of me, but all of the bad memories she left quickly decimate any shred of empathy I still harbour for her. It’s truly fucked up how dissonant my body is.

As she quickly dashes right past me, avoiding any kind of physical touch, disappointment washes over me. My words were more an attempt to get a reaction out of her than wanting her to leave.

But who am I kidding? It’s Willow. She isnotconfrontational.

“I thought things had been solved between the two of you?” Johanna’s words finally bring my attention to her.

“Yeah, right,” I scoff. “No way.”

“Then why did she say so?”

“To avoid talking about it,” I tell her. “That’s Willow, constantly running away from her problems.”

Johanna stares off into the now-empty common hall, a pensive expression on her face. Then, with a heavy sigh, her head tilts to the side, beckoning me to come in.

“Are you ready?"” I ask, following her in.

“Give me five minutes to freshen up.” She disappears into the corridor, leaving me alone in her apartment.

It’s the second time I’ve been here. The first was when we hooked up on the night we met at the club. It’s been a few weeks already, but with starting residency and everything, my time has been scarce.

And the ruined first date didn’t help either. Today, though, I am finally taking her on a second date. Making it up to her for that disaster at you-know-where.

I need to move on for my sake and to prove to myself that Willow is part of my past. Johanna could very well be my future for all I know.

“I’m ready,” Johanna’s confident voice catches my attention as she emerges.

Dressed in a short dress that hugs her figure and high heels, she’s seductively stunning.

“Let’s go, then.” I hold my arm up so she can loop hers around mine.

When we get downstairs and step out into the street, Johanna freezes.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s still here,” she whispers.

My eyes follow the direction she’s looking, and there, in the middle of the almost-empty parking lot, is a small old car. The car isn’t working, and the lights are off, so for Johanna to recognise it…it’s because she’s probably still inside.

“What the hell is going on between you, Liam?”

“Nothing,” I grit out.

“Doesn’t look like it. You’re always so on edge whenever she is around, and she…well, she has too many secrets for me to understand what the hell she is on about.”

Secrets? What secrets?

I glare at the car as if it will magically tell me everything I need to know when I know damn well it won’t happen. With a side glance at Johanna, her worried expression guilts me into the present.

This beautiful woman wants to be with me, and here I am, letting my world be turned upside down by someone who doesn’t even deserve it. There’s some hesitancy in her body language, enough to tell me how threatened she feels by Willow’s presence.

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