Let's Pretend It's Love

Rhianne pulled up her long stretch of brunette curls into a pony tail and inhaled the reeking smell of pool water and was glad that she didn't put too much effort into her appearance. She didn't wear any make-up but was still dressed in a plain shirt, denim cutoff shorts and pink flip-flops as well as a short cardigan to shelter her from the slight chilly air in the swimming centre. She slid down onto one of the bleachers and pushhed her ponytail aside, pulling her phone out and glancing at the time to assure that she wasn't late - which she wasn't. She had arrived just on time, skipping her morning class to cheer on Liam for one of the swim meets he'd been preparing all week for.

Rhianne could see that the boys were there to cheer Liam on as well, but noticed that only Louis and Zayn were there and they both seemed too busy talking about something under low breathes and in quick tones to greet her or even offer a polite wave. She kept her words mum since she knew that things had been rocky between the two frat and sorority houses lately, even more than usually. There was the occasional romance between the two houses but most of the Omega boys were much too, well, mischievous (not to say promiscuous) to maintain a lasting kind of dramatic relationship with a Zeta girl.

Honestly, she didn't have time for most of the drama that was being entered into her life. For one - there were a couple girls who were always being snappy and challenging in the Zeta house, and of course Belle still just couldn't manage to leave her or Liam alone. As if that wasn't enough - her grades were slipping, her friends were miserable and things were still rocky between her and Liam.

Things don't fix easily. Not in real life. But even now, with the deafening sound of splashing water and feet against tile with the harsh scent of chlorine clouding all of her senses, Rhianne figured this would be fine for now.

She spotted Liam instantly as he wiggled out of his trunks. She grinned a little bit and let out a wolf whistle that attracted a few stares but the sleek black speedo covering his bare bum called for the occassion. Liam turned languidly and gave her a slow look and then a playful glare. Rhianne smiled and sent him a thumbs up before making herself comfortable. She put her handbag by her feet and leaned her elbows onto her lap.

Before she knew it there was a gun firing and she could see Liam's perfect form dive into the seemingless endless lane of water. He was a ripple of muscle and body mass in Lane 3, splashing water and more at home in the water than any kind of sea animal she could think of. On his third lap, nearing his last, his kick off faltered and the next person in Lane 4 picked up ahead of him. By the time he'd turned around and was speeding back to the other side of the pool, it was already a few seconds late - a few seconds too many.

She hissed lowly under his breathe as the swimming centre was engulfed in the roaring sound of a noisy crowd while Liam hoisted himself out of the water. He'd landed 4th place, and lowered his rank on the board, although Rhianne had no idea what that meant - she just knew that it wasn't good, especially for Liam's position of captain.

Once the meet was declared over, Liam's race having been second to last, she watched as all the competitors shook hands and each team retreated to the locker rooms. She picked up her bag and sneaked down to the locker room hallway although only swimmers and members of the team were let down there. She leaned against the wall and waited patiently, not paying mind to the looks she got when a good amount of the team already exited out of the centre.

He was the last to come out, dressed in loose basketball shorts and a tank top that did everything for the muscle latched onto the beautiful bones of his body. Rhianne frowned at what she saw on further inspection.

He looked tired. It didn't take a genius to figure that his shoulders were slacking a little bit and there was a bit more discoloration in the skin under his eyes than normal. Rhianne hung back and the boys exchanged a few words with them but didn't seem so bright and happy to see Rhianne around again, though she couldn't blame them much. She shrugged it off and waited until his friends patted him on his back and murmured things.

His hair was still wet and his skin tasted bitter, but Rhianne didn't care. She used her arms to wrap herself around him and her lips to plaster a small kiss on the side of his face. She lowered his face into the crook of his shoulder and kissed the skin there, hiding the bit of his collarbone before she slowly felt him wrap his arms around him. He held her tightly - tight enough that she could hardly inhale or exhale, but she didn't say a word. The choking sound he made was something she never wanted to have to hear, but somehow when she pulled back, Liam had steeled his

"Let's go," he spoke softly, voice crushed gravel and eyes wandering away from her. She got the feeling that it wasn't just this meet that had gone wrong - a lot of things had been straying from the path of things that were supposed to be. Liam wasn't just the strong rock everyone thought he was, and maybe neither was she. She usually had ideas for everything - always some kind of motherly advice or solution that made perfect sense but not this time.

Rhianne didn't know how to fix things anymore - and maybe that was the worst part of it all.



Rhianne sighed as she finished up the last of her Bio Organic Chemistry homework. Once she filed all her papers away into her bag, she slipped on her flip flops yet again (they were uber comfy) and picked up her keys and things before exiting her room and making her way out of the three-story white-painted Zeta house.

"Finally," she moaned, once she was greeted by the crisp winter air. She had been tired as hell locked inside her room, doing work, while wondering how Liam was doing. They had spent the time after their meet sitting in his room, watching a movie that she knew he hadn't been paying attention to, although she knew that he needed time. Losses were hard, especially one where you believed it was your own fault.

Some Zeta boys she didn't know opened the door, letting her in and were on their way out by the time she had gone running up the stairs. She knocked on his door once before pushing it open to find the blinds closed and the room engulfed in darkness. She parted the curtains and the blinds.

"Get up, baby," she cooed softly only to be greeted with moans muffled by a sea of blankets and comforters.

She sighed into her hands before she decided to change approaches.

"All right, fine," she mumbled under her breathe.

She yanked the blankets away with an amount of strength she hadn't known she could summon and watched as Liam's body writhed once the cold air hit his naked skin. She threw his Calvin Klein boxers onto his face and watched with a bit of satisfaction once he glared at them but nonetheless, pulled them up to his hips and faced her.

"What," he grumbled instead of asked and it was clear that he wasn't in a mood to talk.

She rolled her eyes and bit back a sarcastic reply that rested heavily on her tongue - no she wouldn't add any fire to the already lit flame.

"Eat," she grumbled back and shoved a bowl of macaroni and cheese in his hands, knowing it was one of his favorite comfort foods - especially when it was three different types of italian cheese boiled and baked into a bit of a lasagne that had beef and basil in it. It always worked, and she was tired of not being able to lift up the spirits of her friends, much less her boyfriend. If it was a shoulder to lean on he needed - then she would be it. Countless times, she had held herself back from falling in love but it was already too late now. It would be impossible to deny that she was falling head first, head over heels even.

Besides, who the fuck thought Rhianne was easily defeated? Definitely not Rhianne. She was tired of everyone living like everything had gone all to shit, because it hadn't. Call her an optimistic shit, but she wanted everyone to be happy. She'd seen enough of what happened to people who spent their lives in misery to know that it wasn't the life she wanted for herself, or for anyone else.

She watched in satisfaction as Liam ate and once he was half-way finished, she joined in. She sat herself between his legs and leaned against the headboard, pulling the blankets over their legs while eating bits and pieces of macaroni while Liam's mood continually improved.

She saved the butter pecan ice cream for last and by the time she broke the seal of the dessert bin, his body had relaxed against hers and his chest rattled in laughter at how she had prepared this whole thing and all but knocked his door down to deliver it to him.

She shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Don't make me sing Bob Marley to you," she whispered as she dug the spoon into the creamy dessert and fed it to him slowly, watching the corners of his lips turn upwards in a way she hadn't seen in two days. Yes, it was true - she was fully well-versed in chirping out Bob Marley's ditties when people needed a bit of a pick-me-up.

"I love you," he whispered, his voice still just as much broken gravel as before.

She licked the spoon and smiled. "I love you too."