Never Land
Jodie
Jodie groaned as she turned to walk away, her arms folded across her chest while her cheeks were hot. She wanted to put as much distance between her and Louis as possible, though she wasn’t sure if even distance could stop how angry she was feeling.
She had just made it to the edge of the forest when she heard footsteps crunching behind her, and she didn’t even turn around before she spoke.
“Go away.”
“Jodie, stop.”
It was Liam behind her, and he didn’t stop until he reached her. His hand grabbed onto her elbow and he spun her around to face him. His eyes were soft, and he didn’t look like he was going to be yelling at her anymore.
“What is it, Liam?” Jodie said with her arms still folded while she tilted her head to the side. Her tone didn’t sound welcoming. It was more annoyed than anything.
“They’re going to be leaving soon. Don’t you want to say your goodbyes?”
“I’ve already said everything I need to say,” Jodie said quickly before turning back around and heading away again. She barely made it two steps before Liam’s hand was back on her again and spinning her around.
“Can we just talk for a minute?”
“I don’t have anything to say, Liam.”
“Then let me talk,” he said simply, pressing his lips together. “Please.”
Jodie let out a long breath before nodding her head at him. “Fine. Go ahead.”
“I know you’re angry about – about Louis. You told me yourself you have feelings for him, and I know that’s why you hate Evelyn so much.”
“He can’t even have her,” Jodie practically shouted, rolling her eyes just at the thought of them together. “He’s so fixated on someone that he can’t even have.”
“He’s just like all the rest of us, Jo. You want him, he wants Evelyn, I’m pretty sure Tiger Lily’s got a thing for the blonde kid, and Harry’s in love with a freaking mermaid. We’re all in love with someone we can’t have, Jo. Love works in stupid ways like that.”
Jodie let out a long sigh, her eyes moving to the ground as she let out the breath. “It must be nice to be you, then.”
“Nice to be me? How?”
“Because you don’t feel for anyone,” Jodie said simply, shrugging her shoulders. “You don’t have to endure the pain the rest of us do.”
“You really think that?”
Jodie nodded. “You don’t have to worry about heart break or anything the rest of us do.”
Liam practically chuckled, his lips turning up in astonishment. “Jodie, you’ve been breaking my heart since the day I met you.”
Jodie felt her heart tighten, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Her head was suddenly fuzzy with her mind spinning in all directions.
“What? What did you just say?”
Liam chuckled for certain this time. “We’re all in love with someone we can’t have, Jo. Mine just happens to be you.”
Jodie paused for a long moment, her head spinning so much that it was hard to catch her breath. She couldn’t believe what Liam had just said. After being so hung up on Louis for so long, she never even saw it coming.
“Liam I – I had no idea.”
Liam nodded his head. “It’s alright, Jo. I never really expected anything to come of it, but you can’t help what your heart wants.”
“I – I never –”
“It’s okay, really,” Liam said, putting his hands up. “I just – I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone.”
Jodie’s mouth sat open, completely unsure of what to say next. She never in a million years thought that Liam would be confessing his love to her, and now that he was, she had no clue what to do. She had been so caught up in her unrequited love for Louis that she never thought of Liam in that way, but now that he was standing in front of her, she didn’t know why she didn’t see it before.
When she didn’t speak, Liam turned away, his hands shoved in his pockets as he began walking towards the group. This time, Jodie was the one who quickly reached for him, spinning him around to face her again.
“Liam, I –”
“It’s okay, Jodie. You don’t have to say anything.”
“No, um it’s just – I don’t know what to do.”
Liam looked down at her, tilting his head to one side. “Well, what do you wanna do?”
Jodie paused for a long moment, just looking up at Liam as his eyes met hers, and she took a few long breaths. She hardly even knew what to think anymore, so she went with what her gut was telling her.
With a deep breath, she took a step forward, so she was just inches away from Liam. Her heart was racing as he looked down at her, a confused look on his face. Before she had a chance to change her mind, she stood up on her tip toes, so she and Liam were almost eye to eye, and leaned forward until her lips were on his.
He smiled against her, a deep smile that she could see in her mind, and she smiled back when he wrapped his arms around her hips, pulling her closer to him. With her eyes closed and her body pressed against his, she had no idea why she didn’t see it before.
She had just made it to the edge of the forest when she heard footsteps crunching behind her, and she didn’t even turn around before she spoke.
“Go away.”
“Jodie, stop.”
It was Liam behind her, and he didn’t stop until he reached her. His hand grabbed onto her elbow and he spun her around to face him. His eyes were soft, and he didn’t look like he was going to be yelling at her anymore.
“What is it, Liam?” Jodie said with her arms still folded while she tilted her head to the side. Her tone didn’t sound welcoming. It was more annoyed than anything.
“They’re going to be leaving soon. Don’t you want to say your goodbyes?”
“I’ve already said everything I need to say,” Jodie said quickly before turning back around and heading away again. She barely made it two steps before Liam’s hand was back on her again and spinning her around.
“Can we just talk for a minute?”
“I don’t have anything to say, Liam.”
“Then let me talk,” he said simply, pressing his lips together. “Please.”
Jodie let out a long breath before nodding her head at him. “Fine. Go ahead.”
“I know you’re angry about – about Louis. You told me yourself you have feelings for him, and I know that’s why you hate Evelyn so much.”
“He can’t even have her,” Jodie practically shouted, rolling her eyes just at the thought of them together. “He’s so fixated on someone that he can’t even have.”
“He’s just like all the rest of us, Jo. You want him, he wants Evelyn, I’m pretty sure Tiger Lily’s got a thing for the blonde kid, and Harry’s in love with a freaking mermaid. We’re all in love with someone we can’t have, Jo. Love works in stupid ways like that.”
Jodie let out a long sigh, her eyes moving to the ground as she let out the breath. “It must be nice to be you, then.”
“Nice to be me? How?”
“Because you don’t feel for anyone,” Jodie said simply, shrugging her shoulders. “You don’t have to endure the pain the rest of us do.”
“You really think that?”
Jodie nodded. “You don’t have to worry about heart break or anything the rest of us do.”
Liam practically chuckled, his lips turning up in astonishment. “Jodie, you’ve been breaking my heart since the day I met you.”
Jodie felt her heart tighten, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Her head was suddenly fuzzy with her mind spinning in all directions.
“What? What did you just say?”
Liam chuckled for certain this time. “We’re all in love with someone we can’t have, Jo. Mine just happens to be you.”
Jodie paused for a long moment, her head spinning so much that it was hard to catch her breath. She couldn’t believe what Liam had just said. After being so hung up on Louis for so long, she never even saw it coming.
“Liam I – I had no idea.”
Liam nodded his head. “It’s alright, Jo. I never really expected anything to come of it, but you can’t help what your heart wants.”
“I – I never –”
“It’s okay, really,” Liam said, putting his hands up. “I just – I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone.”
Jodie’s mouth sat open, completely unsure of what to say next. She never in a million years thought that Liam would be confessing his love to her, and now that he was, she had no clue what to do. She had been so caught up in her unrequited love for Louis that she never thought of Liam in that way, but now that he was standing in front of her, she didn’t know why she didn’t see it before.
When she didn’t speak, Liam turned away, his hands shoved in his pockets as he began walking towards the group. This time, Jodie was the one who quickly reached for him, spinning him around to face her again.
“Liam, I –”
“It’s okay, Jodie. You don’t have to say anything.”
“No, um it’s just – I don’t know what to do.”
Liam looked down at her, tilting his head to one side. “Well, what do you wanna do?”
Jodie paused for a long moment, just looking up at Liam as his eyes met hers, and she took a few long breaths. She hardly even knew what to think anymore, so she went with what her gut was telling her.
With a deep breath, she took a step forward, so she was just inches away from Liam. Her heart was racing as he looked down at her, a confused look on his face. Before she had a chance to change her mind, she stood up on her tip toes, so she and Liam were almost eye to eye, and leaned forward until her lips were on his.
He smiled against her, a deep smile that she could see in her mind, and she smiled back when he wrapped his arms around her hips, pulling her closer to him. With her eyes closed and her body pressed against his, she had no idea why she didn’t see it before.