Bella and the One Who Got Away

by Amy Sparling

  Liam’s lips twist into a grin. “It’s not that kind of party,” he says, placing his hand on my lower back. “Promise.”

  We step into the penthouse hotel room that the other members of Team Loco have rented for the night. It’s not a regular hotel room, that’s for sure. It’s a three-bedroom suite with a full kitchen and large living room and floor to ceiling windows that overlook the city of Houston.

  There is loud music, but it’s not too loud. No one is dancing or wearing skimpy outfits. In fact, most people are sitting on the plush couches, watching a replay of tonight’s race on the big screen TV.

  I glance up at Liam. “Okay, this isn’t so bad.”

  “We’re Team Loco,” he says, walking further into the party next to me. “We’re the good guys.”

  I wrap my arm around his elbow and lean against his arm. I’ve missed him, so, so much.

  “There she is!” Kylie jumps up from a chair and runs over to me. She leans in close and whispers, “This is amazing.”

  I roll my eyes. “You can thank me later.”

  A tanned, muscular guy walks up to us. He flashes me a toothy grin. “So this must be Bella.”

  “Yep,” I say, shaking his hand. He winks at Liam. My heart goes all fluttery. What exactly has Liam told Aiden about me?

  I’m introduced to all the guys in Team Loco, and I meet their girlfriends.

  Keanna is the last in line to shake my hand. She bits her lip. “I’m so, so, sorry,” she says, pulling me into a hug. “I can’t believe I treated you like that. I was just in a bad mood because I’m so sick of girls trying to lie their way into the pits.”

  I laugh. “It’s okay. You were just taking care of Liam. For all you know, I could have been a crazy stalker.”

  She smiles up at Liam. “I like her. She’s a keeper.”

  Liam throws his arm around me. “Trust me, I know.”

  I make eye contact with Kylie from across the room. She gives me a look that says I told you so. I’m not sure I’ll ever live down the fact that she was right about this night and I was wrong. Knowing Kylie, she’ll make sure to bring it up every chance she gets. I peer up at Liam and smile. I’m not sure what this means, what any of it means, but I like it. He thinks I’m a keeper? Well I think he’s a keeper, too.

  But all these happy thoughts don’t exactly change the fact that we aren’t together. That we’re not and never have been boyfriend and girlfriend. That he still has a career that makes him travel around the world and I’m a small town nobody with no future in mind.

  “Let’s go outside,” Liam says, his arm still wrapped around me.

  One of the floor-to-ceiling windows is actually a sliding glass door. We step out onto a balcony that’s higher than any balcony I’ve ever been on. The music from the room dulls as Liam closes the door, and the sounds of Houston take over. There’s a distant hum of cars on Interstate 45, the soft sound of a bird singing. The sun has only just set, so the sky is a beautiful purple-blue behind the skyscrapers of the city.

  I hold onto the balcony railing. I’m not exactly scared of heights, but this is pretty tall. Liam stands next to me.

  “This is beautiful,” I say as I gaze out at the city.

  “It is.”

  We stand here, our arms touching as we lean against the balcony, for several quiet, peaceful moments. I let the sounds of the city soothe my slight fear of being this high up, and soon I’m relaxed out here next to the boy I adore.

  Liam breathes in slowly. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

  I look over at him. “In fact,” he says, his lips pressed to a thin line, “I know I can’t do this.”

  My lip trembles. “It’s nothing, Liam. We’re just hanging out.”

  “I’m not talking about us.” He looks out at the city below. “I’m talking about this. Team Loco. The professional racing. I think I’m done with it.”

  “What?”

  My voice echoes off the glass of the balcony. “Are you serious?”

  He nods once. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot and… well, I don’t think I’m cut out for this life. I thought it’s what I wanted but… it’s not.”

  “Wow,” I breathe. “That’s… I don’t even know what to say. Going professional was your dream.”

  He shrugs. “Yeah, but dreams are just dreams. I accomplished this one and I discovered that it’s not as great as I wanted it to be. I don’t like the traveling. I don’t like being away from my family. From you.”

  His eyes meet mine and a bolt of electricity shoots through my whole body. “But this is your future,” I say. “You’re good at this. It’s a job. It’s a career. You worked really hard for it. I don’t have any of that. I have no clue what I’m doing with my life… so are you sure you want to throw away the one amazing thing you have?”

  He nods slowly. “I know it sounds crazy. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. It’s a rare opportunity to get to race professionally and so many people want it and will never get it. I just –” he shakes his head and slides a little closer to me. “I just don’t want to do it. Maybe I am crazy. I don’t care. It is what it is.”

  “I… never thought that’s what you were going to say.”

  He smirks. “It’s true. This summer taught me things. Like how I miss my mom. And how Phil and the boys are the only family I’ve ever had. I don’t like being away from them. I want to be the big brother, you know? I want to have family dinners and stuff like that. I’ve been on my own here in Houston for too long, and I don’t like it. I think I’m just done with it. And honestly, it wasn’t until I saw you tonight that I realized how true my desires are. I am done with professional racing. I can feel it in my bones and I’m not upset about it.”

  “So what are you going to do?” I ask.

  “I’ll finish out this season, especially since they’ve already paid me for it. My contract is just for the season anyway, so I don’t owe Team Loco anything after that. And then…” he turns to me and our eyes meet, and I feel for the first time that Liam is speaking directly to me. There’s no awkward feelings, no shameful attraction that we know we shouldn’t have. It’s just him and me and he’s splitting open his heart right here on the balcony. “I think I’ll move to Roca Springs. I’ll keep taking my college classes online and I’ll figure out a new plan. And…” He slides both arms around me, tugging me close to his chest. “And then I’ll ask you to be my girlfriend.”

  My heart skips a beat.

  “What are you thinking?” Liam asks.

  I swallow, and then tell him the truth.

  “That I can’t wait for this season to be over.”

  17

  Liam

  Two Months Later

  There was a time in my life where I was a little afraid of airports. They’re big and confusing and filled with people all going in a million different directions at once. I’d clutch my plane ticket, checking it every few minutes to make sure I was headed to the right terminal and gate, always afraid that I’d somehow hop on the wrong plane and end up in Tokyo instead of Houston. But those days are long gone. I’m a professional flyer now.

  I know my way around a dozen airports, and the Houston Intercontinental Airport is practically my second home with how many times I’ve been here. The place is jam packed today, filled to the brim with travelers on their way back home for the Thanksgiving holiday. I take shallow breaths as I move through the crowds, not wanting to catch any nasty flu that’s been going around. Airports are like incubators for germs.

  This Thanksgiving is going to be the best one I’ve ever had, and I am not about to get sick for it. I smirk a bit to myself as I think about the last time I was sick. It sucked, being all feverish and miserable, but I did have a great caretaker in Bella as she tended to me every day. So maybe being sick wouldn’t be the worst thing.

  I hop in my Uber and can barely sit still on the two hour drive to Roca Springs, Texas. My girlfriend knows what’s happening today, but we’ve kept it a secret from my
family. Bella’s mom had to fly out to Oklahoma to tend for her sick great uncle, so Bella was going to be home alone for the holiday. My mom, ever the southern hospitality woman she is, insisted on inviting Bella over to their house for Thanksgiving dinner. Mom was upset when I told her I was going to be racing all weekend and couldn’t make it home.

  But it was a lie. I’m on my way there now to surprise her.

  I look down at my phone and send Bella quick text.

  Me: I’m about fifteen minutes away.

  Bella: Perfect timing. Your mom just teared up when she set the table, saying she misses you and wishes you could be here. It was so hard to keep quiet.

  Me: *evil laugh* This is going to be awesome.

  “Thanks, man,” I say, giving my Uber driver a large tip. He’s working on the holiday and that totally sucks. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

  I walk up to my mom’s front door—and I realize I should probably start calling it my front door, if all goes according to plan. I press the doorbell and stand back and wait.

  The door flies open and my little step-brothers squeal simultaneously.

  “YOU’RE HERE?” Matt says, jumping on the balls of his feet.

  “Who is it?” Mom calls out. The moment she sees me, she bursts into tears. “Liam!”

  Making my mom cry from happiness is a pretty cool feeling. I hug her. “What are you doing?” she says, looking me over as if she thinks I’m broken or missing a limb or something. “Are you okay?”

  “It’s a surprise visit,” I say, grinning at Phil as he walks into the living room, Bella trailing behind him. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

  Mom wipes at her tears with the corner of her apron. She turns to Bella. “Did you know about this?”

  Bella nods.

  “Oh you little sneak,” Mom says, playfully swatting at her. “Now look what you two did… my mascara is all messed up…”

  “You’re still beautiful, honey,” Phil says, putting an arm around my mom.

  “I’m hungry,” I say. “Please tell me the food is ready.”

  Bella looks stunning in a maroon dress with black tights, and a strand of pearls around her neck. Her hair seems to have gotten much longer over the last three weeks since I saw her, but the feeling in my heart when I’m near her is just as strong as ever.

  “Hey,” I say, bringing her to me in a hug. She smells like coconut shampoo and a hint of floral perfume. I miss the days when that perfume lingered in my truck. I can’t wait to be around her full time, where I won’t have to rely on memories of the past.

  “Hey,” she says back.

  We don’t kiss because my brothers are looking. I peer down at her and hope that she can read my mind instead, because I’m trying very hard to mentally tell her how badly I wish I could kiss her. She grins.

  I’d say that means she wishes she could kiss me, too.

  Thanksgiving dinner is ready and we all gather around the dining table. I remember Thanksgivings from when I was a little kid and would spend holidays with my mom. She always goes all out, cooking every classic dish and baking four pies for the occasion. Everything looks amazing.

  “I decorated the table,” Bella says as she takes a seat next to me. There are little arrangements of pinecones and fall colored leaves tied together with twine decorating the table.

  “It looks nice,” I say.

  “Bella is a lifesaver,” Mom says. “She’s so talented. We found these pictures online of decorations and the ones she made are much better.”

  “I wish Bella would come over all the time,” Matt says.

  “She will be soon,” I say. I glance at her.

  She gives me a look that says, now?

  I nod once. “Hey… Mom? Phil?”

  My mom and step-dad both look at me expectantly. Mom has this twinge of fear in her eyes. She tends to think everything I’m about to say will be bad news, and after how I’ve treated her all my life, I guess I can’t blame her.

  “What is it?” Mom asks.

  I clear my throat. I’ve talked this over with Bella for weeks now. I even had to break the news to my manager Marcus that I wouldn’t be coming back to Team Loco next season. I had thought that would be hard, but this is harder. Bella assured me last night that things would be fine. But now, I’m having second thoughts. What if my mom is completely against this idea? I’m eighteen, after all—almost nineteen. It’s not like I’m a child. What if she says no?

  “Liam?” Mom says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  I look to Bella for comfort. She smiles.

  “I’m quitting Team Loco,” I say, figuring I might as well just get to the point and not dance around it. Mom and Phil’s eyes go wide. My brothers, however, are having a deep conversation with each other about why macaroni and cheese is the best part of this meal, and they don’t notice what I’m talking about. I figured they would be the most shocked to hear this news. They love that I’m a celebrity.

  “Is everything okay?” Mom asks.

  I nod. “It’s fine. I just realized I’m not happy there. I don’t want to be pro anymore. I just want to live a smaller, less famous life. I was actually hoping I would live that life here, in Roca Springs.”

  Mom’s eyes widen. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. But I can’t overthink it now—I’m not done talking yet. “I’ll keep taking my college classes and I’ll look for a job, and I’ve got some money saved up so I’ll get an apartment soon. But… well, I was wondering if I could move back in with you guys? Just for a little bit?”

  “You’re coming back?” Dylan shouts, having abandoned the macaroni talk with his brother.

  “Yep,” I say. Dylan and Matt high five each other.

  Mom glances at Phil. Phil bursts into a grin. “I’d love to have you back,” Phil says. My mom’s shoulders relax and she starts crying again. She stands up and comes over to my side of the table and gives me a hug.

  “You are always welcome here, honey. We’ll clean out the spare bedroom for you.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I say, my voice cut off from the strangling grip of my mom’s hug. “I can sleep on the twin bed until I get my own place.”

  “No, I insist. You don’t want to waste money on rent. Just stay here, as long as you want.”

  After dinner, Bella and I take a walk through the garden in my mom’s backyard. The last time we were back here, she broke up with me, but this time the entire mood is different. Just like the fresh new flowers that weren’t here before, our relationship is a whole new thing now. It’s stronger. More reliable.

  It’s real.

  A cool autumn breeze ruffles the garden leaves. Bella shivers. “It’s weirdly cold here for November. Texas is never this cold.”

  “Texas weather has a mind of its own,” I say, shrugging off my jacket. I lower it over her shoulders and she snuggles up inside of it.

  “Thank you.”

  We turn left and walk through the newly added second of the garden. The cobblestones of the walkway are a little wobbly since they haven’t had months to settle into the grass. These plants are small, and many of them are pruned back to get ready for winter. My mom’s garden really shines in the springtime, but it’s still impressively beautiful all year long.

  I wrap my arm around Bella while we walk.

  “Now you’re shivering,” she says, frowning. “We should go back inside.”

  “No, I like being out here. There are no little brothers to get all up in our business out here.”

  She laughs. “Those little brothers are part of the reason you’re moving back here, you know.”

  I shrug. “Yeah, but… I can still be annoyed by them.”

  A shiver runs through me with another breeze of cold air.

  “Here,” Bella says, opening her arms. “Let’s share your jacket.”

  I wrap my arms around her and she wraps hers around me. I’m too tall to get the full benefit of the jacket’s warmth, but that’s okay. When I’m this close to the
girl I’m crazy about, my body naturally warms up.

  I squeeze her closer to me and plant a kiss on her lips.

  “So how did Marcus take the news?” she asks.

  “He was cool with it, surprisingly. He said I should follow my heart and if I want to come back, I can.”

  “Wow.” She looks impressed. “That’s good.”

  I kiss her cheek and then the top of her head. She giggles in my arms, and I know without a doubt that I’ll never get tired of this. “I think we should go back inside and get more pie.”

  “Okay.” Bella takes my hand. “Liam?”

  “I know, I know,” I say playfully. “I probably shouldn’t eat an entire pie in one day, but I can’t help myself.”

  I can see in her eyes that she’s not about to mention the pie. She’s thinking of something else.

  “Are you sure you can do this?” she asks. “Are you sure you can give everything up and come back to this boring town?”

  With her hand in mine, I spin her around like we’re on a dancefloor. She bursts into a grin when I catch her and dip her down low. I press my lips to hers. “Baby, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”

  I pull her back up, and her cheeks are flushed, a wild excitement in her eyes. “Okay,” she says, nearly breathless. “I was just checking.”

  I run my thumb across her bottom lip. I can’t help myself—I kiss her again.

  “Now let’s go get some pie.”

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  Don’t miss book 4, Bella and the Happily Ever After. Available now!

  I never thought this day would come. Liam is my official boyfriend.

  Life is perfect. Well, sort of. My brother hates my boyfriend, I’m stuck with no clue what I’m going to do with my life, and my mom knows absolutely none of it.