Serena

Happy.

Of all the emotions I currently felt, that was definitely the most overpowering. I was so happy.

After Liam's confession, I wasn't entirely sure what to do. On one hand, I just wanted to jump into his arms and stay like that, but I knew that I couldn't do that.

Both of us, we had a past. All that we had been through, not been through, said and not said, rushing into this, it didn't feel right.

I knew I made the right decision for myself. After a long time of thinking about others, I just wanted to think about my own feelings for a change.

I was worried, that as soon as I told Liam I didn't trust his feelings, that would be it. He'd be hurt and mad, and I wouldn't see him. The awkwardness would be too much and we'd just have to not be around each other.

However, I was more than surprised when he said he'd wait.

He was actually willing to wait as long as it took, until I was ready.

That alone gave me a little more faith in him.

He didn't turn away, instead he wanted to stay. No one ever stayed and he wanted to.

I don't even know how long we stayed on the floor like that, with me in his arms. Every time that I tried to move away, I felt Liam tug me closer towards him. He didn't want to let go.

It was only when I complained about my knees and muscles hurting from the awkward position, did Liam immediately stand up and help me up too.

That was also the moment Danny and Sara came back. I had completely forgotten that we were at their apartment.

We explained to the both of them what we had both decided on, and I didn't not miss Danny's smug expression. He told me afterwards to make Liam work for it and to make him suffer.

I didn't want to make anyone suffer, that wasn't really what this was about. I wanted both of us to be sure before we would become anything.

Love has a tendency to blind you. You put on these rose-tinted glasses and everything becomes cotton candy clouds and rainbows at the start, but when you take those glasses off, all of that can slip away, if you're not careful.

From all that I knew about relationships, from my own, and those around me, trust was the most important thing. I needed to trust Liam wouldn't break my heart and so far, he was doing good.

It felt like we'd reverted back to teenagers in a puppy love stage, with the texts and calls.

He'd send me cheesy jokes, picture of him pulling weird faces, cute videos of Bea and him, and one of my favourites, he'd always text me goodnight.

He was going to make me fall for him all over again.

And I don't think I minded.

It was late at night and I was already snuggled up on the sofa, with a tea and the television on. It wasn't too long left till midnight and I was very excited, since celebrations were going to start and I wanted to watch them all.

As I sipped on my tea, I saw my phone light up with Liam's name on the screen.

"Hey," I answered the phone, with a goofy smile, I don't even know what for.

"Hi," he replied, although his voice sounded a little off, well a little awkward.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

There was a slight pause, before Liam cleared his throat. "Yeah, um. Can you open your front door? There's a lady looking at me weirdly."

Immediately, I sat up. "What? What lady?"

"Rena, door. Please?" Liam asked, ignoring my questions.

"Okay, one second," I told him, still utterly confused.

I quickly put my tea to the side and walked to the front door.

As soon as I opened the door, I found Liam standing right on the other side.

"Hi," I smiled.

Liam looked at me and seemed to have sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you," he said and then hugged me tightly, before turning around. "See, I told you I know her."

I looked past his shoulder and saw my elderly neighbour, Mrs Hertz standing in the corridor with a phone and rolled up newspaper in her hand.

"He with you, doll?" She asked me.

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mrs Hertz."

She looked at me, before her gaze shifted towards Liam, and she narrowed her eyes a little.

"Mm, okay," she said, nodding her head, seemingly a little skeptical.

"Goodnight, Mrs Hertz," I told as she was heading back to her apartment.

"Goodnight, dear," she called out.

Liam quickly ushered me back inside my apartment, closing the door behind us, as if afraid of something on the other side.

"What is her issue?" He asked.

I laughed at his expression. He looked traumatised. Which I kind of understood, since Mrs Hertz was a forced to be reckoned with.

"She's just looking out for me," I told him. "I met her when I moved in. She's really a sweet lady."

I almost laughed when Liam raised a brow at that.

"I'm serious," I told him. "She says the world is bad out there so we have to keep an eye out for each other."

The first time I met her, I was a little intimidated myself, but then I realised she's actually quite lovely. She's like grandmother and reminded me of neighbours I had when I was a little girl.

"She's kind of scary," Liam whispered, like she could hear him.

"Only on the outside," I laughed. "Sweet as honey on the inside."

He shook his head and I smiled, knowing he doesn't believe a word of that.

Just as I was about to sit down on the sofa, I quickly stood up again.

"Wait, why are you here? Is everything okay? Where's Bea?" I bombard Liam with questions.

He stepped forward and gently held my shoulders. "Easy. I'm here for you. Everything is perfect. Bea is at home with my parents."

"I'm still confused," I frowned.

He'd answered all my questions but I was still lost.

Liam smiled. "It's New Years Eve, Rena."

My frowned still remained. "I know...And?"

"And we're celebrating together," Liam declared, grinning.

He looked adorable in this moment, smiling so wide, like he'd just come up the best plan.

"What about Bea and your parents?" I asked.

Liam stepped closer, circling his arms around my waist, and I placed my hands on his chest. I had to also crane my neck up to look at him, with his giant-like height.

"Bea can't stay awake till midnight, so we already had our mini-celebration with cake," Liam began to say and with each words, he stepped forward, forcing me to step back, still in his hold. "My parents also can't stay awake till midnight, so they're also asleep. Now that leaves me and you."

I hadn't even realised when I was backed up against the wall, with nowhere to move.

Liam placed his hand either side of me on the wall. He had this smile on his face, almost a smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing.

I looked up at him for a second, trying to stop myself from smiling and when I couldn't, I had to look away.

"What if I was asleep?" I asked him after trying to compose myself.

"I knew you wouldn't be," Liam replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

I wasn't entirely sure if he said this in the moment or if he actually remembered that I never slept before midnight on New Year's Eve. Ever since I was little, it was a thing, I had to stay up.

Before I could say anything more, Liam spoke up again.

"Now, come on," he tugged me closed and turned me around, placing his hands on my shoulders from behind, leading me to my room. "Put something warmer on. We're going out," he said.

"Now? Where?" I asked, turning my head.

"Out," Liam replied, as if that was a helpful answer. "Come on, please?" He then asked when I stopped moving and just looked at him.

"But pyjamas," I pouted, looking down at my very comfortable attire at the moment. I didn't want to change of it or go outside into the cold.

Liam smiled and cradled my face in his hands. "You won't regret it."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but then my curiosity and his eyes got the best of me.

"Fine," I relented. "But if I do, you're buying me cake," I pointed at him.

Liam grinned, before kissed my forehead and then hooked his index finger with mine.

"I promise."

After I quickly got dressed, putting on some warmer clothes and a coat, Liam practically rushed us out of the door, as if there was a fire behind us.

I also had no clue as to where we were going. Every time that I would ask, Liam would say to be patient and that it was a surprise. It was cute the first time, now I felt frustrated.

It was sweet what he was trying to do, but I was cold and I honestly wanted to just snuggle up on my couch and watch the fireworks at midnight.

"Liam, I am so tired. Can we not go back?" I asked, tugging on his hand.

He squeezed my hand back, but shook his head and continued to tug me along. "No, we have to be somewhere."

"Where?" I asked.

He didn't reply. Instead, he stopped walking momentarily and looked at his watch.

"Damn," he sighed, and then looked at me with a very serious expression. "Okay, we're going to have to run."

I looked at Liam, before chuckling, assuming that he was joking. I stopped after a few seconds, realising that he was indeed not joking and actually being serious.

"I don't run," I told him.

I wasn't a very active being. My workout mostly consisted of walking to work and back, or the occasional exercises at home. I definitely did not run.

"Rena."

"I don't run, Liam."

He sighed to himself, rubbing his forehead. I couldn't help but wonder what was so important.

"Okay. Well, I'm sorry about this, babe." Liam looked at me.

Before I could even question what that meant and why he was apologising, he ducked down and threw me over his shoulder.

I yelped in surprise and it got worse, since he started running with me hanging off of his shoulder.

"Liam, you freak. Let me down," I smacked his back.

"Just a moment longer," he replied, but I could hear the laughter in his voice.

The turd actually found this funny.

"People are looking," I told Liam, hiding away my face so people couldn't see me.

I felt so sure that someone would record us and that we'd end up on social media.

"Let them. I'm not carrying their girl," he said.

There was no way he could be this calm about this situation.

"This is embarrassing," I groaned, clutching onto his coat and hoping that he didn't drop me.

When I felt Liam stop moving, I lifted my head up to see that we were on a river bank. There were some other people around us, who seemed to be getting ready for something, with their phones and cameras out.

Liam let me down off his shoulder and he actually had the nerve to laugh when he looked at me. I assumed I was in disheveled state.

"You're an idiot," I said, trying to fix my appearance.

He continued to chuckle, but also smoothed down my hair.

"Can you please tell me what we're doing here?" I asked Liam. After all of that, I think I deserved to know now.

He smiled, but annoyingly didn't say anything, he just turned me around, walking us to the railing of the river bank.

"Just wait," he leaned in and whispered to me.

"Liam, I already..."

As I began to talk, I heard a loud boom and then suddenly the night sky lit up with colour. It then happened again and again.

He brought me to see fireworks.

"Oh my, God," I said in awe, watching as the sky was illuminated with all these colours, glows and sparks that just made me so happy. It was such a beautiful sight.

I felt Liam's arms wrap around me, hugging me and I took in the view.

"Happy New Year, darling."

I grinned as wide as I could, because this was the best surprise ever.

"This is so amazing," I said.

When I managed to tear my gaze away from the firework show and turn around to look at him, I found that he was already looking at me.

He was smiling. I could see all the colours in his eyes, but they were only looking at me.

"Liam, I-..." I wanted to say something. A deep and defined something to let him know that this really meant a lot to me.

I hadn't gone to see fireworks since I was little and he'd made it happen for me. But I didn't know what I could say that would capture all of that.

So instead, I did something else...

I held onto the collars of his jacket and tugged him down, closer to me and then, I kissed him.

I could tell he was caught by surprise at first, the way he stumbled forward and my back ended up resting on the railing, but he quickly moved past that, smiling against my lips.

His hands moved upwards, one finding its way into my hair, gripping it slightly. The other just on my cheek, near my jaw, as he angled my face upwards to deepen the kiss.

I pulled him in closer and he didn't the same, the fireworks sounding in the background.

When we both pulled away, breathless. He rested his head on mine, both of us grinning after that.

"Happy new year, Liam." I told him.

He chuckled, before hugging my tightly and I wrapped my arms around him.

This felt like a perfect way to start our new year.