#Chapter 43: A Night Out

Ella & Alexander Ella I sulked alone beneath the cherry tree, watching the pink petals turn brown on the gravel pathway. The slow death of my favorite season, spring, seemed awfully fitting for the way I felt inside after that mortifying interaction. “There you are!” I looked up to find Liam walking toward me with his hands tucked into his pockets. When he reached me, his smile faltered. “What’s wrong?” he asked, sitting beside me. “You look like someone just told you the Tooth Fairy isn’t real.” “It’s nothing.” Liam raised an eyebrow. “I’ve known you since you were five years old, Ella. I can tell when something’s bothering you, even if we spent a decade apart.” “It’s just…” I sighed, picking at a loose thread on my sleeve. “Something embarrassing happened earlier. I’d rather not talk about it.” “That bad, huh?” “Worse.” Liam tilted his head. “So are you planning on sitting here sulking all day because of it?” I shrug