A/n : I am Sorry... I am late ... As a compensation, 6k+ words 😉... (Do Comment and Vote ..ok ?)
Enjoy Darlings ... 💓

Olivia's P.O.V.

Clouds are so beautiful, right ?

Sitting by the window, I watch the white clouds drift slowly past. It's like we're floating in a sea of soft, endless cotton. Everything outside looks so calm and still, like the world has paused for a moment. The bright blue sky stretches on forever, and the sun glows gently, casting a warm light over the clouds.

I would have loved this feeling of traveling years ago. But now, everything feels different.

I feel like a burden to them. They're all here on this plane because of me, because they thought I needed to get out of the house, to feel fresh, to not get bored while sitting at home all day, every day.

A part of me is happy- happy to be out of the house for once. But the guilt, it's there, hanging over me like a heavy cloud.

What if I had died in that accident instead of ending up like this ?

Wouldn't that have been better ?

At least then, I wouldn't be a burden.

They would have mourned for a 12 days, but then they would have been free. Free from me. Free to live their lives without having to 'plan a trip to Hampton' just to get me out of the house.

They wouldn't have to leave all their important work just to keep me entertained or feeling fresh.

"JACK, STOP BOTHERING ME" I hear Mason yell in the back, followed by the chuckle.

We are actually sitting in our private jet.

Perks of being Rich !!!

I can't deny that a small part of me is excited—excited to return to Hampton, to our farmhouse. The place where we spent so many of our childhood days, running around, laughing, swimming in the nearby beach.

Hampton is always one of my favourite place. I've spent my vacations in our farmhouse. It's actually on the name of my Grandparents. And they passed it to William in hereditary.

The farmhouse is peaceful, surrounded by sprawling green fields and towering trees that sway gently in the wind. There's a small pond with lilies and a garden filled with colorful flowers. I loved to sketch there, sitting in the garden among white flowers around me.

Will I get same peace again there after knowing that they all are there because of me ?

The Pilot's voice suddenly breaks through my thoughts.

"Good afternoon, everyone. This is your pilot speaking. We're approaching our destination and will begin our descent shortly. Please ensure your seat belts are securely fastened, and any loose items are stowed away. We'll be landing in about 10 minutes. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of the flight."

I sigh, trying to shake off the heavy thoughts.

I nod to myself, thinking that maybe it's best to just go with the flow, to let things happen as they will.

Let's just go with flow.

I feel a sudden touch on my side, and I flinch slightly, startled out of my thoughts. I look over and see Michael sitting beside me, his hands gently tightening my seatbelt. He doesn't say anything, just focuses on the task at hand, and I don't object. I let him do it, too tired to argue, too tired to pretend that I don't need help.

For now, I just let him take care of me, hoping that maybe this trip will bring some peace—to me. To all of us.

<<°>>~<<°>>

I'm busy playing a game on my phone when I suddenly hear a knock on my door.

"Come in," I say, my eyes still fixed on the screen.

"Olivia." I look up, startled.

I honestly didn't expect William to come here !!!

"Yes ?" I raise my eyebrow.

"Can we go out ?" he asks gently, his eyes scanning my face for any sort of reaction.

I frown. "Where ?"

I swear I see him sigh in relief for a millisecond.

"You'll see. Don't worry." He smiles at me gently.

I squint my eyes at him. "No, tell me first, where are we going ? And how many people are included in this 'we' ? And who are these—"

"Okay, you need to calm down first," he says, sitting on my bed and pulling my wheelchair in front of him.

"By 'we,' I mean just the two of us. Only you and me. No one else," he says softly, looking into my eyes.

I look back and forth into his eyes, trying to see if he's joking or something. But all I can see is my own reflection in them.

I sigh. I can never read his expressions the way he reads mine.

That's just unfair!

He suddenly chuckles, "You know, you're cute when you pout."

My eyes widen as I realize... I'm actually pouting !

"Shut up! I am not pouting," I glare at him.

"Okay," he chuckles.

He's so annoying sometimes.

"You still haven't answered me. Where are you taking me ?" I narrow my eyes at him.

He rolls his eyes, "You're making it sound like I'm kidnapping you."

"Only the two of us are going out, and I still don't know where we're going. And look at you," I glance at him up and down, "already dressed and ready to go, so confident that I'd say yes before you even came in. Technically, this is kidnapping, Mr. Hernandez." I fold my arms across my chest, staring at him.

He sighs dramatically, "At least I'm asking for your permission, unlike Jack, who loves to carry you around without asking."

I shudder at that. He's right. That jackass is just a little bastard.

"Hey, as much as I agree with you, you shouldn't curse. You're only 16."

I frown at him.

Suddenly, where are these rules coming from ?

Should I tell him that I'm 16 now and have been cursing for as long as I can remember ?

But—wait—I didn't curse.

"Hey! I didn't curse anyone. It's my mind, and I can curse whoever I want in my mind." And even in real life too is silent.

I'm not in the mood for arguments right now.

"And, I am not coming," I announce, turning to the other side.

"Olivia," he whispers softly, taking my hands in his. I look at him, curious.

"I know you're angry with us, and you have every right to be. I'm not asking you to forgive me right this second. But can you at least give us a chance to earn your forgiveness ?" He looks into my eyes, almost pleading.

"At least let us show that we love you and care for you. We’re not doing this out of pity. But if you keep pushing us away, how are we ever going to earn your forgiveness ?" He gently cups my face.

"Don’t say no, Olivia. Please come with me. I swear, you’ll love it."

Before I can respond, he whispers, "Please, Lia."

My breath hitches when I hear the word. The nickname Lia holds so many memories, golden sweet memories. I might be able to ignore everything and everyone, but when William calls me Lia, it's over for me. I guess it's my weak point. I could never say no to this.

"O-Ok," I sigh.

His eyes light up as he leans down, pressing his lips to my forehead, giving me that familiar gentle kiss like he used to in the old days.

"But I am not going like this. I don't look good," I grunt, glancing at the mirror in the room.

I scrunch my nose slightly, looking at myself.

My clothes aren't presentable at all, and my hair ? Ughhh!

I had already gain much weight. I should really control my eating.

"You are beautiful, Lia. But if you still want to get ready, I'll go and call Sophia, hmm ?" He smiles at me, standing up from the bed.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Why not Hazel ?"

He tilts his head slightly, staring at me. "She's actually busy with some work, that's why."

So, that's why she is not coming with us.

Maybe that's the reason he gets the time for me ??? Possible.

"Hmm" , I nod.

It's not like I have any personal beef with Sophia. Both of them are my sisters-in-law. I feel the same way about each of them.

It's just that I want to know why this wife-lover brother of mine isn't taking his wife's name.

He narrows his eyes at me but sighs before leaving the room.

Not long after, Sophia enters my room with her usual smile.

"So, Miss Olivia, let's get you ready for the day," she says cheerfully, pushing my wheelchair toward the closet.

Rummaging through my cupboard, she finally finds something and turns toward me with a smile.

"Are these fine ?"

I glance at the clothes in her hands and nod.

"Ok then."

She helps me get ready, dressing me in an outfit that feels oddly unfamiliar yet comfortable. I look down and see the simple black t-shirt she’s picked out, tucked neatly into a pair of high-waisted, cream-colored trousers. The fabric is soft against my skin, fitting just right—not too tight, not too loose.

She’s chosen black sandals, the kind with wide straps that feel secure around my feet, even though I can't feel them.

[Imagine the outfit]

"You are looking beautiful, darling, I swear" She mumbles and kisses me on my head.

She brushes my hair and keep it open.

"God bless you," she whispers, though I hear her clearly.

"Let's go, your brother's waiting," she says, gently pushing my wheelchair.

When we step out of the room, William is sitting on the sofa, scrolling through his phone.

He looks up, and a smile spreads across his face as he glances at me.

"You look beautiful, Olivia," he says, softly patting my head.

"Thanks, Sophia," he adds, flashing her a grateful smile. "We're heading out."

Sophia smiles back and nods.

William then wheels me out to the garage, where he opens the car door. Without missing a beat, he lifts me into his arms and gently places me in the car, making sure I'm comfortable before closing the door.

He comes to the driver's side, starts the engine, and we are now going to God knows where !!!

It doesn’t take long before we reach the place — our place.

The second I see it, my eyes widen in recognition. This spot… I hadn’t been here in so long, yet it felt like stepping back in time.

I gulp slightly seeing the beautiful place again.

William and I used to come here all the time when we were kids, watching the sunsets together without a care in the world. Now, seeing it again, it’s as if all those happy memories flood back into me at once.

💭 Flashback 💭

"LIAM ... LIAM... S-SORRY-" I giggle continuously, feeling ticklish as Liam pokes his finger in my sides.

"Tell me who is your favourite brother, huh ?" He asks me walking on the sand with me still in his arms. William has me upside down, my legs dangling over his shoulder as he pokes his fingers into my sides again and again.

"N-Noah-" I laugh out loud as he again pokes his fingers.

It’s too much ! I can barely get any words out between my laughter.

"Try again" he says in his deep voice.

I squeal, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, but it’s no use.

He’s too strong.

"Y-You- sorryyyy- s-stop" I let out chain of giggles as he starts poking in my belly. I’m giggling so hard, I can’t even breathe properly.

Finally, he lets up, and I feel the world tilt as he flips me back the right way.

Woahhh !!!

He holds me properly in his arms now, my head resting on his shoulder as I catch my breath. My sides still hurt from laughing so much.

“You’re bad,” I mutter, but it comes out more like a pout.

My head stays on his shoulder, all snuggled up, and I’m trying my best to sound serious, but my voice still has that little bit of giggle left in it.

He chuckles, patting my hair softly. “Oh, I’m bad, huh ?” he says, his tone playful. "You are the only one who is bad here."

I frown, crossing my hands on my chest.

Me ? Bad ? Nuh-uh.

He looks at me and kisses me on my cheek.

"You are adorable too" He smiles, pecking my cheek again and again.

"But, right now you said I am bad" I pout.

He laughs out loud, "Obviously, you are bad. You betrayed me saying you are not going to talk to me and you want to spend your time with that little shit Noah"

I scrunch my eyebrows, "He is not shit"

He rolls his eyes making my frown deepen.

I huff and look at other side.

"Ok ok, drama queen. I am sorry." He says, pecking my cheek again.

"Still, you are the bad one." I pout, "You told me that I can't eat chocolates and Noah gave me Ferraro Rocher. That's why, I was angry at you."

He narrows his eyes at me, "So ? You can't eat more chocolates. Otherwise doctor will give you injection on your teeth. Will it be okay to you huh ?"

I gasp, "No"

"That's why I said no to the chocolates." He holds me tightly in his arms.

I immediately wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"But, I love them Liam" I mumble on his shoulder, slightly biting his shoulder. But, he didn't even wince.

"That doesn't mean you will eat chocolates every hour, Lia." He caress my hair and continues, "I will feel sad if Doctor will give injections to my Lia. Do you want me to feel sad, hmm ?"

I shake my head, immediately kissing his shoulder where I had just bitten him.

He chuckles, "So, you won't eat more chocolates, now, right ?"

I pout sadly but shake my head.

He kisses my head repeatedly, "Don't worry, we will eat french fries, okay ?"

My eyes lit up as I look at him with a grin on my face.

I extend my pinky and say, "Pinky Promise ?"

He laughs out loud but extends his pinky too, "Pinky Promise"

His pinky is bigger than my all fingers tho. I giggle at that.

💭 Flashback Ends 💭

William parks the car, and before I can even protest, he’s already at my side, lifting me gently out of the seat and setting me into my wheelchair. I don’t have the strength to argue with him right now — I’m too caught up in the wave of nostalgia that hits me.

As he pushes me across the sand, I look out at the horizon. The sun is setting, painting the sky with shades of pink, orange, and purple. It’s just like how I remembered it. The water reflects the colors, creating a perfect mirror image. William settles me on the sand, positioning me in a spot where I have the best view of the sunset. He sits beside me, his arm lightly brushing against mine as we both gaze at the sky.

I can’t help but feel nostalgic. This place… it holds so many memories.

The carefree days, the laughter, the way I used to feel so alive. And now ? Now I feel like a burden. Like I’m holding everyone back. I used to be so happy, so fearless. But those days seem so far away now.

"Olivia" I hear his gentle voice.

"Hmm ?" My eyes still fixed on the beautiful sky infront of us.

"Do you remember, you used to ask me where does this Sun go in the evening ?" He asks me calmly.

"Hmm, and you always tell me that the Sun is going to his house, just like us," I say, still without looking at him.

"And then you ask, 'Why are we going home in the evening ?'"

"Yes, and then you reply, 'Because our family is waiting for us to eat dinner together.'"

"Then, don't you want to know why I never return home ?"

My head snaps towards him. I look at him with my wide eyes.

What ?

He looks at me... His eyes scan my face, then he turns back towards the sky.

"I love Hazel," he mumbles.

My heart clenches at those words. He could still leave me for her.

"And I love you too," he says, turning towards me again.

"I could never choose between you two. You both are important to me. You always were. Always. Infact, you all are important to me. I could never even think of leaving you guys."

As I stare into William's eyes, I can see something I haven't noticed before. It's like he's trying to reach me, to make me understand something, something he’s struggling to say aloud.

I gulp a lump, "Then why did you leave me ?"

My eyes glisten with tears as I mumble the words, looking in his eyes.

He gently squeezes my hands and looks at my face with a concern.

"Because of Mom and Dad"

My eyes widen in shock. Because of Mom and Dad ?

Is he even serious ?

"Yes, I am serious. Because of Mom and Dad, we left the house. We left each one of you."

I pull out my hands from his hold and shake my head in a denial, "You are lying. You are lying to me because you want me to forgive you. That's why you are lying, right ?"

He shakes his head, "I am not lying, Olivia."

"Noo", I glare at him, "Stop taking my name, William, I know you are lying. How can Mom and Dad do this ? No parents can even think of keeping their one child away from their own other children. Stop-"

"I know no parents can do this but our parents can, Olivia." He says, firmly, "Our parents are not the ideal parents everyone is thinking they are. And, I know that you are aware of it very well."

I can't even deny that. I know, they are not ideal parents. But, all they want is our good. They just want us to be successful in our life. It's just that their way of disciplining us is bit wrong. Maybe, more than bit.

"Listen Olivia, I want to tell you everything today. But, before that, I want you to atleast listen to me." He says, looking back and forth in my eyes.

I nod, hesistantly.

"Hazel grew up in Smith Orphanage. She got into college because of a scholarship. And you know, I liked her since I was in college. But we separated our paths to prioritize our careers. After a year, when we met again, we fell for each other all over again. But Mom and Dad weren't happy about it. They never wanted Hazel to be part of our family just because she was an orphan and didn’t come from a sophisticated background like ours."

He clenches his fist like even remembering those times bought him pain.

"They told me to choose between you'all and her. I never wanted to choose, cause I love each one of you. They told me to leave the house if I will choose Hazel but I don't want to leave you all. I told them that I will take yours' custody but they didn't agree and I can't even fight for it because even court won't agree to give me the custody of children whose parents are still capable to raise them."

His eyes slightly glisten with tears as he continues, "They told me that if I don't leave you all, he will abuse you"

The moment those words leave William’s lips, I feel like the ground beneath me disappears.

"What ?"

"Yes", he nods his head.

My mind spins, trying to grasp the reality of what he just said.

Abuse me ? My parents ?

They have been telling me all this time that my brothers didn’t care, that they abandoned me because I wasn’t enough ? It’s like everything I’ve ever believed, everything they made me believe, is a lie—a twisted narrative they’ve fed me to make me hate the people I loved most.

But, how can this happen ? Mom and Dad are at present, angry on me because I can't walk and I am a burden now. I know they could never say something like this to him back then.

What if he is lying ?

I look at him.

I don’t want to believe William, I can’t. But when I look into his eyes, they tell me only one thing: the truth.

My heart clenches, and I feel a deep, raw ache as the truth starts to settle in.

They did this.

They planted this seed of hatred in me, against William, against all my brothers. And I let it grow.

Tears stream down my face, but I barely notice them. I can’t believe that the people I trusted most could say something so cruel, something so vicious.

I hate them. I fucking hate them for this.

They betrayed me. They fucking lie to me. My own parents are cruel.

The betrayal, the manipulation, the years of anger I’ve carried for no reason.

How could I have been so blind ?

I feel his hands on my hands, unclenching my fist gently.

"It’s neither Hazel’s nor your fault. I’m the only one at fault here. I shouldn’t have left you all like that. I should’ve told you something else. I should’ve checked on you all. But all I did was leave. And trust me, Lia, I can’t even forgive myself for this mistake. I’m so, so sorry."

A tear rolls down from his left eye.

"It wasn’t that I didn’t try, Lia. I did try. I tried to look out for all of you many times, even while living in another house. I checked on you every time because I was scared—what if they were mistreating you too ? Eventually, Mom and Dad started accepting Hazel. We began coming to the mansion for lunch or dinner. And there, I saw how hard you were trying to impress Mom and Dad at any cost. I saw how your eyes lit up when they praised you."

He groans slightly, turning other side in frustration.

"I was a fool to think they were treating you nicely, and that’s why you wanted to impress them. Fuck, I shouldn’t have trusted that. I shouldn’t have believed it. I should’ve looked into it properly. But—" he sighs, rubbing his face.

He again turns towards me, "I’m so sorry, Lia, I really am. I-I thought you were happy with them. I thought they were good parents to at least one of us. I-I—that’s where I got everything wrong. I’m so sorry, Olivia. I shouldn’t have left you all like that."

His voice breaks as he stares in my eyes.

"Trust me, Lia, it's no one's fault but mine. And, I will be guilty for it forever."

My heart clenches at this.

It’s not his fault. I may be angry with him, but I can’t deny that he’s also a victim of our parents' trap.

"The minute I saw a bruise on you, I saw red. They promised me that if I left, they would never hurt you. But they did. I fucking wanted to kill them." His darkened eyes send a shiver down my spine.

Gulping a lump in my throat, I whisper, "Did they abuse you too ?"

His head snaps towards me.

How did William believe that Mom and Dad would abuse me ?

I mean, how can a child believe that his parents are abusers ?

A child can't believe it until he sees it with his own eyes or has been a victim himself.

So, does that mean he was abused too ?

He turns towards other side and nods his head slightly.

I felt my heart drop as I stare at him, shocked.

"W-What ?"

He doesn't answer but just stare at the  space.

"I-I- thought t-they only h-hit m-me-" I stammer as I control my tears that are willing to escape.

My eyes widen when a realisation hits me hard. I immediately hold his arm, "W-What about Ethan ? Jack ? Others ?"

He turns towards me, "It was mostly Ethan and me. When we weren’t around, they hit Jack. But Mason, Michael, and Noah—I don’t think they had any idea about the abuse."

My throat tightens.

Even Jack and Ethan are abused ?

"They’re manipulative, Lia. You’re all living with them, and they still haven’t let the others know that they’re hurting you."

I gulp slightly. He is right.

They even told me that if I told anyone, no one would believe me. Instead, they’d leave the house too, thinking of me as a burden, just like William and Ethan.

And naive me believed them.

Tears roll down my face.

My own parents created distance between us ?

He wipes my tears as he cups my face, "Don't cry, Lia. They already get their punishment. They won't come in our life, again. I promise, I won't let them come into our life again."

"Punishment ? What happened to them ?" I ask him.

"They are in Jail." He says in a dark voice.

My eyes widen, "When ? How ? Why no one-"

"Sshhh.... Did you let anyone talk with you, hmm ?" He asks me, interrupting me in mid.

I open my mouth to retort something but immediately shut it, realising he is right.

He chuckles slightly, while I glare at him.

He shakes his head while looking forward to the Sun, which is on the edge of setting.

We sit in a comfortable silence after such a long time. I don’t know what changed, but suddenly it feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. My mind races with thoughts. There are many questions in my mind that are still left unanswered.

But one thing is clear in my mind: he didn’t choose her over me. He didn’t leave me because I wasn’t enough for him.

"William" I call him softly.

"Hmm ?"

"What about Ethan and Sophia ? Why did they left ?" I ask.

Mom told me that Sophia don't want to live with us because she found us annoying especially me that's why Ethan left with her.

But, now I am not sure.

"It's their story to tell. I will say, wait for Ethan. He will tell you everything." He replies, softly.

I sigh and nod. He is right.

Another silence settles between us, but this time it’s a comfortable one. I’m not sure if I should forgive him or not, but I’m not angry with him. I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t feel right to be angry with him or anyone else. Because if they weren’t there when Dad hurt me, I wasn’t there too when they hurt him—when they made him choose between his family and his love.

As a sister, I should feel sad that he didn’t leave her and stay with us, stay with me. But as a girl, I feel proud of him for standing up for his wife, even against his own parents.

If he had chosen us over Hazel that day, maybe I would never have lost my Liam... But maybe he would have fallen in his own eyes.

What fault would Hazel have had in all of this ?

The poor girl’s heart would have been broken, right ?

No one can understand better than me what it feels like when the person you love leaves you... I sigh.

If William had chosen us instead of Hazel that day, I might never have been able to forgive myself.

I spent four years in anger and hatred toward my own family because of my insecurities... I don’t know, but I’m still scared.

What if something like that happens again, and William, Ethan, or the others leave me behind ?

What if they abandon me because of the burden of my disability?

I shake my head, getting rid of all these thoughts.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I really want my husband or boyfriend to be like William—someone who can stand up for me, who can fight for me against everyone. However, at this point, I’m not interested in all of that.

It’s just a passing thought that my future lover should be like William.

He is so green flag !!!

"You are green flag, William." I let out my thought, even before I could stop myself.

His head snaps towards me.

"What ? What is that ?" He raises his eyebrow in confusion.

I gasp.

"You don't know what's green flag or red flag is ?" I ask him in astonishment.

How could someone not know this ?

"Uh- no, maybe red flag is used for any danger or even in treasure hunt game but I am not quite sure about green flag. Is it some sort of signal or something ?" He tilts his head slightly, in confusion.

"What the hell, William ? Red Flag term is actually used for a person who is manipulative or maybe toxic in a relationship. The one who has a traits like dishonesty, manipulation, or a lack of respect that could lead to negative experiences." I tell him.

He stares at me, his eyebrows frown together.

"While Green Flag means positive traits or behaviour that indicate a healthy, supportive, and trustworthy person. If a person is calling you Green Flag that means you are actually good."

"I never knew all these things. Where are you learning this from?" he mutters in disbelief.

"It’s not hard. These are common words nowadays. You’re just too old," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Excuse me, I am not old. These are just Gen-Z words. We’re just mature enough not to waste our time on them," he tells me, clearly offended.

I narrow my eyes at him. "We’re mature too, and what do you mean by 'these are just Gen-Z words' ? Everyone knows these words. Everyone must have heard them at least once or twice in their life."

He shrugs. "I’ve never heard them until today."

"For that, Mr. William Hernandez, you have to talk to people. You can’t always bury your nose in files or your laptop. Spend some time on social media too instead of your boring files," I smirk at him.

He rolls his eyes but then smirks back. "Well, for your kind information, Miss Olivia Hernandez, I was right when I said we’re just the more mature generation."

I narrow my eyes, "Nope, you are just old."

"Heyy... Stop calling me old again and again. I am not that old." He grunts, clearly irritated.

I smirk, knowing I’ve already gotten under his skin. "But you don’t know these meanings, so obviously, you’re old."

"Just because I don’t know what Green or Red Flag means doesn’t make me old, okay ?" he rolls his eyes at me.

"Okay, then tell me what benching means," I smirk back at him.

He looks at me weirdly.

I let out a laugh. "See ? I told you, you’re old."

He stares at me, a different kind of emotion in his eyes that I can’t quite decipher.

But before I can think anything else, he smirks. "If I’m old, then you’re a fool."

I immediately stop laughing and glance at him.

"Fool ? Me ? Excuse me, you are the one who don't know these words, not me. You are the only fool here."

He smirks. "Oh really? Then who was that girl who used to tell me she’d be taller than everyone in the house one day ?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "In my defense, I was only 8 years old."

"That doesn’t matter," he laughs out loud. I grumble slightly but stay quiet.

"You remember ? You asked me if you could be taller than Jack ?" He laughs even more, and his laugh is so contagious that I can’t help but smile at the distant memory.

💭 Flashback 💭

I was bored that's why Liam bought me to the park. But no kids are here so I am bored again.

Liam sits down on the grass, settling me on his lap. I curl up against him like always, my legs tucked up under me, feeling safe and warm in his arms.

I look up at him, my eyes wide with curiosity.

"Liam" I say, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Yeah ?”

I take a deep breath, thinking about the most serious thing I can. “Do you think when I grow up, I’ll be as tall as you ?”

He chuckles softly. “I don’t know, Liv. Maybe. You’re already getting pretty big.”

I frown, shaking my head. “No, I’m not ! You’re just saying that because you’re so tall. I want to be big like you.”

William shifts slightly, tilting his head down to look at me. “Well, if you keep eating your vegetables, maybe you will.”

I scrunch my nose in disgust. “Yuck ! I hate vegetables.”

He laughs again, the sound deep and warm. “Yeah, I know. But if you don’t eat them, you’ll stay small forever.”

I give him a serious look, narrowing my eyes as I think it over. “If I eat them, will I be taller than Jack ?”

“Maybe,” he says, grinning down at me. “But don’t tell him I said that.”

I giggle, covering my mouth with my hands like it’s a big secret. “I won’t ! I’ll be so tall, I’ll look down at him and say ‘Ha ! I’m taller than you !’”

Liam laughs again, pulling me closer. “I’d pay to see that.”

"No .. No .. No need to pay. I will try to eat veggies and then I will be taller than him." I pout at him sadly, "Do you know, he always smacks my head and calls me 'Shorty' or 'Dwarf'"

He gasps, "Really ?"

I nod eagerly. "Yes... That’s why I wanted to be taller than everyone, so I could smack everyone on the head and call them shorties."

I laugh out loud, imagining myself as the tallest among all my brothers.

💭 Flashback Ends 💭

I let out a hearty laugh, remembering that memory.

"Do you still want to be taller than Jack and smack his head, Olivia ?" He laughs with me.

"I don’t know about being taller, but I still want to smack his head," I laugh loudly.

"But seriously, you don’t know the meaning of these terms?" I ask him, after calming down from laughing.

He grunts, "Nobody’s ever called me a green flag or a red flag. How would I know ?"

"You know, the whole college called me a green flag when I was with Lucas—" I stop myself when I realize what I just said.

It’s true; when I was in a relationship with Lucas, I was called a green flag because I was head over heels for him, and he was too.

Oh ! But, everything was an act !!!

My smile suddenly fades as I remember his words.

To Be Continued...

2 weeks !!!! I know I am late ... I am sorry... 🤧.

I was just too confused to write anything. I know what I want to write, but I don’t know how to write it ? I mean I don’t know how to express it through words. That’s why it took me some time. Not some but much time. Really sorry for that guyssss ... ✨

I’m a bit confused about the next chapter too, but I’ll try to update it sooner for you all 😉.

If possible, you can help me by suggesting some ideas. I’ll try to incorporate them into the storyline... 😁

For now, Next chapter preview : Ice Cream date with William, Moments with Hazel and something else too (not decided yet).

Anyways,

Tell me what do you think about William ?

And what do you think about Olivia's way of thinking ? I mean she didn't forgive him, but she isn't angry on him too... Are you all agree with her ?

💭💭 Share your thoughts about the story 💭💭

Don't forget to Vote and Comment.

I will meet you guys soon till then stay safe, take care and Love yourself ❤️.

Byee Byee ... Luv ya 😘.

Published : 17 September 2024.

Total words : 6060 words 😁.