I was so confused.  What was I going to do? I couldn't deny that I loved Leah ( I had always loved her) but I also couldn't deny that I felt something for Emma. When I arrived at my place Emma was up making pancakes. My chest singed with betrayal. I was so messed up!

"Hey baby."

Why did she have to call me baby?

"How was your run?" She asked.

"Great. I'm just going to make a quick call." I ran into the room and dialled Ryan.

The subscriber you have dialed is not available at present. Please try again later.

"Ryan! I need you! Urgh!"

I scrolled through my contact list. Well, I certainly didn't have many people to call. 

"Abbs, please pick up." I said as I dialled Aberdeen.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hi! I need to talk to you asap."

"I can't. I'm really busy at work. Maybe later when I'm on my break? Sorry."

"Okay. No. It's fine." I sighed. "Thanks."  I ended the call.

That left one person.

Liam.

"Hi. We haven't spoken in a long time. I have no idea where you are, it feels like you've disappeared off the face of the earth, but I need you. You said you'd still be my friend and I need a friend right now. I've done something stupid.  I need your help. Call me when you get this. Thanks."

Five minutes passed and a single text came through.

Meet me at the park. - Liam

Liam and I now sat on the bench in the park. I explained my whole story in a rush of words and barely there sobs. Liam listened patiently and waited before he answered.

"Who do you love?"

How could he ask that? That didn't make sense. It wasn't about that. I cared about them both. It wasn't fair.

"But that doesn't help ---"

"Who are you in love with?" He repeated.

I bit my lip and sank my head. "Leah."

"Then that's it then."

He stared at the children playing in the park with a sort of fatherly admiration. I didn't know if he liked kids or not. We never spoke about it before, but the way he looked at them was pleasing.

"What about Emma? I do like her. I don't want to hurt her."

"There's too many mediocre things in life. Love shouldn't be one of them." Liam quoted a quote I liked.

Unless it's a mad, passionate, extraordinary love - it's a waste of your time.

"Thank you. For everything." I leaned into him just as a young girl ran up to us.

I stared down at her, wondering if she was lost, but then I heard the next few words.

"Daddy! Daddy!  Did you see me on the slide?"

Liam smiled down at her and that was when I noticed the resemblance. This had to be his daughter.

"Yes I did sweety. You were great! This is Aunty Haley, she's Daddy's good friend."

She turned to me. "Hello."

"Hi. What's your name?" I asked, still confused as to what was going on.

"Hannah."

I shot a look at Liam. Hannah was Liam's girlfriend back when we were younger. She was my friend and we all hung at together. She had moved to Australia and we never saw her again. No one knew why she left. She had run away from home.

Liam sighed. "Look Haley, Hannah's mom got really sick a couple of months ago and she contacted me to see if I could look after her. She's my daughter and it was wrong of her to keep her from me but she was so young and she thought I would leave her. That's why she ran away."

"And now where is she?"

"..." Liam breathed hard. "She's dead. She died of cancer two months ago. She got hold of me that night we went to the bar and that was when I met my daughter. It had been coming on a long time that I had made plans to meet her. I'm sorry I disappeared, I just needed to spend time with her."

That was so sad. It must have been heartbreaking for him and the little girl to lose the one they loved like that. It made me think about losing Leah again. I definitely couldn't handle that kind of pain for a second time. So there was my answer right there. It was and always will be her. I smiled at this revelation.

My phone began to ring and I answered it with a cheerful hey.

"Haley? It's mom. Where are you?" She said in a frantic tone.

"At the park. Why? What's wrong?"

I heard my mom crying on the other end.

"It's your dad...He...he passed away just a few minutes ago. I'm so sorry, Hay."