Year of Goodbyes

Chapter 1

Twenty-five-year-old Arabella steps out of the plane and breathes the fresh air of Arizona. It has been six years since she left, but nothing much has changed except her.

Memories of the past came flooding in like an avalanche in her brain. But she's not here to reminisce. She's here for her mom. She rushed through the gate with her 5-year-old daughter in her arms and went out to catch a cab. But she didn't expect to see the one person she had dreaded seeing for many years. Liam Jones.

" s**t! What the f**k is this man doing here? Oh God, please, I don't need this right now. I only want to see my mom. Okay, calmly down Arabella, he hasn't noticed you yet, so you are safe. Just stroll and look in another direction. He's busy talking on his phone, so pretend you did not see him, alright?" Bella tried to calm herself.

" Oh, God! Oh, God! Please, just this once, hear my pleas. I promise I will go to church often. Just please don't let him see us." She recited in her mind over and over again.

Yep! God must be feeling hilarious today because when she came into full view, right on cue, Liam raised his head, and their eyes locked. If you say Liam is shocked would be an understatement, he froze!

He looks at Bella intensely and shifts his gaze from her to the little girl she's holding. Bella stood still, frozen. She couldn't look away even if she wanted to.

Seeing Liam after six years still gives butterflies in her stomach, but, most importantly, she is freaking nervous. Liam strolled towards Bella, and all she could think about was to bolt to the nearest cab, but nope, she stood there frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights as he approached.

" Bella? Is that you?" Liam asked as he got nearer and looked at the cute little girl in her arms. He can't explain what he's feeling right now aside from shock at seeing her again, but he is also happy that she's here.

When he looked at the little girl, he couldn't seem to shake the feeling of joy and protectiveness but, most of all, jealousy. So she's married and has got a kid. She had moved on, he told himself.

" Liam!! Hiiii!" Bella forced herself to act naturally and was happy to see him, although her heartbeat was 200 beats per second.

" Good to see you again! What are you doing here? Flying somewhere?" She asked with a forced smile on her face that her jaws hurt.

" Ahh no, I'm waiting for someone, my ahm," but before he could finish what he was saying, they heard a high-pitched voice coming from behind Bella.

" Liam! Baby, I'm here!" The girl ran straight to Liam and showered his face with kisses. She was tall with short blonde hair, probably a model, Bella thought to herself. The girl looked at Bella with raised brows.

" Who do we have here, baby?" The girl asked Liam, then turned to Bella and the baby in her arms, extending her hand.

" Hi, I'm Taylor Liam's girlfriend," the girl smiled at Bella, obviously faking it, but she could see through her mask. She's pretending to be friendly.

" Tay, this is Bella, my sister Collette's childhood best friend. Bella, this is Taylor, my ahm girlfriend." Liam introduced the two with such difficulty. Today is the first time he wished Taylor was not his girlfriend.

" And who is this little cutie over here?" Taylor pinched the little girl's face hard, making the baby wake up and look around her.

" Mommy, where are we?" asked the little angel. She has dark chocolate eyes and long light brown curly hair with the cutest dimple on each cheek.

Liam was taken aback by the girl's appearance. He felt something had pinched his heart, and it confused the heck out of him. The girl looked so familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen that face.

" We are still at the airport, sweetheart. Mommy's going to call a taxi now so we can see Nana, okay?' Bella explained to her daughter, then looked at Taylor and Liam.

" This is my daughter Sophie. Baby, these are mommy's old friends, uncle Liam and Taylor." Of course, she doesn't want her daughter to call this fake bimbo auntie. But, if possible, she doesn't want her daughter ever to see her pretentious face again.

" Okay! Sssooo, we'll go ahead, Liam. I'm sure mom's impatiently waiting for us now." Bella told Liam and forced a smile.

" Oh, okay, yeah, sure we'll go ahead as well. Does Colette know you are coming?" He asked her out of the blue.

" Ahm, no, I haven't talked to her after I left," Bella answered him with sad eyes. Thinking of her best friend pinches her heart.

" Please say hi to Collette for me and tell her she can come by the house anytime, that is, if she still wants to see me," She added with a sad smile.

" Of course she does. She's your best friend. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you. So I'll see you around? Maybe you can come to the house and meet my parents? I'm pretty sure they missed you too and will be happy to know you have returned and see that you have a cute little girl. You are like family to us, Bella, you know that, right?" Liam stated, looking intently at Bella and her daughter. He came close and kissed her forehead and her daughter's as well.

Liam seemed reluctant to leave, but Taylor looked bored and impatient, so they went to their car, but then he stopped and turned right back and asked Bella.

" You know what, why don't we drop you off at your house? I mean, we practically live in the same neighborhood. We are just two houses apart, after all." He offered.

" No, it's okay, Liam, we can take a cab. I don't want to bother you or impose. We'll be fine." Bella declined as gently as she could, but the Liam she knew didn't take no for an answer. Now her nervousness has come back in full force.

" No, I insist, and you will not be imposing. As I've said, we live near each other. It wouldn't be a bother Bella, and your daughter is tired. I know you are too, from the flight. So, please allow me to bring you home, or Collette will skin me alive if she finds out I left you here." He insisted and even made a joke about her sister.

" Are you sure it's okay?" Bella asked shyly and glanced at Taylor, who was already sitting in front of the car, looking irritated.

" Yeah, of course, it is. I'd love to hear about your life for the past six years." He smiled at her, making those two cute dimples come out of his cheeks. The dimples she so adored growing up and the same dimples she had seen every single day for the past six years.

" Okay, if you insist. I appreciate it very much," Bella then accepted Liam's offer, which made him very happy. He suddenly kissed Bella's cheek and kissed Sophie's head, then took the luggage and put it in the trunk. Then, he guided Sophie and Bella to the back seat.

Bella didn't know she was holding her breath up until now. She stood frozen. What the hell just happened?! Why did he kiss Sophie and her with his girlfriend around?

" Oh, f*****g hell, I shouldn't have come, but my mom needs me now, and besides, she hasn't met her grandchild yet. All she saw were pictures and constant phone calls from them. So now it's time they met." She mumbled to herself.

Her mom was so devastated when she decided to run away after graduation. She didn't tell her why at first, but she had no one but her mom for support when she got pregnant.

Now her past seemed to catch up with her. The problem is, can she handle what's going to happen? Can she honestly say she's over him when, in fact, she cannot, even if she wanted to?

Every day she is reminded of that one night, one happy memory that she can keep for a lifetime. But that's what it is, a memory. He had moved on and forgotten about her, and that was obvious, or so she thought.