Liam's POV

After a few days of being made fun of, Piper started calming down and agreed to take me and Leah out on a triple date. Apparently, a triple date is with three people. We were going on a Vegas Themed Boat Cruise on a Saturday Evening. According to him, the old folks know how to date, unlike my generation. Piper was gracious enough to pick me up with Leah in the back seat. Getting into the car, my eyes saw that Leah looked more amazing than the last time I saw her. And she was simply wearing a black dress.

"Hello Liam," she greeted giving me a kiss on the cheek leaving me to kiss her back.

"Yes, hello Liam," also greeted Piper.

The whole way there, all we talked about was our novel. Leah was incredibly curious to know everything there was to know about the novel. Within an hour, we arrived at a beach which is where the boat was. Many other cars were also parked with people already on the boat. Once we were all out of the car, Piper offered Leah his jacket.

"It's not even cold. I don't need a jacket."

"Come on dear just take it. Spring isn't for another two weeks. Just take the damn jacket."

"I'm not going to take it."

The bickering seemed to be getting a little out of hand causing me to take the jacket and put it on. Thankfully, we found ourselves on the boat. From what I could see, there were booths everywhere that contained things from poker to slot machines, and much more. After about five minutes the boat took off from the beach.

"Place your bets! Which volunteer will win the arm-wrestling contest?"

"I'm placing five hundred on this fine boy Liam!" declared Piper.

"It's Liam against the strong heavyweight Victor."

Oh damn, what the hell was going on? Victor literally looked like he could pick up a car.

"What the hell Piper? You know you're about to lose five hundred, right?"

He placed his hand on me. "Look, arm wrestling is pretty simple. You need to look them in the eyes and not blink before the match starts. It throws the opponent off and they always lose. Believe me, I used to win these things back when I was young."

Leah gave me another kiss on the cheek for good luck. Stepping up to Victor, I gave him my arm and did what I was instructed. My eyes did not blink. When the match started, I was able to get the opponent's arm halfway down. With veins in his arm and his head, he reversed it.

"Don't blink!" shouted Leah. "Also scream in his face!"

Taking the advice, I found myself screaming in his face which threw in off even more. I was able to get his arm down. The crowd clapped while few cheered.

"Looks like I just won fifteen hundred dollars" claimed Piper. "All the idiots betted against Liam." With the money in his hand, he walked up to me. "Why don't we all get some drinks and watch the fake Frank Sinatra show?"

At first, I was confused about what he meant by fake, but I realize it was a Sinatra Impersonator. We all ordered wine and sat down at a table. 

"Can I have a taste of your wine? asked Leah to her grandfather.

"No, you want me to catch your germs. Didn't you say you had a cold the other day? Why don't you just order the flavor I have."

"I'm fine now. That was two weeks ago. Come on, just one sip."

"I am an old man Leah. It's not healthy to share things with other people. You want me to die?"

It was surprising to see how these two interacted with each other. At least this fake concert was decent. Taking a sip of my wine, I realized that this flavor had familiarity and began to feel lightheaded. One by one, memories of Heather started coming back. Before I knew it, my eyes started playing tricks on me. A few tables down which I could've sworn was empty, I saw Heather and Riley sitting, laughing, and sipping wine.

"Are you OK Liam?" asked Leah.

Coming back to reality, I noticed it truly was just my mind playing with me. Although, what was real was the fact my hand was bleeding because it had shattered the wine glass somehow.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." With that, I excused myself.

For the next few minutes, I found myself looking at the mirror with my bloody hand being washed by the water coming down. Taking a few deep breaths, my hand began playing with my hair and messed it up. My heart began racing. Heather's Face appeared in the mirror.

"I love you, babe."

"Shut up you bitch!" I was seconds away from having another bloody hand. No, this mirror needed to be left alone. Instead, I took a walk outside on the side of the boat to catch some air and look at the water.

"Everything alright?" asked Leah who had found me. "Looked like you had a moment back there."

"Where's your grandfather?" She stood close to me and held my hand.

"Oh, he found some friends. But to answer my question, are you OK?"

"I don't know. Maybe I have PTSD when it comes to boats. Found my ex-fiancé cheating on me on a boat."

She held my hand tighter. "Sure you're not drunk from the wine?" she joked. "Seriously though, I've actually been cheated on so I know somewhat how you feel." The wind began to blow against our faces. "If it helps, I would never cheat. All I want is a man I can share a life with and grow old with. Someone I can travel with."

"Someone you can watch Grey's Anatomy with?"

A small giggle came out of her mouth. "Wouldn't mind that."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you like to travel? It seems a lot of people love traveling, but what do you get out of it?"

She turned her face back towards the water. "I don't know. Guess it's nice to know that that there's a whole world greater than me. Sometimes I feel alone and just seeing all the different cultures helps me realize I'm not alone." 

"It seems like you have this great and wonderful job. You have a lot going on for you. Why would you feel alone?"

A noise came out of her throat. Not a sigh, but more like a hum. "I don't know. Suppose I've been alone all my life. My parents were always off on a trip leaving me with my grandparents. And having wealth, I was able to make a life for myself" she took a pause and chuckled. "You know I can't believe I just told you my deepest fear. Never thought that would happen on a second date."

We found ourselves walking around the boat with our hands still together. It was a perfect night to be outside with a few nice breezes and enjoying the quiet night. To our luck, we found a bench and sat down.

"Have you ever read 'An Abundance of Katherines?' she asked while looking at the moonlight with her head leaning on my shoulder.

"Are you kidding? Of course, I have. I love John Green."

"He's alright. Not really a fan of him, but the Kathrine Book is good." Not a fan? How could she not be a fan? "Anyways, I must have read that story at least a dozen times. On my trip to Spain, I found that book in a book shop and read it on the flight back. I was depressed for a couple of days because I could relate to Colin. He felt lonely and wanted a Katherine in his life. The road trip he took with his buddy seemed like he was trying to fill that void of loneliness. Damn, it was such a powerful book."

Her forehead received a kiss from my lips. "I don't think I got that at all from the book. The way I see it, Colin just went through a breakup with another Katherine. His buddy Hassan takes him on a road trip to get his mind off things. The road trip represents trying to find your place in life. The guy wants to matter. He wants to make a difference and the only way he can do that is by making a theorem to understand how relationships work."

She hummed. "Guess there are different ways of looking at it." Leah squeezed my hand as tight as she could. "You feel like you found your place in life?"

With a pause, my mind wanted to say yes. "I don't know."

"Guys get up!" commanded Piper who came out of nowhere and out of breath. We both got up with our hands leaving each other. "Mr. Mills had a heart attack. We have to get to the hospital."

That's quite a cliffhanger! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Don't forget to comment, vote, and share.

Next Chapter: We visit Mr. Mills at the hospital. Is he going to be OK?

How are you feeling about Leah at this point?

Have you ever read 'An Abundance of Katherines?' Do you agree with Liam or Leah?

Is Mr. Mills going to survive his heart attack?