One Valentine's Day

They were inseparable since childhood. They lived in the same building, played in the same parks. There was a green bench, a silent witness to all the years they had spent together, laughing and playing. Maya and Liam were best friends forever. Sometimes they used to fight, but soon they would make up again. To Maya, Liam was her best friend, but to Liam, Maya was always a little more than just a friend. Through all those years of laughter and play, Liam had developed feelings for her.

In childhood, it was just innocent love, but as they both grew older, Liam’s feelings turned into something deeper. By the time they turned 16, Maya had become everything to him. However, Maya remained completely unaware of his feelings. She never thought of Liam in that way. Whenever she showed an interest in a guy and discussed it with Liam, he would always try to convince her that the guy wasn’t right for her.

Liam's heart would burn whenever he saw other guys attracted to Maya. He was so protective of her. Maya would often say, “Don’t care for me so much. I know how to handle them.”

Liam would reply, “No, you don’t know how their brains work. Only I know, because I’m a guy myself.” Then they’d both laugh, brushing off the conversation.

When Maya turned 17, she and her parents decided that she would go to the USA for higher studies. This had been Maya’s lifelong dream, and she would do anything to make it happen. She had taken the scholarship test a month before, and to her surprise, she had been awarded the scholarship.

As soon as she received the news, she rushed to find Liam. He was sitting on the same green bench in the park when he heard Maya call out to him. “Liam! I did it! I got the scholarship! I’m going to the USA in March!”

Liam, with a forced smile on his face, replied, “Wow, you’ve always wanted this. I’m really happy for you. It’s February 10th, so you’re leaving in less than a month.”

“Yes! I’m having a party at my place tonight. I’d love for you to come!” Maya said with excitement.

“I can’t, Maya. My aunt needs me to help her shift homes tomorrow,” Liam said, avoiding her gaze.

Maya noticed something was off. There was a strange look on his face, something that didn’t match his words. She tried to ask what was wrong, but Liam refused to talk about it.

On his way home, Liam’s heart raced with emotion. "She’s leaving. What if she forgets me? What if I never see her again? What if she finds someone else?". His chest tightened, and he couldn’t hold back the tears. He cried hard in his bedroom, the pain overwhelming. After a few minutes, he wiped his eyes and whispered to himself, “I’m going to tell her. I won’t let her leave without knowing. This Valentine’s Day, I’m going to confess my love for her.”

For a few days, Liam avoided the park, even though Maya came searching for him each day. But on February 14th, he gathered all his courage and went to the park. Maya found him sitting on the green bench. She walked over and sat beside him, waiting for him to start the conversation.

When Liam didn’t speak, Maya broke the silence. “So, what’s the latest gossip? What’s happening in college?”

Liam stayed silent, but Maya kept talking. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but our neighbors adopted a cute little puppy.”

Liam finally stopped her mid-sentence and said, “Maya…”