Chapter 6

The next morning, Mia came downstairs and found Liam waiting for her. He sat on the couch with a darkened face and said coldly, "Mia Torres!" She could tell right away he was in a foul mood. However, she had no intention of placating him and remained distant. "Oh, hey. Good morning. I'm heading out to meet my boyfriend. I won't be entertaining you, so make yourself at home." The anger Liam had been holding in for days instantly got triggered. He shot up and grabbed her wrist tightly, his eyes clouded with anger. "What boyfriend?" She didn't answer him and didn't flinch, either. Seeing that, Liam's anger flared, and he unconsciously tightened his grip. "Are you a mute? Answer me!" Mia tried to pull her reddened wrist away, and her tone remained as cold as ever. "What does it have to do with you? Don't you think you're overstepping?" Just then, Isabel came downstairs and quickly stepped between them just as things were about to escalate. "Oh, dear, she's just throwing a tantrum. She's too busy right now to be dating anyone. If she were going to fall in love, it wouldn't be anytime soon. "You two grew up together, and there's nothing you can't work through. Stop fighting, alright?" With the presence of an elder, both of them reined in their tempers and sat down. Liam realized he might have gone too far earlier after Isabel left the house. He regained his senses and recalled something Isabel had said earlier. He couldn't help but frown. What was she busy with? What happened? Why did she have to wait before dating anyone again? He was completely in the dark. Therefore, he asked her, "You were lying to me, weren't you?" Mia glanced at him and sat in a corner. "Do you need something?" He knew she was trying to provoke him when she tried to change the subject. He felt relieved and shifted the conversation back to the main issue. "Why won't you come to my birthday?" "I'm busy." His anger flared again at her cold and detached demeanor. He instinctively raised his voice once more. "Busy with what? What could possibly be more important than my birthday? Aren't you the one who used to look forward to celebrating it the most?" She took a sip of water and said indifferently, "Times have changed. You have a girlfriend now. You should say this to Riley instead of a stranger like me." His chest tightened for some reason when she called herself a stranger. He crossed his legs and laced his fingers together. "I don't care. You have to come this year. Do you remember those three wishes you promised me years ago? "The first wish is that you'd knit me a scarf. The second wish is that you'd climb a snowy mountain with me. Well, you've already fulfilled both. Now, I'm using the third one—you have to come to my birthday." Mia didn't argue with him this time. Instead, she lowered her head in silence. Her silence only made Liam more restless, and his voice grew icier. "Did you forget why you made those promises in the first place?" Of course, she remembered. They went to a beach and got caught in a rising tide three years ago. She cramped her legs and was dragged into the deep ocean. Liam was the one who jumped in without hesitation to save her and nearly drowned in the process. She had cried so hard at the hospital that she nearly fainted. She even thought of ending her life if he didn't make it. Back then, he gently wiped her tears away when he finally woke up. His voice was extremely gentle. "You're crying like I've died or something." "You idiot! You almost did. Don't say such awful things!" She was so furious that she had hit him. He laughed and asked for mercy while comforting her. "Fine, fine. Promise me three things if you truly care about me that much." Mia fell silent again as she recalled the past. The room was quiet for a long time before she finally answered, "Alright. After I fulfil the third wish…" A ringtone cut her off before she could finish her words. Liam picked up the phone and started walking toward the door. "Good. You have to come tomorrow." She quietly finished her sentence as his figure disappeared through the doorway. "Let's go our separate ways after that."