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Liam
I’m a mess as the contestants and I wait behind the closed door to be introduced to the audience. And that’s not because I’m nervous for the second round of the Young Chefs of Tomorrow. No. It’s because I can’t bear to stand next to Chloe when I’ve been lying to her all this time.
I know I told Willow I’ll tell her the truth, but…I don’t know. I mean, I want to. I really do. It’s just that…
I slump forward like I’m carrying the weight of the world on my back.
Chloe turns to me. “You okay?”
I nod, releasing another breath. If she knew the truth, would she ever talk to me again? Like I told Willow, I don’t want Chloe and me to lose the special bond we have.
“You’ll do great,” my awesome partner says with a bright smile. “We’ll beat them just like we did in the first round.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I force myself to nod. She narrows her eyes as she studies me, maybe trying to determine why I’m acting like I left my brain at home this morning.
“Liam, what’s going on?”
Tell her, the voice in my head urges.
Are you crazy? You’re about to start the second round of a competition that might change your life. Do you really want your partner to ditch you?
Gosh. That’s the most selfish thought I’ve ever had. It’s not important how I do in this competition—what matters is Chloe. And I hurt her.
She places her hand on my shoulder. “You look like you’re about to pass out.” She looks around. “They’re going to start introducing everyone. You good?”
Sure, I’m good. I’m the worst friend in the entire Universe. Best friends don’t fool their best friends like I did. Man. What the heck was I thinking?
I explained it all to Willow last night, but the more I think about it, the more I tell myself that no matter how many times I try to justify what I did, it was wrong. Stupid.
Now Chloe places both hands on my shoulders, staring into my eyes. “Please pull yourself together. I can’t do this without you.”
I try to swallow the boulder in my throat, but it won’t go down. Chloe hands me a water bottle and I chug half the liquid down.
“Didn’t sleep at all last night,” I mumble. And that’s not because of the competition. As I lay in bed, I replayed the conversation with Willow over and over in my head.
Chloe slips her hand into mine. “You have me.” She sends me a warm smile. “Always remember that.”
I just stare into her beautiful brown eyes. Yes, I have her. But will I still have her when she finds out the truth?
One by one, the contestants are introduced. Chloe and I still clutch each other’s hands as we run into the kitchen. My family, hers, and all of our friends are in the audience again, waving their posters and cheering at the top of their lungs.
My eyes flit to Willow, who keeps her gaze on me. I know she doesn’t expect me to tell Chloe right now, but I guess maybe after?
Willow smiles and claps along with everyone else, encouraging me. A bit of confidence flows through me and I perk up, waving at my cheer team. I can’t let this thing with Chloe tear me down. She and I have worked so hard for this. So even though it’s hard, I need to forget about it. Pretend it doesn’t exist for a little while as I get through what will probably be a tough day.
The judges are introduced as well before they settle down at their table with their hands clasped.
Then Viraj starts to explain the rules of the first challenge. I was right—it’s pretty tough. I’ve never cooked in this style before, but Chloe and I have learned as much as we could, so I think we’ll be okay.
We only have half an hour to cook. Viraj counts to three and we’re off. Chloe and I, along with everyone else, frantically run to the pantry to grab our items, since the stock is limited. I’m not one to push, so everyone topples over their rivals to snatch whatever they need. Since the no-punching or pushing rules are in effect, no one is vicious. But geez.
Chloe and I manage to get everything we need, and we make our way back to our station to begin cooking. It’s hard for me to interact with her without feeling like a complete jerk, but I need to push that aside and focus on the task. Like I said, we worked too hard for this.
Chloe goes above and beyond doing what needs to be done, since my thoughts are a bit frazzled. She keeps me grounded. Gosh…how could I hurt her like this?
I place my hand on her shoulder when I catch the sweat gathering on her forehead and soaking her headband. “Chloe, you’re working too hard. Please don’t kill yourself.”
She shakes her head as she continues mixing the pot on the stove. “I’m fine.”
