Give me love like this

Liam's POV

Maggie just left me here at the table. Half her food still untouched. I have no idea what just happened. Why is she accusing me of sending those text messages? They were from my phone. I didn't unfollow her, she's the one who didn't want to be friends with me. Why is Maggie saying all of this? I have to figure this out.

Then it all clicks.

Sophia.

This was all her. She knew my pass code, that got her into my twitter, that got her into my texts. She did this. I knew she didn't like Codi, but I never thought she would stoop so low. I remember it now, I was taking a shower, I left my phone on the table. She did this. I'm such an idiot!

Oh my god, I have to go after Maggie. I have to explain.

I quick jump up, leave more money on the table and run out the door. I hear my security guys thumping their feet after me. I run right into the paps.

“Liam, why are you running out of the restaurant?”

“Why were you eating with your former best friends sister?”

“Whats going on with you and Sophia? Why isn't she in New York with you?”

They're all yelling questions at me. I ignore them and push my way through. Thankfully Maggie is wearing pink pants, shes easy to spot just a few blocks down. But I need to be discrete. I know if I run after her and start talking to her, the paps are right behind me, they'll hear everything, and apparently I've already messed up Codi's life enough, I don't want to do it anymore with people watching. This is a conversation Maggie and I need to have in private.

I pull out my phone and call her, I see her stop and look at her phone she ignored the first and second call and the third so I give up and text her.

“Please, you have to believe me, I know who did this. We need to finish this conversation. Please come to my hotel in an hour. I'm staying at the Surrey. Please, please come.” I'm desperate, I need to make this right.

I see her look at her phone, look back at me and hesitate. She looks at me for a long time, still looking at me stopped on the sidewalk when me security team ushers me into a waiting SUV to get away from the cameras. I have no idea if she's coming but I hope she does. If I can get Maggie on my side, I'm sure I can get Codi back eventually.

“What room are you?” I get a text 45 minutes later. Shes coming. I let out a sigh of relief. We can finally figure this out.

“I'll send some one of my security team down to the lobby, they'll bring you up.” I respond, asking one of my team to go get her.

“Fine.” Is all she responds. Maggie is a lot more feisty then I remember.

We sit down on the couch, me on one side and an obvious still pissed at me Maggie on the other side. She's looking straight ahead when finally she speaks.

“So what did you figure out. I don't want to spend my whole day with someone who broke my sisters heart.” She tosses her head in my direction, giving me the dreaded “look”.

It breaks me that she said I'm responsible for breaking Codi's heart. The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt Codi, but I guess I already did that.

“I didn't mean for any of this to happen. That letter I wrote to Codi, it was the truth. I loved her, I still love her.” I genuinely feel this way.

“Then why did you date Sophia? If you love my sister, why did you get together with Sophia? Did you think she was Codi? I mean they both have brown hair I can see how you'd get confused. I guess the names Codi and Sophia sound the same. Did you think about Codi when you were fucking Sophia as well?” She asks, clearly beyond pissed at me.

“That's enough Maggie! I dated Sophia because I needed a distraction. Codi was thousands of kilometers away and I couldn't see her everyday. I needed someone. You have to understand.” I explain.

“I don't understand! I love Michael, I would never date someone as a distraction, you want someone you fight for them! Apparently you're not man enough to take distance, can't use your hand to please yourself while my sister is away? Who did this to my sister if you didn't?” She demands. “Answer my question Liam or I'm leaving.”

“Sophia.” I whisper. “Sophia did this.” I say looking down, I can't believe I was with someone who would do this to my best friend.

“I don't believe you.” She states with power.

“You have to. Trust me, I would never say those things to Codi. I remember it, I had just gotten done working out and she came over, I had to take a shower and I left my phone on the table. She knew my pass code. Codi must have texted me and Sophia took it upon herself to respond.” I explain.

Maggie looks past me, obviously thinking.

“Then why didn't you try to get ahold of her? She apparently sends you a text and says she doesn't want to be friends and you don't fight for her? You don't even try to talk to her?” She asks.

“She changed her number. I thought she was finished with me. I wanted to respect her decision.”

“Who changed her number?” Maggie asked, her eyebrows up in question.

“Codi.”

She started laughing, and not laughing when things are funny, but a rude laugh.

“What's so funny?” I ask, genuinely confused.

“Liam, Codi has had the same number since she was 14.” She puts more emphasis on the number 14. “It's. Never. Changed.” She explains.

“What? Then what is it?” I ask as I pull out my phone to check. I still have her in my contacts, still under favourites.

“It's 555-7896. Same as it has been for the last six years. I have it memorized.”

I check my phone, the number I have for her is 555-7997.

“That's not what I have, look.” I show her my phone. “Why would I change it? I have no reason to.”

“Ok, this is weird. Liam. I want to believe you, but I just can't, I don't trust you. Your mom and my mom talk every week, you couldn't get her number from Karen, or text me to get it, or your sisters? They ALL have Codi's number. You're just making excuses now. I thought you and Codi would end up together. You needed to end up together.” She whispers that last part, I want to be with Codi too.

“I was shit okay. Is that what you want to hear? I was so wrapped up in Sophia, being at home, recording the album, I was a shit friend. Every time I brought Codi up Sophia got pissed at me, and my mum just told me that I needed to fix it, but I thought all along that she didn't want to be my friend anymore so I didn't want to push it.” I was getting upset, I needed to take deep breaths.

“Yeah, well that is a shit excuse. You didn't even try to love her, you just pushed her under the rug when you couldn't see her and kiss her when you wanted. You think it was easy for her? Think its easy for Codi to be stuck as a friend, to see your pictures all over the tabloids with Sophia draped all over your arm?”

“I get it Maggie! I messed up! I believed Sophia, I believed that Codi didn't want to be friends with me, I get it. I'm an idiot! Is that what you want to hear?” Maggie is fantastic but she's really good at pushing my buttons.

“No, that's not what I want to hear Liam! I want to hear that you will do anything in your power to get her back, that you will stay true to her, that you will LOVE her like you say you do!” She's shouting in my face when security comes around the corner.

I hold my hand up and bow my head slightly for them to realize it's okay. I know Maggie would never physically hurt me, although her words are doing a pretty good job.

Maggie takes a deep breath. “Just prove to me that Sophia did this and I will help you. But if you can't prove it, I'm walking.”

I think of a plan.

"Can you be quiet?" I ask.

“Yes, Liam, I can be quiet.” She says sarcastically. “But why do I need to?” She asks.

“I'm going to call Sophia and ask her. She'll know when she's on speaker phone so she won't admit it. You need to scoot closer.” I say as I search for Sophia's number, I can feel the couch bounce as Maggie gets closer.

“I'm recording this. Codi won't believe me if I just tell her, and she certainly won't believe you.” I simply nod my head in agreement.

Sophia answers on the second ring and we hash it out. After a few attempts from her to get back together with me, and me refusing, she admits that she did it all. Admits she unfollowed and blocked Codi on twitter, she texted Codi those terrible things, and she changed her phone number. The only reason she said she did it was because she said that Codi was a bitch, even though she had never met her and hardly talked to her, and she wanted her out of our lives. I hung up on her, I couldn't take any more excuses out of her. I can't believe I wasted so much time with her.

I looked over at Maggie who has her eyes wide open and her mouth agape.

“That bitch.” She whispers and looks at me. “You have to get Codi. I'll help you out as much as I can.” She has a sudden change of heart. “Do you want her though?” She asks.

“I've always wanted Codi.” I say, I still can't believe Sophia would do this. “I can fly to Minnesota at the end of the week.”

“Why would you come to Minnesota?” She chuckles.

“Um, that's where everyone is.” I state confused.

“Wow Liam, you really haven't tried to keep up with Codi at all! She moved to LA, last July, you know EIGHT months ago. In fact, after you two text each other, well Codi and Sophia, whatever. She's teaching high school history out there, living with my Uncle Jai. She was texting you that day to tell you about her interview, when all that happened, she couldn't stay in Minneapolis, your mom and my mom call each other every week, she didn't want to hear it all the time. So she left. She's a lot happier out there. You should see her, she's radiant.” Maggie explains it all.

Wow, she did it. She actually did it. I know we talked about all of this, about her going somewhere different then teaching in Minnesota, putting herself out there, but I didn't know she was actually going to do it.

“Then I'll go to LA. I was planning on it before the tour started anyway. I'll do the best I can. But I need your help.” I plead with Maggie. This will take work, but I know if I have Maggie on my side then Codi will be mine eventually.

“I'll do every thing I can Liam.” We both stand up as she pulls me into a hug. “I never thought you would say those things to my sister. Nothing made sense. But I will always protect my sister. I'm so glad we figured this out.” She talks into my chest.

“Me too Maggie. Me too.” I say as I let go. I have some planning to do.

Notes