My hand rises to the sky and as his finds mine — I feel my cheeks turn a shade of red like never before, he continues to do as told by locking our fingers together while his other hand goes out to lay flatly on my waist.

My nerves are getting to me just like they did all those years ago.

Why am I acting so strange?

My heart usually doesn't pound this fast in my chest, my cheeks don't normally turn this deep shade of red, and I most certainly don't get these crazy zoo full of animals in my stomach on a normal day.

I gulp hardly as I feel his tall frame tower behind me, the music guiding us and the melody giving us the strength to push though this weird time for us. I honestly don't know what else to call this heavy tension between us but weird.

Our hands join together but he noticeably hesitates a second before crossing them down so his arms are wrapped securely around me.

Times like this, I wonder to myself, and I contemplate, contemplate weather if it's better to live in a world of black and white, sorta like the one that I'm currently living in, a world that is simple, easy, decided. . . That sounds like a comfort zone answer, even if I don't want to necessarily admit that to me, or anyone else in matter of fact, or I can break free and engulf myself in a world full of streaming color. Something fun, wild, different. Something worth risking, something worth taking, something that was maybe always mine to begin with.

But that's sorta also the exact problem, because even though color can be fascinating, it can also be completely terrifying if you've only known one thing for so long. 

Liam is the color.

He paints my skies a bright blue, he paints my heart red. He gives light to the sunshine and gives me light flutters with every gaze, with every smile, with every little thing that makes Liam, Liam.

He colors my life. He is color.

He's the green in the grass and the reason why I smile. He's everything serenade and peaceful, everything that comes to mind when I close my eyes at night, but with all those things that makes him, him, there is also the repercussions in life, the destruction of having him in my life.

Because if Liam is everything that color is, everything that color means, the underlying joy in life, that isn't safe, it's never been safe. Liam has always been a complete wildcard.

And I don't know if I should raise or fold, because being in love with Liam Palazzesi is a whole deck of cards.

His breath fans my neck and goosebumps spread across my body, my stomach does physical backflips as he swiftly spins me around so we can be face to face. Our eyes immediately lock almost immediately, I shakily place my right hand behind his neck as his arm wraps around my waist.

I let myself fall effortlessly into his hold, he dips me lightly and I close my eyes as I'm scared to face what my heart is currently feeling.

He brings me back up to him and my eyes flutter open as my hand softly falls onto his chest. "Good work guys." The dance instructor grins with a clap of her hands. "So when's the wedding?" She hums curiosity as her eyes falls onto the diamond ring displayed on my hand.

The middle-aged woman grins from ear to ear as she props her hand on her waist.

"Oh — we're not —" I stutter nervously. "Actually I'm her fiancé." Matt corrects while still practicing the routine with Jessy.

"Really?" She questions, her eyebrows pull together in confusion as she continues to stare between the three of us as if the something doesn't add up. "Would've never guessed." She shrugs nonchalantly before going over to Emma and Logan, helping them with their posture to get the dance perfect for the wedding.

Matt trips over his own foot for the fifth time this practice and I give him a sheepish smile and a thumbs up. "You're doing great, Matt."

He gives me a grateful smile before turning his attention back onto Jessy and spinning her around.

My eyes fall back on the brown eyed boy and there he is with a smirk curling up at the corner of his lips.

"I don't like you." I lie heavily with a dramatic roll of my eyes just to bring his ego down a notch from what that lady just said.

He knows it's a lie as do I.

"Love you too." He winks and I feel my cheeks flood red.

____________

"You're not going to eat that?" Luke says through a mouthful of waffles, pointing to the leftover pieces of bacon on Jessy's plate.

She waves her hands up in surrenders before pushing the dish lightly in his direction. "All yours."

This trip has been surprisingly really fun! Luke and Mason are two goofballs who bring laughter wherever they go. Seeing Rebecca and Jessy, feels like no time has past at all, I'm so glad we can all be here to share this heartwarming experience with Logan and Emma.

As for Liam? Liam has been avoiding me like the plague — he won't even look at me! And every time I try talking to him he makes up some lousy excuse about someone is calling him — there's no cell reception out here.

"Matt, do you think you can wear that navy colored tux tonight? I really wanted to get a few teasers for my page to promote the new line I'm getting to launch." I whisper with a bat of my lashes pleadingly.

When working in the fashion industry I tend to design a lot women pieces, but because of the large attention and demand I've been receiving lately, I've decided to open a special line for men revolved around suits, tuxes, and ties — all of that cool stuff. But what really made me pick that particular style is because of my engagement announcement to the public — more like the public found out about my engagement when someone caught the proposal on camera.

I designed one particular tux that I thought would look amazing, it's just a simple sleek navy blue tux with a white button up which I happened to match with a delicate gold tie because it reminded me of Beauty and The Beast. 

I couldn't help the frown that formed on my lips as I take in the hesitation his face. "I can more than gladly pick out my outfits on my own, Giana." He says with grumble.

Is he serious?

He knows how important this is to me, why is he acting as if it's no big deal?

"Yeah I know you can, but I just thought-" he cut me off with a scowl on his lips. "You thought wrong."

My heart sinks to my stomach as I nod lightly looking down at the coffee in my hand. I know it sounds stupid and I should be understanding but I sketched these pictures a few years ago and I sorta hoped he would understand where I was coming from.

Usually Matt and I always understand each other — I don't know what's changed.

"Lets just drop it." Matt sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose in desperation of me to stop talking already. I purse my lips in disappointment and nod lightly, not wanting to cause any attention on us.

"Giana, come with me." Rebecca giggles, getting up from her chair and tugging on my arm to follow her lead.

Oh okay, we're just going for a little stroll — and now we're outside — fantastic.

"Want to let me now why you decided to pull me like a doll?" I prop a curious brow up and Becca face deepens to a shade of red on her that I've never seen before.

Usually she's all confident, calm, and collected. Nothing ever makes her nervous or fidgety, not even all those time a teacher or an administrator yelled at her for something ridiculous.

"So, how about you and Matt?" She giggles 'innocently' as she continuously wraps her brown hair around her index finger.

"What about us?" Panic begins to rise in my chest at the slight possibility of Jessy telling anyone else about that conversation we had the other night.

Don't get me wrong I trust her, but if the truth accidentally slipped out I wouldn't be surprised. . . I don't even know why I said what I said — my mind wasn't thinking properly.

"Don't get offended but--" her words fall short as she looks me dead in the eye. "You guys don't even look like you guys are into each other." She blurts out and my eyes widen at her sudden forwardness about this topic.

Why is everyone so concerned about Matt and I's relationship?

When we're in high school it was clear as day that I had a 'type' as my friends like to call it. The ones who aren't an open book, the ones who challenged me, the ones who are the definition of hectic, and most of all the defiant, cocky ones.

As rude and selfish as it sounds Matt, never gave me butterflies except when we were younger, my cheeks don't flare, my heart doesn't sing. And it should. It should do all of those things.

So why do I go for the complete opposite?

I should be grateful to have someone as sweet and caring in my life like Matt is, but it's like my heart isn't in it, and I'm starting to see that more and more every day on this trip.

It's never been my intention to hurt him, I never wanted that. I do like him, heck I thought I was even in love with him for five whole years, but with Liam, here, I know that isn't the case anymore.

Because as days past I now know that my love for Matt, is a friendship, and my love for Liam, it goes so much deeper than that.

I've never been the one to paint outside the lines, my comfort zone is all I know, I've always been terrified to go the extra mile in fear of embarrassment. I don't like being in large crowds, I get shy when meeting new people, I procrastinate about trying new things and that's how it's always been. . . Before him at least.

Liam came along and brought me out of that comfort zone, he changed me, he keeps me on my toes, I never know what to expect, and even though that could be just as much scary as exciting — being with him is a risk I enjoy more than words can possibly explain.

He is like the air I breathe, consuming, I have no willpower against him and I have no choice but to intoxicate myself with the energy he brings.

He makes the world his, painting each day with a new shade and bringing the colors to life. Doesn't matter the challenge or task someone gives him, he's a go getter, he's the jokester, he's the charmer, but most of all he's the one who has my whole heart, every last bit of it.

"I care about you, Giana, we all do. We just don't want to see you make a mi-" I cut her off with a sigh and a slight shake of my head, annoyed by everyone being so interested in me and my life decisions.

"Why is everyone keep saying that to me lately?! Matt isn't a mistake." I proclaim and she rolls her eyes at my 'obliviousness' as Emma likes to fall it. Becca clearly overheard Matt and I's conversation in the dining area and doesn't believe we can work but that's not true.

"You're in love with, Liam, that's why! When will you finally admit that to yourself?!" She exclaims and I feel my heart race at the sudden mention of his name and the fact that we're getting a few glances from a few passing people on board.

"Are you serious?" I laugh humorlessly, folding my arms across my chest defensively. "You guys were the one who convinced me to go out with Matt in the first place."

"And clearly it's not working, you're engaged but you're not in love with him, so why are you willing to settle?" She huffs out before seeing one line that struck a heartstring. "Matt is a great guy but that doesn't mean he's the guy for you."

Silence falls between us and I can't help but awkwardly rub the back of my neck in embarrassment — the two of us take a few steps back so we can be in one of the more secluded area of the ship.

Too many eyes are on us and if any of this information leaks, I can ruin not only my career but Liam's as well if people put the pieces together — the amount of teenage girls that already came up to take a photo with the heartthrob himself this week has been more than a handful to count.

"Liam has a girlfriend." I say with a clear of my throat and Rebecca shrugs. "I don't see her."

"I love him," I choke out and excitement takes over her features. "But I won't ruin his happiness because of my own selfish feelings." I admit.

"You're going to hurt Matt if you keep continuing this." She inputs with a serious poker face, and I can't shake off the feeling as if she's hiding something from me.

"Are you into Matt or something?" I question in confusion and she stays silent as her eyes rake everything around her but me.

"You're into Matt, aren't you?" I splutter out in disbelief and I cannot believe what's actually going on.

One of my absolute best friends that I've known since high school likes my fiancé?

More important question is why am I not angry? Why am I not mad? I should be furious. I get more upset when I see an innocent girl take a photo with Liam than I am right now.

"C'mon Giana, don't play like you didn't know, everyone knew I liked him since elementary school." She frowns deeply and I can't imagine how she's currently feeling — her friend is engaged to the guy she's likes, she's had a crush on Matt for as long as she can remember, and the girl he chose isn't even that head over heels for him — it all makes sense now.

Rebecca was never the serious type when it came to boys, but when it came to Matt she always had a soft spot. A different side to her that no one ever saw, and when he left it hit her the hardest — I just didn't know she liked him at the time.

"Are you upset with me being engaged to him?" My voice cracks as I start to feel like ultimate worst best friend in the world. I don't even need her to answer to know that a part of her isn't happy with me.

"I'm not happy with the idea," she admits openly. "Especially if you don't love him."

"Hey Giana, I've been looking for you!" Matt's voice catches us by surprise and a blush rises to Rebecca's cheeks.

I think I know what's the right thing to do. . . This is going to be tough.

(A/n- Chapter twelve is officially out!

- What are your thoughts on this chapter?
- What song do you think Liam and Giana are dancing to?
- What do you think is going to happen next?

Thank you all so much for reading! Please, please don't forget to comment, share, and click that little star button at the bottom of the page. Until next time!)