Heartbreak To Healing - 1. Chapter 1

Liam Sanders held his cell phone, deciding which message he’d fire back to his boyfriend. Now his ex-boyfriend, and just thinking about it, soured his mood. The bastard hadn’t the decency to break up face to face and, instead, took the coward’s way of ending the relationship via text. The 16-year-old re-read the messages on his phone screen and let out a fueled sigh.

Liam: 6:49 PM

Did you kiss him?

Jake: 7:02 PM

Us… We should end us.

How do I reply to that? Liam pondered.

How did one respond to a message that wanted to end one year of trial and error? Months of nervous, jittery feelings, the endearing glances across the classroom, or the muddled words and heavy breathing when they were alone. Liam sighed, locked his cell phone then peered up. His dog Rufus lounged across the shag carpet at the end of his bed. Despite it being his birthday, any thought of celebration faded with the ultimate betrayal of trust. Not only had the teen been dumped, but also cheated on. However, Liam didn’t want to think about what boy had his tongue in his boyfriends’ mouth. Ex’s mouth. The lad just wanted this nightmare to end. A knock came at the door, and Liam peered up, wondering, presumably feeling foolish but hoping it could be Jake.

“Yes?” Liam asked.

Mona, Liam’s mother, popped her head into the door’s gap and shimmied inside. Her gleeful smile was plastered across her face, and the cheerful smile didn’t help. Seeing it made Liam feel more annoyed.

Mona looked at Liam and said, “Guess what? I’ve got a surprise for you!” Liam was not in the mood for surprises but didn’t want to sound ungrateful, so he asked, “What is it?” Mona’s smile widened as she said, “We’re going to your favourite restaurant for dinner!” Liam couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Going to a restaurant wouldn’t make him forget about Jake, but he didn’t want to upset his mother. “Sure, thanks, Mom,” Liam replied with a forced smile. Mona gave him a quick hug and left the room.

Liam sighed and picked up his phone again. He stared at the messages for a few moments before typing a reply.

Liam: 7:10 PM

Fine. We’re not a thing anymore, and I don’t want to talk about it.

Liam hit send and tossed his phone onto the bed. He didn’t want to talk about it but couldn’t stop thinking about it. He felt hurt, angry, and betrayed. He had trusted Jake, and Jake had thrown it all away for some other guy. How could he have been so blind?

Liam’s thoughts were interrupted by a bark from Rufus. Liam looked at his dog and grinned. Rufus didn’t care about Jake or any other guy. Rufus loved Liam unconditionally, as long as you kept up with the belly rubs and provided a full food dish, and that love was something Liam could count on. He got up from his bed and walked over to Rufus, giving him a pat on the head. “Thanks, buddy,” Liam said, feeling slightly better.

Liam tried to push Jake out of his mind as he got ready for dinner. He didn’t want to think about him, but he couldn’t help it. He wondered if he would ever be able to trust anyone again.

As Liam sat in the restaurant, he couldn’t help but feel like he was going through the motions. The food tasted bland, and the atmosphere felt hollow. Liam’s mother tried to converse, but Liam wasn’t in the mood to talk. He just wanted to go back home and be alone with Rufus.

Liam tried his best to put on a smile and enjoy the evening, but it was hard when his heart was broken. He felt like he was pretending to be happy for his mother’s sake. As they left the restaurant, Liam was relieved to be heading back home. However, he knew his emptiness wouldn’t go away just because he was back in his room.

So, trying not to brood, Liam attempted to push the thoughts from his mind and, indulging in his darker side and retrieved some leftovers from the fridge. Once upstairs, Liam entered his bedroom and shut the door just as his cell phone chimed, the sharp tone being the infamous notification sound for HAWT.

Liam’s heart skipped a beat. It had been weeks since he’d received a message on the app, and he had almost forgotten about it. But now, seeing the notification, Liam’s curiosity got the best of him. He picked up his phone and opened the app, scrolling through the messages. Most of them were from guys he wasn’t interested in, but then he saw a message from someone new. The profile picture was a bit blurry, but Liam could tell the guy was cute. The picture showed some torso with a six-pack in a pair of grey gym shorts. The sight immediately ignited a fire in Liam’s lap. He clicked on the message and read it.

“Hey there, I saw your profile and thought you looked interesting. Want to chat?” The guys said.

Liam hesitated for a moment but then decided to reply. Maybe talking to someone new would help him forget about Jake.

Liam began to type out a response to the new message, excited at the prospect of talking to someone new.

“Sure, I’d love to chat,” he typed before hitting send.

As he waited for a response, Liam couldn’t help but feel a little hopeful. Maybe this was his chance to move on from Jake and get his start fresh.

As the minutes passed, Liam’s phone remained silent. He began feeling disappointed, thinking that maybe the new guy wasn’t as interested as he first seemed. Just as Liam was about to give up hope, his phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from the new guy, and Liam’s heart raced as he read it.

“Great! So, tell me a bit about yourself. What do you like to do for fun?”

Liam smiled as he read the message. It felt good to talk to someone new who didn’t know anything about Jake or the pain he had caused. Liam began to type out a response, telling the new guy about his hobbies and interests. As Liam typed, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. Talking to someone new was helping him forget about Jake, even if it was just for a little while.

“I like collecting rocks,” Liam typed and sent.

“Rocks? Kind of boring, no?” The guy messaged back.

Liam felt a pang of disappointment at the guy’s response. He had been hoping for someone who would understand his interests, not judge him for them. Liam hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should bother responding. But then he decided to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he just didn’t understand how cool rocks could be. “I don’t think so,” Liam typed back. “There’s a lot of interesting things you can learn from rocks. Plus, they’re beautiful in their own way.” As he hit send, Liam couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction. He wouldn’t let anyone make him feel bad about his interests, not even a cute guy on a dating app.

“Okay, I’m sorry, I guess they could be interesting. It’s nerdy, but it’s cute,” the guy replied.

Liam felt a small smile spread across his face as he read the guy’s response. Maybe talking to someone new wasn’t such a bad idea after all. As he continued chatting with the new guy, Liam felt a sense of hope grow inside him. Maybe there was life after Jake, after all.

“How about you? Do you do anything for fun?” Liam asked.

The guy replied, “I like to go hiking and exploring new places. I’m always up for an adventure.”

Liam felt a spark of interest in the guy’s response. He had always wanted to explore new places, but Jake had never been interested in anything like that.

Liam typed back, “That sounds really cool. I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure. Maybe we could go on one together sometime?”

As he hit send, Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement. Maybe this was the start of something new, something better than what he had with Jake.

“Sure, I hike all the time; I could show you lots of neat places; it could even be romantic,” the guy said.

Liam felt a flutter in his chest at the guy’s last message. He hadn’t felt this kind of excitement in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, he had found someone who would appreciate him for who he was.

Liam typed back, “That sounds amazing. When do you want to go?” As he hit send, Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope for the future.

“You’re eager, ain’t you?” the guy messaged back.

Liam felt a little embarrassed at the guy’s response. He had been so eager to start something new he hadn’t thought about coming on too strong. “Sorry, I’m just excited to meet someone new,” Liam replied. “I hope I’m not being too forward.” As he hit send, Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of nervousness. What if the guy wasn’t interested anymore? What if he had scared him off? Liam tried to push the thoughts from his mind, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry.

“I like the forwardness; maybe I’m more bold than you think?” the guy said.

Liam felt a sense of relief as the guy’s message came through. Maybe he had a chance to move on from Jake after all.

Liam replied, “I like that. Maybe we can be bold together.”

As he hit send, Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement.

“You sound like you could be a naughty boy. Are you a bad boy? The guy asked.

Liam blushed as he read the message. He wasn’t sure how to respond. He didn’t want to come off as too eager, but he didn’t want to seem like a prude. After a few moments of hesitation, Liam decided to be honest. “I don’t know about bad, but I can be a little naughty sometimes,” he typed back. As he hit send, Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement.

“Yeah, I can imagine that; in fact, I’m already imagining,” the guy added.

Liam blushed even harder as he read the guy’s last message. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for that kind of conversation yet. He typed out a response, trying to be as honest as possible.

“I guess,” Liam typed back. “But I’m interested in getting to know you better.”

Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. He wasn’t ready to jump into anything too fast, but he was excited to see where things could go with this new guy.

“Name, Age and Location?” the guy sent.

Liam hesitated momentarily, wondering if he should give out his personal information to a stranger. But then he decided to take a chance. “Liam, 16, and I live in Newhaven,” he typed back. Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of nervousness. What if the guy turned out to be a creep? What if he regretted giving out his information? Liam tried to push the thoughts from his mind, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry.

Minutes went by, and he decided to add to his previous message.

“How about you? What’s your name and age?” Liam asked.

The new guy responded, “My name is Alex, and I’m 17. I live in Hellerup.” Liam felt relieved that the guy had given him his information, too. The sea separated them, but the bridge connecting Hellerup to the mainland provoked Liam’s imagination. If they really liked one another, they’d be able to meet.

They continued chatting for a while longer, and Liam increasingly enjoyed the conversation. Maybe, just maybe, he had found something good in the midst of all the pain.

“Listen, I’ve got to go, you know and sleep, but if you’re interested, add me on UChat. Maybe we can continue this conversation over there in the morning,” Alex said.

Another message came seconds later, “099 4821 2911.”

Liam smiled as he read Alex’s message. Maybe this was the start of something new, something better than what he had with Jake.

“Sure, I’d love to add you on UChat,” Liam replied. “Goodnight, Alex.”

Liam hit send and couldn’t help but feel a sense of wow. Maybe tomorrow would be the start of something great.

“Night, cutie,” Alex replied.

Liam smiled as he read Alex’s message.

Liam typed, “Goodnight, Alex,” again as he hit send.

Liam couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope. Tomorrow would be the start of something great. Liam realized he had been chatting with the new guy for hours. He looked at the clock and realized it was already past midnight. Liam was surprised at how easy it was to talk to the new guy, and he felt a connection he hadn’t felt in a long time. As Liam crawled into bed that night, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope for the future. He felt he could finally move on from Jake with the new guy and have a fresh start. Liam closed his eyes and grinned, feeling grateful for the unexpected surprise that had come his way. However, just as he was about to drift off into a peaceful sleep, he remembered, sprung up and inputted the details for the boy he met on HAWT into UChat. After, since he was feeling hungry, he finally ate the leftovers he’d brought up from the kitchen.