In The Nick Of Time

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 18

Dinner had come and they had their last dinner together. Niall and Lin were arguing and laughing, Liam joined at some point, and Zayn was there as well surprisingly. He didn't meet any one's eyes, but he listened to the one's around the island. It made Liam forgot about the weighing feeling in his shoulders, but when he looked up and saw the stiff expression of Zayn's or the fact that he not only didn't move just ate the tiniest bits of his food. It made Liam uneasy again when Lin was the first to go up and leave the table.

Niall insisted he'd do the dishes, and for once Lin let him do as he pleased. Liam was second to last to finish, and he walked out of the room as quick as he could after handing Niall the plate and thanking him for the dinner. He didn't go to sleep, but he laid on his back as he listened to Niall moved around the kitchen. Soon after the sounds of the stools pushing back, and mumbling went on Niall was walking down the hall while the water in the sink kept running and the light was still on in the kitchen.

Liam felt all weight on him as he sat up, laying down was too much for him. He listened to the water run, and then turned off. His heart hammering against his chest. There was a subtle note that the shoe clad feet were coming towards the room, or maybe it was the shadow getting closer in the door way, or maybe the fact that Liam knew some thing was just going to happen some time in that day. And he was right.

Zayn leaned in the door way and turned sharply to Liam, looking directly at him when Liam met his eye and instantly he was trying to find the air to breathe again. Zayn left the door way and back into the kitchen, and Liam felt that he was being forced to get up and walk along the way. So, standing up on his shaking feet he shoved his hands into the sweatpants that weren't his, again, and froze in the door way of the kitchen's. Zayn stood leaning back on the counter with his arms over his chest, staring right at him with piercing eyes like the first days he'd been there.

Liam turned his eyes down, and walked closer. Taking a seat slowly, he felt as if he were to stand - he'd fall or faint in some way. He took no chances in the lecture he felt he was about to get. Instead - Zayn shuffled in his step, and spoke.

"Spit it out." He said lowly, and Liam could feel himself shake already. His legs already shaking as he tapped his foot inaudibly, and he fumbled with his hands. Zayn spoke louder, "Spit it out, now." He demanded.

Liam took a deep breath, feeling his blood rush every where. "I didn't do it." He admitted. "I didn't mean it."

Zayn stood quiet, and it made Liam's hands shake even more.

His lips trembled as he fought the urge to cry, he didn't know why but he felt guilty to some thing he did - be betrayed some one who was so kind to him. He inhaled again. "My mate back home, Louis. He's always got himself into tough shit." He started, "He got caught in some drug trade, and he was afraid to leave - he didn't know what would happen. If some one would hurt his friends or family, and he'd be hurt just as much as if they did to his family than to himself." He shook his head, "He always got himself into deep shit, so I -," he gulped, "I took it under my wing, and I said I would help him clear things over. That I would keep him safe, ad that I'd make sure his family and the rest are okay." He clenched his chattering teeth. "The night of the storm, I was celebrating my sister's birthday party and he called me. Saying he was in trouble, and so - I drove over to help and-." He choked, his voice cracking as he clenched his jaw and damned his eyes if they blurred up any more than then. He choked out, "I didn't mean to do it." He finally cried.

Fat tears fell from his eyes and he wiped them off, willing back his jumping breathes, and clenched his fists. He bit his lip, staring down at the island top because he didn't want to meet Zayn's face. He didn't want to meet his disappointment.