Capture (A Liam AU)

Twenty-One

The next morning I walked into work before everyone else and began my Monday morning routine. "Hey, did you make it home Saturday?" Perrie asked poking her head in my office.

"I did. Sorry I bolted like that, Liam and I don't get along really well."

"That's obvious, you just looked really upset. I was going to go after you but Zayn convinced me you just need space."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to ruin your date." I apologize.

"Oh stop, you did nothing of the sort! Zayn and I had fun."

"Good!" I smile.

"So are you and Niall?" She paused waiting for me to answer. "Or are you and Liam?"

I finally understood the question.

"Oh God no! Niall and I are friends and coworkers, Liam is not my friend and we just happen to be neighbors."

"Oh, well I didn't know if it was a double date with me and Zayn and you and Niall or if you were there for Liam."

"Neither." I said sharply.

"Liam seemed distracted when you were there. He fought much better after you left. It was like he was possessed by a mad man after you stormed out."

"He won?"

"Clobbered the bloke. You didn't know?"

"Liam told me he won but I figured he was lying." My mind shifted into another gear as I replayed the whole event in my brain.

"Maybe he was just showing off for you." She shrugged. "Zayn did say he is constantly talking about you."

"Yea right." I answer sarcastically rolling my eyes. Perrie laughed.

"I'll let you get back to work." Perrie said exiting my office.

I shuffled around papers grabbing a zip-drive off the stack to edit. This person was no one I knew, and Niall had taken the pictures which from the look of them was a profile of a very important business man. I began to edit the shots but my mind was on Liam.

My imagination took me back inside Liam's apartment, specifically to the picture on the fridge of the stranger. Who was he? Obviously a friend of Liam's from the look of their childhood demeanor but why did Liam get so upset when I brought him up.

Suddenly I realized that I was drawing on Photoshop, no longer editing what needed to be, but instead my computer screen resembled the man in Liam's picture. I'd drawn his features from memory. I studied the stranger with great detail, his dark blue eyes, and wild hair, the smile he wore on his face, so weathered from use and yet so childlike.

I continued to draw as the hands on the clock ticked by. My day was almost over. "Emma?"

"Huh?" I looked up seeing Gwen in front of me.

"Wow, you are obviously invested in your work." She chuckled.

I clicked save on my drawing trying to not look guilty that I wasn't actually working during company hours. "Sorry, I get really zoned out when I edit." I excused myself.

"It's cool darling, Niall's waiting for you on the roof."

"Why?" I asked blankly.

"Aren't you doing the expo on the dancers?" Gwen asked me jogging my memory.

"Oh perfect yes. I forgot we were doing that this evening." I got up and went to the lift thanking Gwen again for the reminder. I pushed open the door to the roof seeing the sun hovering low on the west sky. Niall was buzzing around getting everything set up.