I dare You

CAPITOLO 37

<< Zayn should come with you!>>.

<< Liam! Stop it! I said I'm not gonna have another one!>>.
Gli assicuro per la centesima volta mentre allaccio la cintura di sicurezza.
Subito fuori dall'aeroporto c'erano tre auto nere ad attenderci; Niall e Louis sono entrati nella prima, mentre Harry e Zayn nella seconda.

Quando ho chiesto il perché ci dovessimo dividere, Paul mi ha spiegato che lo fanno spesso per motivi di sicurezza.

<< I'm still thinking this is a bad idea...>>.

<< Oh god! I want you to stay with me, okay??>>.

Oh

Porca

Puttana...

I suoi occhi si spalancano per un attimo sorpresi delle mie parole, per poi addolcirsi notevolmente. L'ombra di un sorriso gli compare sul volto mentre tenta di nascondermelo voltandosi dall'altra parte.

<< Okay... but please ... do not freak out!>>.

Gli sorrido colpendolo sulla spalla.
<< Ready?>>, chiede Paul dal sedile di guida.

E solo ora realizzo di non avere la più pallida idea di dove stiamo andando! Né tanto meno di dove dovrò dormire da adesso in poi!

<< Where are we going?>>.

<< To our secret base!>>, scherza la guardia del corpo strizzandomi l'occhio dallo specchietto retrovisore.

<< It's the SYCO building; our record label. We always go there because it's also where our management is...>>, interviene Liam.

<< Oh! Speaking about managers! Where is the asshole?>>.

<< I think he's already there! He needed to speak with his superiors before we get there>>.

<< Why? Is it because of me? Did they know he's just hired me or not?>>.

<< How many questions Babe!>>.

Babe?... Okay Cory...respira...

Anche Zayn mi ha chiamata Babe poco fa giusto?
Eppure non ha avuto lo stesso effetto ... insomma ... è diverso.

Come una perfetta idiota trattengo il respiro per capire se sia possibile che Liam possa sentire la banda di tamburi che ha appena preso vita nel mio petto ... con la coda dell'occhio tento di guardarlo e noto che sembra essere sbiancato improvvisamente.

Forse ha realizzato solo ora di avermi chiamata piccola e se ne è già pentito.

<< Ehm... I'm just a little nervous I guess...>>, intervengo per spezzare questo silenzio assordante.

<< Don't be! It's gonna be fine. We've got more than half an hour of drive; you should get some rest ...>>, i suoi splendidi occhi caramellati si soffermano sul mio volto, che ora come ora non credo sia un bello spettacolo, dimostrando una certa preoccupazione anche se celata da un lieve sorriso.

Annuisco indietreggiando fino al poggia testa e chiudo gli occhi fingendo di seguirne il consiglio...

Come cazzo posso anche solo sperare di riuscire ad addormentarmi dopo averlo sentito chiamarmi Babe?!?!?

Ma con mia sorpresa, bastano un paio di minuti cullata dal movimento dell'auto per farmi scivolare lentamente nell'oblio del sonno ... libero da pensieri ... libero da preoccupazioni e punti di domanda irrisolti ... libero da tutto e da tutti ... tranne che da lui e dal suo sguardo caldo e color miele su di una pelle gelida e tormentata.

Liam's POV

<< Stop staring at her...>>, Paul's voice brings me out of my thoughts making me jump in surprise.
I look at the rear-view mirror to find his black eyes looking at me; a weird smile covers his face.

I respond to his accusation with a simple "I-have-no-idea-what-you're-talking-about" look, and he just smiles back while shaking his head.

I force myself to pay attention on the outside, but all I can think about is that I've got this suborn, crazy, unbearable, beautiful girl right next to me.

I check one more time the rear-view mirror to make sure Paul isn't watching me and then... I can't help, but turn back to stare at her.

She is ... Jeez...

I may look insane right now ... like some freaking pervert who likes to spy on sleeping girls, but honestly ... I couldn't care less.

I'm sitting here, less than a pair of feet between us; silence and calm are all around us and I literally can't move my eyes away from her.

Her head is leaning against the window, her arms are crossed in front of her and her face never seems that stunning! Yes ... she's still pale and weak from that fucking panic attack, but she's still one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen.

There's something different though... Since I met her, I've noticed the tensed features that made her soft and beautiful face look harder. A small crinkle was constantly there, on her forehead, making her look much more angry and diffident than she actually was, as if she were always worried or scared about something.
But now that she's sleeping she's careless and finally free from those thoughts or memories that must be hunting her so much. In the dream's world she can finally find the peace she desperately needs ... and the fact that that annoying wrinkle is temporally disappeared just proves it!

Her long light brown hair are all over her shoulders, her soft, pink lips are slightly opened and her full chest is slowly moving up and down under her sleeping breath.

I'm so captured from this image of her that I almost forget what has just happened only twenty minutes ago.

Even if I barely know her, having seen her in the middle of that terrible panic attack made me feel sick as much as the Niall's one did years ago. Niall was already one of my best mates so I guess it was normal to have that reaction, but this girl is...

Well... I don't know what she is. We promised to forget about what happened between the two of us and to begin all over again, trying to have a civil friendship without any other kind of ... things, but it seems to be more difficult than I've ever expected.

Damn it Liam... why can't you just stop thinking about her and go on with your fucking life!?!?

My cell phone vibrates from the inside of my pocket, so I force myself to take my eyes off her to look at it.

Two messages; one from Harry, who's asking me how Corine is ... and one... from Sandra.

***
From: Sandra h: 10:47

Morning love!! Did u arrive in London?
Call me back when you can! Missed u <3
***

I turn my phone down before I even realized it.