Capture (A Liam AU)

Twenty-Seven

As soon as the door shut I collapsed heavily on the floor resting my back against the door and burst into tears. She means nothing.

I'm not sure how long I sat there shedding salty tears down my face until I could no longer produce the liquid. My face felt fresh and cleansed from the tracks that washed my face but my heart hurt more than I could process. My breathing was unsteady and quick as I tried to relax. I kicked off my shoes and stood stripping down to my underwear as I made my way to my bedroom dropping each article of clothes through the apartment as if they were breadcrumbs to retrace my steps.

Collapsing under the covers on my bed and promptly fell asleep.

...

When I woke up it was dark in my room, I searched for my phone seeing it was 5 in the evening and I'd slept all day. My flight to Seattle was early tomorrow and didn't have to work today, but I had a missed call from Harry waiting for me. "Hey." His voice rumbled through my phone as I checked my messages. "I came over to your place earlier and knocked but I think you're out. Just wanted to let you know how excited I am to be heading west with you."

I clicked off the message and pulled open my texting typing Harry a message. "Home now, sorry I missed you earlier, but you're welcome to stop by if you want to tonight." Pressing send I hoped he would reply immediately as I flopped back down on the bed. My phone chimed moments later.

"I'll be over soon, I'm grabbing some dinner. What do you want?"

"Anything, whatever you're having." I typed back. I got out of bed and put on some clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt pulling my hair out of my face into a messy bun and slipping on my glasses because my head was throbbing and I didn't have energy to try to look cute. Harry knocked on the door just as I finished packing up my suitcase.

I opened it up as he extended two boxes of pizza as an offering. "Oh yum." I sighed smelling the pizza.

"I know and I brought pizza too." Harry snickered playfully as I let him in laughing at his insinuation.

"Your jokes are the worst Haz." I laughed closing the door.

"And by that you mean the best."

"Naturally." I rolled my eyes.

He put the boxes down as I got a proper look at him. His eye a yellow tinge from a fading bruise.

"Is that from Liam's punch the other day?" I asked examining it.

"Eh yea. But don't worry I'll still look good for the wedding." He smiled hugging me, I wrapped my arms around him as he looked down and I up to him. I felt

"I wasn't worried about that." Without any thought I stepped up to my tiptoes and kissed him. It was so natural, like I'd done if for years, and in that instant I wished he was mine.

"I needed that." He purred softly holding on to me.

"I did too." I answered back with another kiss to follow. I was forcing Liam out of my mind, and Harry was helping. This was what a decent man looked like, and I was tired of being strung along for the emotional roller-coster that came with Liam.

We dived into the pizza settling down by the coffee table. "Are you excited or nervous for Saturday?" Harry asked me.

"Excited." I answered quickly. "I've missed her so much. I left in such a rush we never really got to say goodbye."

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

"I just had to go. I needed to go." I answered vaguely but Harry didn't press me further and for that I was thankful.