Midnight Summer

Seventeen

I am literally freaking out.

I am hyperventilating, a little too close to passing out. A hand on mine makes me flutter my eyes shut for a second before lifting them to meet hers.
"You are fine." Kristin smiles down at me.

Am I? I force a smile on my lips. The truth is as much as I wanted to do this, I am afraid. I have never been interviewed in my life. Debbie Cassidy isn't the kindest soul per perceived by everyone. I can't help but feel uneasy.

"It isn't about how she is going to bash you with all these questions and try to make you feel bad, it is about you. You know your truth. No body knows it more than you do."

"So go out there and let everyone know your truth. It is not their opinion, it is yours." Kristin squeezes my hand softly.

The door suddenly opens startling us.
"Are you guys ready? Debbie needs you on set in two minutes." Carl says from the door. I nod before he disappears.
"Let's go." Kristin urges.

I follow her out of the door into the living room space where the interview is going to take place. Everything is already set in place. When Liam notices me, he stands up.
The blonde woman with the sharp blue eyes dressed in a light blue blazer and pants seems to be Debbie Cassidy.

Her eyes take me in from head to toe not even hiding her obvious expression.
"Are you fine?" Liam whispers. I nod. He leads me slowly to the couch opposite Debbie's.

"Hey," I send her a tight lipped smile.
"Aren't you a gorgeous little thing?" Debbie smiles crookedly. Having no answer to that, I smile politely.
"Now that we are all here, why don't we get started." Debbie smiles to her producer.

"Okay. We are going live in one, two, three and action."

After Debbie introducing her show and herself, she turns to us.
"Today with me, I have our lovely couple. I know everyone of you out there wants to know so much about these two."
"Without wasting any more time, everyone Liam Clarke and Emma Konelly."

Both Liam and I smile for the cameras his grip tightening on my hand.
"Hello Debbie." Liam smiles wider.
"Liam, this is your third time on my show if my mind serves me right." Debbie mutters.

"Yes Debbie. However, today I am not alone." Liam turns his stare at me.
"Today beside me I have my lovely girlfriend, Emma." He smiles lovingly. I blush a little.
"Hello Debbie." I smile.

"Emma. I have heard so much about you these last couple of days." Debbie says. Not wasting time, are we?
"Why am I not surprised?" I reply.
"So many rumors and speculations are going on around the news and tabloids about you."

"For the last two years, no one knew who Emma Konelly was up until these last few days. What do you have to say about that?" Debbie asks.
"I am overwhelmed honestly. Just a few days, I was enjoying time with my boyfriend peacefully. The next I know are pictures of us all over the news." I answer truthfully.

"Liam, everyone wants to know if Emma is the girl you have been talking and singing about."
"She is. She is every lyric in my songs." Liam smiles.
"Aw." Debbie coos dramatically.
"That is lovely Liam. Do you want to tell us how the two of you met?" she asks.

"Two years back in Apollo bay in Australia. I was performing in this small bar. I noticed a girl sleeping in the bar and when she rose up and her eyes met mine, I knew I wanted to keep her forever." Liam grins down at me. I grin back. The memory of that moment hits me hard each entire time.

"Did you ever meet again before the two years?" Debbie asks.
"No. I left next morning for Canada. She didn't give me her contact and I only knew her first name. I tried so hard to find her but there are so many Emmas in the world." he shrugged.

"That was until the concert in Quebec?" We nod.
"Let's talk about what is happening now. There are all these news going on around about Emma being a murderer and using you for your image. What do you have to say Emma?" she asks.

I sigh lightly knowing it is my time.
"I want to start by saying all of it is true." I admit. Liam tenses beside me. Debbie smirks. I feel the bile practically rising in my mouth.
"So you admit you murdered your foster dad?" she questions.
"Yes, but I don't see any officer here to arrest me. You want to know why? It is because that man deserved whatever happened to him." I mutter hard.

"All my life, I have moved through foster families. I never knew my dad or my mom. I might have been a hard kid but who wouldn't when you had you to look after yourself at an age so young."

"When they got me a new foster family at fourteen, I wasn't ecstatic that I could finally get a bed to sleep and food to eat. Angela and his husband were good to me at first."

I remember how happy I was when they told I would start school. They were the first good foster parents I had until they weren't.

"They fed me, sent me to school and bought me clothes until I turned sixteen. Her husband..." I splutter emotional.

I never talked about my past. I have my reasons. It hurts remembering the past. I am no longer that young naive girl. Liam holds my hand.

"Her husband started coming to my room past midnight and touching me. At first they were just simple touches at my back, my hair and my face. I didn't think too much into it until he started becoming bolder."

"I couldn't tell Angella, he threatened me. Then he...he tried to rape me." I speak lowly. I don't want to remember those terrible nights. It has taken me months to finally forget what happened. I still have nightmares about those nights but with time I have gotten over it.

"I am not going to apologize for protecting myself nor do I care what everyone thinks about me or my being with Liam. We love each other. Just because we are from different background or statuses doesn't make us incompatible." I vent out.

Liam pulls me into a hug kissing on top of my head while I fight my tears back.
"A lot has been going on around the media speculating things about my girlfriend. She is the woman I love and nothing is going to change that. I hope we find the humanity left in our hearts and stop cyberbullying."

"We all have heard from both of these lovely people and I hope we have gotten to the bottom of everything." Debbie says to the camera.

After winding up her speech, the cameras are cut.
"We are grateful for having you here Debbie." Carl acknowledges.
"It is my pleasure. I hope this clears the misunderstandings going on." she glances at Liam and I.

"I really hope so." I murmur.

We say farewell to Debbie and her crew before I sigh hard.
"Feeeling better babe?" Liam asks holding me from behind.
"Way better." I smile up at him.

"I love your courage."

"And I love that you were there with me." I turn to hug him properly.
"Mom wants to know what we should cook for dinner." Liam says.
"I thought she is the chef." I tease.

"I heard that." Kristin shouts from somewhere behind us making us giggle.

"Come on. We have a dinner to prepare."