Ready to Run Part 2

Chapter 1

Olivia

Sitting on the plan to South Africa, I have a million different emotions running through me. On the one hand, I'm extremely excited to visit a place that a few months ago, I never would have dreamed I would have to opportunity to go. Clouding that excitement is the huge bomb that Lou dropped on me yesterday. Zayn left One Direction. I still cannot even process the words. According to Lou, everything is a mess. Management is freaking out. Everybody on the crew is concerned about their jobs. The boys are understandably both mad as hell and devastated. She said that they are all really leaning on each other, which is a good sign. Still, when she suggested Eleanor, Gemma, Lux, and I fly down, we didn't give it a second thought.

Amidst all the drama, there is a selfish part of me that is excited and nervous to see Liam. Time and a certain asshole ex-boyfriend made me realize how much I want to be with him. Harry was right. His lie hurt me so much because I care for him. If I didn't, I would've been fine. I still don't like how he hid the truth for so long but he's more than shown how sorry he is. I've punished him long enough.

"Earth to Liv. It's time to buckle your seatbelt. We're landing." Eleanor says, nudging me from the window seat.

"Already? I feel like that didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would." I remark, snapping out of my thoughts.

"Well that happens when you're day dreaming the entire time. What's on your mind?"

"Would you think I'm completely shallow and self-centered if I told you Liam?"

"Not at all. I think it's sweet."

"What if I've waited too long? What if he doesn't even want me anymore? I feel like everything's changed. There's no way I'm even on his mind right now with everything else going on. And even if he does still want me, I have to tell him about what happened with Grant right? Then he'll be pissed and never talk to me again. I'm such an idiot!" I ramble on, voicing all my fears until El stops me.

"Would you stop worrying so much? I swear, you're going to go gray before you're 30. Liam is crazy about you. A little turmoil in his life isn't going to change that. About Grant, you don't have to tell him anything if you don't want to. It's not like you cheated on him. I don't think he would hold it against you but it's totally your call whether you tell him or not. Now, get yourself together and buckle your seatbelt. Everything is going to be fine."

"I hope you're right." I say as I feel the plane start to descend.

At the airport we make an effort to keep a low profile. Nobody knows who I am but if anyone recognizes Eleanor or Gemma we know it will be a madhouse. Getting out of the house was hard enough. We don't need any more reporters down their throats trying to get an inside scoop. Luckily we make it to the car with no trouble. Once we arrive at the hotel I start to feel a pit in my stomach again as we ride the elevator up to our floor. Lou told us everyone is in Harry and Niall's room so after we drop our bags off in the room Gemma, Eleanor, and I will be sharing, we head down the hall. When we knock, Louis opens the door. His sad, exhausted looking face breaks into the biggest smile I've ever seen when he sees Eleanor and he immediately wraps her in an embrace so intimate, I have to look away. I scan the room as I enter it. Harry is lounging on the couch scrolling through the TV channels and Niall is sitting next to him eating a slice of pizza. Finally, my eyes rest on Liam. He's sitting in the chair next to the couch looking very intently at his phone. As soon as I spot him, it's like he feels my gaze because he looks up and meets my eyes not two seconds later. Immediately he jumps up and rushes across the room to wrap his arms around me.

I stand on my tip toes and wrap my arms around his neck while he traps me in his strong arms. I'm vaguely aware of the many people in the room but my main focus is on Liam. Without a word, I can tell how much he's hurting right now. He's clearly been holding it together for the other boys but he's at his breaking point. I hug him back tightly, wordlessly letting him know I'm here to give him the support he needs. I'm not sure how long we stand there. It could have been a minute, it could've been an hour. All I know is how disappointed I feel when he starts to pull back.

"Time to share, Liam. It's my turn." Niall says as he wraps me in a hug.

"Oh I've always got time for you Niall." I say as I hug him back. "Lexie said to tell you she was sorry she couldn't make it down here. She's super busy at her internship right now and she just can't get away."

"She told me that five times already. I miss her but I'll survive." He says before giving me one final squeeze and releasing me.

"C'mere you." Louis says holding his arms out.

"Now that you're done making out with your girlfriend you have time for me? I see how it is." I joke as he wraps me in a tight hug.

"Hey now! I always have time for my little sister." He says warmly before passing me off to Harry.

"Thank you so much for coming down here. Liam really needs you right now." Harry whispers to me as he takes his turn to hug me.

"I'm here for all of you." I correct him and he rolls his eyes.

After everyone has been greeted, we settle in. Sensing our curiosity from the awkward silence, Liam takes the lead and tells us what happened. He starts by telling us the truth about what happened that night in Thailand. Zayn's partying got out of control. He didn't care about who saw him or what stories got out. Louis said he kept shouting "Fuck management." The next morning when the pictures of him and that girl leaked, the fallout with Perrie was terrible. She kept threatening to break it off while he begged her to stay. That's when he decided to take the break. The boys all thought he would be fine to come back on the next leg of the tour so they were blindsided when they got the call. They were on Skype with him for hours begging him to stay but he had already made up his mind. He was done and nobody has talked directly to him since.

The whole time Liam is recounting the story, I can tell he wants to lean on me for support. We are sitting on the small couch with Niall so it's a little bit of a tight squeeze. I can't tell if the way his leg never loses contact with mine as we sit side by side and the light brushing of his hand on the back of my neck from where it rests on the back of the couch is just a product of the close proximity, but I don't shy away. A few times I see him start to reach for my hand before he thinks better of it and pulls away. I want to tell him it's ok but I know right now isn't the time or place.

By the time he finishes the story it's already well past midnight. Everybody is exhausted so we all start to break apart and go to our own rooms. Originally Eleanor had been assigned to share the room with Gemma and I but we all knew Liam would end up in Niall and Harry's room so she and Louis could have a room to themselves. I had really hoped to be alone with Liam so we could talk but it seems that we aren't going to get that luxury. As I'm getting off the couch to leave it seems that he is thinking the same thing as me.

"Liv, do you think we could talk at some point tomorrow?" He asks with a firm but gentle grip on my wrist. It's clear he isn't going to let me run away this time. His sad eyes are gazing up at me in that way that makes me melt every time.

"Sure. I'll find you when I wake up." I reply with a look that I hope reassures him that I'm not going to flake out on him. I gently pat the hand that is resting on my wrist and he gives me a small smile before he lets go.

Back in our room Gemma and I stay silent while we both get ready for bed. Just as I'm about to turn out the light she stops me with her outburst.

"Ok I can't take it anymore! Please tell me you're going to get back together with Liam because I'm way too invested in the fate of this relationship right now. When you two hugged each other I swear I shed a tear." She says dramatically.

"I don't know. I want to. I guess it just depends how things go tomorrow."

"Oh it will go well, I promise." She says confidently before turning off the light. As I drift to sleep I can't help but hope that she's right.