Burn Me Right

Chapter 90

April stopped before Liam's house, hesitating whether to knock on it. Taking a deep breath, she did it. She rang the bell. She had come this far; why go back now? The house wasn't his mansion. It was smaller, a one-bedroom apartment far from the city. This was so unlike him. This alone was enough to tell her he had changed a lot.

April's heart raced as she heard the locks unlatch, her anxiety reaching its peak. She bit her lip, and then it happened, the door swung open, revealing Liam in his disheveled state. He was sweating, his arms and chest covered in mud. Liam's eyes widened in shock, his surprise mirroring her own. A year had passed since they last saw each other, and this was his way of punishing himself. He had trusted Zyler to keep her safe, but now, seeing her in the flesh, he couldn't help but question his decision.

In the past year, he had done everything she had asked him to, not for her, but for himself, to wash blood off his hands. Silently, he had wished every day that she would see him change, but did she? That's a question he must ask her now.

"April?" He didn't know if he was seeing a ghost. Was he dreaming? Like the countless times he had dreamed of in the past year.

"Are you really here? Or am I imagining?" He stepped out of the way to give her way to walk inside, and she did.

She stepped into the house, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. It was smaller than she had imagined, barely a one-bedroom apartment. The entire living space seemed to revolve around a single bed. A kitchenette stood in one corner, but the cookware was sparse. What had he been eating? The question lingered in her mind, fueling her curiosity.

"This is where you live?" She turned to face him, her voice tinged with disbelief and concern. His gaze met hers, filled with adoration and love, but he remained silent. She cleared her throat, the unspoken question hanging in the air.

"I am sorry, I......." he fumbled. "What was the question?"

"I asked, do you live here?" she repeated with authority this time.

"I do. Why? Did that shock you?" He raised his brow.

"Honestly, it did. The great Liam Hart living in this house?" She didn't think he would give up everything. She had seen his work, but this? This is on another level.

"And why is that?" He stood tall like a tree, folding his arms across his chest.

April shrugged but didn't answer.

"Are you not going to offer your guest a drink?" She sat on his bed like she owned the place. Shaking his head, Liam walked over to his sink and washed his hands. Opening the fridge, he scanned inside, but there was nothing to offer her.

He closed the door and turned around. "I...I didn't shop. I wasn't expecting anyone to show up," he was flustered and honestly a little ashamed that he couldn't even give her something to drink.

"Do you eat anything at all? Ever?" She got up and walked closer to him. Liam stepped back. He didn't want to, but he wasn't sure if she would be comfortable in his presence.

April noticed it but decided to ignore his actions. She opened the door and saw that there was absolutely nothing inside. Closing the door, she turned around. "We need to talk, and I am hungry."

"I can order something.......Wh.......?" He took his phone out.

"No, we can cook something," she cut him off quickly.

"But we don't have anything," he stated the obvious.

"You have a garden," she pointed to the many vegetables he had grown over the summer.