Expulsion gave Liam Barrett a dangerous choice. Needing to transfer for his final year, he'd known immediately where to go. It was a distantly familiar place that'd taken everything from him; had once ruined him so absolutely and twisted his persona...
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"Why the hell do I have to work so early in the morning?" Mia groaned to herself, scrubbing her sleepy face. She hadn't even noticed Liam walking through the door.
ㅤAfter last night, Liam thought it best to continue like yesterday had never happened. But he couldn't stop the feeling of impending doom of being in complete and utter shit. The knife wound stabbing into his side punishingly reminded him the danger was real with every step. Pretending everything was normal wouldn't make it go away, no matter his desperation to wake up from this nightmare. Liam felt weak and he felt helpless. It was a sense of inferiority and vulnerability, like a knight without armour, that he despised most.
ㅤAs Liam approached the counter, he sighed inwardly, realising Mia hadn't set anything up the morning. They only had a few minutes until they were supposed to open the cafe up for commuters and the responsibility to do so now would likely fall onto an injured Liam's shoulders.
ㅤIt didn't help that the jeans and shirt Liam wore itched his skin, and he desperately wanted to rip them off. After his clothes were unfortunately destroyed, Charlie had thrown him some of his own, before promptly kicking him out at five in the morning before the sun had yet to rise. Dickhead.
ㅤIt wasn't the size that was the issue—they matched—but the discomfort. Not only was it uncomfortable to wear someone else's, but Liam had Charlie's delicious scent clinging to him and it really wasn't helping his self-control or his mental state. He continuously resisted the urge to pull the fabric to his nose.
ㅤMia groaned again, her face still burrowed into her palms. Liam agreed.
ㅤGathering himself together, he made his presence known by tapping her. Mia's head jolted up. She blinked slowly a few times.
ㅤ"You bitch," she accused.
ㅤObserving her, she'd no doubt had a rough night. The bags under her eyes leaked through the ten layers of makeup she tried to cover them with, and the whites of her eyes were tinted pink. Her gaze turned curious after a few short moments and she reached up to prod Liam's good cheek. Liam caught her hand before she could poke into his bruised one.
ㅤ"You look like shit," she kindly let him know, snatching her hand away from his grasp.
ㅤ"You don't look too hot yourself."
ㅤMia huffed and flung her hair over her shoulder as Liam fiddled with the coffee machines. "I'm always hot."
ㅤLiam eyed her. She offered no help and instead watched Liam do everything. She was staring at him blankly.
ㅤ"You're angry at me," he finally observed.
ㅤ"You ignored all my calls."
ㅤLiam hadn't been aware she'd tried to call him again. His battery died and Charlie refused to lend his charger—something about electricity bills, probably insisted only to mildly inconvenience Liam because Charlie was an arsehole.
