Walking in the Wind One Direction EDITING

26. Is that a Hickey?

"It's getting really hot in here," I say, tugging at my hoodie after another intense round of practice.

"Am I making you hot?" Liam teases with a smirk.

"Ha-ha," I reply sarcastically, pulling the hoodie over my head and tossing it aside. "Okay, from the top. This time without the track."

"Alright, let's do this," Liam says, stepping closer.

We meet in the middle of the room, both ready to dive into the next rehearsal. He invades my personal space slightly—something I've grown used to by now—and starts the song.

"We're soaring, flying," he begins, his voice smooth and focused.

"There's not a—wait, hold on. What's that on your neck?" He suddenly stops, chuckling as he points at me.

My heart skips. Reflexively, I cover the faint bruise on my neck with one hand—the lingering mark from John's grip.

"What?" I ask, trying to play it cool.

"Is that a hickey I see?" Liam grins, leaning closer as if to inspect. "You got a secret boyfriend or something?"

"No, you fool," I laugh, "I don't have a boyfriend." I playfully hit his chest, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"So? A secret lover then? A one-night stand? Someone here on X Factor?" His eyebrows rise suggestively.

I shake my head, but he's clearly not letting this go.

I guess he's not letting it go.

"No," I say, my voice softening. I bite my lip, hoping he'll drop it, but the shift in my tone makes him pause.

He stops laughing, his expression turning more serious. "Tell me. Is it a hickey?"

"No," I whisper, my eyes dropping to the floor.

Liam waits in silence, giving me space to explain. I take a deep breath, knowing there's no easy way to say this. "It's... my ex. He..." I close my eyes, forcing the words out quickly. "My ex tried to strangle me."

When I open my eyes, Liam looks stunned. His face pales, and for a moment, he says nothing. Then, his gaze meets mine, filled with concern.

"What... When? Are you okay?" His voice is soft, but there's an undercurrent of anger. He steps closer, gently cupping my cheek.

I think I see tears forming in his eyes, and the tenderness in his touch makes it even harder to hold myself together.

"I guess so," I shrug, stepping back and turning away from him. His hand slides down my face before dropping to his side. "It was right before boot camp started. The day after we auditioned." I cross my arms tightly, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor.

If I look at Liam, or myself in the mirror I'll break.

"Who is this guy?" His voice has an edge now, anger creeping in.

"I really don't think he's worth even talking about," I say firmly.

Between everything he has, and hasn't done in this timeline I don't want to talk about him. If I start talking about it I might never stop. And in this timeline half of it would be lies because it hasn't happened yet.

I turn back toward Liam, hoping to return to practice, but his eyes are dark, his jaw clenched.

"No, seriously. Who is he?" Liam insists. "I'll... I'll—"

"Liam, it's fine," I sigh, cutting him off. "Louis already took care of him. It's actually how we met." I smile thinking back to the well deserved punch Louis threw.

"Louis?" His brow furrows.

"Yeah," I say, a small smile tugging at my lips as I recall the scene. "He was walking his dog and saw me being pressed up against a wall. I think Louis actually broke his nose."

"Really?" Liam's eyebrows shoot up, and then he chuckles. "Louis? Throwing punches?"

"Oh yeah," I say, laughing now. "You should've seen it. He was actually pretty badass for a second."

"I can't imagine it," Liam says, still laughing. "He hasn't got the muscles for that."

I laugh along with him, feeling some of the tension in the room lift.

"But seriously," he says, his tone softening again. "I'm really glad you're okay." He looks at me with those big, brown, kind eyes. "Next time you're in trouble, you call me, okay? I'll protect you."

I swallow hard, my chest tightening at his words.

I think that might be a little too late, I'm already kind of broken.

I force a smile. "Because you've got the muscles, right?" I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey, I mean it," he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me into a hug.

I freeze for a moment, then bury my face in his chest, letting myself relax into his warmth. His arms wrap around me securely, and I feel safe for the first time in what feels like forever.

"I don't want to see you hurt," he whispers, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head.

I close my eyes.

I think I could stay here forever, listening to his heartbeat.

The door bursts open, shattering the moment. Liam and I quickly step away from each other as Nicole strides in, holding two cups of tea.

"Am I interrupting?" she asks, oblivious to the tension in the room.

"No, no," I say, hastily wiping at my eyes.

"I thought I'd check on you guys," she says cheerfully, holding out the cups. "I brought tea!"

"Tea for the tea girl and the culprit." Liam and I chuckle, taking the cups from her.

"How's it going? Are we ready for the big moment?" she asks, her smile unwavering.

Liam takes a sip of his tea. "Oh yeah, definitely getting there," he says confidently.

"Maybe we can show you," I suggest, stirring my tea. "You can tell us if you have any tips."

"Sure," Nicole says, heading to the sound system. "Show me what you've got."

Liam and I set down our cups and take our positions.

Nicole counts us in. "Three, two, one."

And just like that, the music starts.