Running Away (Liam Dunbar x Reader - Book 1)

Part 13

(That Same) Tuesday Night

It's been a little over an hour since you've found Liam at the hospital where you cried with him and just held each other tight. As soon as his tears and his shaky breaths stopped, you knew he was experiencing shock and possibly denial. He just dazed out and shut down on the world. Even though he knew what had happened tonight and he cried it all out, he still didn't believe it, not entirely. You looked into his sad baby blue eyes and you can tell this whole night felt like a nightmare and he wanted nothing more than to wake up.

He needed to change out of his dirty and bloody clothes. He needed to sleep it off, even if you knew that would be impossible, but he needed to go somewhere, anywhere but the hospital's basement.

So you took him home, your home.

You walked the entire way in silence. You had one arm around his torso, making sure he wouldn't stumble over his own feet, and the other hand on top of his hand that was firmly around your waist, making sure you wouldn't leave his side.

You locked the front door behind you and turned around to see the familiar place you once called home. Without turning on the lights, you guide Liam up to your bathroom. You flipped on the switch and padded the counter top with your hand, signaling Liam to sit down on top of it. Without saying a word, he did what you asked. He slowly slid up on the counter top and stared straight at you. You gently brushed away the damp hair from his forehead. You noticed a couple of light creases he didn't have before and you couldn't help but wonder what was the cause of that. Was it the stress of the Dread Doctors? The pack falling apart? You running away? You sighed wishing you could wipe them away with the touch of your thumb.

You turned on the hot water and took a step away from Liam to get a small towel from the cabinet which was at the corner of the bathroom, but you were held back. You looked down to your forearm to see Liam's hand wrapped around tightly. You knew what he was doing. He was making sure you wouldn't leave him.

"I need to get a towel, okay?" You whispered as you looked back at him. He hesitated before he simply nodded and let you go. In a matter of 3 seconds you were back in front of him with a towel in your hand. Before you can reassure him you were right here, he placed his hand on your waist, his thumb through one of the hoop of your jeans, and pulled you closer to him.

You placed the towel under the hot water and squeezed out as much of the water as you could. Liam spread his legs a little wider when you turned around to face him, allowing you better access to be closer to his face. Had it been a different situation, this action would have made your heart explode out of your chest, but it didn't. Liam lost Hayden, and this wasn't the right time for you to think about stuff like this right now.

As you wiped away the dry blood from his face with the warm towel, you noticed his eyes were on you. You wanted to know what was going through his mind as he watched you. Was he thinking about Hayden or trying to gasp the idea of you being here and not being some sick twisted dream. When you finished you grabbed Liam's hand and pulled him off the counter top.

As you walked Liam to your bed, you noticed nothing in your room has changed besides the unmade bed. Your bed showed signs of someone sleeping in it, Liam. However, the rest of the room was untouched and left exactly how you left it before you bolted to Paris.

On your desk you noticed your notebook wedged in your history textbook and pens, highlighters, and pencils scattered across. Your copy of P.S. I Still Love You was at the edge of your desk and you noticed the thin line of blue sticking out from the top; it was the invitation to Liam's 16th birthday party and you had used it as a book marker. On top of your dresser was your small jewelry box that Liam had gotten you for your Sweet 16 last year and next to it was a photo of the two of you from that night, smiling and wrapped in each other's arms.

You looked away from it all and your eyes landed on your nightstand as you lowered Liam to sit on your bed. You noticed one more picture frame had been added right next to the one you left behind. It was the last picture you took with Liam on the Merry-Go-Round. The top of your heads were touching and your hair was scrawled everywhere as the spinning made your hair fly in every direction. Your head was tilted to the side, but you were laughing. Liam was looking up at you with the biggest smile on his face and his eyes closed. You didn't realize it during that moment but looking at the picture now, you could help but noticed it looks like he was enjoying the sound of your laughter.

Liam's soft whimper pulled you out of your thoughts. You hadn't realized you stopped in front of your bed nor did you feel Liam's weight on you as the both of you stood still in front of the bed. You slowly nudge him to sit down. You knew the next step was to get him out of his dirty clothes. Normally, this would make a girl and a guy nervous, but you weren't just some girl, and Liam wasn't just some boy. The two of you had countless sleepovers together over the past two years and changing in front of each other (with undergarments on, of course) wasn't a big deal.

You tugged at the bottom of his shirt, hoping he would get the idea of what you were trying to do. He lifted his arms up and you quickly slid off the shirt. "Take your pants off," you said as you took a step back. Before you could walk away across your room to your dresser, Liam snaked his arms around your waist and rested his head on your stomach. He held you in a bone-crushing hug. You ran your hand through his soft and silky hair. It was something he loved and it was something you missed doing. You placed your other hand at the nape of his neck, playing with the bottom of his hair as well.

"I'm just going to get your clothes," you whispered and Liam let go.

Your heart sank when you opened the top drawer in your dresser. That drawer used to have at least two of Liam's shirts and shorts. This time, the entire drawer was filled with his clothes. You realized he wasn't lying when he said he often slept in your room since you've been gone.

You tossed him a clean white tank top and maroon shorts for him to put on. You grabbed one of his lacrosse shirts and a pair of boxers. You quickly got out of your clothes and into Liam's. You looked down as you rolled in the top hem of the boxers and realized how much you've missed wearing his clothes.

When you turned around you saw Liam already lying down in bed, waiting for you to lay down right next to him. You saw him and suddenly you remembered everything you loved about him. How he rolled his head back when he laughed so hard and clutched his stomach with his hand, gasping for air. How his ocean blue sparky eyes put the stars at night to shame every time his eyes locked with yours. How he jumped on your bed the next morning after sleepovers, begging you to make him his favorite chocolate chip pancakes. How his beautiful smile lit up the entire world, your world. You looked at Liam and noticed he was far from the Liam you knew. It broke your heart and you would do anything to see that boy again.

You lay down next to him, leaving a decent space between the two. It didn't even last that long because Liam's arm slung over your waist and pulled you close. His grip was firm and his arms were securely around you. Liam wanted to make sure you stayed the night with him and made sure you weren't leaving any time soon. You knew what he was doing. He was making sure you weren't ever going to leave him again and you hoped he wouldn't make you promise to never leave him again.

Liam rested his head at the crook of your neck and mumbled, "Never leave me again...." His hot breath fanned against your chest, making you shiver. "Please..."

You closed your eyes as you heard the hurt in his voice. You hated yourself for putting yourself and him in this position because you knew you couldn't make him that promise. However, you weren't planning on leaving tonight.

You wrapped your arms around him, bringing his chest to yours, and held him tight. You softly kissed his forehead, "I'm not going anywhere tonight..."