Capture (A Liam AU)

Fifty-Six

The whole flight quiet as I listened to my iPod and watched the clouds fly by the tiny window. I was numb the whole flight, my mind wishing Liam was with me still. "Ma'am?" I felt the nudge of a gentle hand. Slowly I focused my eyes seeing a kind faced man. "We landed, Welcome to Seattle." He greeted me kindly as I thanked him.

I stood up pulling my bag out of the overhead. "Sorry, do you have the time?" I asked the man who woke me.

"9 am love." He answered. I thanked him again making my way off the plane.

The mill of passengers floated me towards the main lobby where people greet their loved ones as they exit the airport. I heaved my bag up on my shoulder some more heading over to the cab location. "EMMA!" I heard a familiar shout behind me. Turning around I saw the smiling faces of Casey, Andy and my brothers. Casey booted towards me propelling herself into my arms.

Dropping my bags I hugged her back happy to see her again. "What're you doing here?" I asked. I hadn't told anyone I was coming home.

"Harry called me." She whispered in my ear. "Don't worry, no one knows but me." I felt immense gratitude for her silence. She let go of me allowing my brothers to gang tackle me, or as they like to call it: hugging.

"Em!" the cheered happily, I couldn't help but smile.

They whisked me off to the car. "What's your new address?" Andy asked. I handed him the scrap of paper that I had scribbled the address on for the cab I had intended to take. He plugged it into his GPS and drove us there in a short ten minutes. I hopped out of the car as my brothers grabbed my bags taking off with Andy into the lobby of the building.

Casey fell behind walking in with me. "How are you?" she asked.

"Horrible." I whispered trying not to burst into tears. She had that power over me, one look and I'd spill my deepest secret in a messy sob story right in the middle of the parking lot.

"I didn't even know you were dealing with any of that. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to burden you with my love life." I shrugged.

"Babe, what are best friends for if to not listen to every intimate detail of your love life?"

"I don't know." I sighed linking my arm with hers we followed my brothers and her husband up the flight of stairs. "I didn't know how to tell you that I dumped a perfectly wonderful man who loved me to be with the bad boy whom until recently I'd hated."

"Pretty much like you just did." She smirked. "Did you love him?"

"Yes, very much." I smiled thinking about Liam. "I can't believe he is dead." We walked into the front door of my new apartment. The guys were already wandering around the place checking everything out.

"I'm just glad you're not." Casey hugged me frantically, almost urgently like she needed physical proof that I was still there. I rested in her arms holding on to her as my tears returned.

"I will always love him, but I couldn't save him, and I just watched him die." I sobbed into her arms.

"What's wrong with-" I heard my brother ask but he didn't finish his sentence, Casey must have waved him away. I heard the guys shuffle off to the door closing it behind them.

"I don't know the circumstances for his death honey but I do know that you don't deserve to hurt like this."

"I miss him." I whimpered. "I will never see him ever again. I don't even have a picture of him. I have nothing left of him."

"He must have been a special man to be loved by you." She held me tightly for another hug. I collected myself drying my tears. I couldn't cry anymore, I had nothing left.