My Brother's Beta » Teen Wolf

eleven

I've never taken a more relieving shower in my life.

The hot water feels heavenly against my dry skin, and I feel so filthy that I use up half the body wash. I stand in there for a good hour, before I even think about getting out. Then I change into warm sweatpants and a soft tank top.

It's pretty late, but I am not tired. Scott's door is shut, so I assume he is in bed. My mom usually comes home from work in the middle of the night, sometimes the morning. And who knows where my dad is.

I sit on my bed and lick my lips. They're dry. Again. My body still needs more water. It takes an unusual amount of effort to pull myself to my feet, every bone aching. I walk out into the hallway quietly, careful not to wake Scott.

The wooden stairs are cool against my bare feet, barely making any noise. I step into the floor and try to navigate the kitchen without any light. I grab a cup from the cabinet and attempt to draw water from the fridge silently.

The cold water glides into my mouth, satisfying my thirst. I resist myself from moaning in relief. I'm never going to take water for granted again.

I take my glass of water and walk into the living room. Outside is completely dark. As is inside. I reach down to turn on the lamp.

The light illuminates the room and I squeal in surprise. Someone's on the couch, right in front of me. A boy. Liam.

"Jessica," He moans, lifting his head up tiredly. He must have been sleeping.

"Liam! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were here."

"Scott's letting me stay here tonight." Liam replies, rubbing his face with his hand. His hair is wet and I notice he's wearing Scott's shirt and sweatpants.

"Oh okay. I'm sorry I woke you up. Here, go back to sleep." I half-whisper, reaching down to turn of the lamp.

A hand stops mine. "Wait." Liam says, his eyebrows creased. "You can sit here."

"Liam, you should get some sleep." I reply shaking my head. He swallows and takes a deep breath.

"Jessica, sit down." He tells me. I sigh as he sits up and moves over. I set myself down on the couch. The house is completely silent, apart from my own breathing.

I take another sip of water as the quietness surrounding us grows. Liam fiddles with the blanket in his lap.

"It's all my fault Garrett took you," He suddenly speaks up. I look at him and my eyes widen. He continues, "If I hadn't forced you to go on that damn run, and if I hadn't had to run ahead..."

"Liam. It wasn't your fault." I say. He shakes his head, looking at the ground. I smile. "I'm alive, aren't I?"

He doesn't say anything. I run my fingers through my wet hair and sigh. Liam's shoulder brushes against mine.

"When I was down that well," Liam whispers, still looking at the ground. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."

My cheeks flush and I ponder for words. I hope he can't hear my heartbeat rising. No one has ever talked to me like this. Like they actually.. care about me.

"If you were alive, hurt, even dead."

I keep my eyes down, even when I feel him lift his head back up to look at me. His hands reach up and brush a lock of hair out of my eyes. The buzzing connection of his skin make s my nerves crawl. My eyes are forced to connect with his.