Gone

Chapter 4.

"We need to go." I said as soon as he pulled into the nearest parking space to the store.

"What's wrong? Why can't we be here?" He looked around, as panicked as I was.

"I just don't think we should be here. M-maybe we can go to the Wal-Mart in the next town over. They're cheaper anyway, this place is way too expensive. Made specifically for summer tourists with money to blow." I tried to seem like I had a sensible reason for not wanting to shop here.

Liam trained his eyes on mine and I could see the doubt in his face. He looked out my window and saw the bikes lined up. He looked back at me and bit his lip, obviously trying to hold back what he wanted to say.

I was getting ready to come up with another excuse but he nodded his head and looked back as he reversed out of the parking spot. I looked back just in time to see everyone coming out of the store, laughing. My stomach churned at thought of being an outsider once again.

After 10 minutes of silence, we're pulling into Wal-Mart's parking lot. I walked quickly to the glass doors without looking back to see if Liam was behind me. By the time I was inside, he was right next to me.

He grabbed a cart and started immediatly walking to the vegetable and fruit section.

He stopped in front of the tomatoes and turned to look at me, "My mum always told me that you could tell a lot about a woman by the way she picks out vegetables."

"You know what, I think I heard the same about men." We both looked at each other then looked back at the tomatoes. My eyes caught a plump shiny one in the middle. I leaned forward to grab it just as Liam did, his hand landing on mine. We both pulled back and giggled. I wondered if he felt the same rush of heat that I did. I reached back to grab the tomato to put it in a bag.

"Don't tell me you're one of those people that has to have a 'colorful diet'." I said as I placed the bag in the cart.

"Actually I am. I like having a healthy life style. Don't tell me you're one of those people who don't care about how many saturated fats and calories you intake." I felt like I was being lectured by a biology teacher and that Liam could break into a lecture about the obesity rate in America at any second.

"I'm good at balancing. I put bananas in my ice cream. That's colorful enough for me." Liam chuckled as he pushed the cart to the fruit. There was a sample tray out that had single strawberries that were cut off at the top and dipped in chocolate.

"You going have one or does the chocolate have too much saturated fat?" I said as I reached for one.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed one after me. He kept it in his hand as his eyes locked on my lips wrapping around the strawberry. I swallowed and licked my lips as I looked up at Liam. His eyes were wide and the chocolate was melting in his finger tips.

"Are you going to eat that or do you want me to eat it for you?" I smirked.

"No, no. I think it's best for me to eat this," his eyes were still on my lips. "You know.. It's not healthy for you to uh.. Eat two." He put the whole strawberry in his mouth then turned around before he thought I could see his face. But it was too late, I saw his cheeks burning.

I giggled as he looked but blantly avoided the whole bananas they were offering for samples.

By the time we got in the check out line, the cart was practically full. The man in front of us had two Playboy magazines on the conveyor belt. Liam sighed and leaned down into my ear, his breath tickling my neck, "Men like that make me sick. I could bet that he has a girlfriend or wife at home and he still finds the need to look at naked women. He's actually spending money on that.. filth of girls with no substance when he's got someone at home that could fulfill everything he needs. Why isn't a woman's love ever enough for some men?" My stomach fluttered at Liam's words. I remembered seeing scattered Playboys at Zayn's.

I watched as Liam untightened the cap on a container of juice and placed it next to the divider between our items and the mans. Liam started grabbing more food to put on the belt and jutted his elbow out and I watched in awe as the juice fell down and started spilling down the belt and all over the magazines.

"Dammit. Watch what you're doing, kid," he looked up to the cashier. "I hope you know I'm not paying for them in this condition."

"Would you like to exchange them, sir?" The cashier, a middle aged woman, said monotone.

He grumbled and said, "No I honestly don't feel like walking all the way to the back of the store."

He glared at Liam before he walked out of the store. Liam couldn't wipe off his dumb grin of achievement.

"We usually make customers pay for things they damage but I won't bother with this," the cashier said as she leaned down to throw it away.

"Thanks, ma'am. It was an honest accident. I could have paid for them though, but I would have threw them away right after." The cashier looked at Liam with adorn in her eyes.

She turnt to me with a warm smile, "You've got a wonderful boyfriend."

Before I could deny it, Liam wrapped a strong arm around my waist and said, "No, she's truly the wonderful one." I wondered if I would have blushed this hard if I was really his girlfriend.

Liam, to my disappointment, unlocked his arm from around me to fish in the back of his pockets for his wallet. After he paid an indecent amount of money for his "healthy lifestyle", we loaded everything in the back in a comfortable silence.

The ride back home was surprisingly fast, maybe due to the fact I spent the entire time thinking about Liam. When we pulled into his drive-way, we kind of just sat there, again in silence.

"I'm sorry for saying that to the lady. It was lame, wasn't it?" He winced of embarrassment at the thought.

"I was going to correct her but I really couldn't once you lied. The only reason I went with it was because I knew if she thought I wasn't your girlfriend, she probably would have gave you her number." Liam laughed and ran his hand down his face.

"Isabella.. I hate to ask again but what did you see the other night?" And just like that, the comfortable air shifted into air filled with tension.

I was scared to respond because of the way he acted last time. And something else chilled me, he knew my real name without me ever telling him.

"I- I didn't mean to watch you. All I saw was you.. You know in your underwear. What was I suppose to see?"

"Nothing. I just thought- Never mind. It's nothing." He didn't make eye contact with me, so I wasn't for sure if it really was 'nothing' but I let go. I was probably best off not knowing.

"I'll help you carry in the groceries." I said as I stepped out the door, and headed torwards the trunk.

Liam came around and grabbed at least 10 bags in each hand. I grabbed 5 in one hand and kept the other hand free to open his door. I left his front door open for Liam to follow behind me and stepped in his house. The smell of chocolate chip cookies hit me as soon as I walked in. I followed it to the kitchen to see a short pale woman with glasses and blonde hair. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw me.

"Liam why didn't you tell me you were having a friend over? Especially one this beautiful!" Her accent was thicker than her sons but her smile was just as warm as Liam's.

"Sorry mum, I should have called and-"

"Don't be sorry! You brought a friend home," she leaned close to me and whispered "Liam doesn't make friends easily, especially lady friends." I covered my mouth, in an attempt not to giggle.

"Mum! I'm right here ya know." I turnt to Liam seeing his cheeks the reddest I've seen them yet.

She continued, "He's always had problems with making friends. That's one of the reasons we moved here and then there was the terrible problem with b-"

"Mum! Please stop, you're embarrassing me in front of Isabella."

Liam's moms eyes got wide, "Isabella? What a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl!"

"I should have made more cookies. I made 9 but Liam usually has 6 to himself, always has." I raised my eyebrow at him since he was so adamant talking about his so called healthy diet.

"Isabella really should be heading home. Her parents are probably worried." Liam walked to stand between me and his mom.

"Actually my mom is out of town. I'd love to stay and try one of your cookies, Mrs.-" I paused still not sure of what Liam's last name was. Thankfully, Liam's mom filled in the blanks.

"No Mrs. Payne. Call me Karen, I haven't been called Mrs. Payne in a very long time and I'd like to keep it that way." She said as she grabbed my hand. I almost forgot Liam said it was only him and his mom. I wondered what happened to his dad.

"Anywho, where do you live, Isabella?"

"I live right next door." I heard Liam groan.

"That's wonderful! So convenient for you and Liam. I hope you know you are welcome here anytime, darling. I'd love your company and I'm sure Liam would too." She winked at me and I giggled again. I liked something about her cheery disposition and Liam's aggitation. Their relationship was cute but I was just glad my mom never did this to me.

Liam's mom finally let go of my hand so she could pull out the cookies.

"We're just going take those upstairs, mum." Liam said with his aggravation still clear in his voice.

She put the 6 cookies on a large platter and handed it to Liam before turning to me again, "I only embarass him because I love him."

Liam grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs. She yelled after us, "Make sure you share those, Liam!"

As soon as we got to his bedroom door I let out a long laugh and Liam turned around to glare at me.

"Keep laughing and I won't share."

"I'll just tell your mom then.." If his look could kill, I'd be dead right there.

As we walked in his room, I noticed it was really bare with lots of boxes still unpacked. The only thing that was put together was his bed.

I sat on the floor while Liam sat on the bed. Even after the day we spent together, I still wasn't comfortable yet with sitting on his bed. I felt like I shouldn't even be siting, like I should be standing by the door.

He slid me the platter across the floor then decided to sit across from me on the floor too. I picked up a cookie and looked at him, "I'm not even going bring up how hypocritical this is."

"This," he held up his cookie, "is an exception."

After he finished his cookie, I watched him reach for another and saw how that slight movement still flexed his arm muscle.

I looked away, trying to focus my eyes on anything but his defined body as old thoughts were resurfacing.

I focused out his window and noticed I left my window wide open with the light on. I looked at the big oak tree next to my window and reminisced all the summer nights I used that old tree to sneak out my window. It felt weird looking at it from the outside. I strained my eyes as I noticed I could also see my bathroom door open.

Wait.. I left the bathroom door open when I took a shower this morning.. And my window open.

"Hey Liam, what time were you up this morning?"

There was a pause. "I don't know. I usually get up early.. But not that early." His eyes were down as he started picking apart a cookie.

No, Liam didn't see me naked. He couldn't. He wouldn't. But maybe it was sick karma for spying on him. I didn't need to know right now but I could still feel the uncomfortable air surrounding us again.

"It's late, I should be heading home." I said, standing up.

I begin to walk for the door as Liam said, "Wait." I spinned around as he got to his feet and walked to me. There was a sliver of space between us and he placed his hand to my face. My face was going warm from his gentle touch. I was pretty sure if he kept it there long enough, it would burn a hole through my skin. Just as I thought he was going lean down and kiss me, he swiped his thumb across the corner of my bottom lip. He put his thumb into his mouth and sucked on it and I was sure my knees were going give out at any second just from watching him.

"Sorry, only a terrible friend would let you walk around with stuff on your face." His explanation of why he did what he just did should have brought me back to Earth but they didn't. I still felt weak right in that moment.

"So you're my friend now?" It came out as a whisper. I wasn't even sure if I heard my own voice.

His beautiful brown eyes locked with my blue ones before he leaned down to my ear and just barely whispered, "You have no idea of the things I would be for you."