Beautifully Broken (Liam Payne)

Chapter 14

*Bridget’s POV*

I smiled at him weakly while he looked at me a bit dumbfounded.

“A-are you, you know…” he trailed off.

“No, I’m not mad, Liam.” I said shaking my head. He looked a bit relived but still tense. We stand there awkwardly until Kylie cleared her throat behind us. He walks over to her and hands her an apple. I felt something stir inside of me, but I push it down.

“Thanks Liam.” She said weakly. She bites into it and relief floods over her face.

“I haven’t had real food since forever. All they give me is mush.” She sighs, taking another bite. But midway of biting the apple, she opens her jaw and releases the apple. She stares at it with longing, wishing she could have another bite.

“Maybe because you’re too weak to chew?” I sighed. I sit down next to her and take her apple, leaving it on the counter beside her. She giggles then coughs weakly.

“I’m tired.” She sighs, closing her eyes.

“Ok, we’ll leave you here to rest.” She smiles at me and then snuggles back into her sheets. Liam and I walk out of the room and stood in the hallway, as doctors and nurses rushed up and down the hall all at once. There was a bench out here so we decided to sit down on it as we watch people walk by hurriedly.

“You, know, this reminds me when Jane was hospitalized. The thing is, the lads were all here, Harry paced the hallways with the same scare expression, and Marie cried nonstop.” He said, looking at the people walk by. I stayed quiet for a bit, visualizing all of that. The five happy lads I know, with worried faced and tense positions.

“Where’s her parents?” he asked. I turned to him and he’s looking at me. I open my mouth to say something but something restricts me from making a comprehendible sound. I close my mouth and turn back around. Should I tell him? Could both Kylie and I trust him?

“It’s alright if you can’t tell me. I understand. Personal things.” He sighed.

“They’re not here because we don’t know who they are.” I sighed. From the corner of my eye, I could see him with a shocked expression.

“W-What?”

“Kylie and I are both orphans. We were both in the same orphanage almost our whole lives. She’s been there longer though. Since she was one or two, I think. I’ve been there since I was 7.” His shocked faced slowly changed to one I despised the most: Pity. I stood up and walked down the hall, a bit angry at him for looking at me like that; and at myself for telling him this. I knew how they all react, and they don’t ever hear the whole story. They say things like’ Oh, I know how you feel’ or ‘You’re not the only one’.

“Bri wait!” he yelled, running after me. I didn’t notice that tears were going down my face as my head ran through the painful memories burned in the back of my mind.

“Bri, I’m sorry if I did something. Please.” He looked at me with a different expression, somewhere along the line of hurt. My throat hurt a bit, so I nodded instead of answered. We walked back to the bench and sat down. I breathed in shakily and let out the air slowly.

“When I was admitted to Leeds Orphanage, I was very skinny, timid, and afraid to talk to anyone. Kylie, although, was the first person to walk up to me and welcome me with a huge smile and a warm hug. She convinced Georgina, the keeper of the place, to make us roommates, since I didn’t even want to talk to the other kids. Since then we’ve been inseparable.” I finished off with a deep breath. Liam looked down, processing everything.