Perfect. (Liam Payne)

Difference.

Chapter13 – Difference

"We can go in the back door." I whispered, shutting the door softly behind me.

"Alright, lead the way." Liam said.

We walked around back and I unlocked the back door. I showed Liam to Lexi's room then shut the door behind us before I turned on the light.

I immediately blushed. I forgot that Lexi had so many One Direction posters hanging on the wall. It made me wish I'd taken her to my room where any of the pictures I had were ones taken after we'd started dating.

Liam smiled but tried to be discrete about it. He set Lexi down in her bed and pulled the covers over her legs.

"Does your room look like this?" Liam asked.

I punched his arm. "For your information, no. It doesn't."

"Can I see it?"

"If my mom sees you here, she's going to kill us both."

He wrapped his arms around my waist. "You think in two weeks she would?"

"It's hard to tell. She's kind of mad at you right now."

"Me? Why?"

"You're the reason I'm grounded, actually."

He kissed my cheek. "I'm sorry."

"And I hate to kick you out but I don't want mom to wake up with you here."

"I understand."

I kissed him. "I can't wait to hear about these next two weeks."

"You're gonna make me sick." Lexi mumbled, rolling onto her side.

"I think that's the alcohol's fault."

She groaned. "Don't remind me."

I took Liam's hand and led him back to the kitchen. I hugged him tightly. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Liv."

"Two weeks. It's just two weeks."

"It'll be over before you know it."

I watched him leave before I went back to my room. I crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling until the sun came up.

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"Olivia, can you bring in another bottle of wine?"

I sighed and grabbed a bottle from the cabinet. I walked into the living room to where the book club was and handed the bottle to mom. She was hardly interested in the book and I wasn't even sure they read the books anymore.

Mom took the bottle from me and popped the top. "Who wants more wine?"

A short, balding woman beside me started laughing, her arm extended to get more wine in her glass.

I rolled my eyes and went back into the kitchen. There were two empty wine glasses on the counter. Empty plates with bread crumbs sat in the sink, waiting to be washed.

I glanced at mom in the living room. She was laughing, taking sips of her wine. She looked happy, happier than she'd been in a long time. I wasn't sure it was the women making her laugh though.

I opened the back door and stepped outside. I sat down at the edge of the pool and stuck my feet in the water.

Thirteen days. It felt like a lifetime. Thirteen days before Liam would be back. Thirteen days before I wouldn't be grounded anymore.

The thought made me want to leave home for days, just because I could.

"Are you seriously pouting?"

I looked behind me and saw Lexi standing in the doorway. She was wearing a gray dress with red lipstick. It looked like she was going out somewhere.

"I think mom's drunk."

"I think the real question is when is mom not drunk?"

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To meet up with some friends."

"After last night? Lex, you were completely wasted."

She shrugged. "Tylenol and coffee work wonders."

I rolled my eyes. "I really thought maybe you'd learned your lesson."

"That was nothing. People party like that every night and are fine."

"Not every one person is alike."

"Well I don't plan on getting hammered. It's just lunch at the Burger place on tenth. Then maybe we'll go swimming down at the lake."

"Then call me asking for me to come pick you up?"

She shrugged. "I don't know how the night will end."

"Just don't let mom catch you. I'm sure she's still pissed about me sneaking out."

"That's the difference between you and me. You sneak out. I tell mom where I'm going. She tells me not to go but at least she knows where I'll be."

"That would never work for me."

She winked at me before walking to the gate. "Like I said, there's a difference between us. You just have to look for it."