Modest Seduction - Book 7 (Larry Stylinson AU)

Chapter 10 - Crisis makes fighters

AN - Several chapters posted to Modest Beginnings don't forget to read, vote and comment. I am loving exploring Louis and Harry before they got together, it's all so new and exciting. 

Crisis makes Fighters

Liam's eyes burn from the flashes of so many cameras, the sound of his name being screamed by hundreds of voices at once. He is overwhelmed, exhausted from the night and being yanked through a crowd of vultures wielding cameras. The security hauled him through the doors of the airport, the sound of the crowd deafening.

Valerie offers him an apologetic smile as they get ushered over to the security barriers. "I tried to keep it a secret, I made my team swear-"

"Well you failed, didn't you!" Liam snapped, he ran his hand over his face.

An airport officer scans his bags, gestures for Liam to walk through the metal detector.

"Liam," Valerie follows him. "You know we've lost control of the group since Manning and his team stepped in."

"I'm well aware, Valerie." He spat her name like venom, all he could think about was Jennifer. "It's a fucking mess, all of it."

Valerie took off her red heels, put them onto a tray along with her phone and keys. She was a lot shorter without her heels, she looked up at Liam. "I'm trying to fix this, all of you."

"I know," Liam replied, he felt guilty for being so hard on her.

"Jacob has his finger on the trigger, on all the staff. They're so afraid of him that they'll risk their jobs and your safety for whatever he says. I've got a lawyer looking into the contracts and–"

Liam turns with a look of disgust on his tired face, "You're just telling me this now?"

"Well, you had the wedding and I didn't want to stress you and Jennifer out anymore."

"Jesus Christ," Liam growled. "The boys should know, they're all hanging from a thread already."

A guard walks over to Valerie, whispers in her ear. Her eyes widen, she swears and pulls her phone from the security tray. "Liam," she doesn't meet his eyes. "Niall's okay," she begins.

Liam feels his gut clench, his heart drop into the ground and a lump rise into his throat it's almost suffocating. "What's happened?" He wanted to scream, how could everything just continue to snowball out of control like this?

Valerie steps back into her shoes, offers a tired smile to the staff member. "Niall was on the edge of the roof, after you and Jennifer left."

Liam swears, his hands now gripped into the roots of his hair. He wanted Jennifer, her hand in his, her soothing voice. Where is she?

Valerie stares at her phone, "This is going to be a nightmare."

"Show me," Liam replies but his voice is depleted.

"Liam it's fine you don't–"

He cuts her off with a snarl, "Just fucking show me."

She turns the phone around, her other hand brushing strands of hair behind her ear. Valerie looks unkempt, overworked and her usually perfect bun is falling out.

He stares at the phone, a photo of Niall from the street, holding a beer in one hand and his arms outstretched like a bird ready to take flight. Liam wants to cry, the sadness in Niall's face is to real and raw. Liam had lived with Harry and Louis, watched them crumble and fall apart. He's watched Niall rise like a phoenix from the ashes, fly so high when their career took off. Now Niall was in so deep it was a miracle he hadn't flown off the deep end sooner. I should be there, his mind whispered.

Another guard walks up to Liam, takes his bag and hands him an enormous bunch of red roses. "This way to the tarmac," he offers Liam a small, sympathetic smile.

Liam follows suit, thoughts in disarray. He texts Harry, Louis and Zayn but gets no response. He tries to call Jennifer the minute he notices she's not on the tarmac. "She should be here already," he says to Valerie.

She shrugs, focused on her phone. She walks beside him, the only sounds are the clip, clop of her heels and the vibration of her phone. She takes calls, hissing into the receiver, 'fix it' and 'i don't care how you do it.'

Liam shudders in the dawn air, fog floats in the breeze and the sun begins to peek from the horizon. The light leaves the sky in a washed out yellow.

He looks down at his left hand, the ring Jennifer slid onto his fingers. He knows that the boys, he will be okay if they stick together. He also knows that he's become so reliant on Jennifer, on her comfort and her support that without her he's feeling isolated and confused.

"You forget about the boys, just for a while." Valerie offers him a supportive smile, her hand squeezes his bicep. "We'll have it all taken care of, by the time you've returned."

"What about Niall?" Liam asks.

"Maybe it's time for him to be admitted?" She suggests.

Liam stiffens, "We can't do that to him."

She nods, pushes her glasses up her nose. "Yes, you're right. We also can't leave him to kill himself slowly, destroy his career in the process."

Liam bites the inside of his cheek, turning over the idea in his mind. "I guess, your right."

Her phone rings, she casts Liam an anxious glance as she answers. He watches her, wringing his fingers together as he stands at the foot of the aeroplane steps.

"Okay," her back is to Liam but he can just make out the words. "No, I'll tell him."

His stomach twists, anxiety rips through his centre. Thoughts of Flynn, Jennifer and the boys rush through his mind in quick succession. He steps forward, "What?"

"Liam," she lets out a heavy breath. "Jennifer's car is gone, she's not coming."

"What do you mean?" Liam asks, his mouth suddenly dry.

She reaches out to touch him, he shoves her away. Valerie takes off her glasses, puts them in her small handbag, "The curse of fame."

"What are you talking about?"

"When the world is at your feet, when you're the name on everyone's lips... somethings got to give." Valerie's words are almost insensitive, she turns to the small airport. "I'll take you home."

"Where did she go?" Liam wants to scream and throw up at once, confusion at the forefront of his mind.

"She just said she needed some time to think," Valerie doesn't meet his eyes.

Liam stands at the foot of the plane, Valerie walks towards the airport. His phone rings, he doesn't answer it. He looks up at the clouds, the empty morning sky. How could he be so happy one minute and nearly broken in two the next?

Lost.

Confused.

He closes his eyes, each emotion washes over him like thick waves of nausea. When he closes his eyes, all he can see is Jennifer. Her golden hair, flushed cheeks. He can see her holding Flynn, feel her lips on his collarbone and hear the sound of her laughter.

A feeling of love resonates so deep within his body it feels she's inside his very bone marrow. He realises he needs to make a choice, the decision is clear.

I choose Jennifer, always.