classic » liam payne au

clear as day

The weeks flew by and before Violet knew it, it was mid-December. Her assignments were coming quicker and getting harder, and her shifts at the record shop were getting more frequent since Liam also had work to do.

Much to Violet's dismay, she and Liam couldn't work shifts together. There was just no need for two people to be there at the same time, it wasn't busy enough. Liam told her George was progressively getting worse, and he really couldn't afford to pay for two people on one shift, so Liam wouldn't be able to work with her and vice versa.

Liam and Violet had been doing really well. They saw each other nearly every day, and Liam had taken her out several more times. They hadn't kissed since the rooftop, which left Violet confused.

They had both said they liked each other, and had sealed it with a kiss. But Violet was a self-critical person; she was constantly re-evaluating her life and her choices and who she was to the point where she couldn't really be sure of anything anymore. She was beginning to think Liam had lost interest in her. It was driving her mad, but she kept it inside just like she did with all of her other feelings.

Of course Violet had told Elizabeth about her kiss with Liam, and Elizabeth told Clarissa, who told Harry, who told nearly everyone he knew. So pretty much all of Bristol knew that Violet and Liam had kissed. She was mortified when Zayn brought it up in literature and teased her the whole class.

“Would you stop it?” she had hissed to Zayn under her breath, causing him to chuckle.

“I’m just tryin’ to have a laugh, Violet.” He had shook his head. “You really need to improve your sense of humor.”

“No, you need to improve yours.” she had fired back quickly. She hadn’t thought it was funny to make fun of someone about something they were already second-guessing. Not funny at all. Though, she had supposed Zayn didn’t know that.

As of now, Violet was just getting off her shift at the shop, and was cleaning up since Liam would be here in ten minutes to start his. It was odd, she thought, that she was usually so nervous about seeing him, but once she saw him it all washed away and all she felt was calm, protected.

She wished she was the kind of person who could just openly talk about her feelings, who knew what words to say and when to say them. Violet had never been good at that. That’s what she used music for; expression.

Violet sighed at that thought and took off her name tag, gently sitting it in a plastic bin under the checkout counter. Liam's was in there, too, and she picked it up. She stared at his name printed on it and smiled as she thought of him. He was so nice to her. He had said he liked her, even. In that way. Violet liked him in that way, too. God, did she ever.

She remembered what his lips felt like against hers; warm and soft and gentle. He was always so gentle. She thought of his stupid jokes that somehow always manage to make her laugh, and how he always tried to pay for her when they went out. Liam was just as stubborn as her, but in a much more subtle and polite way.

Violet wanted to kiss him again. She had decided that a while ago. She just didn't know if whether or not she should say something to him about it or just do it. She thought if she was going to keep things going with him, she would have to take a few chances and make herself vulnerable once in a blue moon.

Just as Violet was contemplating this, the shop door opened and her head shot up to see Liam walking in, a smile on his face when he saw her. "Hello, whatcha still doing here?" He asked politely, pulling his hood down and shaking some of the rain off his jacket.

Shoot, Violet would have to bus home in that weather.

"You're not supposed to be here for another ten minutes," she said as he walked toward her and behind the counter.