Modest Delusions - Book 3 (Larry Stylinson AU)

Chapter 35 - Where will I be without you?

Where will I be without you?

Liam was sitting on the bed and smiling at Jennifer as he listened to Zayn on the other end of the phone, he let out an audible sigh and Jennifer watched him intently. With wide eyes he closed the phone and looked at her, he took her small hand and kissed it. “Jen,” he smiled. “It wasn’t Harry,” His voice was soft, full of relief. 

She smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin, “I told you,” she whispered. 

He dropped her hand and crept up the bed as he feverishly kissed her pregnant belly, she was giggling and with his hand still resting on her stomach his smile dropped. “Jen,” he began. 

She frowned, “Who was it?” 

He closed his eyes, “Rachel.”

The name nearly sent her into a blind panic and she gasped, Liam knew exactly how she was feeling. He could hardly wrap his head around the revelation, Zayn replayed the confession and it broke Liam’s heart. Not because of the betrayal, he was so worried about Porter. Porter had really done a lot of soul searching to let Rachel in, the seven months he spent in close quarters with Porter meant they were like brothers. He trusted Porter, with everything and when he found out about Jennifer there was a small fragment of time where he feared Porter knew the truth. 

When he saw the look of utter shock in Porter’s blue eyes Liam knew, Porter had been left in the dark. Porter cried to Liam, he opened up as they sat in the hospital hallway and Liam listened. He understood how it felt to be lied to, he wanted to scream for Porter’s sake. 

“Finding out she…” Liam shook his head as he looked at Jennifer, “Finding out what Rachel did broke him.”

Jennifer frowned, “I know,” she squeezed his hand. 

Liam felt saddened by the revelation of how far Rachel would go for success and money, “She pushed you Jen, she lost her shit and-“

“I…” Jennifer blinked, her face went from sad to horrified and he could see the exact moment she remembered it all. She paled, her hand that lingered moments ago so tenderly above her belly was now dropped beside her. She sat up, her eyes began to water and Liam instantly gravitated towards her in a world of worry. “She wanted me to leave, told me I would regret staying…” her words flew out like a gush of wind and Liam held her as she began to sob. “I told her I loved you, I told her she couldn’t keep me away and she tried to grab me. I wanted to get away,” she squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she clung onto his arm, he rocked her gently. “She threatened to tell you it wasn’t your baby,” she was breathless. 

Liam felt numb. 

“I told her I’d find my way to you, that Niall would back me up and when I tried to get away she just screamed,” her eyes went wide as the memories flooded in tormenting rivulets through her mind. “She looked so crazy, she…” her words broke off. “I didn’t fall Liam,” she sat up, he took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. “Liam she pushed me, she wanted me to fall-“

A bunch of flowers fell to the ground, the door open and Porter stood with a pale face. 

“Porter I-“

Liam rocked Jennifer as she cried, Porter stepped slowly through the door and shut it. “She told me it was an accident, you slipped and it was the last thread of hope I was holding onto,” he whispered. 

Liam was torn between his friend and his lover, he looked between them and Jennifer slowly released her hold on him. “Go to him,” she whispered as she wiped her face. He went to argue but she nodded with a small smile, “I’m fine, he needs you.”