Perfectly Unseen

63: fuck karma

"Liam." I choked, my body hurting me in ways it never hurt before—Missy's pain killers had worn off and I was facing the injury head on.

I had bruises before. But this was no trip into the doorframe.

Liam looked at me, his golden eyes holding pain I knew I had put there with my selfish, irresponsible actions. "I didn't think you'd talk to me after—"

"Please. Just listen to me." I grasped his hand tightly.

His eyebrows furrowed together as he felt how shaky I was. Looking up at me, the hurt was replaced with worry. "You're hurting." He instantly knew, his eyes falling down my body. "What happened? Ashton didn't—"

"No." I shook my head quickly. "I just need you to keep him away from me. Just until..." I hesitated. "Until I say otherwise."

He frowned. "If he hurt you—"

"It wasn't him." I whispered, pleading into his searching eyes. "This is my fault. Please. You don't do things without thinking of your future."

Liam frowned—an odd expression on his face. "What? I never think of my future."

"You get extra help for calculus so you don't fall behind. You do that so you keep your scholarship. You do that so you have a good future. You think ahead. You didn't tell me you worked at the aquarium that time you took me because you wanted to surprise me in the future. You think ahead." I finished, my eyes holding his desperately.

His face softened as he finally nodded, convinced, "Okay."

I exhaled in relief. "I know maybe now it seems like you don't, but you love Ashton. He's like your brother—and I'm so sorry making that harder to see at this moment." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "But this is about you caring for Ashton—it's not about me."

Liam hesitated for a moment, "I might not like him right now, but yeah. Maybe." He squeezed my hand, clearly puzzled over where it was I was heading.

"He's irrational." I opened my eyes, "he does things without thinking. He's the complete opposite of you."

"He can fly off the handle sometimes." Liam agreed with a humourless chuckle.

"All the time." I shook my head, "But this time, if he does, it could lead him into some serious shit. Not to mention he'll blame himself." Tugging his hand I pulled him into the first door, thankfully left unlocked.

Liam watched me as I bit my lip and dropped his hand.

"What's happened, Ailie?" Liam mumbled softly, pushing back stands of my hair only to see the bit of bruise Missy had missed. "Who did this to you?" His jaw clenched as he rubbed off more of the makeup to reveal the discoloured skin before I could stop him.

"When Ashton called me a creep, there was this other guy that started getting into it. He wasn't like the others... he..." I looked away, shaking my head. "He kept hurting me. Ashton stopped him after he found out. But sometimes it was out of his control."

Liam nodded, following intently with an angered look on his soured face.

"I blamed Ashton for it. And while it started off to be his fault, the guy took it just way too far to blame it all on him. Ashton isn't responsible for this." I whispered, feeling the guilt for blaming him in the past. It wasn't even that long ago all of this started.

"Why do you need to hide from Ashton? He'd kick the shit out of him, but he's smart, Ailie. He wouldn't get caught."

I shook my head. "Not if he sees this bruise." Lifting up my shirt, I could feel his stare on the ugly still growing flowering pattern.

"Fuck, Ailie!" Liam swore, pacing the room looking ready to smash something to bits. "God I can barely hold back. I wouldn't blame him for killing him—I'd fucking help hide the body." He spat with a head shake before pulling me carefully into a hug.

"Ashton will go crazy." I whispered into his chest—the coconut fragrance calming my nerves as I breathed him in. "He can't see it. He can't see me." Shaking my head, I closed my eyes. "If you care about Ashton, you'll keep him away from me."

Liam nodded slowly. "Just promise me you'll go get it checked out—and that you'll let me get that bastard back somehow." His fingers brushed my hair back, soothing me as I thought.

"It's my karma."

"The hell it is, Ailie!" Liam growled, leaning down to face me with his hands caressing my cheeks. "That's not karma. That's some sick bastard taking his anger out on you. That is not your karma, beautiful girl." His golden eyes intently watched me before he pulled me in, his lips crashing down on mine for a breathtaking moment before he pulled away. "Fuck karma." He whispered, resting his forehead on mine.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, holding onto his shirt to keep him there with me."About last night."

I didn't want to be alone. But I deserved it.

He shook his head, smoothing over my skin gently. "I won't say I'm happy with it." He mumbled softly. "But I like you, Ailie. Enough to try to be okay with it. I don't know if I will be. But I can't stay mad at you. You mean too much to me, pretty girl."

I pulled away, feeling guilty over everything. "I just can't, Liam. I want to. But I can't. Everything's too..." shaking my head I looked up at him, "My sister hates me. My father hates me. I hate me. I'll just be selfish and end up hurting you again. I just don't—"

Liam pulled me gently into a hug, "Okay. Okay." He rubbed my arms, "I get it. You have a lot. But I'm here for you. Please give me the chance to show you. I just want to be there for you, Ailie. Don't hate yourself. I'd do anything to make you see how amazing you are." His chest rumbled against me as he talked.

Closing my eyes I could almost imagine everything being okay. That I wasn't so broken and Liam and I were a happy couple with no-one between us.

I could almost picture it.

~+~+~

WHY IS HE SO FORGIVING. I love Liam so much 😭