BLAKE

Chapter 31

I woke up with a start, Liam was still asleep next to me. 

It's been a week since he woke up and he got out of the hospital yesterday. 

I decided to stay with him, allowing his mother to go back to work. 

Sweating, I tried to slow down my breathing. Everyday since Liam got shot, it's the same nightmare over and over each time I close my eyes. I relive everything that happened that terrible night. 

Liam lying on the ground, blood everywhere, me trying to wake him up, to keep him alive. 

I glance at his sleepy face through the dark light, at his chest slowly rising up and down. 

He's alive. 

I lie down again and carefully rest my head against his chest, right where his heart is beating, and I close my eyes, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. 

He's alive. 

I woke up a few hours later and to my surprise Liam was not here anymore. I got out of bed instantly. I opened the bedroom door in a hurry, looking for him and I made my way to the living room. 

I immediately stopped in my tracks, this room brings back so many bad memories. It's like I can still smell the blood in the air. 

After a few seconds I looked up and my eyes finally found Liam. 

He was sitting on the couch, his head resting in his hands, immobile. 

"Liam..." I brought my hands to my chest and looked at him, trying to figure out why he decided to get out of bed in his state. "Liam, what's going on?" I slowly walked towards him and I could see him tense up. "You shouldn't be here, the doctors said you need to rest. You should go back to bed." I said softly. I know Liam doesn't like to receive orders and I don't want it to sound like a command, I just want to take care of him. 

"Liam?" I reached him and softly put my hand on his shoulder. After a few seconds, he sighed and looked at me. 

A look that froze me. His expression was so sad that it made me want to cry instantly. 

"Liam, what's going on?" I asked concerned. 

"I don't want to lose you Blake. I just found you again." He looked down and I knelt down in front of him, taking his hands in mine, looking at him with concern. 

"What are you talking about? I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." I tried to reassure him but I could see it was not working. Liam was lost in his thoughts, as if he was alone, as if I was not here anymore. 

"Liam..." I squeezed his hands. "Liam look at me. What is this about?"

"I did something bad Blake." He closed his eyes and I could see the pain in his face. "Something really bad."

"I already know what you do for living, I know you're a dealer, Joane told me everything and I'm still here you see. I'm not leaving." He sighed. 

"I know." 

"You know?" He nodded slowly, his eyes still closed. 

"Then what's bothering you? You can tell me anything Liam, I can hear anything. I almost lost you, I'm not gonna let you down."

He opened his eyes and looked straight in my eyes. 

"The man who shot me... I killed his son. I sold him drugs for months and he overdosed. His father found out I was his dealer and came for revenge. I killed a teenager." His eyes were full of regrets but his voice was so cold. As if he was giving me an out. As if he just expected me to run out of his house in a heartbeat.