Cheryl & Liam - I've Tried Everything

Chapter 14

"Me?" Cheryl croaked, mentally bracing herself for what was to come.

"Yeah" He simply sighed, "I wrote that song expecting to never see you again" He muttered, focusing his attention on her stomach and not her face.

"I'm sorry-"

"There's nothing to apologise for-"

"I broke you didn't I? That song was so full of pain" Cheryl asked, knowing full well that her actions a year ago hurt him but never actually knew how much.

"You didn't break me as such, it was more the situation-"

"No Liam. Please tell me the truth" Cheryl said as she pushed his hands away from her stomach so she could sit up. He quickly helped her up and sat beside her.

"When you told me that we couldn't be friends anymore I was really hurt. I just didn't understand how my best friend in the entire world could just drop me like that-"

"I-"

"Please, just let me finish" Liam sighed, frustratingly running a hand through his hair, "I know it wasn't your fault. But at the same time I always wondered if it wasn't always because of JB. Maybe you were sick of me too and that's why it was so easy for you to never speak to me again."

"No Liam, I hated it. I can never apologise enough for what happened. I was scared, so scared of him. I thought I was strong, I thought that I could change him, make him see what a monster he was becoming" Cheryl sniffed, tears leaking out her eyes.

"And you had every right to be scared Chez, but you knew that I would have been there for you to help leave him, it could have been so different" Liam suggested shaking his head, knowing that he would have been at her beck and call whenever she needed him.

"But I didn't want to leave him then. I know it's difficult to understand, why would someone want to stay with such a horrible man?"

"You needed to do it for your family babe, I understand that 100%. Hell, you wouldn't have Amelia right now if you didn't stay with him" Liam smiled reassuringly, taking one of her hands in his and gently squeezing it.

"Tell me who Say Something was about please" Cheryl quietly said, needing to know now as it had been killing her ever since she first heard it.

"Erm..." Liam's voice got caught in his throat, his heart started hammering hard in his chest, he could feel a panic attack coming but didn't want Cheryl around to watch, "I need a drink"

There was a distance in Liam's eyes as he took a few steps backwards towards the door, bumping into the doorframe like he wasn't expecting it. His head rolled with the impact, eyes glazed. His voice comes out thin and distant, "I- need, no... I need to go" His breathing is all wrong, beginning to gasp like there's not enough oxygen in the air.

"Liam!" Cheryl cries as she watches him disappear through the door, she'd never seen him like that before. But she recognised it. She recognised it in herself, from all those years ago when Ashley first cheated. She had had panic attacks just like Liam's for a long time and she knew how scary they were. She pushed herself off the sofa, ignoring the rippling pain in her abdomen and rushed after him. She found him gripping the counter top of the kitchen, his head lowered, his eyes screwed shut, "Liam" She softly spoke as she approached him, trying not to startle him.

"Chez, please, go" Liam muttered, his breathing increasing once he knew that she was watching him.

"No. I'm not leaving you, let me help, please" Cheryl stubbornly replied, she knew the drill. Scare the person who's trying to help away thinking it would be best for them. But she knew that he needed someone right now, and even if he hated her right now, she was going to be there.