Dark Flame - (Liam Payne AU)

Ch. 25

Juliet POV: 

At my doctor's appointment before I left America, I decided that I didn't want to know the sex of the baby. I wanted it to be a surprise. Typical, right? 

I sighed, rubbing my now very large stomach on a chair at the airport. I waited for Mary, who said she was on her way. She was getting married this week, and I was her maid of honor. 

"Juliet Montgomery! You're not a stick anymore!" I heard her say. I looked up and I saw a very happy Mary, who had a new pixie cut and a sundress on. 

"Mary!" I said and ran into her arms. I missed her; she was my best friend. 

"Hello, little one!" She said to my stomach. "What's the sex?"

"I don't want to know."

"Well, let's go! We have to get your dress." She smiled and grabbed my hand and my luggage. I told her all about Liam's mother in Key West. She told me about her wedding plans, and that she was now expecting a child as well. She hopes it will be a girl. 

We talked about babies and weddings for a while before she asked me a question I wasn't too sure if I was ready to answer.

"When are you going to see Liam again?" she asked.

"When the gangs die down." I answered half-hopeful. 

"It's gotten badder since you left." 

"Really?"

"Yeah..." she said, sadness in her voice. "And it's only going to get worse. The killing rate is up. Gangs are killing people, innocent people."

I felt sick to my stomach. I had made a mistake coming back to England, and I knew it. 

-

On the day of Mary's wedding, I helped her do her hair and make-up. She looked beautiful, like a fairy or something. She was glowing; the type of glow you get after you either: a.) have sex, b.) are pregnant, c.) are getting married. Today, she had a combination of all three. I helped her as she slipped into her beautiful white gown, and tied up the corset in the back. I had on a violet dress, her wedding colors were violet and gold. I handed her the boquet of wonderful white roses, and we began to make our way through the church doors. 

I walked down the aisle with a man that was Max's friend. He was stunningly gorgeous, and he and I had been running errands together for the past few days. Once we finished our journey down the aisle, we waited for Mary to come through the doors. When the music started playing, Mary didn't come out. We all began to worry.

Mary POV:

Right before I could enter through the doors and down the aisle to get married, I felt a hand wrap around my arm. I whipped around to see Liam Payne. His eyes were very sad, and he had dark circles that seemed to go on forever. He had a beard, a large scar on the side of his face, and he looked, well, he looked terrible.

"Mary." he spoke in a tired, rugged voice.

"Liam, I'm kind of in the middle of something. You weren't invited." I pointed out.

"Yes, I know that." He said, his voice draining. 

"How did you even know where it was?"

"Newspaper."

"Why are you here, Liam?" I asked, getting down to the real question.

"I have to see her." he choked. 

"Liam, she doesn't want to see you now. Please, let me go get married. Okay?"

He didn't answer, he just sighed and nodded. I saw him turn away and walk out the doors. I knew that wouldn't be the last time I saw him today.