all i need // l.p {au}

chapter ten

Liam sat with me for another ten minutes in silence before I burst out laughing. He seemed shocked, considering I had just been crying.

"What is it?"

"It's just funny. I assumed we would just be a one night stand and now you're sitting in my car at three in the morning, trying to console me."

"Why is that funny?" He twisted his face up in confusion, looking at me intently.

I shrugged. "I guess I just assumed that once we fucked, I wouldn't see you again but you keep showing up."

"Like I told you before, you intrigue me." I didn't want to let on that he intrigued me as well and I wanted to find out more about him. I was just too scared to let him in.

"Let me drive you home, you shouldn't be driving in your condition." He squeezed my hand before letting go of my hand and I opened my door to slide out of my car. We switched places and Liam found the way to my apartment easily.

"You still never told me how you knew where I lived," I pointed out.

"Ok, don't find this creepy or anything but I followed you home one day after work. It was Niall's idea and I tried to tell him that it was weird and creepy but he insisted. He said it would come in handy sometime and I guess it did," he laughed.

"I liked Niall. He was funny," I giggled. "But that is sort of creepy."

"Yeah, sorry." He turned off the car and got out, coming to the passenger side to open my door.

"Did you wanna come in?" I asked, surprising both of us.

"Nah, I should get home. I'm in need of a shower. But we are still on for dinner this weekend, right?"

"Yeah, how could I forget?" I said and turned to go inside.

***

On Saturday, I had the day off. I slept in so I was well rested. As I was looking for something to wear to my dinner with Liam, my phone began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Logan, how are you?" my mother's sad voice filled my ears. I hadn't talked to her in awhile, I kept telling myself that I just hadn't found the time.

"I'm fine mom. Is everything ok?" Whenever she called, I always assumed something bad had happened even thought that wasn't the case usually.

"You dad came to see me."

My breathing hitched. I didn't think he would go to her, he knew it would crush her to find out that he had remarried. "Wh-what did he tell you?" I asked, trying to not give it away that I knew about his new family.

"He has a daughter," she mumbled.

"I know, me," I told her, still hoping that he didn't tell her.

"No, no. He has another daughter, Logan. And also a new wife. I've been replaced," she began to sob and I could hear her collapse into a chair.

"Mom, calm down. It's not like you wanted to be with him anyway. He hurt us so badly. It doesn't matter what he's doing with his life now. It's just you and me, like it has been for the past seven years." I felt bad that this wasn't particularly true, I had left her to come to New York.

"I guess you're right I just wish he never told me." she trembled. "Have a good day, honey."

"Bye mom, love you," I told her, knowing my words weren't that reassuring. I set my phone down and went back to my closet. I only had an hour before Liam was coming to pick me up and I still had so much to do.

I finally decided on a black sunflower dress and gold jewelry. I found my tan wedge heels that were buried in the back of my closet. I straightened my hair, opting for something different than my usual waves. After putting on some mascara and eyeliner, I entered my living room and found Daisy lounging on the couch.

"Hey, girl," I scratched her head and sat down next to her. She climbed onto my lap and that's how I sat until there was a knock at the door. I picked up Daisy and set her on the ground, following me to the door.

"Hey," Liam smiled when I opened the door. "You look pretty."

I felt myself blushing, wishing that his words didn't make me melt. "Thanks," I mumbled as I closed the door behind me and followed him outside. "So what are we doing?" I asked as we reached his car, a silver audi. I took a seat on the luxurious black leather seats and took in the new car smell.

"I told you, dinner," he answered shortly, pulling out of the apartment parking lot.

I sighed, "yeah, but you didn't tell me where," I pointed out.

He shrugged. "Just some place that Niall suggested. He said he ate there with Zayn when he was visiting, said they had the best pizza. You like pizza, right?"

"Who doesn't like pizza?" I laughed.

***

The restaurant ended up being really good, I was stuffed with the remains of my pizza on my white plate. Liam and I had just been making small talk the whole dinner, not getting into anything too deep about ourselves. I found out that he grew up in Wolverhampton, that he'd always wanted to come to the U.S. and that he has two sisters. I didn't tell him much about myself except that I was an only child and my parents were divorced. I left out the part about my new half-sister, not feeling that it was important if I wasn't going to have anything to do with her.

"So, are you ever going to explain to me why you don't date?" he asked after the waiter brought the check. I took out my wallet to pay for some of it but he shook his head. "Don't worry about it, I kind of forced you out to dinner."

"You didn't force me," I told him, but I didn't want him to know that I actually wanted to go. "And I just don't think I'm ready," I told him honestly. I knew if he found out what a troubled person I was, that he would leave me in a heartbeat.

"Ok, well just so you know, you can tell me whenever you're ready. I'm a really good listener." I nodded, not sure what to say to that. I knew that he was just trying to be nice, but I didn't want to let him in quite yet. "Also, if you ever want to know about what happened with me and my break-up, I can tell you. I'm not afraid for you to find out."

I shook my head quickly. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?" He sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his baseball-style shirt clad chest. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he watched my face, trying to figure out my thoughts.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I guess, the less I find out the better."

"Logan," he started with a sigh. "How are you ever going to get close to anyone if you don't put yourself out there and don't let anyone else give you a part of themselves?"

"Maybe I don't want to get close to anyone," I said. "Everyone eventually lets you down. I'm only trying to save myself from the pain."

Liam shook his head, but he had a small smile on his face. "I'm gonna change that, Logan. Just you watch."

I bit my lip, my stupid nervous habit, and hoped that I wasn't already getting attached to this foreign boy with good looks. I felt my guard slowly starting to slip away each time he spoke.

heyy(: thanks to anyone that's reading, I really like writing this story. please vote and comment xx zoe