EIGHT LETTERS || Liam Dunbar [2]

NINE

Katherine clung tightly to Liam as he piggy-backed her through the woods a short distance behind Stiles.

"I don't trust him," Katherine mumbled, laying her chin on his shoulder.

"Trust who?" Liam frowned, craning his neck to look back at her. She smiled lightly at him when their eyes met. "Can you please remind me why I'm carrying you again?"

"Trust Theo, you dork," Katherine snorted. "And you're carrying me because I'm incredibly lovable and small. You couldn't resist my charm."

"Right," Liam rolled his eyes.

Katherine gave his arm a light smack as she laughed, her head falling back in the process.

Unable to stop the smile from growing on his lips, Liam looked down at the ground while chewing on the inside of his cheeks in hopes she wouldn't see.

"Are we almost back at the jeep yet?" Katherine asked after a moment, a slight frown pulling the corners of her lips into a small pout.

"Almost," Liam promised her with a light chuckled.

"Good," she sighed, setting her chin back on his shoulder, her cheek pressed against the side of his neck. "'Cause I'm really cold."

Katherine heard Liam inhale sharply, but thought nothing of it.

He probably just stepped on something that startled him.

Ahead of her she noticed Stiles stop next to the jeep, his expression falling into a grimace. Her brows creased with worry. Before she could ask him what was going on, Liam slowed to a stop next to him and she saw it for herself.

"Did you find anything?" Scott asked rhetorically with raised brows. He was sitting patiently on his dirt bike, looking less than impressed.

Stiles made a face. "Nope." He went over to the jeep and unlocked it.

"I fell in a hole," Liam added in awkwardly.

"We fell in a hole," Katherine corrected him as she jumped off his back. "Now I need to freaking shower. Again." She gave Liam a kiss on the cheek then jogged over to the passenger side of the jeep, pulling her headphones and phone from the front pocket of her jeans as she did so.

"It was the bridge where his sister died, wasn't it?" Scott guessed as he reached the driver side window.

Katherine let out a small sigh and put her headphones in and made herself comfortable in her seat. When she hit shuffle on her music, I Like Me Better by LAUV began playing, and her eyes immediately found Liam. He was standing there awkwardly next to Scott's bike, kicking at the dirt with the toe of his shoe. She couldn't help the smile that came across her lips, then immediately looked down when she realized what she was doing.

Stupid feelings.

Ugh.

The engine sputtered as Stiles turned it over, and he immediately pursed his lips and let out a long sigh. Katherine paused her music just in time to hear him mumbled a faint son of a—, before he climbed out of the Jeep.

"Liam!" Stiles yelled. "Do me a favor and turn the ignition when I say."

Katherine smiled faintly at her best friend as he climbed into the driver seat beside her, and pulled her headphones out before joining them over the collar of her shirt. "You all good?" She asked him softly.

"Uh, yeah," Liam nodded awkwardly. "Just scraped my knee a bit when we fell, but I'll be fine."

"That's good," Katherine nodded slowly.