all i need // l.p {au}

chapter eleven

"Well I should probably get inside. It's getting late," I told Liam. We were sitting in Liam's expensive car in the parking lot of my apartment complex. I opened my door to get out and he opened his as well, stepping smoothly out of the car.

"Let me walk you," he said as we met at the front of his car. He slipped his hand into mine and I couldn't bring myself to pull my hand away. "I had a lot of fun tonight, Logan," I could hear the smile in his voice and I knew I had fun as well. It was the most fun that I had had in awhile. I considered bartending fun, but it was my job. Hanging out with Liam was a different kind of fun, something I wanted to experience again.

We arrived at my front door a few moments later and I leaned back against my door, Liam in front of me. He was grinning like a fool, his face lighting up. He began to lean in, his face nearing mine. "Liam," I whispered, but he didn't stop. I could feel his hot breath on my lips before he gently connected his with mine. His kiss was soft, not urgent. His hand slipped behind me, bringing my body closer to his. I relaxed into the kiss just before he pulled away.

"I really did have an amazing time," he murmured, his hand still resting on the small of my back. I bit my lip, trying to stop a smile from appearing on my face. "Really, Logan. You need stop with that," he said, his voice deep and rough. I glanced away from him, looking down at the oddly patterned carpet of the hallway. "Hey, what is it?" he asked, trying to get me to look at him.

I shrugged. "I just don't do things like this. I bring guys back to my room and be with them for a night and never see them again. I'm not used to going to dinner and guys walking me to my door. I'm not used to goodnight kisses and hand holding. It's just overwhelming, I guess and I'm not sure it's what I want."

Liam sighed, "Yeah, I can understand that. I guess I'm the opposite in a way. I love being in a relationship, one that I can treat a girl how she should be and care for her. I guess that's why my break-up hurt me so much. I was so in love with her and I treated her like a princess, and then she hurt me."

I finally looked up at him and he looked so vulnerable, his brown eyes tinged with sadness. "I don't need to know this, Liam. I told you that before."

"But what if I want to explain it to you?" He cupped my face with his hand and I closed my eyes.

"Wouldn't someone breaking your heart make you not believe in relationships anymore?" I was trying to make sense of why he would want to get into any relationship so soon.

"Can we talk about this inside? I feel weird talking in the hallway," he gestured toward my closed door and I turned around to unlock it. I slipped out of my heels and led him to the couch. Daisy had been sleeping in her dog bed, but once she heard us come in, she came running to my lap. Liam pet her head and she walked over to him, putting her paws on his chest. Liam smiled as she began to lick his face. "She's so sweet," he chuckled.

"Thanks. I don't know what I would do without her," I said honestly. Daisy was like my world. She made me feel like things were going to be alright.

"So," Liam began with a sigh. "For awhile back in London, I was miserable. Staying in all day and drinking a little too much. I was wallowing in my pain, thinking that she would come back to me. I tried to convice myself that we were still in love, that she still loved me like I loved her. Niall was getting so fed up with my constant sour mood and said I needed a change. That was when he suggested we come to New York. It would be a fresh start, he had told me. I wasn't too excited about the idea at first, but once coming here, I loved the city and the atmosphere. We were walking around one night, tryng to find some place to have a drink and we stumbled upon your bar. We felt sort of out of place, considering we were the youngest people there, but once I saw you I knew I had to stay. There was just something about you, standing behind that bar. You looked so effortlessly beautiful. I was still in a bad place, yes, but I was starting to move on." He paused to take a breath. "So, to answer your question I did give up on relationships for a bit. I needed to find myself again, but I also know that I want to get married someday and have a family. I want to find that special girl that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."

I listened closely to everything that Liam was saying, but it seemed all too serious. I had never had a relationship, unless you counted the week long one I had in the seventh grade. I wasn't sure if he was asking me to be in a relationship or what exactly he was trying to explain, so I stayed quiet. I glanced down and I could see part of the tattoo on his left arm. I remembered that I had wanted to know what it said, its meaning.

"Is everything ok? You're being really quiet," Liam's words took me out of my thoughts and I looked back up.

"Uh, yeah. I was just, um, wondering about your tattoo," I pointed to his arm and he rolled the sleeve of his shirt up a bit.

"It says everything I wanted but nothing I'll ever need," he said. The lettering was beautiful, some fancy cursive scrawl. "I got it soon after my breakup with Danielle. I wanted a reminder to myself that sometimes the things or people that you want aren't the things that you need," he shrugged.

"That's so beautiful," I whispered, bravely reaching out and tracing the lettering with my fingertips. It was such an intimate moment, much more intimate than anything I've experienced so far.

"What about you? Do you have any tattoos?" Liam asked, breaking the moment.

I shook my head. "No, but maybe someday."

Liam nodded. "It wasn't as painful as I thought it was going to be, but definitely not an enjoyable feeling," he laughed. "Anyways, I should probably get going. I was dropping you off an hour ago." He stood up from the couch, stretching a bit. I followed him to the door, Daisy trailing behind us.

"Thank you for tonight. I'm sorry I'm not quite ready for a big commitment," I told him.

"Don't worry, Logan. I'm just happy you started to open yourself up to me. I hope we can do this again?"

"I'd like that," I told him, meaning it. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek before walking out the door. As I walked to my room and readied myself to go to sleep, I couldn't get the feeling of his lips on mine out of my mind.

please vote and comment. xx zoe