Liam

Chapter 23

•Loco•

THIRD PERSON

When the next morning rolled around, the two teenagers were still fast asleep in Hayes's bed. The events of the previous nights had weighed down on them heavily, especially on Winter, who had been having troubles sleeping through the entire night without a nightmare.

Her family plagued her mind like a nasty parasite, that would not let go. She was disgusted because of their behavior, their decisions. How could they say the things they had said to her? It hurt her more than she ever wanted to admit.

The sun had already risen and Winter's inner clock began to ring. She could never sleep too long when she was not at home, sleepovers had always been fun for because of that...

She opened her eyes, disoriented and for a second she had forgotten where she was, given the entirely unfamiliar interior of the bedroom. There was an extreme surprise for her when she discovered that the young man laid next to her, enclosing her with his arms.

Actually, it was an extraordinary feeling. He made her feel safe and protected, something she longed for, for years now. His eyes fluttered open and he gave her a kiss on her temple, before he quickly fell asleep once more.

She took that chance to glance up at him and study his features. His cheekbones as his jaw were very prominent, his upper lip was thinner than his lower lip, both tinted a reddish pink naturally. Wavy dark brown hair fell onto his forehead, all messed up from being asleep. His nose was slightly crooked and he had many tiny scars littered all over his face, but the predominant one ran through the diagonally through the beginning of his eyebrow.

Winter pressed a feather-light kiss onto his jaw before she deliberately stood up and entered the bathroom across his bedroom, since she knew his mother was home due soon. Naturally she did not want to leave a bad first impression.

From what she had seen in this house, she loved. It was simple, and not filled with too much decorations and furniture. The warm colors painted onto the walls made the house seem more inviting and homey, something her own home lacked somewhat.

With the shake of her head, she brushed her teeth and cleaned up, so she could wake Hayes up.

She climbed atop the covers, hovering above his face for a second, before she leaned down and pressed kissed all around his face. His face scrunched up, into a frown, his mind slowly progressing that he was waking up. When his eyes finally opened, he smiled up at her, then quickly pecked her forehead.

"Hey,"

"Hi," she bit her lip, as the muscles stretched beneath his skin, just because he moved his arm to cover his eyes.

He offered that she could downstairs, and he'd follow as soon as he got ready. With a slight smile pulling at the corners of her lips, she agreed, knowing that he would not take too long anyway.

Winter barely stepped onto the last step, before the front door opened. A woman with wavy, long hair entered the house, a younger girl trailing in right after her.

"Dios mío!" She muttered, her hand flying to her heart in sudden fright at the sight of the young woman on her stairs. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"

This must have been Hayes's mother and his sister. They had an unmistakable similarity in their features. The woman's accent flowed into her words, and Winter had to take a fleeting moment to admire it.

"Hi—Uh, I'm—I'm Winter. It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Coleman,"

Hayes's mother narrowed her eyes at her. "What are you doing in my house, pretty girl?"