The War of Love {Liam Payne}

Prologue

There was a knock at the door to her bedroom, and Cassie pulled her knees up to her chest, scooting closer to the head board of her bed. She bit her lip, pulling the sleeves of her knitted, navy blue jumper over her fists. She stared at the wooden door, knowing exactly who would be walking through it a moment later. She was wrong, however, when her brother came through the wooden doorframe. She hopped off the bed and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

“You’re going to wrinkle my uniform, Cass,” Oliver said, hesitantly hugging her back.

“I don’t care,” she sniffed, looking up at the many buttons that were sewn onto his military blazer. She wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her jumper, stepping back from her older brother. He flattened his uniform with the palms of his hands and stared down at his younger sister. “They want me to marry him,” she whispered, so that only Oliver could hear.

“Not him,” he whispered back, sending her a weak smile. “Not Caleb. I wouldn’t allow it.”

“Then who?” Cassie asked, searching for answers in her brother’s blue eyes. He sighed, biting his bottom lip. It ran in the Joslin family to bite their lips when they were nervous. Before Oliver could answer, however, her father’s booming voice was heard throughout the house.

“Cassandra!” he called, making both Oliver and Cassie jump. She took in a deep breath and Oliver put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, leading her down the stairs and to the living room, where Sergeant Joslin was pacing and Mrs. Joslin was sitting on the couch, her hand to her chin in a thinking pose. She looked up at her two children, both of whom had a worried looks on their faces.

“Cassie…” Mae said, in an effort to calm her daughter. Cassie sniffled and shook her head, signaling for her mother to keep quiet.

“Sit down, both of you,” Devin said to his children, motioning to the rest of the couch. Oliver removed his hat, revealing his neatly combed, brown hair that was parted down the side. Their father sighed, pulling a chair out from the dining room set and sitting in front of his daughter, taking her hands in his. “Cassie…”

“I’m not marrying him,” she quietly interrupted, careful not to stare at him in the eyes. “This wasn’t how a twenty first century teenager was supposed to be! I should be sitting in my bedroom, dreaming of going on a date with Aaron Samuels! Not planning my wedding day at the age of eighteen!”

“Sweetheart…” Mae said, scooting closer to her daughter. “You’re not getting married to Caleb.”

“I’m not?” Cassie asked, tears streaming down her face. She looked from her father to her brother and back to her mother.

“No,” her father said. “Not Caleb.”

Cassie’s eyes widened. “Then who?”

"That Payne boy, remember him?"