No Filter

Chapter LXI (61)

I woke up, feeling the back of my neck aching. I quickly recall someone had hit me on the back, and I knocked with Ally.

Ally?!

I open my eyes and look around, seeing me entrapped between three walls and behind bars. I was in a cell in a building. I didn't know where, but Ally wasn't with me. I set my hands on the floor and prop myself up. I stand up and walk to the bars, ignoring the ache behind my head. There was another cel in front of me, and another on both sides of it.

"Hello?" I question whoever was out there. But there wasn't a response. Are there no one out of the cell watching guard? Or maybe they're doing something to Ally. My eyes widen, and I scream out so they can hear me, "Hello?! Where is she?! What have you done to her?!" I smack the bars, puffing.

"Liam..." I hear Ally's soft and fragile voice near me.

I turn around but didn't see her. "Ally?" I ask.

"Liam," she repeats. "I'm right here."

I follow her voice and hear through the wall of the cell. "Ally, where are you?"

"I'm in the cell beside yours," she answers. "The wall is separating the two of us from seeing each other."

I punch the wall out of frustration. Her voice was weaker than before. I sigh softly, wondering how she was feeling. The anger I held in my hands flew away from just the thought of her. I lean my against the wall and slide down. "How are you feeling?" I ask.

"I'm tired," she answers. "And hungry. And cold. I need to rest. I haven't had a good rest in two nights."

"You'll be alright," I said. "I promise you. If anything happens to you, I wouldn't forgive myself. You're in this mess because of me."

"Liam, don't say that," I said. "You came to help me. I'm really happy that you came and tried to save me." I lean my head back as my heart shakes in my chest. I can only imagine her smiling while she said that, and it warmed my heart.

She's happy that I'm here for her. What changed? I crease my brows, confused and puzzled. "I don't get you," I begin. "You said that we're just your friends, and yet, I can hear your words, and I can feel your heart telling me something else. Do you really see me as just that?"

I hear her sob. "Of course not," she answers. "I loved you ever since I found out about my feelings for you - before our senior year. I wanted to tell you so badly, but you were dating Cheryl at the time. I couldn't bring myself to tell you, especially since you were going to be a father." The letters she wrote me ran across my mind. I was refreshed of the words. She continues, "That's why I left. I needed to heal. I thought being away - distancing myself - was the only that I could move on. And then when I met you again, I rediscovered my feelings for you, and they grew stronger. But I couldn't put myself through the heartache again. Jade liked you, and so, I saw an excuse for me to stop loving you. And before something else happens, I want you to know..."

"No, nothing is going to happen to you," I assure her. "I won't let it."

"It sounds awesome," she chuckles, "to hear you have hope. That's all I ever wanted."

"The guy you're marrying is super lucky," I said, trying to suppress the lump forming in my throat.

"No..." she breathes, "Liam, I lied to you. I don't even have a fiancé. I lied to protect Jade and myself. I didn't want you to want me, and I thought if I had someone else, you and Jade could be together."

"So all this time, you felt something towards me?" I ask.

"Yes," she answers, and tears sting my eyes. "I have very strong feelings for you. And if we ever get out of this or if we both make it our alive—"

"Don't say that," I cut in, shaking my head. "We both are going to survive."

"Liam, I want to see you right now," she says. "It sucks that I can't."

Tears trickle down my cheeks as my heart pounds in my chest. I smile though, tasting my own tears. I didn't know what I should be happier about: the fact that she just confessed her feelings for me or the fact that she refer to me by my name. "I miss you so much," I said. "Just don't fall asleep on me now." She didn't respond. Why wasn't she responding? "Ally?" I question. No response. "Ally?!"

Ally's POV

"Ally?!" I snap out of my exhaustion and slowly open my eyes. My head rested against the wall. I can hear Liam's voice through it. "Ally?!" He repeats once more, breathing deeply.

"Yeah," my voice grew more soft. My stomach growls loudly, and I held it. I wet my dry lips and breathe deeply through my mouth. "I'm here, Liam," I croaked.

He lets out a breath of relief. "Don't scare me like that," he says.

I rest my hand on the wall and feel its rough texture. "I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't be," He says. "I'm the reason why you are in here. If I had just brought him the money, you would have been freed."

"But he didn't deserve it," I rebuttal. "You did the right thing."

"You are tired and hungry," he says. "I wish I could be there to comfort you."

"Same," I sniff. I wish he could hold me in his arms. I wish I would've told him earlier. I wish I got the chance to be with him. But I feel my body slowly shutting down, and if it goes on further, there'd be no future for us.

My hand slides off the wall as I feel myself tired again. My head slowly leans toward the floor until I hear Liam's voice again, "Ally?! W-what's happening? You need to get some food." I hear him stand up, and soon, he pounds on the bars, screaming, "Hello! Anyone! Help! You guys need to let her go!"

I hear a door open and feel the cold gust of wind hit my skin. My teeth rattles. I rub my hands and arms faster, but I soon grew too weak.

"What is it?" A deep voice asks.

I hear footsteps approaching Liam's cell. I set my hands down on the floor and feel them shake, but I had enough strength to crawl to the bars and see what was happening.

There was an elder man standing in front of Liam's cell. "Sir," Liam says. "Can you please give her some food? She needs it."

The man takes one look at me and cackles. "No," he said.

Liam hits the bars and growls, "Why not?!"

"We've offered her plenty of food to eat, but she tossed them away every time. She can starve until her time comes," the man explains.

"You little son of a bitch!" Liam snaps.

The man pulls out a pistol behind his back and points it at Liam. I hold onto the bars and plead, "Mister, please. Don't-Don't shoot him. I am sorry that he called you that, but please, have mercy."

He glares at Liam and scoffs. "You're lucky your nanny is here to save you. Otherwise, you would be dead in an instant." He chuckles and walks out.

Liam kicks the bars. "I feel so defenseless!" My eyes puff. "I can't do anything right! That's why everyone leaves me!"

Tears stream down my cheek. "No, Liam," I said. "Stop it. You are worth it. Don't tell yourself that because it's not true. You have your son to live for. You have me."

He rests his head on the bars, and I wanted to comfort him. I try to squeeze my hand through the bars, but the bars were aligned too close. My hand was aching terribly. "Liam, are you okay?" I ask, but he didn't respond.

So what'd you think so far? Can they escape?