No Filter

Chapter LXXV (75)

Ally's POV

I left a letter in Bear's room. I finished packing this morning. I feel terrible for leaving Bear and not being able to finish the school year with him. But after yesterday's event, I can't stay anymore. How could Liam do that? What made him go off the edge? I thought I could've helped him. Bear believed that I did, but I wasn't the help he needed to wash away his anger. I'm not strong enough to endure this. I thought I could be but...I just can't. And I hate that I am leaving him again. But it's better for us.

I stroll my suitcase down the stairs, waiting for Will to carry the rest of my bags. After a while, I walked around the living room and look through the window. I saw Liam. He was laying on the grass, playing with a lighter. His eyes were red still from yesterday. He let himself soak in the sun slowly setting.

I swallow hard. I wasn't planning on doing this, but I felt bad. I have to tell him goodbye. My stomach aches and so did my heart. I exit the house, and I walk up to him.

"Liam," I begins. He shifts his eyes on me, giving me a dirty look. I look pass that and carry on, "I'm going. I hope after everything...we will remain good acquaintances."

"No," he says. "Nothing is good in life anymore. I want to disappear by the tomorrow morning, and by then, everyone will forget about me."

I shake my head. "No. What about Bear?"

"He has his mother to care for him. She's the better parent anyway. He doesn't need an aggressive father in his life," he answers.

"So that's just it?" I question. "You're just going to give up like that?"

"It doesn't seem to bother you," he says.

I clench my fist, breathing through my mouth. He continues to play with his lighter, and I decide to snatch it from his hand, causing him to scowl. "Give me that back," he says.

"No," I respond sternly.

He jumps to his feet, enraged as much as I am. He grabs my wrist, but I jerk it back multiple times until he finally lets go. I nudge his chest, pushing him away from me. "How can you say that? I can't believe after everything that we went through, you think I don't care about you. I worry and care so much for you, Liam. Because I love you. But I cannot watch you wither away. When you gave up drinking and smoking, I thought you were healing. But you caused me to be blind." I toss the lighter at him and turn around.

"Ally," he says. I stop as chills run down my spine. "I'm not good enough. I will never be good enough for you. You're amazing. Beyond perfect."

I spin around and stomp through the grass to him. "Don't say that I'm beyond perfect because I'm not. I have my own flaws. And you know most, if not all, of them."

"But those flaws are what makes you beautiful, and I've always seen you as the gem that was never mine in the first place," he explains. "I am never good and will never be good enough."

I wet my lips and nod my head. "Then why did you let us happen? You never thought we were ever going to be a thing, so why did you take a chance on us? Were you trying to get revenge because I left you?"

"I do love you. I..." he takes in a breath, wanting to continue, but something stops him. He diverts his attention on me.

"What?" I ask, curious. "What is it that you can't tell me?"

He remains silent. Nothing but silence fill the atmosphere. After a moment, Liam darts his eyes on me, looking at me with the same black, snarky eyes. He takes a step forward and abruptly takes a hold of my wrists, pulling me closer.