Taken By The Bad Boy

20 We Have To Go

+Liam's POV+

I groan and roll over. Panic fills me when I realize that Raleigh isn't next to me. I jump up and look around the room. Where the fuck is she?! I grab my gun off of the dresser and walk to the balcony, seeing if she's out here. I spot her sitting in a chair, looking at the sun rise over the mountains. I sigh in relief and sit in a chair next to her.

"What are you doing up this early?" I ask her and she continues to stare at the sky as she answers.

"A sea of endless nightmares and horrors continued to haunt me so I gave up on sleep."

"Do...do you want to...you know...talk about it?" I ask her. That's what guys do right? They ask that? I'm new to all of this so hopefully she's patient with me. I hear her sigh and she looks at her cup of coffee or tea in her hands.

      "I know your trying to help me but sometimes it's best to be alone." She tells me.

      "Princess, I'm not helping you, I'm trying to be there for you. I've never wanted to be there for anyone like I want to be there for you. So please let me be there for you."

      "I get that, I really do, but some battles are better fought solo."

      "Why fight an army solo when you can fight it together? 'Together we stand, divided we fall'." I remind her and I see her lips curve up in a smile.

      "Very well. Take a seat your highness." My princess tells me and I grin. She sighs and starts talking about her nightmare.

      "It started with us eating and enjoying the BBQ and then your mom shows up and shoots everyone. I watch as blood flys everywhere and stains the walls. I watch in horror as the life drains out of my mother's eyes as she screams. She dies mid-scream. Then you and I are at McDonald's with our friends and my brother. After a few minutes of us talking, laughing, you know, being us, those people from before showed up and started shooting us. You, Randy and I make it to the forest."

      "You don't have to tell me the rest." I whisper as she stops and looks like she's holding back tears.

      "That's when all hell breaks lose. Literally. Flames engulfed Randy right before my eyes. He was alive and burning, screaming and crying. It was atrocious! He kept begging us to shoot him, cut him, anything that would kill him faster than the burning of his flesh. So with tears in my eyes, I raised my gun to him and aimed for his temple. But I couldn't do it! I couldn't shoot him! There he was burning alive and I couldn't shoot him! I couldn't put him out of his misery!" She cries and my heart breaks.

"Don't worry princess. I'm always going to be there for you. I won't let anything happen to you or Randy." I promise her, but I know that somethings are sometimes out of my control.

      "The worst part is when I saw you and you told me that you loved me." Raleigh cries and I look at her. She doesn't want me to love her? I'm not saying I do, but I'm not saying I don't.

      "Why?" I ask her and she shakes her head.

      "Because you lied. I saw you with her and you didn't even try hiding the fact that you hurt me. You just told me that I wasn't good enough for you. You pointed out every flaw I'm afraid to show the world. All of my insecurities you shined a light on. Then you reminded me over and over how I'll never be good enough for you. I'm never going to be the one on your mind, the one your heart smiles as you think about me. That destroyed me. You have no idea how real it felt and how much it hurt to hear you say that. Next, you killed me, physically. As if torturing my heart and soul wasn't enough, you had to break apart my bones, cut my flesh and feel satisfied as I screamed in pain and sobbed, begging you to stop." I wince at some of the details she said.