by Theresa Jane
“Liam,” I said worriedly, and he looked back at me with a neutral expression. The lights and voices continued to intensify outside the car. “Can you promise me something?”
“Of course.”
“Can you…not drink tonight?” I asked uncertainly, and I kept my eyes away from his. I didn’t want to see the rejection and dismissal I was sure I was about to hear.
“Freya,” he said gently, but I still refused to look up, afraid of what I might find. “Hey,” he said sincerely, lifting my chin so I had no choice but to look at him. “I won’t have a drop.”
“You promise?”
“Promise,” he smiled. “You have one question, remember? I wouldn’t want to be drunk and tell you too much.” I nodded weakly. I pulled at the hem of my dress for what felt like the hundredth time before he forced me to look at him again.
“Ready?”
“No.”
“You are beautiful, Freya,” he whispered before he turned from me and ducked out of the car.
The noise swelled as the crowd outside recognized him, and I felt my eyes widen. Suddenly, I saw his hand, and I looked at it for a long time before lifting my own, but I hesitated. Was I ready for what was out there waiting for me?
Chapter 18: Her Debut
“Stay close,” Liam murmured as he pulled me closer to his side. My eyes darted through the crowd as they tried to push past the two human mountains beside us. Both Daryl and Martin were, for the most part, keeping them away, but they couldn’t stop everyone.
“Where are we?” I asked, raising my voice to be heard over all the noise. Feeling the crowd press closer, I tried to keep myself tucked under Liam’s arm.
“Mako,” I heard him respond. I quickly looked up between both Daryl and Martin’s heads to see the exclusive restaurant. If you were famous, this was where you would want to be sighted.
I’d never seen the inside of course, given my lack of notoriety, but I could imagine it was amazing. What really confused me was why Liam had chosen this place.
I, however, didn’t have time to ponder this as one of the photographers in the crowd surged forward. Somehow he managed to get his feet tangled around my own in an attempt to get a clearer shot of my face. Liam had positioned me in a way that kept me mostly hidden by his own frame, and it was obvious the animals were getting antsy. I felt as if I was wearing a suit of meat in a herd of hyenas that hadn’t eaten in three weeks.
Feeling my feet tangle, I latched onto Liam. I buried my hands in his shirt to try and stay upright and more importantly, to prevent the dress from revealing more than it had intended. Based on how much it was already showing, that would be everything else.
When I regained my balance, I turned to look at the offending foot and felt a scowl grow. His face was partially hidden behind the lens of his camera, but his smile told me he got what he wanted.
“Aren’t you tempting?” the man rasped as I felt my body rush with anger. However, I didn’t have a chance to reply before Liam pulled me along and tucked me easily back under his arm.
“Don’t stop,” he instructed. He didn’t even look down at me as I fumed about the vile man. He was still behind us, snapping away. Probably getting a juicy shot of my rear end that was barely covered by the dress.
“But-”
“Not everyone finds your temper endearing,” he replied, and my eyes quickly darted up to see a restrained smirk on his face.
“What?” I asked, but he couldn’t answer because at that moment, a group of screaming women on his left got louder. They were so loud I found myself checking my ears just to make sure they weren’t bleeding.
We continued to edge forward through the crowd as the men with lenses for faces and women imitating fire alarms pressed in on us.
“Who’s the girl, Liam?” several of the reporters shouted. The women were declaring their love and devotion, pleading with him to choose them. Some even had tears in their eyes.
When we were only a few steps from the door, something finally snapped in Liam. Without warning, I found him leaning down and placing a surprisingly sweet kiss against my temple.
My heart skipped in my chest as I looked up at him in shock, but he was staring straight ahead, not even noticing my questioning look. Moments later, I knew why he had acted the way he did.
“So this is your new squeeze?” I heard a slimy reporter accuse while another quickly asked a question over the top.
“Is it really over with you and Jazelle?” I kept my eyes downcast, pretending to ignore their words, until we finally reached the doors of the restaurant.
“Finally,” I sighed as Martin held the door open for us. Liam quickly ushered me inside, the door closing behind us and somehow dulling the noise from outside.
I cast a look back over my shoulder at the gathered crowd. I didn’t even realize I was scowling until Liam gently rested his hand on my cheek and pulled my attention back to him.
“Is it always like this?”
“Sometimes,” he shrugged, and I watched as his eyes ran over me, resting on the bruise blossoming on my leg a moment longer than the rest of me. His eyes flickered with something I couldn’t identify before he continued. “It’s worse tonight because they knew I was going to be here.” When I gave him a confused look, he let out an uncomfortable sigh. “Lucy had Jazelle and I booked in here for maximum publicity.”
“So you’re proving a point,” I answered neutrally, moving away from where he held my cheek. I could feel his questioning eyes on me, but I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t be certain my face didn’t reveal my disappointment.
“Freya-”
“Mr. Henderson, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” a silky voice crooned, and I looked over to find a well-dressed man with a smile so wide the Cheshire cat would have been jealous.
My eyes quickly darted back to Liam to catch the end of an annoyed eye roll before he turned around to face the man with a stony expression. “Your usual table has been prepared for you and…” The man’s eyes quickly fell on me and instantly Liam was back by my side, a scowl barely hidden behind his mask. There was a tense moment as the man waited for Liam to answer him. Finally, he gave in and instead led us to a secluded table at the back of the restaurant.
As he led us through the tables, I felt heads turn in our direction. I tried to distract myself with the elegance of the restaurant, but it was hard to ignore the many pairs of eyes watching.
Many of the tables were partitioned off behind intricately folded dividers. The lighting in the restaurant was dimmed, with flickering red candles to set the mood. It was just edgy enough to attract clients like Liam. Not to mention the well-stocked bar.
As we walked past the other diners, I finally looked out to find almost every eye on us. I felt my skin begin to crawl under their scrutiny. Their eyes were small insects scuttling across my skin, and I fought hard not to push away the invisible invaders.
“Liam,” I whispered, reaching out for him blindly before his hand found mine. “Everyone’s watching.”
“Ignore them,” he murmured, but I couldn’t, and he must have felt my hand tense in his. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, but it couldn’t block out the shameless room of people staring at us.
“Why can’t they mind their own business?” I hissed, trading in my discomfort for anger.
“To them, we are their business,” and I didn’t miss the smirk in Liam’s voice. He was obviously finding my discomfort funny. Jerk.
“This isn’t funny, Liam,” I growled, turning to face him. He might be accustomed to this lifestyle, but I wasn’t. I liked to stay holed up in my studio. He had walked me into my worst nightmare.
“No, it isn’t,” he agreed. The amusement in his eyes was infuriating me. I was just about to say a snide remark when the man leading us to our table stopped and cleared his throat.
He stood beside the booth, looking at me with another one of his frighteningly bright smiles. I fought
hard not to cringe as I slid into the cozy booth. When I looked up, I was just in time to see a small smirk on Liam’s face as he looked down at his menu. I wasn’t fooled by his cover, knowing he would have seen the menu many times before.
“We were under the impression that you would be accompanied by Miss Ericson tonight, Mr. Henderson?” the man prodded, trying to feign innocence. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a look that worked well on him.
“Keen observational skills you’ve got there,” I scoffed, covering it with a cough when the man looked at me curiously.
“There was a change of plans,” Liam muttered, still not looking up as an annoyed scowl quickly returned to his face.
“I understand, sir,” the man nodded before he hurriedly disappeared. Once he was gone, a strange silence lingered between Liam and me. He seemed lost in his thoughts, and I didn’t feel like disturbing him.
We still hadn’t spoken by the time the waitress came around for our drink order. It allowed me time to become impossibly nervous. My hands were fidgeting uncontrollably in my lap.
I watched the waitress closely as she almost put her back out trying to flirt with an unresponsive Liam. I was worried her mouth was going to fall off with all the excessive smiling. I was also convinced she had something in her eye with the number of times she winked at the poor guy. I lifted my own menu to hide my amusement before she finally got around to asking us for our drinks.
Tensing, I subtly tried to watch Liam over my menu as the girl looked at him expectantly, but he quickly dismissed her. When she walked away, I let out a breath I hadn’t even known I was keeping trapped inside. I knew Liam was watching me, and he hadn’t missed my little-relieved breath.
“I promised you, Freya,” he said gently into the silence, and my eyes slowly rose to meet his. “I’m not going to break that promise.”
All I could do was nod, my mind racing with everything that had just happened. Finally, I had to look away. My eyes rested on some people across the restaurant with their phones out and pointed directly at us.
“Are they-”
“Recording us?” Liam finished, and I looked back to see an unreadable expression on his face.
“Does that happen here? I thought everyone was famous, or at least unfazed by it,” I frowned. I hadn’t expected the elite of New York to be as star struck as a regular resident.
“Not usually,” Liam shrugged, and then silence fell between us again. I shifted nervously in my seat, knowing people were watching my every move and recording it for others to see and scrutinize later.
I was playing with my cutlery when Liam’s hand reached across and took mine immediately, sending sparks from my fingertips to my chest.
“Hey, why don’t we talk about something else?”
“We haven’t really talked about anything,” I scoffed. “What do you talk about on a date?”
“What do you usually talk about?”
“I don’t know; I’ve never really had any experience,” I shrugged, pulling my hand from his and looking back out at the restaurant.
The waitress came back to take our order after that. Liam ordered for both of us while I sat staring at the other diners. I didn’t even know how to say half the things on the menu, so I just had to trust that he knew what he was doing.
“Thank you,” I finally said without looking back at Liam.
“For what?” he asked, his tone almost disappointed, and I looked over at him, wondering what was on his mind.
“For not drinking. I know it must be hard for you.”
“It’s easier than you think when you have the right motivation,” he said earnestly. My heart fluttered as I looked into his devastating eyes. “Freya, can I ask you something?”
“I believe I was the one with the question,” I challenged, and he conceded with an amused smile, sitting back in the booth and resting his hands in his lap.
“Now, give me a minute,” I instructed, holding up a finger as I gathered my thoughts. I needed to sort through the innumerable questions that I had wanted to ask him since the night with my brother. Finally, settling on one, I looked him directly in the eye and took a deep breath.
“How did Jenna die?” I asked gently, and immediately I saw torment seep into his eyes. His painful memories were playing out across his features.
“She had cancer,” he answered flatly, but I could almost feel the emotions hiding just beneath the surface.
“When?”
“She was only thirteen. We couldn’t afford her medical bills, and my parents were already suffering under the ones her illness had already amassed. My parents had never fought before but when she got sick, they fought almost every day. Everything was about Jenna. About getting Jenna better. But no matter how they tried, she just kept getting worse. It was too far along, and there was nothing the doctors could do anyway," he continued, looking down at his clenched hands, his arm muscles bunched tightly beneath his shirt.
“Where were you when she died?” I asked, wondering if he would realize I’d already asked more questions than I was allowed.
“I was beside her. She had been rushed in after she had collapsed in the kitchen. I sat beside her the entire time while my parents were outside her room arguing about something. It was so loud, and the machines pumping liquid into her tiny body were relentless.
“She woke for a moment, and I saw something in her eyes I hadn’t seen before. She looked from me to where our parents stood, fighting, and she had this expression…” he trailed off, letting his shoulders fall. “She wasn’t going to fight anymore. She gave up. She left us. She left me,” he finished bitterly. I felt my heart break for the little boy who only wanted to keep his little sister with him.
“Liam,” I whispered. I didn’t know if there were any words in existence that would heal the wounds from his childhood.
“Everything was ruined after that. My father left, my mother died, and no one wanted me. No one even noticed me.”
“Liam, it wasn’t Jenna-”
“No,” he said harshly, looking up at me. “It was my fault.”
“Liam, it wasn’t your fault,” I said gently.
“Yes, it was,” he laughed harshly. “I promised I’d keep her safe. I was her older brother; that was my job.”
“Liam,” I said softly. I slid over to him and wrapped my arms around his defeated body. “It’s not your fault.” I felt him let out a labored breath as he let me hold him. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever let anyone hold him, really hold him.
We sat that way until the waitress came and served our meals. Reluctantly, I released Liam and looked up at his blank expression. I didn’t know what else to say, but I couldn’t bear his emotionless face as he stared listlessly at his food.
I glanced up at the other diners, and I realized they were all watching him. I thought back to the apartment where that horrible woman was, just waiting to sink her talons into Liam. I couldn’t explain why, but I wanted to shield him. I didn’t want these people to see him so vulnerable.
“Liam?”
“I’m not hungry,” he muttered, not even looking at me. I felt the weight of their eyes on Liam and me.
“You know? If you really want to prove to Lucinda and Jazelle that you aren’t doing what they say anymore, you should probably act like you’re at least interested in me." I shrugged, picking at the pasta on my plate before stealing a glance at his confused face.
“What?”
“If this is how you treat every date, I’m surprised any of them go home with you,” I mused.
“Are you going to go home with me?” he smirked, and I felt the tightness in my chest recede.
“Not at this rate,” I smiled, looking up at him coyly. Seeing that amused smirk on his face was a welcome relief to the broken expression that had been there moments before. The world had already taken enough from him. They weren’t going to see his vulnerability as well.
“I’m not sure you�
�ll be able to handle my charm,’ he challenged, and I knew I was walking a dangerous line. His words promised a game that I knew Liam had been playing for a very long time. A game that I didn’t even know the rules to. I was setting myself up to lose, but I did it anyway.
“Let’s put on a show, rock star,” and before I even finished my sentence, he had stolen my breath. His hand was running down my face and traveling down my side until he reached my waist and pulled me flush against his side. His touch felt like a brand against my skin.
“How are you holding up?” His warm breath danced across my skin and caressed my ear. Being so close to him, I felt as if my lungs were failing. “Still think you can handle it?” I knew he could see the effect he was having on me. I couldn’t even force out a word to challenge him. It was becoming quite clear that I wouldn’t be able to handle whatever he might have in store.
“I believe if we’re on a date, I should be complimenting you on how beautiful you are,” he murmured as my heart almost stopped. “But I already did that. So, why don’t I tell you what I wanted to do to you when I saw you in that dress.”
“Laugh?” I offered, failing to keep my voice steady. His words and his masculine scent were a heady combination. Every breath I took only made my head feel lighter.
“Not even close,” he chuckled. “You are breathtaking, Freya. If I didn’t want to hurt every man here for daring to look at you, I’d give Ryan a raise.”
“So, you like the dress?” I asked, spinning to him with a wide smile. Suddenly, all the insecurities I had in the car seemed to melt away.
“Very much,” he smirked, and I jumped when both of his hands splayed across my bare back. He pressed firmly to move closer until my stomach was plagued with jittery butterflies.
“Liam,” I said uncertainly, “this is all for the cameras? Right?”
“Of course,” he muttered. The intensity in his golden eyes was scaring the butterflies from my stomach. “You ready?”
“For wha-”
Suddenly, his lips brushed against mine, and I felt the shock wash through my body as his hands pressed me closer. My eyes fluttered closed involuntarily, and I placed my hands on his chest instinctively. The kiss was surprisingly gentle and sweet. If that was a word you could ever use when describing Liam.