Beastly Lights

by Theresa Jane

  He sang out the last note to wild, ear-splitting applause. Then he quickly turned to me, giving me not even a second’s notice before he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine.

  “Hey beautiful,” he murmured, and I barely heard him over the rioting audience.

  “I hate you,” I hissed, but I couldn’t keep the small smile from escaping my lips. My eyes were watching his lips, and all I wanted to do was kiss him again. I wanted to feel the passion he had when he was on stage, to experience just a little of what he had flowing through him. I wanted all of him.

  “Thank you, Amsterdam,” Liam spoke, reluctantly pulling his eyes from mine to look back out at the audience who continued to scream his name. “You’ve been an amazing crowd.” More cheers, more screaming, more tears.

  “Thank you again and good night, Amsterdam!” he shouted into the mic as the crowd started to descend into hysteria again. He then leaned down to place another kiss on my lips as the lights on the stage cut out. My heart stuttered in my chest, all of my senses being assaulted by him, the crowd, and then him again. It was exhilarating, and I felt as if I were floating.

  “Come on, beautiful,” Liam’s warm breath danced across my ear as he led me from the stage.

  “I’m still going to hurt you,” I answered, my legs feeling like jelly underneath me.

  “I couldn’t wait to kiss you,” Liam shrugged. “And I wanted to make sure the world knew it.”

  “Hey, pretty boy,” Harri shouted from where she stood with James and a woman I hadn’t met before. “Let’s go. We have fans to meet.”

  “Fans?” I frowned? Didn’t he just devote hours to entertaining his fans?

  “Yeah, contest winners,” Liam muttered, taking my hand and leading me toward James and Harri.

  “So, what do they win?”

  “Time with me,” he smirked, looking down at me. “It’s better than winning the lottery, or so I’ve heard.” I shook my head at his complete lack of humility as we caught up to the others and began walking with them back in the direction of Liam’s dressing room.

  “Don’t worry, Freya. These things never last too long. Then we can just hang out with the guys.”

  “Right," I answered, feeling disappointment settle in my chest. Would I ever just have him on my own?

  “What’s wrong?” He frowned. “I have to meet these guys. They’d be disappointed if I backed out now.”

  “I know, it’s nothing. I’m just…tired, I guess,” I answered vaguely.

  “I won’t be long, Freya, I promise,” he said earnestly as we stopped at his door.

  “All of you change, or do whatever you have to do, then meet back here in twenty minutes,” the pointy-looking woman instructed. Even her head seemed to come to a point.

  “How many are there this time?” Harri asked absently as she opened another door down the hall.

  “Six,” the woman answered in a clipped tone before she began speaking with someone in her earpiece.

  “Less than London,” Liam muttered, leading me into his own dressing room. Daryl and Martin were waiting in the corridor this time.

  “I’m just going to have a quick shower before we have to meet the fans,” Liam told me, placing a quick kiss on my cheek and pulling away from me.

  “Liam,” I blurted when he reached the door to the bathroom. He stopped and looked back at me expectantly, and I shifted uncomfortably before speaking again. “You…you did really good out there. I thought…I mean…you know it was really exciting to watch that…from right beside you.”

  “Freya,” Liam smiled a genuinely happy smile and came back to lean over me. “You’re adorable when you’re trying to compliment me.” Then he leaned down and stole all the breath from my lungs, sending the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy. His hands held me tightly to him, and my arms quickly moved around his neck, my hands burying themselves in his slightly damp hair.

  He was hot and sweaty, but I didn’t care, I just wanted more of him. I wanted a part of him that he wasn’t going to offer to the world. I wanted to take a piece of him and keep it locked inside my heart so I could look at it forever.

  “What are you doing to me, Frey?” he murmured as he rested his forehead against my own. Both of us were trying unsuccessfully to get our breath back as I rested my hands firmly against his chest.

  We were both silent, only the sounds of our rapid breathing breaking up the noiseless room until he reluctantly pulled away from me.

  “I need to get ready,” he told me sadly, running a hand down the side of my face as the other was reluctant to let my own go.

  “Okay,” I answered in a daze, my other hand involuntarily coming up to my lips and tracing them as they tingled with the sensation of his last kiss.

  * * *

  “Oh my goodness,” I muttered, trying to press myself further into the wall. “Is this what they’re all like?”

  “Mostly, Miss Freya,” Daryl answered from where he stood beside me protectively.

  “How does he handle it?” I asked, aghast by the insanity of the six girls who were currently screaming and crying as they tried to hug the stuffing out of Liam.

  It had been going on for five minutes now, and I was slightly afraid they were going to eventually squeeze the life out of him or at best damage his hearing.

  “He is quite charming, Miss Freya. They’ll calm down soon enough," and he was right.

  Eventually, the girls settled down and spent some more civilized time with the band. I was grateful that Jebediah never came, a fact I was sure the girls never even noticed because they were too enchanted and obsessed with the presence of their beloved rock star. I stayed where I was, looking like a literal fly on the wall of Liam’s dressing room.

  Now and then he would look up and give me an apologetic smile, which I would return with a look of understanding, hoping he didn’t think I was unsupportive but at the same time knowing I wanted to be anywhere but there.

  Finally, the girls were escorted from the room, much to their disappointment. Two even had the audacity to slip Liam their phone number as they left, which he promptly threw away as soon as they were out of the room.

  “Thank god that’s over,” Harri groaned, flopping back on the couch and throwing her arm over her eyes.

  “How can you girls hit that frequency?” James complained, filling up a glass for himself and Liam before rummaging through the enormous amount of food spread out. It seemed to have multiplied since I had been in here last time.

  “Hey, not all of us are like that,” Harri said defensively as she got up. She pulled her drumsticks out of her back pocket and started tapping out a beat on any surface she could find. She didn’t seem to have the attention span to sit still for longer than a heartbeat. “Is that how you reacted the first time you saw Liam, Freya?” she demanded, directing her intense gaze at me.

  “Freya has never really been impressed by me or my talents,” Liam smirked, strolling over to my side and wrapping his arm tightly around my waist.

  “That’s not true,” I frowned, which only seemed to serve as further entertainment for Liam. His chuckle rumbled through his chest as he bent down and placed a quick kiss on my lips.

  “Admit it, Freya. You were never intimidated by me and judging from your face the first time we met, you didn’t even like me.”

  “Oh, I want to hear this story,” Harri said excitedly, jumping on the couch and tucking her legs underneath herself. “He never tells us anything.”

  I froze at the mention of how we met, wondering just how much he had revealed to these people. Would he tell them the whole story?

  “All you need to know is that it took some hard campaigning on my part to even get her to give me the time of day. Even then,” he smirked, looking down at me with a knowing look. “I resorted to tricks and deception to get her to go on a date with me.”

  “Ah, the infamous date that derailed the delightful diva Jazelle Ericson,” J
ames muttered, throwing his drink back and moving to pour another. “She was one hot disaster. I wouldn’t touch her if it meant I would be the richest man alive. I don’t know how you did it, man.”

  “Not sober, that’s for sure,” Liam chuckled, sitting at the other end of the couch and pulling me down so I was perched on his lap.

  “At least you have Freya now, no need to be with that pretender.” James cringed, sitting on the floor and leaning against the coffee table across from us.

  “Speaking of pretenders, where is our resident black sheep?” Harri asked, looking down at her phone and frowning.

  “He met a groupie after our set and then disappeared. I guess he knows where he’s not welcome.” James answered in disgust, and I frowned, slightly confused.

  “Who?” I asked, and I felt Liam tense underneath me as James and Harri shared an uncomfortable look.

  “Jeb. He doesn’t generally hang out with us after shows, not since…” James trailed off as I felt my face turn blank and my body tingle uncomfortably. My ears started ringing as the blood started to pump more frantically.

  “Hey, he’s not here,” Liam whispered against my ear, and I nodded weakly. I shifted so I was leaning fully against his chest, taking comfort in his familiar warmth.

  “Shoot, I forgot to call Marc,” Harri groaned, getting up and moving over to the corner of the room as she put her phone to her ear.

  “Wanna get out of here?” Liam murmured.

  “What?” I frowned, tilting my head so I could look at him.

  “I have a surprise for you,” he smiled devilishly.

  “A surprise?”

  “Yeah,” he shrugged.

  “But it’s already two in the morning,” I frowned. What kind of surprise could he have planned at this time of the morning?

  “So?”

  ‘What is it?’

  “A surprise,” he answered cryptically.

  “What about James and Harri?”

  “They’re big and ugly enough to fend for themselves. Besides, Harri will be on the phone with Marc for hours. They’re sickly cute like that,” he grimaced, shifting me from his lap before he stood up, extending his hand to me.

  “Where are we going?” I demanded, taking his hand anyway.

  “I’ve already told you, Freya. It’s a-”

  “Surprise,” I grumbled as he led me from the room, calling out a goodbye to James.

  “Have fun, Freya,” he answered knowingly, and I turned my glare on him.

  “You know too?”

  “Never knew our boy was such a romantic,” he smirked, and I turned back to Liam, who was giving James a glare, clearly upset about his comment.

  “Shut up, Barden,” Liam ground out, tugging on my arm to keep me moving.

  “Where are we going?” I asked James, who simply chuckled as the door to Liam’s dressing room shut behind us. Daryl and Martin fell into step beside us, and I frowned up at Liam.

  “Well?”

  “I’m not telling you,” Liam answered smugly.

  “Not even a hint,” I pouted as we came to the end of the corridor, a door opening to reveal another black SUV.

  “You really can’t handle surprises, can you?” He chuckled as Daryl held the door open for us. Liam helped me up into the seat before following quickly behind me.

  “Just tell me,” I sighed in frustration. Daryl and Martin got in the front, and the car started to move, taking us to the unknown destination.

  “Okay, I’m taking you on a date, Frey,” he answered, leaning over so his face was inches from my own. “Our very first one.”

  “But, we went-”

  “Doesn’t count,” he answered quickly, shaking his head slowly.

  “Why not?” I frowned thinking back to the date we had at Mako. It had seemed pretty date-like to me.

  “Because you didn’t know how I felt for you then. It wasn’t real, no matter how much I wanted it to be.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me then?” I whispered, unable to keep my eyes from his lips.

  “You were too good for me and incredibly intimidating in that dress and those shoes,” he murmured, running a hand along my arm, sending shivers down my spine as my eyes flashed to his.

  “If I recall, you didn’t even want me going out in that dress.”

  “Of course not, I wanted to be the only one seeing you in it. I didn’t want other men to realize how special you were when I knew I wasn’t good enough to hold on to you,” he answered softly, a sadness falling across his eyes and settling heavily on his shoulders.

  “Hey,” I said gently, ducking my head so he would have to look at me again. “You have me now.”

  “I’m going to do this right, Freya,” he promised, resting his hand against my cheek and pulling me in. “I’m going to show you exactly what you mean to me.”

  “I believe you, Liam.”

  “Good, because tonight is only the beginning,” he answered, and suddenly the door behind him opened. I hadn’t even noticed the car had stopped. “Are you ready?” he asked hopefully, and I looked at his extended hand, remembering the night of our first fake date and how nervous I had been to place my faith in what he had to offer. I was so anxious to step out into his world.

  Now, looking at his hand, I knew with certainty, without hesitation that wherever he was, it was exactly where I wanted to be. I could handle his world and all the dangers within it if I knew he was going to be by my side every time. With that in mind, I took his hand, feeling a wholeness wash over me.

  “Surprise me, Liam Henderson.”

  Chapter 37: Surprise Me

  The city was alive as Liam pulled me out of the car onto the sidewalk. In front of me was a laneway filled with picturesque trees and elegant street lamps. A little slice of greenery hidden among the buildings.

  Behind us, I could hear the rattle of trams as they passed by, loaded with people ready to party the night away. Everyone was so wrapped up in their own fun and excitement they barely even noticed a rock star leading his girlfriend from his car down the tree-lined lane.

  Martin and Daryl stayed several steps behind us, trying to remain discreet as we walked hand in hand through the warmly lit trees. I felt the chill of the night air brush against my face, but just being with Liam made me feel warm and safe.

  “I hope you like where we’re going,” he said, looking at me nervously, for once seeming uncertain about himself.

  “I’m sure it’s going to be perfect,” I assured him, leaning up and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. I couldn’t help myself as my excitement bubbled over and he was standing there looking vulnerable.

  “We’re nearly there,” he promised, walking forward again, a small smile trying to escape his lips.

  As we moved down the laneway, my eyes caught sight of something I had only seen in pictures. A place I never thought I would get to see but then again, who would have thought I would be strolling through Amsterdam with Liam Henderson by my side? I guess it was time to stop thinking of my life as predictable. I wasn’t sure it ever was.

  “Liam…this is…how did you…?” I couldn’t stop my babbling as I continued to stare at the building in front of me, too shocked to take another step forward.

  “Do you want to take a look inside?” he smirked, moving closer and wrapping his arms around my stiff waist.

  “Are you kidding?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes, yes, and yes,” I almost squealed as I ran for the semi-dome like structure. It was magnificent. Half of the entrance to the museum was just glass walls, lit up by warm yellow lights from within. It looked so inviting; I couldn’t wait to be inside.

  Suddenly, I came to a stop, a devastating thought crossing my mind as I turned back to look at Liam.

  “Liam,” I whispered, and I saw his confident face quickly fall into distress and concern at my sudden mood swing.

  “Freya, what is i
t?” he asked worriedly, and I saw Martin and Daryl tense behind him, both on high alert as they scanned the garden area.

  “The museum…isn’t it closed?” I asked despondently, casting one more look at the thing of beauty and wishing for nothing more than to go inside.

  “What?”

  “It’s late; maybe we should come back another time.” I shrugged, knowing there wouldn’t be another time. Liam was too busy to come again.

  “Freya,” Liam sighed in relief before slowly walking to my side and wrapping his arms around my waist again. “Do you remember who I am?”

  “Liam,” I groaned. He had the ego the size of James’ Giant Peach.

  “Freya, normal rules don’t really apply to me.”

  “I think closing times might,” I grumbled as he nudged me in the direction of the museum.

  “Not even closing times,” he whispered against my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. I was too stunned by how close he was to realize that we had come to a stop in front of the doors to the museum.

  I looked up at Liam skeptically, who simply smiled knowingly down at me as two men appeared on the other side of the glass doors. I looked at them warily, expecting the men to send us away.

  As they opened the doors to the museum, I tensed, but Liam remained calm beside me.

  “Good evening, Mr. Henderson,” one of the men with a thick Dutch accent nodded, and I looked at him, baffled. “Everything has been arranged, as you requested.”

  “Thank you, Gerard,” Liam smiled gratefully as he led me inside. My shock at being let in was quickly replaced by pure excitement as I glanced around the awe-inspiring entrance.

  “I hope you and your guest enjoy your visit at the Van Gogh Museum,” the man named Gerard said before he and his partner left us alone. Well, mostly alone. We still had our two shadows, but it was close enough.

  “I can’t believe I’m actually here,” I murmured, my body humming with excitement, ready to explore.

  “Believe it, beautiful. We have the whole place to ourselves, so you can look as long as you want. No interruptions.”

  “This is amazing, Liam,” I breathed, looking up at him excitedly.