Through The Dark

by Jae

  “Daisy!” I hear Liam yell when I pull the door open and dash through it.

  My speed increases at the sound of my name coming from Liam’s mouth again and again. I pump my legs as fast as I can, trying to create as much distance between us as possible.

  “Daisy, wait!” I hear Liam shout after I press the button to the elevator.

  I look back and see him getting closer and closer by the second, dodging people left and right. I look back at the elevator and decide it’s taking too long. I bend down and quickly remove my shoes, clutching them in my hands. I stumble a little when I straighten up, but quickly regain my balance as I rush to the door that leads to the stairs.

  “Daisy, stop!”

  “Leave me alone, Liam!”

  I push through the doors, moving a lot faster now that I’m barefoot. I’ve run up at least three flights of stairs by the time I hear Liam push the door open and his Vans covered feet begin to pound up the stairs. My burst of adrenaline starts to fade as I hit the last flight of stairs before our floor and I know Liam is gaining on me quickly. My mind becomes extremely aware of my tiring leg muscles and I start to panic a little. I can now hear Liam’s heavy breathing mixing with the sharp gasps of air coming from my mouth.

  “Are you fucking crazy?” He shouts behind me. “Do you know how hurt you could’ve got running up these stairs?”

  I wince when his long fingers wrap tightly around my arm before I can pull the door that leads to the floor our room is on open. My body is yanked around and I’m now facing Liam. His blazing eyes shock me, causing me to drop my shoes to the ground. My mind suddenly floods with the image of him and Missy together. I grit my teeth as I raise my hand and slap him across the face, the force causing his head to turn.

  “Let go of me!” I exclaim, trying to tug my arm free.

  Unfortunately, Liam seems unfazed by my actions, not giving the pink handprint on his cheek a second thought. He releases my arm before pushing me against the door behind me by my shoulders, my body flinching from the sudden contact. Liam grabs my chin with his large hand, trying to get me to look at him, but I resist and shove his touch away. I know my defiance is irritating him, but I don’t care.

  “Stop it!” I yell, pushing his hand away when he tries to grab at my chin again.

  I stare at the wall behind him, finding it hard to look into his eyes anymore. My heart aches heavily in my chest every time I picture him and Missy together.

  “I didn’t kiss her!” Liam says, raising his voice.

  “How can you stand here and try to deny it to my face?” I question him in disbelief. “I saw you!”

  He shakes his head in aggravation, his perfectly swept curls growing messy.

  “She kissed me, Daisy.” He says, his voice leveling out now.

  I frown as my vision falls from the wall to the ground between us. I wiggle my toes, my bare feet looking so tiny compared to his Vans. My anger begins to die down and I finally catch my breath. I close my eyes and picture the pained look on Liam’s face when Missy had approached us. Why would he kiss her if he doesn’t like her?

  “Daisy.” Liam’s speaks softly.

  I practically whimper at the feeling of Liam’s hot breath on my skin, the sensation seeming to warm and cool my body at the same time. I turn my head away when his nose brushes against my cheek, the smell of his cologne suddenly taking over all of my senses. My fingers twitch, itching to grab onto him, but I do my best to force the feeling down.

  “Daisy, you have to trust me.”

  I feel my defenses against Liam start to fade away as his lips brush over the corner of my mouth. When I don’t put up any fight, the gentle touch of his lips move to my jaw and travel down my neck. Liam lets out a little groan when my hand slides into the hair at the nape of his neck and tug at them to create some momentary distance between his lips and my heating skin.

  “I want to know that I’m not all alone in my feelings for you.” I whisper. “Please, tell me that you’re in this all the way.”

  The intensity in Liam’s emerald green eyes takes my breath away and makes me feel weak; my grip on his soft hair loosening as he nears closer to me. My eyelashes flutter against his cheek when his nose brushes mine.

  “I’m yours, Daisy.” He whispers. “I swear - I’m all yours.”

  I suddenly feel even more breathless and overwhelmed from his words. I watch a small smile play on his lips as my bare feet step onto his Vans, providing me a little more height to lean up to him. I brush my lips over his, his captivating eyes closing as I pull his plump bottom lip between my teeth before lightly sucking on it. I feel his hands move to my hips, his fingertips pressing in deeper and deeper by the second.

  “I’m yours too.” I whisper.

  I step off of Liam’s shoes and lean my back against the door as he forces our bodies together. I grip his shoulders in an attempt to stay standing, but this seemingly simple task proves nearly impossible as he grinds his hips into mine. His messy curls tickle my skin as he dips his head down and connects his lips with the crook of my neck, sucking and biting. Our breathing is heavy when Liam eventually pulls away and takes his slightly swollen bottom lip between his teeth as he stares down at me.

  “It’s me and you, always.” He says quietly, his now stern voice sounding raspier than normal. “Do you understand?”

  My favorite dimpled smile spreads across Liam’s face when I nod my head. I wrap my arms around his neck as he picks me up from under my thighs and slides his hands down my legs until they wrap around his waist. I hear him let out a chuckle as I nuzzle my head into his neck and he kisses the side of my head. When I feel Liam wrap one arm around me before bending down to pick up my shoes, I realize the darkness inside of him doesn’t scare me so much anymore.

  “Let’s go.” He says, opening the door that I’ve been pinned against to for who knows how long now.

  I still hold tightly to Liam as he walks down the long hallway in search of our room. I press my lips to his cheek and play with the hairs at the nape of his neck. I can’t help but feel a rush of nerves surge through my body when Liam pulls the key-card out of my purse and slides it into the door. I hear the click on the lock before Liam twists the door handle and pushes it open. I close my eyes when I hear my things drop to the ground with a light thud as Liam moves through the dark room. A smile appears on my face when he lays me down on the bed and brings my hand up to his lips, leaving a kiss in the center of my palm. I play with his long fingers as he climbs on the bed, hovering above me. Liam tilts my chin up, his touch soft and warm, and presses his lips to mine. The kiss is passionate, our tongues moving together with a desperate need to feel each other and forget about all the bad things that happened tonight. Liam leaves me breathless when he pulls away and begins to unbutton the rest of his dress shirt. A small smile creeps on my face when I see his pink tongue slip out, licking his lips as I brush my fingertips over his now exposed stomach.

  “Be gentle.” I whisper.

  Liam nods his head, leaning down and placing another kiss to my lips while intertwining our fingers.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I hear Liam groan at my phone ringing loudly in my purse. I wiggle out of his hold around my body and try to climb off the bed, but my feet get tangled in the sheets and I fall off instead. As soon as my body hits the ground with a loud thump, I can hear Liam erupt with laughter.

  “Don’t laugh at me.” I grumble and blindly search around the floor for my purse. When I finally find it, I quickly answer and roll onto my back, staring up at the ceiling.

  “Good morning, Sweetheart!” My Mom greets happily through the phone.

  “Good morning, Mom.”

  “How did you two sleep last night?” She asks. “We slept like babies.”

  “Yeah, we did too.” I respond as a smile forms on my lips, my mind momentarily drifting off to the activities Liam and I participated in last night that my parents would definitely not approve of.

  “That’s great!
” She exclaims. “Well, I was just calling to tell you that brunch is at 11:00, which is in about an hour and a half. It’s in the same ballroom the reception was in last night. Mallory and Jake are going to be opening all of their gifts and cards while we eat.”

  “Okay, thanks for the call, Mom.” I slowly stand up. “We’ll see you in a little bit.”

  My Mom says her goodbyes and then I end the call. I toss my phone on the TV stand next to me before stretching my arms over my head.

  “You’re still naked.” Liam snickers with a wide smile.

  My eyes grow wide at his words and I look down to see that I am in deed still naked. A heated blush creeps up my neck and into my cheeks as I rush into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

  “Hey!” Liam shouts. “I wasn’t done looking!”

  I laugh at his words while I quickly take care of my business and brush my teeth before starting the shower. Liam comes walking in right as I step under the steaming hot water. I tune out what he’s doing while I massage shampoo into my hair, letting the hot water pound down on my back. After I finish rinsing my hair out, Liam steps in behind me. I move out of his way so he can get under the water while I squirt some conditioner into my hand.

  “Let me see.” Liam demands after we’re done showering and pulls me closer to him. I wrap my arms around my upper half, the cool air chilling my skin, while he inspects my hips.

  “Am I all good?” I ask after he steps away from me and hands me a towel.

  “Yeah, you’re good.” A look of relief washes over his face while he wraps a towel around his hips and gives me a quick kiss before walking out of the bathroom.

  When I exit the bathroom after putting on a minimal amount of concealer and mascara, I see Liam sitting on the edge of the bed in just his dark blue Calvin Klein boxer briefs. Even though he has the TV turned on to Sports Center, he isn’t watching it; his attention is on his phone instead. I move around the room, pulling out my clothes and setting them on the bed before I get dressed in my black bra and matching underwear. Liam’s head instantly snaps up and watches while I finish getting dressed in a loose black tank top that has the words ‘Free Spirit’ in white letters on the front, dark destroyed jean shorts, and a pair of Cosmic Galaxy Authentic Lo Pro Vans shoes.

  “I can’t believe how beautiful you are.” Liam says as he pulls me down to his lap when I move to walk past him.

  I smile at his compliment and peck his cheek before getting up and walking into the bathroom. I dry my hair and leave it in its natural waves. When I walk out of the bathroom, Liam is dressed in a white v-neck t-shirt, dark blue jeans with a pair of white high-top Chuck Taylor All Star Converse shoes tucked underneath them. His slightly damp hair has returned to its slightly curly mess that’s swept across his forehead.

  “Open the door!” I hear someone shout while they bang on our door. “It’s the police!”

  “You guys are losers.” I say when I open the door to see Ella and Tony on the other side.

  Ella is wearing a white tank top with a design of big blue lips on the front, black jean shorts, and black Freetown Classics Toms shoes. Her hair is in a messy ponytail and she has very little makeup on like me. Tony has on a blue t-shirt, dark jeans, and white Chuck Taylor All Star Converse shoes.

  “That may be true,” Tony counters as Ella tackles me in a hug. “But you love us anyways!”

  “Oh my God!” I groan when my body hits the ground, leaving Ella in a giggling fit on top of me.

  “Holy shit!” Tony laughs.

  “I think you cracked a rib.” I say when Ella climbs off of me.

  “Oh, stop it! You’re fine!” Ella exclaims and sticks her hand out to help me up. “I just knocked the wind out of you is all.”

  “Yeah, that’s all.” I reply sarcastically and roll my eyes before punching her in the arm.

  “Okay, you’re done!” Liam says after he turns off the TV, wrapping his arm around my waist from behind and tugging me towards him.

  Eventually Tony and Ella help us pack our stuff up and carry it down to the car. When we walk into the ballroom the reception was held in last night, it looks twice as big without all the people in it. After we get our food and sit down with mine and Ella’s parents, Mallory and Jake announce that they’re going to start opening their gifts. I don’t pay any attention to what they open; I’m too busy concentrating on my food and Liam’s hand resting on my thigh, his thumb moving around in soothing circles. Once we’re done eating, Ella and I excuse ourselves to go to the restroom.

  “Is everything okay between you and Liam?” Ella asks while she washes her hands and I hop up on the counter next to her. “I saw you fly out of here like a bat out of hell last night with Liam chasing after you.”

  “It’s kind of a long story.” I chuckle.

  “Girl, you know I’ve got all day!” Ella smiles and we both laugh.

  I continue to tell her every detail, upon her request, about what I saw happen with Missy and Liam and then what happened between Liam and me afterwards. By the time I’m done, her eyes are wide and her mouth is hanging open.

  “That is so hot!” Ella says, pretending to fan herself with her hand while we walk out of the bathroom.

  When we walk back into the ballroom, Mallory and Jake have finished opening their presents and everyone is just mingling around talking about how much fun last night was. I laugh when I see Liam and Tony are running around with some of my younger cousin’s playing tag and Ella and I quickly join in on the fun. After a while Ella and I call it quits and go sit in the corner of the room to talk some more.

  “I don’t know how you didn’t punch that Missy chick in the face last night when she was saying those things about Liam!” Ella declares, making us both laugh. “It was seriously taking everything in me not to do it for you!”

  “To be honest, the thought never even crossed my mind.” I respond seriously before an amusing thought pops into my head. “Forget me punching her though – I’m surprised you didn’t!”

  “Isn’t that the truth?” Ella beams.

  “Come dance with me.” Liam says as he bends down and picks me up bridal style from the floor.

  I look back to see Tony has taken my place next to Ella, poking her side and making her laugh.

  “There’s no music playing.” I observe after he sets me back down on the ground.

  “Oh well. I guess we’ll just have to make our own.” Liam shrugs his shoulders while making a funny face at me.

  I make a funny face back as he wraps one arm around my back, pulling me closer to him, and holds my other hand to his chest. I rest my free hand on the back of his neck, playing with his hair while we sway from side to side and Liam softly sings to me.

  “I think last night turned out to be pretty amazing.” Liam wiggles his eyebrows up and down.

  “You remember?” I ask him, my lips forming into a small smile.

  “Yeah, I do.” He mimics my smile before dipping me back and pressing a kiss to my lips.

  Not having to work the next day serves as an appreciated luxury since I’m able to catch upon some much needed sleep. Around 12:30 I decide to get up and get ready to go get the pictures I’ve taken this past month developed. I quickly get dressed in a gray t-shirt with a Nirvana logo on the front, black jean shorts, and a pair of black Harper Cordones Toms shoes. I put my hair in a messy bun and apply a little amount of concealer and mascara to my face.

  My Toms scuff along the sidewalk as I walk down the block from Picture This, the small place I go to get my pictures developed at. The lady had told me that it was going to take roughly two hours to develop all of my pictures, so now I’m roaming around trying to kill time. I aimlessly look around, not really taking in any of my surrounding, but enjoying the nice summer day. I turn the corner and cross the street when I see a black Range Rover that looks exactly like Liam’s sitting in a parking lot. When I get closer, I realize it is Liam car because I recognize some of his license plate number and the Midsummer’
s Night Yankee Candle car freshener I hung up on his rearview mirror. I spin around in search of the tall curly haired boy who makes my heart race, but I’m left disappointed when I don’t see him anywhere. I look at the building the parking lot belongs to and realize it’s some type of gym. I suppose a gym wouldn’t be such a random place for Liam to be at, so I decide to go snoop around. Once I’m inside, I look around and am shocked to see how big the reception area is. There are fitness posters covering the walls and many doors leading off to who knows where. I notice there’s a woman sitting at a desk off in the corner who smiles at me and I happily reciprocate the gesture.

  “Is there something I can do for you, Miss?” I hear a deep voice ask.

  I turn around to see a tall, muscular man; his large frame extremely intimidating. He must notice my nervousness because his stern, curious face turns into a friendly smile.

  “I – Uhh… Is Liam here?” I ask, stumbling horribly over my words. Despite his nice smile, I’m still very much aware of how much smaller I am than him.

  The large man looks at me for a moment, his eyes sizing me up. I notice a look of confusion flashes across his face before he responds.

  “Liam Jones?” His deep voice questions me.

  I nod my head.

  “Yeah, he’s…” He trails off as he turns his head towards a door. “Come with me.”

  I follow him into a massive training room; the smell of testosterone heavy in the air. There are numerous people scattered around the room, all of them doing work outs of some sort. My eyes are drawn to a large boxing ring in the center of the room; worn out ropes surrounding the raised fighting platform.