Fighting For Him

Chapter 18

When I wake up I am in an unfamiliar room but it this time it isn’t  hard to figure out where I am. Liam’s bedroom is not quite what I expected it to be and I have chance to look around as I catch a glimpse of his back disappearing into a room which I assume is his bathroom, my assumptions are proven when the sound of running water drowns out the sound of Liam’s breathing.

Having the reputation that he has I would have imagined mirrors, black silk, four poster canopy bed and darkness however the reality is totally different the room is light and airy, the bedding is brown and cream, like his bathroom, and is soft and warm. I’m not in his bed but I am lying on top his duvet with a thick fluffy chocolate brown blanket tucked around me.

I am instantly engulfed by his spicy scent and it relaxes me ever so slightly like a good bubble bath. Although I am mostly completely wrapped up in luxurious blanket I can still feel the softness of the brown sheet against my back and even though I know I am here because Liam and Harry are worried it still, to me, feels wrong, it feels too intimate, this isn’t a room I was ever meant to see. Liam reappears in the doorway carrying a bowl and a facecloth and I arch an eyebrow at him and clutch the blanket to my chest wrapping it around my body tightly.

“You’re covered in dirt.” He says like he is addressing a naughty child, “I don’t want it all over my freshly made bed.” I can feel my face heating up in embarrassment; of course I am being an imposition.

“I’m sorry.”  I say attempting to push myself up with my hands and promptly collapsing again as my wrist complains under my own weight and I can’t hold back the yelp that tears from my throat.

“Scarlett! I was joking, just please sit still until the doctor can take a look at you… please.” I nod my head, his eyes are bright with worry and sincerity. “Good, now I’m going to wipe the mud of your face, there seems to be a lot of it.” I blush again but I’m no longer sure that he can see it on my left cheek anyway, if there really is that much mud. We laps into silence as he dips the facecloth into the bowl and squeezes out the excess water, leaning over me, he swabs at the side of my face and begins a pattern of wiping the mud and dipping the cloth back into the water, wipe, dip, squeeze, wipe, dip, squeeze, it quickly occurs to me what an extremely odd situation this is and if it wasn’t happening to me I wouldn’t have believed that it could, Liam the caregiver? The concept doesn’t seem to fit. I’m just getting used to it when he goes rigid and just stares at my face.

“What?” I ask expecting the worse, a gash in my cheek, a bump the size of my head or something.

“What’s this?” He runs his finger down my cheek.

“I don’t know, I can’t see it.” I state dryly.

“It seems to be a rather large bruise.” He counters and understanding settles in, I had forgotten I even had that, but unfortunately makeup doesn’t last through the transition, it doesn’t cling to fur.

“Then that is what it is.” I shrug.

“What happened?” His voice is frosty.

“It was just an accident.” His eyes seem to flash with anger and I cringe.

“Who did it?” He asks in a tone that is calmer then I would have thought he could manage as his whole body seems to be on edge.

“No one.”

“Scarlett.” He says in warning.

“No one did this to me. In fact if anyone is to blame I am.” He looks confused so I figure I better continue once again putting my pride on the shelf. “I fell out of a tree.” I shrug again in half a heart beat his whole demeanour changes and he bursts out laughing once again the picture of a man at perfect ease.