Brave Bold Belle (ft. Liam Payne)

Chapter 32 - Brussels

Liam gives me a back hug and now we’re both watching the same thing, the same view and I feel my heart beating so strong in my chest. I lean closer to him, resting my weight on him and relaxing in his embrace. He holds me tighter and I hear him sigh.

“This is amazing,” he murmurs next to my ear and I have to nod. “I heard this was epic but no words can describe it.”

“I have trouble making my brain process I’m actually here,” I confess and he chuckles. “Thank you so much, Liam. I really mean it. This is… this is wonderful. I’ve always wanted to see the world and now you’re helping me. You brought me here. Thank you so much,” I continue, turning in his arms until we’re face to face. My arms wraps around his waist, hugging him, too.

“It’s my pleasure, Belle. And it’s not just that I like seeing you this happy, this is amazing for me too. For the first time I’m actually being a tourist, you know? Not just passing by in a busy schedule, just working. I’m enjoying the city even if I’ve been here before.”

I lean closer, our bodies fully connected and I let myself enjoy the warmth of his body, the way I feel in his arms. I press my face against his chest, listening to his heartbeats. He hugs me tighter and I close my eyes, feeling my own heart racing in my chest.

I do, I really do fancy Liam. It’s not just tolerating him, it’s not just accepting him. I actually like the guy I’m seeing now, the one that cares about his friends, the one that impresses himself when he’s doing things for others. The boy that wants to please everyone so much that he loses focus sometimes. The guy who just wants to be accepted and loved and who couldn’t handle all the attention and let the fame get to his head. This guy who’s with his feet on the ground again. I really fancy him, I have strong feelings for him that get stronger and stronger every day. I don’t even care we’re so different, I still want to stay like this forever. I wish we could freeze this moment and forget all our circumstances. Forget the contract hanging on us. Forget the lies we’ve told. I just want this moment.

I don’t even know what I’m going to do next, when our time runs out, but I think it’s too late to try to stop myself from falling when the lines between real and pretence have completed merged together. It’s too late, I wasn’t careful enough and I’ll have to deal with the consequences later. In three months, when our time runs out.

I pull back to look him in the eyes, feeling like something will burst inside of me, like there’s been a flame there and by accepting my feelings I’ve just made it bigger, more powerful and it’s incinerating my insides.

His smile hesitates a bit as if he’s seen something different in my eyes. Maybe he’s seen the change, the realisation, but I don’t give him time to question me about it, instead I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him. Slowly but surely, holding on to him for dear life. I don’t want him to know my feelings so I don’t pour them in this kiss, but I’m hoping he understands this kiss, this one in particular that is happening in public, is not part of the job. This is me, Belle Reed, kissing Liam Payne. No contract, no pretence. Just the two of us, kissing.

“Thank you,” I say when we part and his smile comes back, slowly as he puts our foreheads together.

“My pleasure, really.” I chuckle because I know he means it for the kiss and I smile content because he’s also liked the kiss.

I don’t want to wonder if he feels the same way as I do and what will happen. That will make things more complicated than they are. I do think he has feelings for me, I’m pretty sure he’s not pretending at all, but I don’t know how strong his feelings are. He wanted an easy relationship and I don’t know how that bit has changed, but I don’t want to know. Ignorance is bliss and I need that bit for now.

The Atomium closes and we have to leave, but we linger a bit more outside, delighting ourselves in the wonderful view of the illuminated spheres in the dark. Then we have dinner together in a near restaurant and then a night walk before we go back to the bus where we spend our time with Zayn, telling him about the other places we visited and giving him some chocolate we bought for him.

Together, the three of us, have a wonderful time until we can barely stay awake. We make the same arrangement we did in Paris, but this time I change something. I leave the top bunk when I think everyone is asleep and get down as quietly as I can, trying not to wake the other band members. Then I climb into Liam’s bunk, surely waking him up.

“Belle?” he questions confused and groggily but still opening his bed for me almost instinctively, receiving me in his arms.

“It’s cold,” is all I say before cuddling next to him. He doesn’t ask me anything so we just stay there, one laying next to the other until we fall asleep. Simple as that. Warm as that. Comfortable as that.

The next day I have to leave early because it was true I have loads of things to do back at home, so Liam drops me at Bruxelles-Midi before lunchtime.

“I’ll see you for the holidays,” he says and I nod, playing with the lapels of his coat. “Have a safe trip.”

“And you have a good concert,” I reply before standing on my tiptoes and pecking his lips. Then, I look at him with a smile on my lips before I say something that might or might not be a mistake. “I’ll miss you.”

His eyes widen in surprise before pleasure shows in his features, his arms wrapping tightly around my waist. “And I’ll miss you, too.”

His voice sounds so warm and I really don’t want to step back and break the embrace, but I have to. My train is here so I kiss him one last time, I kiss him goodbye and finally step back.

“Bye, Liam,” I bid him.

“Bye, Belle,” he replies and I turn on my heels before he can say something else because it seemed he wanted to add more words to that goodbye. But my train is waiting and it’s been enough for one weekend.

-:-:-

I have a deleted scene that I'll update for free as bonus content. It's from Liam's POV and it's waking up with Belle so wait for that for the next update!

By the way, the prologue of It's Just Ann is up so you can read it. Also, a big shout out to my friend Iris for helping me with this chapter and the landmarks. Love for all my Belgian readers!

Bel, xx

PS: another manip I did for #Lisabelle hehehe