Sapphire *One Direction* [Liam Payne]

Chapter 16

I didn't realize that I had fallen back asleep until I was jolted awake by the sound of knocking at the door. I looked at the clock and it read 12:23p.m. My mother was supposed to arrive 23 minutes ago and had completely overslept, my appearance was one of a girl that had just been hit by a bus and I couldn't let my mother or Liam see me this way.

"Kristina," my hoarse voice scratched as I groggily nudged her leg. I saw her turn to me, her eyes already open, and I wondered how long she had been awake. "My mom's here."

"I heard, you look awful," her scratchy voice emulated mine.

"Thanks boo," I sarcastically replied. "Well, you're no prom queen either. You kind of look like a zombie." Her raspy laugh was different than her normal cheery one, and my giggles were almost silent because my voice seemed to be completely gone.

"Get a shower and I'll go meet your mom," Kristina offered.

"Thanks," I smiled before offering her a hair tie that had been secured around my wrist.

I quickly showered being sure to thoroughly cleanse and condition my tangled curls. My eyes were still red and puffy, but the dark circles seemed almost completely gone. I threw on a pair of casual jeans and a Kentucky crew-neck sweatshirt before putting on a pair of soft, cotton socks - I always have to have socks or shoes on. It's an obsessive thing that I must have something between my feet and the floor. - I hurriedly ran down the stairs to be greeted by my mothers warm embrace. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she greeted me, "Hey honey! I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too mommy!" I squeezed her small frame into a tighter hug before letting her go. "Kristina you can go shower up now," I directed to her. She saluted me and giggled before running up the stairs.

"Honey, I think your uh, friend… the guy who drove me, he's really nice by the way, but he is waiting for you outside. Go talk to him." My mother flicked her head toward the door.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I like him. He is super cool, and he talked to me the whole time."

"Okay." I gave her a smile before walking out the front door to find Liam leaning against his Audi.

"Hi," I whispered when I reached him.

"Lexi, stay." His eyes were focused and his tone persistent.

"I… I can't," I stuttered.

"Yes, stay with Caitlin, Grae and Lou, me. Please." He grabbed my shoulders as he begged me. I tried to open my mouth but no words came out. I didn't know what to say. I had to go, I had no choice.

"There was this girl once, her name was Danielle, and we dated for 4 and a half years. I thought gave her everything; she lived with me, and we even got a dog together. I thought I was in love with her. She was a dancer, and danced for a lot of popular people so she was always away working. I couldn't help but think that she was doing something, like hanging out with friends or something like that, without me. So, I followed her one day to work, and I knew something was weird when she pulled up in front of an apartment complex I had never seen before. I secretly followed her in, and watched to see what floor the elevator stopped at. I went back outside and made a full circle around the building scoping out every window on that floor. Finally, I saw her in one of the windows, but she wasn’t alone. She was kissing some other man with her top off, at first I tried to ignore it and pretend it for a music video rehearsal or something, but a month later, I found out. I told her I had a gig, and that I would be staying the night at Andy's so I wouldn’t wake her up when I got in late. Instead, I wanted to surprise her with flowers and her favourite movie. When I got upstairs I found her in bed with the same man I saw in the window. The truth came out and she had been cheating on me for almost 2 full years," tears began to form in his eyes. "I thought she loved me Lexi, my heart was crushed and I thought I would never be able to love or trust someone ever again. Then I saw you," a bead of salty water stung his eye just enough to fall out of the corner. "Your eyes held innocence, loyalty, and captivated me. I knew there was something about you that was different, and I had to find out what it was. Every day, I fall harder and harder for you, and I do it unwillingly, holding the fear of being hurt again. If you leave me, I will follow you to America, but I can't now. There are some reasons that I'm not allowed to speak of that are keeping me in London, but if you go back to Kentucky, I will be there in time. It may take many years, but when I'm with you, I feel like a coward for ever saying I loved Danielle. With you, I know what true love is, because… Lexi, I am madly, unconditionally, irrevocably, passionately in love with you."