Coming Home (Liam Dunbar x Reader - Book 2)

Chapter 1

People often hate pain, whether it's emotional or physical. They don't like the tightness that's constantly forming in their chest, their heart aching each day, or their body feeling totally numb. Pain is one of the worst feelings, and unfortunately, everyone experiences at some point in their lives. Despite how awful pain is, I appreciate it. Pain means you're alive. It's part of your humanity. Once you lose something that causes you pain, and you choose to cope with it correctly, the pain will only make you stronger as a person.

Nearly 18 years ago I experienced the worst pain and I thought it would tear me apart. I had my heart broken by my best friend. With the help of my three guy friends, I learned that I shouldn't let one heartbreak be the end of the world. They taught me to live life to the fullest. They made me believe in second chances. And one of them made me fall in love again. I learned from my mistakes, and it shaped me into the person I am today.

But what happens when the pain returns again and it becomes unbearable? When the tightness in your chest becomes too much? When the tears never stop? When the hole in your heart feels like it'll never be whole again? When the numb feeling takes over your body and you feel like the world around you doesn't exist because fate dealt you with cards you never thought you'd experienced all in one lifetime.

What do you do then? Do you give in to the pain and numbness? Or do you simply give up? No matter how much I want to cave into the darkness, giving up wasn't an option, and it still isn't today. It's not what my guys would want for me and letting them down is not what I want to do.

"I want to thank you guys for flying with us today and we hope you have a wonderful stay in Beacon Hills," the flight attendant's peppy voice echoed from the speakers throughout the plane.

It's hard to believe it's been 18 years... No, scratch that. The last time I came to Beacon Hills was 10 years ago, but I didn't even stay for more than 4 hours before I flew back home to Paris. Technically, it didn't count as coming back.

Besides, Beacon Hills isn't a place I called home anymore. Paris was home and when people asked why I moved to Paris, they often thought it was stupid that I ran away from home at the age of 17 over a broken heart. I didn't think it was stupid, to this day it was the best decision I ever made despite experiencing one of the worst days of my life.

I've had three 'worst day of my life' days and those worst days were followed by some bad days. Eventually and slowly, I've fought through those bad days to earn some of the best days of my life. It wasn't easy but we all know life isn't easy. Life will continue to throw you curve balls and you'll probably catch most of them before they hit you. But sometimes, a few of those curves will slip past your catcher's mitt and hit you with another bad day. Today marks the fourth worst day of my life.

"Y/N?" Jackson nudged my elbow, pulling me from my thoughts and from looking out the window. "We're here."

I swallowed the big lump forming at the back of my throat before I nodded my head. "Okay," I whispered.

I stood up and reached for my carry on bag from the bin above our seats and exited out the plane. Walking into the airport, my body turned on to autopilot as Jackson's hand rested on the small of my back leading the way towards baggage claim. The airport was loud and filled with unfamiliar faces, almost like bees swarming around a hive filled with honey. In a matter of seconds, the buzzing began to fade and everything and everyone around me was going in slow motion.

It was an 11-hour flight. 11 long hours. 11 stupid hours of making my mind wonder with endless deliberations. 

If I had come back home earlier, would it have made a difference?