That Girl Band (Liam Payne)

Part 14

"BETH!" I heard from the hallway. Someone was pounding on the door. "BETH! Get out here! Now!" It was Max. I looked at Liam.

"Crap." he said. He grabbed his pants and pulled them on as I went to the door. I flipped on the lights as Liam grabbed his shirt. Unlocking the door, it flew open, reveling Max, steaming mad.

"What did you do?" she screamed at Liam. She turned back to me. "Do you know how he got this alone time with you? Where's your pass, Beth? Where is your bus key?" I looked down, around my neck. They were gone. I wondered how long they'd been missing. Max crossed her arms, starring at Liam. "You need to see what he did." Max grabbed my hand and dragged me down the hall.

Liam was yelling behind us, "It wasn't me! It wasn't!"

"Max! What? What?" I begged.

"Lou got his revenge for the ants. He used your keys. They are still stuck in the bus door. When did your boyfriend steal them, Beth? When?" she screamed. She kept pulling me until we were outside moving to the parking area. As we got closer to our bus, I could hear Vi crying. Max pushed me on the bus and the crying got louder. I followed the sound to our bunks. Vi was on the floor, the remains of her bass in front of her. She had it hanging in her bunk. It was her first bass and she put it up with 5 of those command sticky hooks. I remembered that day. We had laughed as she kept adding hooks until it stayed. Someone had smashed it. Her bunk was the one above mine. It was torn apart. Her blankets were ripped, her pillow fluff was everywhere. All of her pictures ripped, torn or drawn on. Her iPod was hanging from her bunk looking like someone smashed it with a hammer.

I looked down. My bunk was no better, maybe worse. Blankets, pillows, and curtains ruined. My mattress had been slashed and my drumsticks broken. Three pairs of sticks had all been stuck into the holes, looking like bizarre flowers growing out of the mess. My stars and dragonfly lights were smashed, but still hanging. Whatever had smashed Vi's iPod had been used on my lights, my book light, my kindle. The book I had been reading was ripped, the pages laying all over my bed. Worst of all? The head was ripped off my panda and laying on the floor. The body was in a noose, hanging from my bunk.

I reached down and picked up the panda head. I heard Liam draw in his breath behind me. I turned, tears streaming down my face. "Why?" I asked, holding out the panda. "Why?" I screamed. Liam's face was frozen in fear. He was staring at the Panda. "WHY?" I screamed again.

"He...He...he wasn't supposed to touch your stuff. He said....he said he was just going to mess up the stuff of the girls who threw ants at him. He said it was a joke. I didn't know...I didn't know..." Liam said.

"GET OUT!" I yelled. "GET OUT! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" I threw the panda head at him. He held up his arms and it bounced harmlessly off his hand and fell to the floor. I sank to the ground and wrapped my arms around Vi. Everything I had lost could be replaced. She couldn't replace her bass. It had been bought by her grandfather, who had started her on the cello and had bought her the bass when she wanted to switch. She leaned into me, sobbing, holding onto a piece of the neck.

Max and Jesse stood in front of Liam, forcing him back and out of the bus. Max pulled my keys out of the door and pulled it shut, locking it. She walked back over to me. "How did he get these from you?"

I shook my head. "I don't know? I don't even notice them anymore?"

"Well, Benny is pissed. He wants us to make a list of everything that was ruined. He is with their manager right now. He's thinking of leaving the tour, Styx. LEAVING. This is all over, because of you. YOU! And that damn boy. What is wrong with you?" Max was so angry, her entire face was red. Jesse looked just as mad.

"Don't yell at her." Vi said. "It's not her fault."

"It's completely her fault. Her and her lies. If he knew that it was you, this wouldn't have happened. He'd have stopped Lou. But, you've been lying to him." Max was beyond angry. "Just get out, okay? We know he doesn't like us and if he knew who you really were, he wouldn't like you either. Just go!"

I stood up and pushed passed her, running for the door. I stood outside the door of the bus, crying. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I couldn't go back into my bus, we didn't have a hotel. I just started to walk. I had had no money, no keys, no id tags. I walked toward the arena, not knowing where else to go. As I got closer, I saw someone standing outside the doors, facing the building. It was Liam. I didn't want to see him, so I started to turn, but he heard me and turned, quickly. His face was full of grief and his cheeks were wet with tears. "Beth!" he cried. "Stop. Please." He grabbed me and turned me to face him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. He didn't tell me. He didn't say he was going to do that. He didn't. I swear. It was supposed to be a joke, just mess up their stuff. I would never do anything to hurt you." Liam wrapped her arms around me as I began to sob.

"They hate me!" I sobbed. "Vi can never replace that bass! It's all my fault!" I cried into his shirt, getting it wet with my tears and snot. He held me, wrapping me into him, under his chin, making me feel safe. He always knew how to do that. Always.

"It's not your fault. It's mine. I took your keys. I gave them to Louis. I take all the blame. I should have known better. Damn it. I am so sorry." Liam said. "I just don't know what do to right now. I'm just..." he let out sigh. "I just wanted to be alone with you. We haven't been alone forever. I've been going slow for you, but I still just...I needed to be with you. He offered the dressing room for 3 hours if I got your keys. For a joke. A joke. I am so stupid."

"Just take me somewhere where I don't need to see anyone. Please. Benny is mad at me. The girls are mad at me. And you? You are going to hate me, too." I was still crying.

Liam pushed me back so he could see my face. "Hate you? Why? I could never hate you, Beth. I was going to tell you this tonight, but I didn't get the chance. I love you, Beth. I love you. I know you don't love me back. You still hide from me, you don't completely trust me, but I do. I trust you and I love you. I love how you make me feel. I love being around you. I love how you feel in my arms. You feel like my missing piece. You make me feel whole."

"You love me?" I said. He nodded and leaned down to kiss me. "Please take me away from here. Please. I don't have my keys, my money, my purse. And I can't get back on that bus. I can't face them. They are so mad at me. I can't replace all of those things. Please."

Liam nodded and took my hand, leading me away from the stadium, down the five blocks to the Holiday Inn where we had been this morning. He took me in and up to the check in desk, asking for a room. He pulled out his American Express, gave it to the clerk and then started to type out a text. The clerk gave Liam his card and a key. He grabbed them, took my hand and led my to the elevators. "I just got a regular room." he said, still looking at his phone. "I didn't want to have a hassle or anything." He put his phone down and looked at me. "Is that okay?"

I nodded. "It's fine. I don't care anymore. I just want to go home. I never wanted this. This was all about Max. She's been running my life since I was ten." I leaned against him and he put his arm around me. The elevator reached our floor and he pulled me off. We walked down the hall to the room and went in. He didn't even turn on a light. He just pulled me to him and kissed me.

"I meant it, Beth. I do love you. And I know that whatever you are hiding from me, you will tell me when you are ready, but it doesn't change how I feel. I love you." Liam reached for the bottom of my shirt and I let him take it off. I didn't care anymore. He kissed my neck, moving down to my shoulder and around my back. He walked completely around me, gently kissing my other shoulder, back up my neck, to my ear. He put one arm on my back and used the other to sweep me off my feet and into his arms. He carried me to the bed, laying me gently down. He pulled off his shirt, throwing it aside, before climbing on the bed next to me. Hovering over me, he kissed me, over and over, gently, slowly, not rushing, taking his time before using his tongue gently to part my lips. His hands slipped behind me, undoing and removing my bra. Nothing felt rushed, nothing felt wrong. His flesh on my flesh, his hands on me, all of it felt perfect, right. I let him kiss down my body, removing my pants. "I love you, so much. I just want you to be happy. I want to make you smile." His full, pink lips pushed there way into my womanhood, causing me to cry out in pleasure. Moving back to my lips, he entered me, moving slowly, his lips never leaving mine. We came together, reaching bliss in unison.

"I'm sorry, Liam. For everything." I cried, laying on his chest.

He kissed my head. "Don't. Everything will be fine. Just go to sleep. Everything will be okay in the morning. I promise."