Liam

Chapter 2

“I don’t think I really got mugged. I mean, I wouldn’t exactly call it that…”

“Uh huh! See? You didn’t. What really happened?”

I sighed, and slumped myself on the kitchen table while Kat started making coffee. “You do know it’s like almost one in the morning, right?”

I shouldn’t have been surprised. Kat had an unhealthy affair with coffee. I couldn’t exactly judge. Bubbly sodas were more my thing. We both had a problem.

“I have a paper to write and I’m way behind. I was hoping you’d bring some goodies to help me pull off an all-nighter. Now I’m more worried about you. Should we go to the hospital? What really happened?” Kat asked, giving me her no-nonsense glare.

If she didn’t believe me when I said I almost got mugged, I didn’t think she’d believe anything else, especially what had happened with Liam. I wasn’t sure where she thought I’d got the bruise on my face, though.

“You’re still working on that?” I asked, changing the subject, and stealing an Oreo from the packet she’d set on the table.

Kat ran to her room and returned with her laptop a minute later. “I got distracted,” she said guiltily. “I’ve been trying to get through it all afternoon but the hottie has kept me busy.”

“Because stalking him is such a hard job,” I stated flatly.

“It takes time, obviously. Anyways, I’m done with the research of hottie for today. I really need to finish this paper.” The way she sounded, and how she was looking at me with her guilty-but-wanting-something eyes, made me groan.

“You’re on your own. I have things to do and it’s already really late,” I told her, getting up from the table and speeding up to my room. “Good luck on your paper!” I yelled, before closing my door.

I could hear Kat whining and calling out for me. If she was too loud, the neighbors were going to come knocking on our door. It wouldn’t be the first time. Kat didn’t get along too well with any of our neighbors. She was loud and she liked to be right. That didn’t go too well when she was yelling at ungodly hours and our neighbors tried to complain.

I lay down on the bed without doing my nightly routine or changing into my sleeping clothes. I was thinking about what had happened earlier. I had wanted to share it with Kat, but she seemed preoccupied. Now that I was safely in my room, I allowed myself to feel scared. Things could’ve turned out badly for me. I had gotten lucky.

One never expects to be the one who has a story about some random guy—attractive as sin—saving you in a dangerous situation. I dozed off because I’d had a long day. I was tired, and my body had been ready to give up five hours ago. The last thing on my mind was him. And he looked perfect.

I woke up the next morning to an empty apartment.

I had a few text messages and a missed call from my brother, Asher. He had been nagging me to go see him since Sunday and I had been too busy to make the trip into the city. Having a non-functioning car wasn’t exactly going to help my case. I was going to have to call him either way. I needed a ride to school the following day, and I wasn’t sure if Kat was going to classes. Her stalking was really cutting into her student life.

I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Asher. He was going to flip once he caught sight of my face. The worst part was that I couldn’t give him a true explanation unless I wanted him insisting that I move into his apartment with him.

He had been at it since I graduated high school—wanting me to move into the city with him. He thought it was safer and I would be closer to campus. I didn’t really mind the forty-five minute long trips. My schedule for school was strictly a two days a week thing. I didn’t think Asher would understand if I explained that what had happened had been an accident—even if it wasn’t.