Instagram (LiLo)

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He doesn't think he'd be followed by paparazzi but he's been paranoid about the chances he could be.

He really hopes it's all in his head because of there are any photographers waiting around for him they'll get photos of Sophia visiting him, which will definitely make things worse than they already are - whatever they are.

He opens the door and smiles softly when Sophia greets him with a warm hug.

"Sorry, there was a bit of traffic coming into the city. I should have known since it's a Saturday. At least it's not a rainy day, yeah?." Sophia says while Liam offers to take her jacket off. He's not as enthusiastically kind as usual, but he's still the gentleman he enjoys being.

And he was maybe a little too much of a gentleman the night of her birthday celebration.

He hums his response as he hangs up the jacket. He wishes he could imagine the perfect rainy day where he'd be cuddling up with Louis and their dogs.

"I'd ask you how you've been but you honestly look like shit." She tells him as she tucks her hair behind her ear.

Liam sighs. "Feel like it too." He scratches the back of his neck while Sophia follows him over to his large L-shaped sofa.

"I really wish you'd stop beating yourself over this. You didn't know there were going to be cameras when we left." She says as she sits down, tucking her legs up behind her, her elbow propped up on the back of the sofa.

Liam sits down next to her, the sofa much more comfortable than the floor. "I'm sorry that my hand slipped and I touched you inappropriately. I'm sorry these pictures are spread all over the internet and causing so much commotion."

"You've apologized to me already, Li. I know it was an accident when you touched me and I'm the one who's sorry for pulling you so close to me at the car. I was drunk and scared of all this sudden attention. Neither of us knew that this was going to happen. I didn't want anyone but you to be able to hear me that I can't take it." She shakes her head and looks up, like she's trying to make herself not cry.

Liam reaches out to her because he hates seeing the people he cares about so broken. It makes him forget about his own brokenness so he can be there for them instead.

"You've been nothing but strong through this, yeah? But it's completely okay to say when it's too much. I feel that way too." He tells her. "My manager and PR team want to have a little conference call with me. I think it's for damage control or something. Do you think they'll want to try to make it seem like we're together?"

Sophia shrugs. "I have no idea. PR hasn't been brought to my attention about my birthday. I've told you before that a fake relationship is something I'm not going to agree with. Plus it's already been hyped by fans and the others make it seem like they'd be unhappy if we were together. That's putting it nicely."

Liam holds his head in his hands and rubs at his eyes with his palms. In all honesty, a PR stunt like a fake relationship with his friend would easily add more fuel to the fire and make both of them more sad and distant with one another. He doesn't want that either.

"What has you still so distraught anyway? I thought we'd both be able to get past this and laugh it off after a long chat about it."

Liam has to be honest with her because it'll make things easier for her too. Maybe she won't be hurt by what fans say and comment about her if she knew the truth about him. Liam wants to be able to protect her and she deserves to know why so many nasty things about her are being said. She is not being used as a cover up and she is definitely not a whore.