The next morning, Zu and I awoke alone in Betty. Zu looked at me with eyes wide, but we soon found a note saying that the boys were going for a jog.
Chubs jogging? We looked at each other and started laughing.
Just as we were about to brush our teeth, Liam and Chubs came back. When I looked at Liam, his smile widened, I quickly glanced away, hoping no one would notice my blush.
„We found a pond with a waterfall!" Chubs exclaimed. Liam rubbed the sweat from his forehead and smiled at Zu. „Hey Zu, do you fancy some swimming?" the both of them grinned at each other and Zu hopped onto his shoulders. Chubs quickly grabbed some towels and clothes for the four of us, shaking his head at Liam and Zu and locked Betty.
„So, you and Lee?" he asked as we were comfortably walking to the pond. I blushed deep red. „I didn't realise what I was stumbling upon last night, I'm sorry." he continued, ignoring my discomfort.
We reached the pond and watched Zu and Liam having fun in the water. „He likes you, you know. A lot. He's never liked anyone this much. Don't hurt him, okay?" Chubs said before he took of his shirt and joined the others.
He liked me. Liam liked me! I started grinning like a five year old on her birthday. I tried to keep my happy dance to myself and went down the small path to the others.
The waterfall was truly beautiful. Everything there was vibrant with green colours and ... life. „Wow" I mumbled. How beautiful this world was beyond it's residents. I sat down to take my shoes off. I left My underwear and Liams shirt I put on to sleep on. For sleeping I wasn't wearing a bra and although my breasts were rather small, I didn't want anyone here to see them freely.
Liam came up to me and reached for my hand. I took it and he turned around fast, too fast for me, and threw me into the pond. I was soaked an instant and Zu started laughing out loud which made all of us laugh.
The cold water made my lungs burn. I felt so alive and great again. Fresh. Like the fresh start I did with Chubs, Zu and Liam.
Liam swam to me and hugged me closely. „Hey" he murmured into my ear with a raspy voice that gave me goosebumps all over my body.
„Hey" i smiled to him, unsure again. We were so close again and I would have loved to kiss him right then and there, but Chubs and Zu were around and I didn't want them to see something like that. My whole body ached to be this close to him all the time. Still, it wasn't close enough.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and put my head in the crook of his neck. He slowly swam towards the waterfall, cuddling his hair. I no longer felt the coldness of the air and the water. A heat spread from my centre through my whole body. What was that?
Why did I feel this way all of the sudden? I looked at Liam. His face was equally flushed as mine and he gulped hard before letting me go.
„Uhm.." he scratched the back of his neck „why don't you swim to the others and I'll clean myself off?" he asked, blushing.
I didn't understand but nodded and swam to the others.
After a big water fight we got out of the pond and quickly wrapped our bodies in the towels that Chubs had fortunately thought of. Heaven sent him!
We quickly got dressed in silence and returned to Black Betty.
__________
We had spent the day training and trying to figure out, what E-D-O meant and what it could hint us. So far we had no promising outcome. We were pretty frustrated because of that but Liam tried to cheer us up by singing some songs and dancing with us.
Later that evening, Liam and I went to collect wood for our campfire. He soon grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers together. I smiled up to him as we walked quietly through the woods.
„I wish, we could stay here forever. It's kind of our own safe home." I said. Liam took a strand of my hair and tucked it behind my ear before saying „I know what you mean. It's so different and peaceful. But we can't stay here. We can always come back when all this is over." his thumb brushed over my hand.
We found a place with many wooden sticks and collected them quickly before returning. It was getting dark early and we had to hurry to get back before the sun had set completely.
We set up our campfire and Zu came over immediately with some marshmallows and crackers. She held it up triumphantly grinning im our small group.
„So what do you have planned for tomorrow?" I asked the question that burned inside me the whole day. „We can't stay here forever, you know.." Liam started. „We leave. Tomorrow morning when it's still dark. We can't stay at a place longer than this. It's too dangerous. We're heading to Virginia. I think there may be more signs of E-D-O." Chubs said logically.
Was that what my life turned into? I'll never have a proper home, always on the run. Never getting anywhere really. I felt lonely although being in a group of people I loved most.
Liam stroked my leg for comfort and handed me another cracker. I loved this. I've wanted this for so long, but this might never last.
Zu soon went into bed and I listened to Liam and Chubs arguing about ... anything. I didn't bother enough to listen. Chubs finally let out a big yawn and exclaimed that he was going to bed.
„Don't stay up too late and don't do anything I wouldn't" he laughed and got off, brushed his jeans and left into the van.
„Hey, you okay?" Liam took me into his side to comfort me, sensing how unwell I was feeling.
„I'll miss this place. This comfort. The absence of chaos and the rush." I answered sadly.
„Hey, I know exactly, what you need now!" he got up, went into the van and came back out 2 minutes later with the smallest bag and the biggest smile I had seen until that point.
It made the butterflies in my stomach do crazy dances. I really did fell for that guy.
„M'Lady. Come on! Let me take you away somewhere fun." he stretched his hand out to me and I took it gladly. I wanted to walk next to him but liam had other plans: he lifted me up bridal style and walked me the way, the both of us laughing all the way.
We came to an halt at the pond. Liam let me down and unpacked the bag. He sat me down on a stone big enough for the both of us and wrapped a blanket around us.
It was perfect, just the two of us cuddling there in the dark, watching the waterfall. It's steady rhythmic ripple.
„You wanna swim?" I asked Liam grinning. I knew I would regret that later when the cold would creep into my bones but I didn't care that moment. I sprung up and ran down to the pond laughing taking my shoes, pants and jumper off by doing so.
Liam watched me with an amused smile on his face as I got into the freezing cold pond. I shrieked. „Hey come on in! I'm freezing to death! I don't want to die alone." i laughed through chattering teeth.
He followed me slowly and let himself glide into the water next to me. I splashed him and ducked under water before he could take his revenge.
We swam around for a while getting used to the cold water. Soon we found each other under the waterfall again. I put my head back and let the cold water fall on my face. I feel good again, alive.
„You look so beautiful." Liam said silently. I beamed at him „so do you!". He did look handsome. The cold let the bags under his eyes disappear. He had a slight beard now and was looking way older than 17. he had a strong chin and his body had been strong, too. The only thing about him that wasn't strong were his kind, loving eyes. I could get lost in them forever.
He swam up to me and stroked my wet hair down to the low of my back. He was so close again and all I could do was stare into his eyes.
His thumb brushed my upper lip and cupped my cheeks. With one finger, he lifted my chin up and leaned in closer.
I swung my arms around his neck and closed the gap between us.
I always imagined a first kiss to feel like fireworks and all those big things. But it didn't. It felt warm and safe and tingly. The tingling feeling spread through my entire body. I smiled into the kiss and he deepened it. I've never felt so great in my life before.
We only broke apart to catch air. „Wow. You are so dang amazing. I wanted to kiss you from the day I saw you in the library. You are just so different from everyone. Don't look at me like that. The good kind of different. You are so special to me and you don't even know." he said as he looked me deep in the eyes and leaned in for another light kiss. „I could do this forever." he smiled and I smiled back. We were like in these queezy disgusting romance movies my aunt loved to watch.
My teeth started to clatter from the cold, my lips were so blue. Liam noticed just now. „Shoot, we gotta get you out of here." he grabbed me by my waist and got me out of the pond quickly. He wrapped me into a towel he brought with him and got one for himself.
Liam rubbed my arms and sides to get me warm and hugged me again. I trailed the strong muscles on his back, wondering where he got them from. Did he workout at his camp?
My hands found their way up to the back of his head again and I pulled him down to me to kiss him again. He pulled me even closer to him. We almost melted together as we continued to kiss each other.
My world had never been better. Until it wasn't. A gunshot broke us apart. Liam threw me on the ground and laid on top of me for protection. Our bodies tensed as we laid there. I could feel his heartbeat beat as fast and strong as mine. But it wasn't just pounding for him. It was pounding for me as well and I could tell that he was more worried for me than himself.
suddenly he was pulled down from me by 2 men. I screamed and tried to get up and help him, but I was pushed down by a third person. "I'll take care of them! Take charge of the lad." said a voice I knew. Lady Jane.
"Liam! liam! Liam" I shouted after him. I couldn't see him anymore.
I needed to think, I needed to do something. I needed to help Liam.
I needed to focus. Concentrate. I closed my eyes, desperate to find out, what to do. I breathed in deeply. When I let my breath out, Lady Jane was gone. A branch had knocked her off me. Trees rooted out and flailed, I heard screaming in the distance, my head was throbbing, I was too wiped out to even sit up straight. I fell back onto the cold ground and lost consciousness from exhaustion.