"Thank you for staying and helping me." I said as I gripped the door's handle tightly in my hand.
His eyes fluttered close as a warm smile overcame his lips. "How many times have you thanked me?" He whispered, a sleeping Xander in his arms.
I was so focused on his lips that I didn't notice him opening his eyes and catching me drooling over him.
"Liara?" He called, smirking.
I flinched and looked up. Realizing that I was caught, I laughed it off. "Sorry, I think the wine got me.".
"Sure." He grinned.
'Damn it, it's that smile again' I thought.
"Well, I'll see you on Thursday. Don't forget to report to me on Monday, okay?" I said in my professional voice.
"Of course, Miss Honal." He stated and slowly leaned in towards me.
His nose caressed my cheeks, causing me to forget how to breathe right. "Have I told you, you look beautiful?" He whispered, his warm breath touching my skin, pleasuring it.
"N-no." I whispered back.
His nose caressed the way back to where mine was. It playfully hit it lightly.
Next thing I knew?
His lips were playing with mine.
***
"Did you really hire Niall Horan?" Lily whispered to me as my father stood on the stage and gave his famous speech about poverty.
Gulping nervously, I nodded wordlessly.
"Dad is so mad, Liara." She sang lowly and pursed her lips.
"It's none of his business." I stated as I frowned at her.
"Try telling him that." She said and shrugged.
"Not gonna do that. I'm an adult, I don't have to explain myself." I whispered and refocused my eyes on my father.
A fake smile was plastered on his face. If that what money and fame would do to me, I'd drop it... but I thought that the heart did play a role in someone's life.
It was hard for me to understand. To say the least, I was sure physics was easier than what I was trying to understand. How did my dad turn like this?
I might've lived with him a solid 16 years if not less, but I had no idea who he really was.
"The guy broke your heart plenty of times, why would you bring him back into your life?" I was about to inturrept her, but she spoke. "I know, I know, it's only professional, but still, that doesn't mean that your heart won't ache everytime you see him.".
'Huh, what would she say if she knew I got intimate with him while his son slept in the living room?' I thought.
"Plus, I had heard that he has a son, so that must be double the pain." She sighed.
I stayed silent. Arguing with her was pointless because she has never been in my shoes, nor she ever will.
I felt a tug on my black dress shirt. I looked down to see Archer starring up at me.
"Yes, honey?" I said, smiling down at him.
And damn it, did he look so much like Archer my brother. They had the same eye color, vibrant blue, the same hair color, a cool shade of blonde, the same shape of lips, the same nose and the same chin.
'Now that what makes my heart ache' I thought.
"Can I sit with you?" He asked and I nodded quickly.
Pulling him on my lap, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked up to see my father was just about to sit down on the chair across from mine. I hadn't even noticed that he had finished. However, his eyes were directing me another emotion, one that worked well with the fake smile.
Cold eyes were the ones that looked at me... not a father's eyes.
The music was playing again, a classic like Mozart and Beethoven. My personal favourites. People were enjoying themselves, everyone were enjoying themselves, except for the table that I sat on. My family's table.
"How are you doing, Liara?" My father asked, faking another smile.
"I'm great." I said and avoided his eyes.
I caught Sandy's sad eyes. The poor girl had to grow up in such a house. A ten year old shouldn't have such sad eyes, but thinking back to it, I was once in her place.
"How's your new project going?" He asked.
"Which one?" I asked back.
'Cut to the chase, dad' I thought.
He huffed. "You hired Niall Horan?"
I clapped my hands, put Archer down from my lap and stood up. "That's the part where I leave.".
I carried myself out and called for the valet. In a minute, my car was waiting for me.
Before I could sit down in the driver's seat, my name was called. I turned back to see Sandy with desperation dripping with the tears that were slowly making their way down her pretty face. Not really knowing why she had followed, I understood the urge behind her eyes. I nodded towards the passenger seat as I sat down on my own and closed the door.
She sat down and immediately buckled herself up. As soon as she looked back at me, I pushed the gas pedal and sped away from there, from the hell we were supposed to endure in order to maintain the family's name.
No words were exchanged as the ten year old silently cried. I knew very well not to say a word because that would cause her to burst out and I was in no right state to calm down a little girl, I'd had probably started crying with her.
Instead of going to the hotel that I was staying in, I drove to God knows where, I had no idea where I was going, it has been a while since I had been in New York, and I was only growing older, not younger.
As shocking and heart-breaking, or some optimistics would consider it heart-warming, I had drove to the street that held the cafè that I worked in many years ago, when I had escaped Forks. I carefully looked around at the signs of the shops, trying to spot the one I worked in. Surprisingly, after all those years, it still looked the same from the outside. I parked right in front of it and got out of the car as Sandy followed my movements. I locked the car and eagerly walked to the door.
Two girls who looked too rich to be walking on real ground, looked awfully out of place in the cafè. It didn't have many people, actually it only had one old man sitting at the very back while reading some book, a cashier who was boredly scrolling through his phone, and a waiteress who wiped the tables.
It was midnight, but I thought this city contained more down-to-earth night-lovers who liked to hide in a little warm cafè. At least, that what the cafè was like when I used to work in it. I walked up to the cashier and started searching for my Visa.
"Can I have a cup of black coffee? And Sandy, what do you want?" I said and then looked down at Sandy, not really paying attention to the guy.
"Um, a cup of cappuccino and some chocolate chip cookies." She stated quietly.
"Yeah, and what she wants." I said, then looked up when I found my Visa.
"Ara?" The guy whispered as his expression expressed his surprisment. He almost looked like he had seen a ghost.
I frowned and focused more on his face, trying to recall him. It was when he smiled that his name as well as flashbackes of him exploded in my mind. I raised my eyebrows as a laugh came out of my lips.
I grabbed him and pulled him towards me, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, the counter was between us, so we were both bent in an awkward position, but I didn't care, he was a face that I was familiar with, and I couldn't be happier. His arms slowly made their way around my waist and hugged me as tight as I was hugging him.
We pulled away after a minute or two, a grin overtook both of our faces. "What- why- how-" he stuttered.
I laughed. "I know, I know. I disappeared and now I'm back looking like a million dollar." I rolled my eyes. "Do you wanna sit with us and talk? I do have to explain.".
"Sure, let me just prepare your order." He said and turned around to make my coffee.
I found us a booth away from the big windows, I wouldn't want papparazzi to catch me and make up a story about my 'mysterouis lover'.
Not too long after, he came and pushed the cup of black coffee to me and the cup of cappuccino and plate of cookies towards Sandy.
"How has life been treating you?" I asked him.
"Meh," he sighed dramatically. "It's going alright, not according to plan, but it's alright.".
"Where's Martha? And is Hardley still a pain in the ass?" I chuckled.
His face fell as a sad look casted over his eyes. "Um, Hardley has passed away years ago, he left the shop to his son who barely manages to clean himself, let alone run the store. Martha moved to Canda after she met a guy called Olly, they fell in love and got married two years ago, she's now pregnant in her fifth month I think. As for me, uh, I'm still here".
Shock was slapped into my face. "Damn, that's... sad.".
He chuckled. "What about you? Where have you been?"
I looked towards Sandy who munched her cookies quietly. I knew she loved books, so I told her to get a book from the wall opposite us. I didn't want her to listen to me when I tell James my real story.
Turning my head towards him, I gulped. "So, I'm going to tell you everything from the very begining.".
He nodded and listened intently to me.
----------
Honestly, I get so mad at people who say that a book should always have drama in every chapter... like bitch, I'm sure the most drama you get each day is your crush ignoring your ass.
This is supposed to somewhat relate to what we live everyday, not just some fiction. Sure, a bit of drama and over-the-top scenes are cool to add once in a while, but too much is still fucking too much.
Go and check out @The_little_wierdo book, she's a new uprising writer, support her as much as you can.
Comment and vote, it'd mean alot to me ♡
Peace out \/ and stay alive |-/
Aya J