Born to Love You

"Princess Arabella, be sure to stay close to us at all times. There's no telling what could happen."

"I'll be fine with Liam." I argued as I heard someone ring the doorbell downstairs. I ran down and opened the door before grabbing Liam's hand in a flurry then dragging him behind me. "Run, Liam! Run!"

"Arabella!" Brady yelled as he stepped out of the front door and  started chasing me and Liam through the busy sidewalk.

"Excuse me! Sorry!" I shouted at all the people that were bustling about. They moved out of my path and I thanked them before rounding the corner to the nearest bus stop and jumping into the bus with Liam still in tow.

"I'm so sorry about that," I apologized as I tried to catch my breath.

Liam chuckled, "It's alright. That was fun."

I laughed breathlessly and blushed when I realised that I was still holding his hand. I let go and looked away from Liam in embarrassment. He chuckled again and, in a very bold move, gently slipped his hand back in mine before lacing our fingers together

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as the blush on my cheeks intensified; but, Liam didn't point it out to me. How gentlemanly of him.

"So, why did we run from your bodyguards?" He asked with a breathtaking smile which made my heart stop. The bus jolted forward which sent me tumbling, but he wrapped an arm around my waist as his grip on my hand tightened.

I blushed even more before clearing my throat and gingerly stepping out of his hold on my waist, "Thanks. Err, we ran from them... because they'll hover above us. And, that would be so awkward."

"True. But, wouldn't your mum flip out?" He asked as he led me up the steps to the second floor of the bus since the first floor was a bit crowded.

"She won't; much. It's my grandmum that would majorly flip out. Mum allows me to have a bit of freedom; without the bodyguards and all that jazz. Besides, I know that I'm safe with you, Mr. Payne." I flirted; making Liam blush, "So, tell me about yourself."

"Well, I'm Liam James Payne, 19 years-old, born on August 29, 1993. I'm from Wolverhampton. I have two older sisters; Ruth and Nicola. My parents are not divorced. I only have one kidney. What about you?"

"Awesome. Hmmm... My name's Arabella Elizabeth Rosaline Mountbatten-Windsor. I'm 18. I was born on December 18, 1993. I'm from... well, London. My mother is divorced; my dad is her second husband. I have two older half siblings; Zara and Mark. I'm a law student at Cambridge University, but I'm taking a year off because I want to be a lazy bum."

Liam laughed and I had to reign in the urge to jump him then and there, "You want to be a lawyer?"

"Nope. I want to be a director or a writer. But, grandmum wanted me to take Law instead. So, here I am. Taking a course that I don't even like at Cambridge. So, what's up with you, Mr. Big-Shot-Platinum-Artist?" I teased and nudged Liam with my shoulder; loving every bit of contact that we were making.

"Nothing much. Just getting ready for our tour." He answered modestly. I smiled at him and quickly kissed his cheek; the temptation to kiss him was just too much. And, I let myself indulge even or just a little bit.

"What w-was that for?" He asked nervously, but he had a grin on his handsome face.

I shrugged and answered coyly, "I don't know."

For the whole bus ride, Liam and I talked about anything and everything under the sun; from our likes and dislikes to the clouds up in the sky. It was really easy to talk to Liam; he's a great listener.

"Oh, look! The Abbey's open. Let's go in," I said and half-dragged Liam inside Westminster Abbey. We got off at the stop here so that we could just walk to the café that he told me about after we tour around London for a day. I'm beginning to feel that this is a date. "Wills got married here."

"Wills?" Liam asked confusedly. I turned to him with a smile on my face before leading him to the very front pew and sitting down. He sat down beside me and raised his eyebrows in question. I blinked twice and knocked myself out of the trance that I was in. Why did he have to be so bloody handsome?

"Oh, right. Wills... as in Prince William. Haz always calls him that." I answered with a quiet laugh. Just thinking about my cousins brought smiles to my face.

"It's a bit overwhelming to have the future King's cousin with me; talking about him like it was nothing." Liam stated with a chuckle.

"Just think of them as normal people." I answered and then looked up at the dais before sighing.

"What is it? Am I boring you to death?"

"What? No," I answered with a laugh. "It's just... my mum expects me to get married in this very place. Almost everyone in my family got married here."

"You're only 18; still too young to be worrying about marriage. Besides, it's not like you'll have trouble finding a husband."

"Nobody wants to be with someone like me, Liam. I'm a bad person. I really want to change..." I mumbled sadly. Then, I felt a warm hand tilting my head up by my chin, and I found myself looking directly into Liam's honey brown eyes.

"Everybody has a dark side, Arie. What's important is that you want to change. Just know that I will always be here to help you when you need me." I know that Liam meant to say that in a 'we're-friends-i'm-here-for-you' way, but there was just something in the way he said it that made me sense that there was something else that he wasn't saying; something that I couldn't put my finger on.

"Thank you, Liam." I managed to whisper despite the erratic beating of my heart that made my thoughts all jumble up. He smiled and leaned in to place a lingering kiss on the corner of my mouth. I swear that he will be the death of me.

***

"Today was really wonderful." I said softly as Liam and I stood at my front door. He smiled and tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear before trailing his fingers down to tilt my chin up. He leaned down and my heart started beating like there was no tomorrow. I felt like I was going to have cardiac arrest as his warm breath fanned over my face.

"Are you free on Friday?" He asked quietly; his lips lightly brushing against my own. It sent a frenzy down my spine and I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from shuddering involuntarily.

"Yes," I managed to whisper against his lips.

"Would you like to go out with me for dinner?" I nodded wordlessly and waited for Liam's lips to come crashing down on mine. But, he must have changed his mind at the last minute since he kissed the corner of my mouth instead; just like this morning. I was thoroughly disappointed, but kept myself preppy for the time being.

"Goodnight, Arie." Liam whispered with a small smile on his face as he gently dropped his fingers from my chin and leaned away from me.

"Goodnight, Liam." I answered and was about to open the door when I remembered that I was still wearing his jacket. I shrugged out of the jacket and suddenly missed his scent that engulfed me when I wore it. I gingerly handed it to him and took a deep breath before leaning up on my toes and kissing his cheek before opening the unlocked door.

"I would invite you in, but I really don't want you to see Brady lecture me like a little kid." I said sheepishly and Liam chuckled.

"I understand completely. The boys must be wondering where I am right now. I better get going. I'll see you on Friday, right? Around 7?"

I nodded, "7 sounds great. Thank you for the wonderful day, Liam."

"It was nothing. I'll see you soon, Arie. Goodnight and sweet dreams." Liam bid as he walked down the stairs before waving and then walking to the bus stop.

Once he was out of sight, I gently closed the door and let out a heavy and disappointed sigh.

"He should have kissed you. But, I could see that he was torn between his desire and chivalry -- and his chivalry won."  I jumped at the familiar voice.

"You were spying on me, mum?" I asked with a wide grin as I engulfed my mother in a tight hug.

"I heard you two talking and decided to watch. That boy will be good for you, Arabella. Don't let him go."

"I know, mum. I know. He's perfect."