Sequel: Take Me as I Am
Status: Active :)

Beneath Your Perfect

The Happily Mended

10 months later

London hadn’t changed much. Well the airport hadn’t anyway. There were still hundreds of people milling around, finding where they had to go and the people they had to see.

I moved as quickly as I could through the crowds of people. Aria and Sarah promised to pick me up; everyone else was busy at work.

“Jade.” I spun at the voice to see both girls standing, waving wildly. I smiled and almost bowled over a small kid on my way to them. I apologised to the mother before moving on towards my best friends.

“Smooth.” Aria greeted before pulling me into a hug. Sarah hugged me from the other side. I smiled into Aria’s recently shoulder length dark brown hair. It was styled in messy waves. Sarah’s long blonde hair had stayed the same, had possibly grown longer.

“Can’t believe you cut it off.” I remarked to Aria, pulling on a piece of her hair. She smiled and shrugged.

“Easier to manage. Barely have to brush it of a morning.” I laughed at her before pulling them both into another hug.

“It’s good to be back.” I told them both softly.

“You look good, healthier. More energetic.” Sarah commented, eyes searching my face for something.

“I feel good. I love America and I really needed the break, but it’s good to be coming home.”

“Good, then let’s get your stuff and get you home. Your apartment has been calling.” Aria tugged on my arm, directing me towards my baggage.

We caught a cab home where I told the girls everything I had been doing since they visited two months ago. The book singings and the tourist attractions I had visited, I couldn’t help it.

“Look I got a photo with Johnny Depp.” I pulled my phone out to show them my lock screen. “He was shopping, in a grocery store, like a normal person.”

“Gah, it is officially possible to get hotter with age.” Aria leant over, pulling the phone closer to her face.

I paid the cab driver and we hauled my heavy suitcases up the stairs to my flat that I had definitely missed.

The door flew open and I couldn’t help but sigh happily at the sight in front of me, it looked slightly empty and unlived in but it was familiar. Familiarity was something that I had missed while being gone. I fell down onto the couch noting that Mum must have been in recently to clean, again.

“It’s been weird not coming here.” Sarah nodded, looking around and falling on the chair next to me.

“I missed it.” I mumbled pulling a cushion towards it, snuggling deeper and wishing I could turn on the TV. Except I was told it wouldn’t start again until tomorrow. The only power I had at all was the lights.

“So we were thinking,” Aria began slowly. I looked up at her and tried not to glare at what her thought had already been. “We should head out tonight; celebrate you being back.” I sighed and closed my eyes briefly.

“Maybe tomorrow night Ari, sleep sounds too good right now.” I replied.

“Or you could nap now and come out with us later?” Sarah suggested, I looked at her for a moment. “We missed you Jade, we just want to have fun together.” She pouted and I immediately gave in, making me feel guilty would definitely work.

“Fine, but I’m going to have a nap now.” I frowned at them before slowly dragging myself up and towards my room. I fell down onto the bed and immediately smelt the cloud of washing detergent. Mum had obviously just watched my sheets as well. I smiled into them and buried deeper, pulling the red comforter over my body. I fell asleep almost instantly.

-

I headed across the street to Aria’s to get ready. The music was blaring loudly from through the door; I pushed it open and found both girls fighting over the straightener.

“Here,” I thrusted my GHD into the mix, Sarah dived for mine and smirked triumphantly at Aria who rolled her eyes in return. I sat down on the lid of the toilet watching them both for a moment. I was still tired but looking forward to spending time with both of the girls.

“So how are you and Jared?” I asked Sarah curiously, resting my chin in my hand. She smiled into the mirror before placing the straightener down and turning towards me.

“Good, really good.” I smiled happily at her. For some reason their relationship never really bothered me. Jared was over protective but he always had good intentions. Sarah was innocent and good for my brother.

Both girls froze and their wide eyes turned to me. I looked back startled before I realised what happened as Liam’s voice sung through the speakers blaring from Aria’s living room. I sighed and shook my head at them both as Sarah made an aborted gesture to leave the room.

“It’s fine.” I smiled at them weakly. “It’s been ten months, I’m not as tetchy as I was.” They exchanged looks with each other, I frowned at them knowing they were keeping something from me.

“I’m glad you’re okay then Jade, you can really tell. You look relaxed.” Sarah smiled at me gently.

“What is it?” I demanded from them both, tapping my foot impatiently against the floor. They shared another look and Aria finally placed her straightener down to turn and look at me properly.

“We have some information that you might find interesting.” I shook my head at Aria’s use of words. She always had the flair for dramatics.

“Seriously? What is it?” I asked them curiously, leaning forward on the seat.

“About Liam.” Sarah said quietly. I could feel the tension in my muscles as I stared intensely at the wall behind them both. I waited a moment before nodding at them to continue.

“He checked into a rehab, about two weeks after you left. It’s been kept quiet by his management so no one really knows. But he got out about three months ago and has been doing really well.” I stared wordlessly between them both after Aria’s admission.

“How do either of you know this if it’s been kept quiet?” I asked them both, trying to get my thoughts into check. Liam went and got help. He was better?

“Well um I worked with them for a bit about two months after you left. Some marketing stuff their management needed taking care off.” I eyed Aria for a moment. I believed that she had worked for them, she was amazing at her job and it didn’t matter how young she was her company put her forward for a lot of hard clients. There was something, however, that she wasn’t telling me. I knew her long enough now to be able to tell.

“You have way too much information for someone who worked with them for a bit two months ago.” I repeated her words and waited as she shifted nervously. Sarah smirked at Aria and raised her eyebrows in anticipation.

“I may have spent some time with one of the boys.” She said slowly. I stared at her until she cracked. “Niall told me.”

“You slept with Niall?” I asked her incredulous.

“Multiple times.” Sarah added in, Aria glared at her. I stayed seated on the toilet lid staring between them both, shocked. Aria had been sleeping with Niall and I didn’t know.

“I didn’t want to remind you of him or anything and I mean it’s not serious, you know how I am with boys. It’s just been a couple of times.” Aria frowned at me. I frowned back and shook my head.

“I don’t care that you slept with Niall, Ari. I care that I’ve been so selfish lately that you felt like you couldn’t tell me to spare my feelings.” I sighed, my shoulders slumping. I knew I hadn’t been the best friend lately, too busy figuring out my own messy life to be there enough but that didn’t stop me from feeling guilty about it.

“It’s not like that hun. You were just all about having a break from all this that I wanted you to mend without hearing about it all.” She knelt down in front of me, her eyes staring deeply into mine. I pulled her into a hug; Sarah smiled from behind her.

“Come on you two, lets get ready and have fun tonight. No more heart to hearts.” Sarah nudged us apart and pushed Aria towards the sink. I smile gratefully at her when she grabbed the eye shadow and knelt down in front of me. I closed my eyes obediently and let her do what she wanted. I tried to not let my mind travel and instead relax with the songs playing throughout the house.

We were all ready not long later and walked down to the pub that wasn’t too far away from our places. It had been too long since we had been there together, able to join a proper night out. Before we stepped inside Sarah grabbed my arm.

“Before we go inside just I need you to know that what I said before was true, that you look much more relaxed now then when you left.” She paused and glanced towards Aria before looking back at me. “But after whatever happens tonight, just know we did it because you don’t look happy. You look content but not happy. And we want you to be happy, okay sweetie?” I nodded dumbly when she pressed a kiss to my cheek and tugged me in the door of the pub.

I followed both girls, confused. They headed straight for the bar and ordered drinks and shots. I downed the shot as soon as it arrived by their insistence before we moved away from the bar towards an open table, drinks in our hands.

After a while I pushed Sarah’s words out of my head and began enjoying the night. The music was good and I saw a few people around that I hadn’t seen in a while. Aria was on her way to being extremely drunk, swaying constantly on her heels. I shared an amused look with Sarah as we watched her chat with our friend Paul who looked confused at what she was trying to say.

I was about to make a comment to Sarah when her hand tightened considerably on my wrist. I looked down alarmed at her fingernails digging in. She looked at me guiltily before looking forward. I froze and watched as Niall appeared in my vision. His eyes lingered on mine, uncertain, before he casually wrapped an arm around Aria’s waist, pulling her attention. She turned to him and smiled considerably wider. I watched, unbelieving, as she threw her arms around him practically beaming.

I shared a look with Sarah who nodded at me helplessly. It seemed that Aria’s affections for Niall spurred a lot deeper than casual sex. She would never show a guy that she was happy to see them, she very rarely even slept with someone more than once.

My eyes met Niall’s as Aria pulled back, her hand clinging to his bicep. He smiled at me softly before his eyes shifted to the left of me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had known this was coming the moment I had seen Niall and Sarah’s words had finally clicked. If I really thought about it I should have been able to tell the moment Aria told me she had been talking to Niall. I didn’t even need to think about it to know that I wanted it. I wanted this to happen.

I turned to the left and felt Sarah’s quick squeeze of comfort before letting my wrist go. I could feel her body step away from mine. It didn’t matter though because I was already staring into familiar warm brown eyes that I had been missing for far too long.

Liam’s smile was tentative; he wasn’t sure how I was going to react. I hadn’t honestly been sure how I would react until just now.

“Hi.” He greeted me sweetly, his eyes never straying from my own. I couldn’t return the courtesy; instead I scanned him over. His hair was longer then when I had left, shorter at the sides but longer at the top. His biceps were bigger, his tight shirt showing them off. He had been working out. He was the same Liam yet also so different, this Liam didn’t carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Hey.” I finally greeted back, my eyes looking up to meet his again. “You look healthy.” I cringed at my words; Liam just smiled in response.

“Thanks, you look good. America was good for you.” He nodded at me. I took another deep breath and allowed my eyes to take their fill. He was standing here, in front of me. All of him, it had been ten months and I had never stopped missing him, just learned to live without the possibility of having him. But now that he was here it was slightly harder to accept.

“We’re going to go.” Aria suddenly giggled, pulling us both out of our cocoon. It was like everyone suddenly became louder more busier as my eyes strayed from mine and Liam’s bubble. Aria smirked at me knowingly as Niall stood next to her; a possessive arm wrapped around her waist. I eyed it curiously; Aria wasn’t one to let boys show control over her. Preferring to take control herself.

“Right, well you guys have fun.” I wrinkled my nose in disgust, realizing what my words were implying. Niall winked and pulled Aria away. I turned to Liam surprised when I realised the loud rich laughter was coming from him. He looked up at me. His mouth wide and open wrinkles at the side of his eyes that were practically closed from the wide span of his mouth. I felt winded as I watched him. I had never seen him so carefree and happy. A part of me needed this Liam. I stepped closer without realizing it until Liam’s hands rested gently against my elbows, cupping them while letting his thumb gently stroke my skin. His smile was smaller now but his eyes still danced with joy.

“I missed you.” I blurted out reaching my hand up to trace the wrinkles that had disappeared from the side of Liam’s eyes. I was mesmerized by the possibility of them; that they did exist. I wanted to see them again. I pressed a little harder against the area they had sat before letting my hands slide from Liam’s face to rest on his shoulder. He made a small broken noise.

“I missed you so much.” He replied, his eyes shone with the hope of more and there was no way I could deny him anything right now.

I moved forward and reached up. My mouth found his warm lips. It was like it startled a reaction out of him. His hands moved to press against my lower back, pushing me further against him; his head angled in just the right way so our mouths slid together properly. My hands dug in tightly to his shoulders, a tingling sensation in the tips of my fingers like they were becoming numb. I pushed my lips harder against his, he responded by pressing his tongue to my mouth. I let him in instantly, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling myself closer against his body. One hand travelled up into his hair, enjoying something to tug on as a noise rumbled from Liam’s chest. His hands slid down and squeezed my bum earning a yelp from me in turn.

He pulled back and grinned widely down at me, those wrinkles appearing beside his lidded eyes. I wondered how well he could see when he smiled so largely.

“We’re going to have to talk about this, really soon.” I told him, pulling him closer to rest my head against his shoulder, his warm body wrapped around me.

“I wanted to see you again, here, where we first met. I wanted to talk to you how I should have when I first saw you.” I pulled back to look at Liam as he frowned slightly. “But then I saw you and I couldn’t just pretend that I don’t still love you. But I want to do this right okay? I want to take you out to dinners and movies and coffee shops. I want to walk you to the park and do anything you want to do. I want you to be at every one of my concerts and every family event. I want you to be a part of my life because I’m better now; so much better, and I not only need you in my life Jade. I want you there. I want you to be with me properly this time.”

“Liam,” I said softly, pressing my hand against his chest. I could feel the fast beat of his heart. I stared at my hand for a moment before looking up and smiling at him. “I love you too.”
♠ ♠ ♠
This is it guys (kinda, news for sequel below!). Thank you all for reading, I absolutely loved writing it and I loved reading your comments. I certainly hoped you all loved reading this as well! Your support has been great and made me continue this stories in times when I had trouble. I love you all!
So as a thank you there is a SEQUEL like I promised!! It will only be a short sequel but a sequel nevertheless!
Here's the link:http://www.mibba.com/Stories/Read/530890/Take-Me-As-I-Am/
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN! LOVE YOU!! xxx
- Rayne