Dance With Me

The world was, in a way, chaotic.

One of Liam’s best mates was arguing with their girlfriend in the kitchen, oblivious that the wall separating them from the living room was as thin as paper causing everyone in that particular room to hear every single word they were saying. His phone wouldn’t stop yelling that particular ringtone, that ringtone he specifically set to his ex-love-of-his-life Rose, and it was driving him nuts. He should have deleted that number weeks before. The fluorescent bulb attached to that sickening bone-white ceiling was doing its best to blind his muddy brown eyes that were cloudy and confused. Liam took a sharp intake of breath and closed his eyes shut.

Flashing lights danced underneath his eyelids as he tried to drown out the harsh words floating in the air, coming from the room next to him. This situation is absolutely ridiculous are the words the came to mind as he listened to the couple bicker for the 8th time that day. But then he thought about it one more time and decided that, no, it was completely normal. Memories of him and Rose worked its way to his brain and those memories are the ones that he would like to lock in a chest, throw the key, then throw the chest altogether off a cliff. There were memories of him fighting with Rose, getting frustrated at how she would quickly dismiss his heartfelt efforts when he wanted to please her. There were also memories of countless times he discovered that the girl he loves, no, loved, slept with several men when he was away on tour. They were painful memories. Recalling them felt like a stab in the chest.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?! I’ve been doing my best and this is what you do? Fight with me?”

Silence.

Liam opened his eyes and blinked a few times before they readjusted themselves to the bright lights. He peered over in the kitchen, all the while remaining on the couch, to see what happened.

The view from the living room’s couch wasn’t exactly A+ so he only saw Zayn’s infuriated expression and the back of his girlfriend whose arms dangled loosely on her sides. Liam was half-expecting a hard-ass slap from the girl but instead, he saw her shake her head before abruptly turning around to walk out of the kitchen. Liam quickly went over his head as to how to look natural, hoping he wouldn’t look like he eavesdropped. He leaned back on the couch, in attempt to look casual, legs crossed, phone in hand.

As soon as he saw her cross his line of vision, he cleared his throat and called out, “Jana!”

Liam expected her to turn around and tell him to piss off or do something to relieve her annoyance with Zayn but he didn’t expect her to turn around with tears welling up in her eyes before rushing to the door, opening it one swift motion, leaving him astounded. Seconds later Zayn came out of the kitchen, face hard as stone as he glared at the door.

“Zayn, what happened?” Liam asked, concern laced in his voice. He knew that he shouldn’t butt in other people’s business but this was the first time he heard the two of them fight like there was no tomorrow. It was out of line.

Zayn groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking down at his feet instead of Liam’s face. One look and his façade will crumble entirely.

“Nothing.” Zayn muttered, still pinching his nose.

“Didn’t seem like nothing to me,” Liam replied, getting up from the couch, phone in hand.

“It was nothing Liam. Just—“ Zayn sighed and shook his head. “Let’s head out tonight yeah? The room’s getting stuffy.”

Liam narrowed his eyes at him, eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to figure out what was happening between the couple. After a few seconds he let out a long sigh and nodded his head, knowing he wouldn’t be able to figure it out anyway.

“Hold on and let me call the lads.”

&&

“Where’s Chelsea?” Liam stepped away from the Irish bloke who was yelling at his ear, asking the same question for the zillionth time that night. To say that he was annoyed would be an understatement. The boy kept asking him where Chelsea was but his answer would never change.

“She’s with Harry. They’re having video game night, apparently.” Liam said, fixing the collar of his navy blue button down shirt. Much to Zayn’s dismay, it was only the three of them who would enjoy the night of that chaotic day. Harry was hanging out at Chelsea’s flat, trying to beat her in HALO. Louis was spending the night with his girlfriend, Monique, who he hasn’t seen in months due to the tour they had around Europe.

“It’s a bit of a surprise that Harry would skip a night out eh?” Zayn muttered, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.

Liam watched Zayn retreat from their small-knit group, already making his way to the nearest bar to get a couple of drinks that would make him forget his latest fight with Jana. It was unlike of the couple to bicker like that, as done in the kitchen. They were considered inseparable and the “loveliest” couple in the band, Louis and Monique coming in a close second.

The beats pounding from the speakers scattered around the room was deafening, making it almost impossible to hear a word. The three of them entered through the front, which caused quite a ruckus since they were 3/5 of that international boy band that swept millions of teenage girls off their feet. A few people took out their phones in hopes to take a decent photo they could sell to the paps, or for the sake of having a photo featuring the three of them. The big buffy guy at the entrance let them in easily and now that they were inside the club, Liam didn’t exactly know what to do.

“I thought Chelsea would be here.” If Niall spoke any softer, Liam wouldn’t have caught his words but he did. The urge to ask the blonde why he wanted the girl to be there so much was strong, but not strong enough to stop him from going to the bar ready to take a drink and be piss drunk.

A sigh escaped Liam’s mouth as he watched Niall maneuver his way around the crowd of party-goers, already having made his mind that the best way to spend the night was to enjoy it and let go. If only Liam could say the same thing to himself. The only reason why he was there was to help Zayn get over the fight, seeing that he needed time to think it over and even though going to a pub wasn’t the greatest idea, it was still worth a shot. Niall came probably just for the heck of it.

The pulsing violet lights danced all around the room, moving with the rhythm of the song playing. Liam had to squint his eyes a couple of times as he slowly made his way to the bar in the far-back of the room, already feeling thirsty. The room was a bit humid and the fact that a lot of people were pressed against each other, sweaty from the heat, breathing heavily, added to the not-so-desirable temperature in the room.

“Liam! Over here!” He recognized the voice and immediately saw Niall sitting on one of the vibrant red stools, clutching a bottle of alcohol in one hand while the other was waving at him to come forward. Liam couldn’t help but bump into a few people as he made his way around and a lot of them kept insisting that he danced with them (partly because he kept bumping into girls).

“Do you see what I see?” Niall asked his voice low and gruff. Liam rolled his eyes and motioned the bartender for a drink.

“No?”

Niall only smirked, brining the bottle back to his lips before saying any more.

“A flock of birds.” Liam raised an eyebrow in curiosity (because it didn’t make any sense), as Niall pointed to what was behind him with the bottle in his hand. He turned around slowly and saw a group of ladies, around their age, giggling and sending the two of them a few winks here and there. Also some kisses. The sight of them wanted to make Liam laugh but resisted, they looked outrageous.

“Hmm,” Liam murmured, taking a sip from the glass filled with citrus and water. Nothing alcoholic since he can’t drink too much without having to worry about his body.

“Aye, don’t tell me you’re not interested in anyone here?” The tone of his voice made Liam sit up straighter, taking a look around. Yes, a few girls were staring at them, practically begging for their attention. They would flip their hair around a few times, lick their lips, saunter all about… those move would certainly get any boy’s attention but not tonight. Liam was still way out of his wits, a bit discarded from reality since he once again remembered Rose and her devilish ways.

Once again he remembered her beautiful strawberry blonde hair that fell delicately below her shoulders, like small waterfalls hidden in a forest. He remembered her striking blue eyes, eyes that reminded him of a clear day sky. He remembered that lovely smile on her face that showed her pearly whites and how he would be the one who had the privilege to see it each and every single day…

He wanted it to stop.

“I’m not really interested in anyone.” Liam said, trying to make his voice loud enough for other girls to hear so that they may disperse and go on with their party lives. Niall shook his head in disappointment, a soft tsk coming out of his lips as he shook the bottle, as well as his finger in front of Liam’s face.

“Still not over Rose are we?” It was meant to be light and teasing but the issue seemed dead and serious for Liam.

“It’s none of your business.” He seethed, suddenly clutching the glass in his fist tighter. His brown eyes turned darker as he kept them concentrated on the drink in front of him, not wanting his friend to see how much he wanted to avoid the topic. He wanted to remain calm and composed… even if inside he was dying. Dying to change the topic. They could talk about aubergines for all he cared.

He took a quick glance at Niall who was only frowning at him, drinking once again from that bottle full of alcohol that would do him no good. He pried his eyes away from his friend and started to look around the room, again, just so he could avoid Niall’s peeved stares. He’s supposed to be the one peeved, not Niall. It also seems that Liam’s strained voice had no effect on him whatsoever. The world didn’t make sense anymore.

There was no clue as to what he was looking at really, rather, for. All he could see were couples dancing and grinding and having the best night of their lives while there he was, still pre-occupied that his ex cheated on him. A part of him wanted to search for Zayn, make sure that he wasn’t doing anything precarious that would further endanger his relationship with Jana but how could he with all these people in the room? Sure, he could ring him but would he answer? Very unlikely.

His eyes continued to roam around the room, still stubborn to face and talk directly to Niall again. He took in the strobe lights, now red in color, spinning around and around. He noticed that more people joined in the dance floor, enjoying the beats of this song he has no clue of. If he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, he would have missed her. He would have missed that brunette wearing that asymmetrical white dress that hugged her curves perfectly, stopping mid-thigh. He would have missed her glowing brown eyes, surprised and eager, staring right into his soul. He would have missed her. But he didn’t.

The sight of her left him breathless, a feeling he forgot once Rose stepped out of his life. There was a certain pull in her direction and he wanted to get up and go for it but he rooted on his spot, unable to move a single muscle. He wanted to approach her, talk to her, but at the same time he didn’t. Cursing, he looked up once again, expecting to see that same face in the dance floor but was met with bodies meshed up together instead. He just took his eyes away from hers in one brief moment and then she was gone.

“Still not interested in anyone?” Liam blinked twice and turned to Niall who had this silly smile plastered on his face. He didn’t’ even notice that Niall was watching him watch her.

“What?”

“That girl you were looking at a while ago… weren’t you, in fact, interested in her?” He could hear that victorious smirk in his voice, like he won some bet with himself. The stench of alcohol wafted in the air and Liam wasn’t sure if it came from Niall or from the bar. Either way, he waved it off and shrugged not wanting to his own words to backfire at him.

“I wasn’t.”

Niall scoffed and chugged down what was left of his drink before slamming it down on the table, the sound lost in the music.

“You were. Stop denying it and just accept it. Forget about that flower girl you had before. She could be the one you’re looking for, mate.”

Liam bit his lip and took another sip from his drink, refusing to believe what Niall just said. He wasn’t looking for anyone. He was doing anything but.

“Or the one I’m hiding from,” Liam replied. He didn’t want another girl to trample all over him while he was away. He didn’t want another broken heart, this time from a brunette that would cause him to lose it once again.

When he found out about Rose’s cruel doings behind his back, he refused to believe it. He wanted to believe that everything between him and her were normal, perfect even. He thought nothing would tear them apart but apparently distance and cheating did. Those first few weeks without her by his side were weeks without sunshine, a permanent gloom surrounded him and he had no idea how to shut the gloom out. It took months for him to pick himself up and go on with his life but everyone knew that he just wasn’t the same. Even if he was doing the same things he did as before, he was still caught up with her. Her number was still in his contact list, her perfume still lingered in his flat… he just couldn’t forget about her. Until now that is.

“Just man up and talk to her! No harm in talking to a lass aye?”

Liam only shrugged, not bothering to continue the conversation. With a sigh Niall got up from the stool, leaving the empty bottle on the counter. Liam dragged his eyes away from his own drink to Niall’s and saw that little smirk on his face. Clearly, Niall thought of this as amusing. Liam was unable to chat up a girl in a club.

“Where’re you going?”

Niall simply shrugged and pointed to the dance floor.

“If you need me, just find me there yeah?” And with that, Niall hopped off the stool already on his way to finding a girl who would be willing to dance with him all night long.

A sigh escaped Liam’s lips, feeling a bit weary after all that talk regarding him and girls. He knew that his mates were only thinking what’s best for him but he just wasn’t in the mood to mingle with others. He preferred to be single this time.

He looked back down at his drink, scowling now that it was half-empty. He gently raised the wide-rimmed cup and shook it around, watching the dark liquid swish inside. It reminded him of waves crashing against a cliff or a shore.

“Hey can I get a shot here!”

Liam paid no attention to the new customer at the bar who was desperately trying to get the bartender’s attention. The bartender was at the other side and due to that blasting music; Liam had no doubt that he couldn’t hear the order being shouted.

“Hello?!” He didn’t even turn to look at the person beside him, who’s a girl, judging by the voice as well as the perfume that seems to be oozing from her skin. But still, for some reason he found his half-empty drink to be more of an amusement to him than anything else in the world.

“God, what do I have to do to get a fucking drink?!” Liam sighed, getting annoyed at the girl whose voice was getting lost with the music. It looked like he was the only one who heard her clear enough to understand what she was saying. Without a single word he got up and left the irked lady by the counter. He had no idea what he was doing, why he was even doing it but his muscles seemed to move by its own.

Liam went over to where the bartender was, who was currently serving drinks to two ladies wearing too tight dresses causing some parts to spill in a very unpleasant manner. He avoided those spilling parts as well as he could as he faced the bartender who was now cleaning a few silver dish trays.

“Can I get a shot yeah?”

The bartender gave a curt nod and began pouring the drink. Liam leaned on the counter with both his elbows while waiting. What the hell was he doing? It was utterly unlike of him to do this, to a stranger that is. His eyes were fixed on the wood patterns on the counter, knowing that if he looked up he’d meet her eyes. But, he could already feel those eyes on him. They were practically burning itsy bitty holes on his head. And, of course, the urge to look up was eating him alive.

And so he did.

The first thing he felt was complete and utter disbelief. She was there. The girl who captivated him only minutes before. The girl who caused Niall to tease him and such. The girl who was now looking at him with a stunned expression on her face, lips itching to form a smile on that small, delicate, face of hers. His eyes were glued to hers and there was no doubt a connection going on but some things are rather short-lived.

“Here’s your shot.” Liam pulled his attention back to the bartender and the small shot glass in front of him filled to the brim. He thanked the man and held the shot glass in his hand, careful not to spill any of it.

While walking back to his previous spot in the bar he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous, like this was his first time buying a drink for a lady (which wasn’t). Maybe it was because it was for a girl he fancies, even if he wouldn’t admit it. Or maybe it was because the look he was giving her caused his palms to sweat and his mind to do a double take. Whatever the reason was, he was getting edgier by the step.

He sat back down on the stool, shot in hand, eyes casting quick glances at the lass sitting beside him. Her blood red lips formed a smirk on her small face while her eyes glistened in the dark, obviously bemused by his actions. Liam forced down the bile rising in his throat as he slid the shot down the table, the girl catching it right in time with her thread-like fingers.

In any other situation, Liam would just shrug it off and walk away not bothering with the girl anymore but this was different. He actually stayed where he was, eyes glued to her as she drank all of its contents in one gulp. There was something about her that made him curious… made him want to know her more but at the same time, he wanted to avoid her at all costs for he feared that something might actually happen between them.

“So, do I owe you money for the drink or will you take the liberty of paying this for me?”

In the midst of all the chaos happening around him, he heard her perfectly clear. He marveled at the unique texture of her voice, sweet and silky, rough yet undeniably smooth. It was hard to describe. Liam just stared at her, still captivated with the sound of her voice, unable to form words. The girl hitched up her eyebrow while a smirk formed around her delicate face. Liam blinked and cleared his throat, feeling the blood rush up his cheeks. Suddenly, he was thankful for the lack of lighting in the club

“I—“

“Shh… listen.”

With those words, Liam shut his mouth. In the back of his mind he was silently annoyed at the girl who rudely cut him off but right now he was actually listening to the song, wondering what made the girl make him shut up.

His lips were set into a straight line as his ears listened closely to the melody. It was an unfamiliar tune, a song he has never heard before. He glanced at the girl beside him who was swaying to the beat, eyes closed, and mouth open. Then he realized she was singing the song. The girl peeked at Liam and another grin came across her face.

“Do you dance?”

“I don’t.”

She smirked and shook her head, her brown locks falling around her face.

“Well, that’s about to change. Give me your hand.”

“Pardon?”

“Come on, I don’t bite.”

She was dangerous, that he already knew. But how could he resist those warm brown eyes that invited him to just let go and have some fun? How could he say ‘no’ to the girl who was grinning widely up at him like a Cheshire cat? Liam bit his lip lightly and looked for a way out. He saw none of his mates and he found no reason to reject a girl like her. He sighed and nodded his head. The girl beamed and pulled his hand, the force knocking him off-balance as she led him to the dance floor.

The lights blinded Liam but he could still see the girl, clear and whole, leading him to the center most part of the floor. All he could see was her straight back and her flowing brown hair caressing her body. For once, he wasn’t aware of the millions of bodies pressed up against others that were surrounding him. The only thing that mattered to him was the lass leading him forward. He stumbled a few times, trying to keep up with her pace. One thing he noticed about her hand was how small it was compared to his, her whole hand being engulfed in his. It was also warm and soft, like a pillow you’ve hugged in bed.

When she let go of his hand he couldn’t help but feel that nagging disappointment in his gut, even if he has no reason to be disappointed. She turned around swiftly with her hair swishing in the process.

A half-smile appeared on her face, her warm, chocolate, brown eyes staring right into his as she swayed her hips to the beat. His mouth was slightly ajar as he watched her move around: arms raised, hips turning, feet waltzing, to the sounds resonating in the room. Her eyelids fluttered shut as she moved around, a small smile still on her lips as she let herself get lost in the music. Once again, Liam was lost in her spell.

“You could put your hands around my waist if you want, I don’t mind.”

“What?” He never expected those words to fall off those painted-red lips. The girl peeked at him with one eye and shrugged, her shoulders rising up then falling down with grace.

“You aren’t even dancing! Here,” She grabbed his hands again and placed them around her not-so-tiny waist. She smiled up at him, seeing that he was several inches taller than her. He gulped at the sudden proximity and did his best not to trip over his two left feet as the two of them danced around, or maybe the right term was moving their feet from side to side?

“Okay, maybe you weren’t lying about the ‘I don’t dance’ bit,” She mumbled, looking down at their feet. Liam let out a small chuckle and nodded his head.

“I told you so.”

“Yeah but then,” She raised her head and gave him another heart-stopping grin. “I don’t listen.”

The girl wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer to him, not in the way that she would gladly fuck his brains senseless, but just enough for them to move around with more ease. He stiffened at her sudden boldness but relaxed once the DJ changed the song to a much slower pace, a song he could easily sway to or rather, move around to.

The two of them stayed in that position for the whole song, simply swaying around and not doing anything improper. Liam could feel her breath on the back of his neck, sending tingles down his spine. He couldn’t believe how daring this girl was with him; they didn’t even know each other’s names. He caught another whiff of her perfume and felt himself smile: the scent of citrus and pine.

“Oh, the song ended.”

Liam opened his eyes; unaware that he even slid them shut in the first place, and pulled away. He took a step back and suddenly wondered when did the girl’s cheeks turn rosy pink. Liam scratched the back of his neck and nodded, fully aware that the air was now thick with tension.

“Uh, yeah.”

They stayed silent for a while, not daring to move a muscle as other went on prancing to another beat. Liam’s eyes looked around the room, trying to find something to do instead of stand there with the girl who brought him to the dance floor. His eyes raked over to one of the vendo machines placed in the club, filled with junk food and whatnot.

“Hey do you—“

“Do you want to go out?”

Liam cleared his throat as different meanings rushed through his head. Go out? Go out where? Or did she mean go out with her, like dating. He furrowed his eyebrows, thinking hard at the meaning of those words.

“I don’t really think—“

“I’m not asking you to go out with me, although the idea sounds very tempting,” She mumbled, twirling a few strands of her hair using her pointer finger. “I’m simply asking if you want to go out. Like, do you want to get out of this club? Get some fresh air?”

He opened his mouth then closed it again, words unable to come out. Should he? What if she turns to be a one night stand? What if the paps find out?

“I’m not going to sleep with you okay, if that’s what you’re thinking,” She said, her eyes straying away from his.

Surprisingly, the corners of his mouth turned upright at her words and he found himself nodding his head.

“Yeah, let’s go out.”

They passed using the backdoor located at the far back of the club. It was practically invisible to those inside unless one had a sharp eye and Liam could tell that the girl was naturally observant of the things around her.

She pressed her palm against the wooden door and slipped out into the night, Liam following close behind. The door shut behind with ease, no sound to be heard. They ended up at the back of the building where a few trash bins were scattered around, the foul smell lingering in the air. The girl walked out of the narrow slip they went to, formed by the club and a diner’s buildings. Her heels clacked against the gray pavement as she walked out to the sidewalk, the sound as solid as a building. Again, he followed.

“Nights are getting colder yeah?”

The two of them stood outside of the bar, hardly noticed due to the lack of light. The club still buzzed on even though it was around midnight, the moon glowing like one big light bulb in the sky. They stood a few feet away from each other, suddenly embarrassed to get close. Liam licked his lips and nodded, feeling the chilly wind get to his bones.

“Yeah.”

“Aren’t you cold?” He looked at her looking at him with curious brown eyes that had so much warmth in them. He could bask in them for all eternity.

“Not really,” He muttered, staring at his shoes.

“Well I am. I don’t suppose you have a jacket to lend?” Her tone was light, teasing even.

Liam chuckled softly and shook his head. “Sorry, love.”

“It’s alright,” she said even if she was rubbing some heat onto her bare arms. Liam wanted to give her some warmth but a hug might be too over-the-top.

They didn’t talk for a few minutes. They just stared at the night sky, admiring the countless stars dotting the vast heavens.

“Say, what’s your name?” The girl let out an unladylike snort and shrugged.

“We just spent the night dancing and you only decided to ask my name now?” She turned to look at him with raised eyebrows, questioning his wrong timing. Liam gave a sheepish smile and shoved his hands in his front pockets, feeling a little embarrassed.

“It’s Andie.”

“Pardon?” Liam looked at her but she wasn’t looking back at him, only at the sky above.

“My name... it’s Andie.” She turned to look at him and a smile graced itself upon her lips. “And yours?”

He debated on telling her his real name, afraid that he’d only use her for the fame and fortune but then his face would probably be a dead-giveaway.

“Liam.”

“Liam…,” She mused testing the name on her tongue. He couldn’t deny that he loved the way his name sounded when it rolled out of her lips, making it sound normal, like he was just Liam and not Liam Payne: 1/5 of One Direction. It was absolutely refreshing.

“It was nice dancing with you, I guess.” She flashed him another grin that made him smile in return.

Once again he was experiencing that same feeling he did back then with Rose, only now it was intensified in varying degrees.

“If you could call it dancing that is,” Liam replied which earned a laugh from the lass beside him.

“Right.”

He couldn’t figure out Andie. One second, she was this playful, daring woman who has him under her spell and then the next she’d be this girl who was easily embarrassed with the situation, flustered about everything. She was a puzzle he couldn’t form, an equation he couldn’t solve, an enigma he couldn’t comprehend.

Wisps of wind blew through the air causing a few tendrils of her brown locks to fly around. Her arms were now crossed, her eyes fixed on the road, her facial expression calm and peaceful. She was beautiful and all Liam wanted to do was tell her so.

“I am in misery, there ain’t nobody who can comfort me…”

“Oh crap, that’s my phone ringing. Excuse moi.” Liam only nodded his head.

Andie took out the small earpiece hidden in her dress’ front pocket and secured it in her ear. When she caught sight of Liam looking at her she only smiled before turning around to talk to the caller.

“Hello?” Her voiced was hushed. Liam resisted the urge to eavesdrop even if it killed him to know what she was talking about.

“Oh! Hi, yeah. What? You’re here already? Shit. Okay, I’ll be there in five minutes.” She turned back to Liam who was looking at her with confusion. She chuckled softly and ran her hand through her hair, trying to get rid of a few knots.

“I have to leave.”

“Oh.” Liam couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she was going to leave. He wanted to stay a little bit longer with her, a few more minutes would do. He heard her sigh and suddenly the awkwardness was back, a dark cloud hanging above their heads.

Liam could already see a pair of headlights glowing in the distance, right in front of the club’s entrance. It must be her ride.

“It was fun being with you Liam but I guess I have to go…”

“Is this goodbye?”

“What?”

Liam blinked, surprised that he even said those words. They were supposed to be his inner thoughts, never to be said out loud. Blood rushed up to his cheeks as he noticed Andie smirk at him.

“Actually, no.”

She walked over to him, closing the gap that was keeping them apart. Liam stiffened once again, still not used to her presence. Her long, slender, fingertips reached into her dress’s front pocket once again and brought out a sleek, black, pen. He stared at her face as she clicked the top-most part of the pen, grabbing his hand gently then gliding the pointed edge across his palm.

“What are you doing?” He whispered, eyes transfixed on her soft, small, hands.

“Shh,” she replied, eyes concentrated on his hand. With one last stroke, she clicked the pen and pressed it into his palm, wrapping his fingers around it. She took a step back and smiled at him one last time.

“When we see each other again, I’m expecting that you return that pen I supposedly ‘left’ got it?” Her hand was poised on her hip while her other was pointing at the pen he had. Liam stared at her, mouth agape, before looking at his hand clutching her black pen tightly. He shook his head, unable to figure out if she was really serious about this.

“Are you sure about this?”

Silence.

“Andie?”

She was gone, just like that. He didn’t even hear the click of her heels as she went. He shook his head and looked around the place for any traces of the girl. None. Now, he was wary of the fact that she was even real in the first place but then, there’s proof in his hand right? There’s proof that she was real and this wasn’t a dream to forget about Rose.

“This is weird,” he muttered to himself as he walked back to the club’s back door. He tried to shake it off but of course that girl left an impression on him. He gripped the pen in his hand as his feet stopped at the front of the back door they exited minutes ago. With one last look, he grabbed the handle and pulled it, expecting to see no one but was met with two blue orbs staring at him in shock.

“Liam!”

“Niall?”

“There was a door!”

“Yeah…”

“And you were behind it!”

“Uh—“

“Good! I’ve been looking for you. I’ve been ringing you but you weren’t answering,” Niall commented, narrowing his eyes at Liam’s pocket. He only shrugged in reply, avoiding his eyes when Niall looked back at him.

“I was busy.”

“Eh? Doing what? Especially out here?”

Liam resisted the urge to flick him off and took deep breaths, pinching the bridge of his nose while doing so. Niall looked at him oddly, wondering what was wrong with him when his eyes grazed over his hand, clutching something as if it was dear life.

“What’s that in your hand?” Liam held his breath and shook his head fiercely. He his hand behind his back and gave the lad a crooked smile.

“Nothing,” he blurted out even though it was most definitely something.

“Yeah?” Niall smirked as he watched his friend squirm and fidget under his gaze. He crossed his arms and leaned on the doorway, still looking at his friend. He already knew what was up, due to his friend’s odd behavior. He licked his lips and tapped his foot, counting for a while until Liam calmed down about the whole thing.

“So, you’ve finally built a bridge eh?”

“Pardon?” Liam asked, tearing his eyes away from his shoes.

“You know, to get over it. Rose I meant. The way you’ve been acting… it’s that lass ain’t it? The one you’ve been looking at a while ago.”

There was no point in denying Niall’s words because they were true and even if he bluffed, he’d figure it out soon anyway. Liam nodded his head and bit his lip lightly.

“Yeah, it’s her.”

“So, are you ready to move on mate?”

Liam’s eyes wandered over to his hand, still behind his back, and brought it forward. He unclasped his fingers from the pen and moved it so that he could see what she wrote on his palm.



“Yeah, I think I am,” he replied, a smug smile on his lips as he read her message.