First And Forever (under reconstruction) (Wattys2018)

Chapter 28: Revealations, Tears, and Secrets-Clair POV (edited)

I pad silently through the dark streets, my eyes darting. I tug my pocket knife out of my pocket, holding the blade at ready as my eyes continue to dart warily at the streets around me. Thankfully, I reach Liam's house without any run ins. I study his house, before finding a tree. Acrobatics, don't fail me now...I scale the tree like a squirrel, clambering silently and quickly. I find a sturdy branch, perching myself on it warily. I peer into the second story window, seeing an annoyed Liam and an amused Calvin. I clamber over to the window, sighing before opening it and sliding into the room silently. I land on the sill with an almost silent thump, keeping my perch as the thump alerts the boys to my presence. "CLAIR?!" Liam whisper-yells, "What the hell are you doing in my bedroom at 2:00 in the morning?!"

I scowl and shrug, "Calvin told me you had something urgent to tell me, something having to do with us. What could be so urgent that I had to come over right away?" Liam growls in annoyance, dragging his hands through his hair. "He wants me to tell you the real reason I called things off between us, the only reason. I can't do that though, and that shitty bastard knows it." My eyes widen, my face falls.

"I thought you called it off because you didn't like me anymore, I thought I did something to make you hate me. I thought...I thought that it was me that caused you to leave." I say in a deathly whisper, causing Liam's head to snap in my direction with a face of horror. "Noo. Clair, I could NEVER hate you. Listen... just please sit down. Can't do this be damned, I'm so fucking tired of hurting you. This is going to be a long story, just listen the whole way through before you judge or tackle me. And you have to promise me you won't beat me up." Warily, I agree.

Liam POV

I sigh, "Clair, I never wanted to call things off, I did it to protect you." Her quizzical green eyes study my face, probing for more. She's still perched on my window sill like a cat, dressed comfortably. In a black, loose, long-sleeved button up Coca-Cola night shirt, Clair's bright green eyes and wild brownish blonde hair are brought out against the dark backdrop. Covering her upper thighs and waist are a pair of my camouflage boxers, her feet and the majority of her long muscular legs bare. That's where those boxers went! No wonder she told me to check with her if my pants or boxers went missing...wait a minute...how the hell did she get in my room to get them in the first place? The way her legs are positioned gives me a glimpse at the blue lacy panties she's wearing underneath, distracting me slightly as my eyes roam her creamy flesh. "The only reason I called it off, was to save you. I got a call from an unknown number, a number who told me to stay away from you because you were "their girl". I wanted to go to the police, but the number texted me a picture of you, a picture with the word DEAD scrawled across your face in red caps. Under the picture was the words, ~Stay away to protect her, I don't care, but if you tell the cops, I will show no mercy. I have contacts, you can't escape me. She is either mine forever, or she's going to be dead. There is no other options.~ I was so scared for your life Clair, I acted, I didn't think rationally.

I wanted so badly to soothe you, you were in so much pain. It killed me so much to see you in pain, it killed me to see the only girl I love distraught." I look deep into her wide eyes, take her hand and tug her till her feet rest on my carpet, and speak again. "Clair, after we broke up, you were always the person I thought about. I wondered if you were in as much pain as me, I wondered if you would ever forgive me someday. I was jealous when I saw you with that guy at homecoming, I wanted to punch him. I can't let you go, I dream about you every night, Clair." I place her hand right over my heart, letting her fingers hear the steady beat, "Every beat is for you and you alone Clair....I promise." She speaks quietly, saying nothing but, "What was the dream?"

I smile, remembering, "We were a little older, and we lived in a cabin by a lake. We were eating dinner on the balcony, when it started to pour. We ran inside, you to the kitchen, me to the living room. While you put away the dishes I lit a fire, stripped down to nothing and grabbed a big fuzzy blanket. When you came into the living room, I wrapped the blanket around both of us, before tackling you to the floor. You stripped down as well and.....well we made love and fell asleep like that. We fell asleep with nothing between us, cuddling in the living room wrapped in that fuzzy blanket as if it were our own personal safe haven."

Clair is quiet, "So let me get this straight, you tackled me with a giant blanket?" I stare at her, "Of all the things I've told you tonight, you only register and remember the blanket?" She shrugs with a small blush, "Well I was kinda thinking of you naked and got distracted." A small blush tinges my cheeks, thinking of the harmony of her perfect body melding to mine in the most primal of primitive dances. Clair shakes off her blush, before looking around my room with a blink, "Wait, Liam, where the hell is Calvin?" I look around blankly before shrugging, "I dunno, he probably left to give us some privacy."

I turn back to Clair, cupping her still warm cheeks and looking into her eyes, "Clair, I want nothing more than to be with you, but I can't." Her hand raises slowly, intertwining with mine on her cheek, looking into my eyes. "Yes you can, Liam. I don't give a shit about what that fucker said. I am not his, I am yours." I bite my lip, before I slowly start leaning towards her. I'm expecting her to stop or slap me, but I'm not prepared for her to lean the rest of the way forward and connect our lips. Her arms wrap around my neck, my other hand comes up and frames her face. We kiss for a while, keeping it passionate, but sweet and innocent until we both have to break away to breathe.

She eventually pulls away, resting her forehead on mine. "Liam, you are my world. I don't care that some asshat is threatening my life, we can keep this on the down low. I don't care what I have to do, as long as I can be with you." I look into her trusting green eyes, before I intertwine her fingers with mine.

"I love you, Clair." I say quietly, that's my answer. A grin crosses her face, her eyes lighting up, "I love you too, Liam. I promise you this now, we can make this work."

THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER AND STRONGER THAN EVER! Clair is giving Liam another chance, will this last? Or will Clair's life continue to be threatened?

Vote, Comment, Share, READ AWAY MY YOUNG VIEWERS, ANGEL OUT!