Through The Dark

by Jae

  When I first met Liam, I never imagined he would have this kind of effect on me. Now that I’m taking the time to get to know him though, I really like it. I can see now that there is a lot more to him than I originally thought, even though I don’t actually know what any of it is yet.

  After our plates are cleared away and dinner is paid for, everyone stands up from their seats and collect their stuff.

  “You look tired.” Liam says softly and I nod my head, sliding my hand into his.

  “I’m thinking maybe I should’ve followed your advice earlier and taken a nap also.” I joke, making Liam chuckle as we walk out of the restaurant to the cars.

  I don’t remember falling asleep on the car ride home, but I know that’s the case when I feel the cool air from outside brush across my body when my door is opened and Liam reaches over me to undo my seatbelt.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” He says softly as I sit up and yawn.

  “Hey.” I respond, turning to look at the backseat and seeing it’s empty. “Where are Ella and Tony?”

  “They’re over at Ella’s saying goodnight.”

  I nod my head in understanding before Liam picks me up bridle style and carries me into my house.

  “Do you need anything down here before I bring you upstairs?” Liam asks me after he kicks my front door shut with his foot.

  “No.” I respond, opening my eyes and lifting up my head. “You don’t have to carry me upstairs though. I can walk.”

  “It’s fine.” Liam chuckles as he starts walking up the stairs and I lay my head back down on his shoulder. “You’re little and weigh hardly anything.”

  This makes me giggle. “I just look little because you’re a giant.”

  “I’m not a giant.” He responds with fake hurt in his voice. “I just look like I am because you’re so little.”

  “I don’t know about that, mister.” I giggle even more as he lays me down on my bed and then sits on the edge next to me.

  “You’re awfully giggly when you’re tired.” He comments, poking my nose before taking my shoes off for me.

  “Thanks.” I smile, wiggling my toes.

  “Look, this is proof that you’re little.” He says, this time poking my feet. “These things are tiny!”

  “Don’t call my feet tiny.” I fake pout, sticking my bottom lip out like I did when we were at the restaurant.

  Liam looks at me for a moment before leaning down and pulling my bottom lip between his teeth, just like he did earlier. We kiss for what is most likely too long considering Tony is probably waiting for Liam by now, but neither of us really cares.

  “Do you have a shirt on under this?” I ask Liam, gesturing to his button-up and realizing he no longer has his blazer on.

  “Yeah.” He answers, giving me a confused look. “Why?”

  “Can I wear it?” I ask as I slowly reach out and start to unbutton his shirt.

  “You want to wear my undershirt?” He asks with disbelief clear in his voice.

  I nod my head shyly and sit up when I finish undoing the buttons. I watch as Liam stands up and slides the unbuttoned dress shirt off his shoulders, revealing a plain white v-neck t-shirt. I fight the urge to reach out and press my hands to his perfectly sculpted body after he pulls the t-shirt over his head and hands it to me. I quickly shimmy out of my dress, trying to ignore the fact that he’s seeing a lot more of me than I was ever planning on for a while, and pull his t-shirt over my head. His eyes grow wide for a second at my actions before a small smirk plays on his lips while he puts his other shirt back on and quickly buttons it up. I smile when I pull the neckline of his t-shirt over my nose and inhale the smell of his cologne that’s now etched into the fabric.

  “It smells good.” I say after I pull my face out of the t-shirt and Liam sits back down next to me.

  “I still don’t like how you’re staying in this big house all by yourself.” Liam sighs as I pull my blankets back and slide underneath them.

  “Then stay with me.” I offer after I lay my head down on my pillow and tiredly stare up at him.

  “I wish I could.” He says, leaning down and kissing my forehead and then my lips before standing up. “But I have to take Tony home.”

  I shrug my shoulders and nod my head while I watch him walk to my bedroom door.

  “Goodnight, Little Miss Daisy.” He says softly, disappearing into the hallway.

  “Goodnight, Liam.” I whisper back, falling asleep as soon as I hear the faint sound of the front door shut.

  Chapter Seven

  I wake up with a smile on my face because not only do I not have to work this week, but the smell of Liam’s cologne is stuck to my sheets. I spend most of my day in bed watching movies on the big flat screen TV perched on the wall across from my bed. The only time I get up is to brush my teeth, go to the bathroom, and get something to eat. So, you could imagine, I’m surprised when I hear my doorbell ring.

  I quickly get up, still in just Liam’s t-shirt that hangs mid-thigh on me and my underwear, and run downstairs. A huge smile spreads across my face when I see Liam standing on the other side of the door, wearing a USC t-shirt, basketball shorts, and a pair of Nike running shoes. His messy curly hair swept across his forehead.

  “I think I might have to give you all my shirts.” Liam says after he walks in and picks me up, my legs instantly wrapping around his waist. “You look much better in them than I do.”

  “Well, I would’ve dressed more appropriately if I had known you were coming over.” I laugh while he makes his way upstairs.

  “Trust me, this is more than fine.” He winks before dropping me down on my bed. “I went to your work to surprise you and take you out to lunch earlier, but I was met with a big sign on the door saying it’s closed for remodeling.”

  “Yeah, I don’t have to work all week!” I smile while I watch Liam kick off his shoes and then climb onto my bed with me.

  “What are we watching?” He asks after we get settled and I start the movie I was going to start watching before Liam showed up.

  “Harry Potter, of course.”

  “Oh, cool! He exclaims, sincerely sounding excited. “These movies are awesome!”

  I grin at his response while we settle comfortably in my bed.

  “Did you already have basketball practice?” I ask when the first movie is over.

  “Yeah, we had a morning practice.” Liam answers while he stretches his arms over his head and yawns.

  I nod my head and look over at my alarm clock to see it’s nearing 5:00.

  “I’m going to order some food.” I announce before climbing out of my bed and walking downstairs to the kitchen.

  While I’m searching around for different take out menus, my cell phone starts ringing.

  “Hello?” I answer, not looking to see who’s calling me.

  “Hello sweetheart!” I hear my parent’s voices shout through the phone, making a smile instantly form on my face.

  “Mom! Dad!” I exclaim as Liam comes walking into the kitchen. I smile even bigger than I already was when Liam picks me up and sets me on the counter next to him before he begins leafing through the take out menus. “How’s your cruise going? Are you having fun?”

  “Oh, it’s fantastic, Daisy!” My mom gushes.

  “We really wish you could’ve come with us. You would love it out here.” My dad adds.

  Liam picks up a Chinese take-out menu and holds it up for me to see. I nod my head while I put my phone on speaker and then hop off the counter to get a pad of paper and a pen.

  “Everything is so beautiful and refreshing out here.” My mom continues. “We’ll have to come back next summer when you come home from Paris.”

  Liam’s head instantly shoots up at my mom’s words, his eyes slightly wide when he looks at me. Even though Liam and I haven’t known each other very long, I know in the pit of my stomach that he wants whatever this is between us to work out and that would be kind of hard if I’m going to school in a different country.


  “I don’t know if I’m going to Paris yet, Mom.” I sigh as I set a pad of paper and pen on the counter. I stretch my arms up a little bit, signaling for Liam to pick me up again. He playfully rolls his eyes before picking me up and setting me back down on the counter.

  “You’re going to have to decide soon, Daisy Lynn.” My dad says, using my first and middle names.

  “I know.” I respond while Liam and I point out a bunch of things on the menu and write them down.

  “So, how are you doing, sweetheart?” My mom asks, easily changing the subject. “Are you being good and staying out of trouble?”

  “Of course.” I say a little too sweetly, causing Liam to let out a chuckle before I cover his mouth with my hand.

  “What was that?” My dad demands, concern growing in his voice.

  “Do you have a boy there?” My mom asks, excitement lacing her words.

  “No, of course not!” I answer, my eyes growing wide while Liam tries to compose himself. “I just coughed, that’s all.”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” My mom sighs, actually sounding disappointed. “You need to start putting yourself out there; you’re not in high school anymore! You should be going out and meeting new people! And by new people, I mean boys!”

  “Don’t tell her that!” My dad grumbles.

  “You guys, please stop.” I whine, covering my now red face with my hands.

  “All I’m saying is the boyfriends you had in high school turned out to be complete jerks.” My mom continues, and I can just picture her rolling her eyes. “You need to go out with the girls and meet some guys.”

  “Oh my God; you know what, I have met a guy!” I say without thinking, my eyes instantly widening when I realize what words have just tumbled out of my mouth. “So can we drop this conversation now?”

  I look over to see Liam has his head buried in his arms, silently laughing to himself. I punch him on the shoulder, making him wince a little and look up at me.

  “Oh my God!” My mom squeals. “Who is he?”

  “Yeah,” My dad says, his voice growing hard. “Who is he?”

  “Umm…” I hesitate, already knowing my dad would know exactly who I’m talking about since he’s obsessed with college basketball. “His name is Liam Jones.”

  “You mean the kid who plays basketball for USC?” My dad asks.

  “Yeah, that’s him.” I respond as Liam presses a kiss to my cheek before taking the pen away from me and begins doodling on a separate sheet of paper.

  “Wait, who’s that?” My mom asks, completely confused. The only time she ever watched sports was when I played.

  “You know, Liam Jones?” My dad begins to explain, talking to her like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “The kid who plays basketball for USC; he’s always in the sports section of the paper? Hold on a second.”

  It goes quiet on my parent’s end of the phone, other than my dad muttering random things that I can’t understand. I’m guessing he must be looking Liam up on his phone to show my mom a picture. Not really paying attention to what I’m doing, I trace random patters on Liam’s upper arm while I wait for my parents to come back on the line.

  “Oh, wow, Daisy!” My mom says after a few more seconds of silence. “He’s so cute! Oh, and he’s tall!”

  “Everyone’s tall compared to me, Mom.” I respond, rolling my eyes at her as Liam pushes my legs apart and stands between them.

  “I’m cute!” He mouths to me before loosely wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his face in the space where my shoulder and neck meet.

  “What’s he like?” My mom continues with too much excitement in her voice. “Is he nice?”

  “Uhh… he’s okay, I guess.” I say with fake disinterest in my voice. I put my hand over my mouth to cover up my giggles when Liam bites down on my shoulder and tickles my sides. “I mean, you know, he’s really cool and very nice. I’m sure you guys will like him.”

  “Well, we definitely are going to have to meet him when we get back. Maybe he can be your date to your cousin’s wedding!” My mom exclaims and I’m pretty positive I can actually hear her clapping her hands together in excitement.

  “Anyways,” My dad interrupts, clearly done with this topic of conversation. “We miss you and we can’t wait to see you when we get home.”

  “I miss you guys too.” I tell them with a sad smile. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Bye sweetheart. We love you.” My mom coos.

  “I love you too. Bye.” I say before ending the call.

  “They sound really cool.” Liam comments with a chuckle after he pulls away from me.

  “That was embarrassing.” I sigh, dialing the number of the Chinese place and ordering our food.

  “It could’ve been a lot worse.” Liam continues while pulling a bottle of water out of the fridge after I’ve hung up my phone again. “I mean, your Mom could’ve thought I wasn’t cute.”

  I can’t help but laugh as I lie back on the kitchen counter and stare at the celling.

  “You do realize you just had an entire conversation with your parents while in just my t-shirt and your underwear?” Liam asks, rolling the cold bottle of water on the top of thighs.

  “Oh my God.” I grumble and cover my face with my hands.

  This just makes Liam laugh even more as he scoops me up and carries me back to my room.

  “Are you going to stay with me tonight?” I ask Liam after our food arrives and we begin to eat out of the cartons.

  “I don’t know. Your Dad didn’t seem too pleased when he thought he heard a boy when you guys were talking on the phone earlier. I don’t think he would be all that happy to find out I’m here, let alone staying over.” Liam answers, an underling teasing in his tone.

  “Oh, stop!” I laugh as I poke him with my chopstick.

  “Though, at the same time I feel like it’s now my duty to protect his daughter in this big house.” He continues, taking my chopsticks away and using them to take a bite of some Beef & Broccoli.

  “I think that sounds like a reasonable excuse.” I add, snatching my chopsticks back.

  “I agree.” He pauses, an overly exaggerated thoughtful look on his face that makes me smile. “So… I guess, if you really want me to, I’ll stay.”

  “I do.” I nod my head while trying to slurp up a Lo Mein noodle, which makes Liam laugh.

  “Well, then I guess it’s settled – I’m staying.”

  “What time do you have practice tomorrow?”

  “In the morning; I’ll be gone and back before you even wake up.”

  I nod my head while we continue to eat until all the food is gone.

  “For someone so little, you sure can eat a lot.” Liam says with an amused chuckle after I’ve throw the empty cartons away.

  “Are you calling me fat?” I ask, playfully narrowing my eyes while placing my hands on my hips.

  “No! No not at all!” He responds quickly, his eyes growing wide. “I’m just wondering where you keep it all.”

  I smile, showing that I was only kidding, and shrug my shoulders as I pat my slightly bloated tummy.

  “Go put some shorts on; we need to go to my place really quick.”

  “I don’t want to wear shorts.” I whine while I walk upstairs and pull on a pair of black soffe shorts, tucking the front of the long shirt in a little bit, and slide my feet into a pair of black flip-flops. I grab Liam’s keys, phone, and wallet off of my nightstand and his shoes from my floor before walking back downstairs and into the kitchen.

  “Here you go.” I say, handing him his things.

  “Thanks.” He says, sliding his shoes on and then we walk hand-in-hand out of my house.

  “Do you live at the frat house?” I ask after Liam pulls out of my neighborhood.

  “No, I have my own place.” He replies, looking over at me when we pull up to a red light.

  “So, you live by yourself then?”

  He nods his head.

  “Do live in
a house or an apartment.”

  “It’s an apartment.”

  “Do you like it? It is nice?”

  “What’s with the fifty questions?” He laughs.

  “I’m just curious.” I sigh, shrugging my shoulders.

  “Yes, I like it and yes, it’s nice.” Liam answers, reaching over to squeeze my leg before pressing on the gas pedal when the light turns green.

  I let this new information sink in while we drive for a little bit longer before another question pops in my head. “Have you brought any other girls there?”

  “You mean to sleep with them?”

  I hesitate for a moment before nodding my head.

  “No.”

  “Oh.” I say, not really expecting that answer.

  “Are you offering?” He asks with a sly grin on his face.

  “What – I – No – I mean…” I stutter, not really sure how to answer.

  “Relax, Daisy,” Liam laughs, glancing at me for a second. “I was kidding.”

  “Right… I knew that.” I say, a blush creeping into my cheeks. “You’re not a virgin though, right?”

  “No, I’m not.” He answers, easily confirming my suspicions. “Does that bother you?”

  “No.” I shake my head. “It’s okay.”

  “Little Miss Daisy,” Liam says as he pulls into the parking lot of an apartment complex. “You’re not a virgin.”

  “What makes you think that?” I ask before he turns off the car.

  “No girl would be honestly okay with the guy she’s seeing not being a virgin if she was a virgin.”

  I nod my head, understanding his logic. “Does that bother you?”

  I’m surprised to see something dark flash in Liam’s eyes, just like when we were eating pizza the first time he came over to my house. That time I had let it go, thinking maybe it was just a trick of the light or something along those lines, but this time I’m positive it really happened. Unfortunately, just like last time, before I can say anything about it, it’s gone – as if it had never happened. I’m pulled out of my train of thought by the sound of Liam’s door closing and I suddenly realize that I have no idea if he answered me or not.