Cassie Huwit

Soft sunlight kissed my cheek waking me up gradiently with the day.

I realize I am alone in the bed again. If it wasn't for the change in my surroundings, I would think I'm back in that house.

I kick my feet under the covers of the bed making more room at the bottom when I feel something heavier than the blanket bump over my feet. I look down at the end of the large bed and see a light lavender tinted dress folded on the edge.

I lean forward taking the item in my hands, the soft silk folding through my fingers.

Liam brought me a dress?

I make my way towards the bathroom and turn on the water, as I wait for it to heat, I slip out of my clothes from the day before.

When I was at the house, showering felt wrong. Now I can finally shower knowing no one is watching me.

The heat from the steam brushes my skin as I enter the shower, the water spraying down engulfed me with warmth. I feel days' prior sliping away as the water runs down my tired body, I'm at peace for the first time in weeks as the hot steam and water consumes me.

I hear a knock at the door.

"Hey Cas? You ok in there?"

Liam's nickname for me makes my chest tighten.

" I'll be out in a minute." I stammer out, pathetically.

"Just wanted to tell you there's breakfast for you, when you're ready."

"Thanks!"

Over the sound of running water I listen to Liam's faint footsteps leave the room.

Water off, the hot bathroom air consumes me and I'm again brought back to reality of where I am.

Liam is a good distraction but I refuse to talk unless absolutely necessary, Aaron locking me in that room has dimmed my trust in people.

I wrap the towel around me, feeling my bones sticking out of my skin more than usual.

I guess the loss of food has affected me more than I thought.

I peered my neck to look around the door frame to see if Liam had closed the door behind him before I walked out of the bathroom to get changed. The door was closed.

I stood in front of the bed, holding the fabric of the dress in my hands, I zone out thinking about Liam's face when I walk out in it.

What if he doesn't like it?

What if he thinks I'm ugly?

What if this wasn't what he intended when he put the dress on my bed?

What if Liam wasn't the one to give it to me?

I am careful to slip the dress over my head but I get stuck. I try to wiggle the dress down further, stomping on the floor as I do, but when it doesn't, I try to pull it up yet it doesn't budge.

I'm stuck.

I think through my options of asking Liam for help and risking him being annoyed that I've ruined the dress or accept my fate of being part of the dress.

He did say I could ask him for anything but it's embarassing to have to be taken out of a dress.

Just as I think of calling for Liam, I slip back over that same basket and land on my ass.

"Cassie? Are you alright in there?"

"No." I squeal out.

"Help."

Liam softly pushes the door open.

"Okay, I'm coming in."

Liam runs over to me when he sees me on the floor. He lifts me up and notices the dress is stuck, half over my head.

He turns me around and begins to laugh.

"What? What is so funny."

Liam can barely contain his laughter.

"There is a zipper, Cassie, how didn't you see that." He covers his mouth, stiffling his chuckle.

Liam runs off and comes back with his phone,

"Wait, stay still." He takes a picture of me and I whine.

"No, Liam, just help me, please."

"Ok, ok, here, stand still."

He pulls the zipper down at the back, I catch the front of the dress as it loosens so Liam doesn't get an eye full.

Liam asks if I'm ok before leaving me to properly get dressed.

I slip the dress into the right position and half zip it. I walk towards Liam so he can zip the rest.

His hands melt into my back as his fingers graze my flesh. A shiver runs down my spine, making me feel warm.

"Uh...uhh, thanks." I blush a deep shade of red.

Liam just grins at my reaction.

Liam distracts me away from this whole situation. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

"Here, breakfast is ready for ya."

Liam and I sit down at the table; made for six people. We sit across from each other, taking in the food. Liam's company, much like Alice's, is comforting.

When we finish up, I offer to wash up the dishes seeing as he had cooked but he only handed me a towel and instructed me to dry.

Liam and I sat on the couch, watching our show again. I'm still relectant to talk to Liam, only ever saying anything to him when it's needed but I'm slowly warming up to him.

I'm very glad to know that Aaron has not come back from yesterday. I don't know what I'd do if he did.

It was starting to get later in the day, Liam and I played a card game with The Vampire Diaries in the background and then he started to cook us lunch. It's not as good as the food from the last house but it tastes good knowing Liam made it.

I shudder at the thought of being back in that house.

"Hey, are you okay?" Liam steps into my view, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Huh? Uh..yeah, I'm good."

Liam smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"You sure? You went all pale." Liam waves his hand in a circle around my face.

"Uh, yeah, sorry, I was just thinking."

Liam's eyes melt, like he knows just what I'm thinking of.

I hope he doesn't but at the same time I do.

"You hungry? Lunch is almost done." I beam at Liam, so grateful that he changed the comversation after seeing how uncomfortable I was becoming.

Liam took the pizza out of the oven. It was nothing fancy just a frozen pizza, now cooked, but I was grateful that Liam took the effort to do it; also grateful I can see a person in front of me when I eat rather than having food thrown into my enclosure.

I set the table and we sit down to eat.

"So what do you want to do with the rest of the day?" LIam asked just as he placed the corner of a slice into his mouth.

I look up from collecting the stringy cheese in my mouth and tilt my head, voicing a muffed 'huh?'

Liam just laughs at me and repeats himself adding on to his question.

"We could watch another show or we could bake something? I don't know really, it's up to you."

"Bake?" I raise my brow as if to say 'you? Bake?'

"Oh, be quiet, I am an amazing baker." He points his pizza at me, daring me to disagree. I just laugh at his silliness.

"What would we bake then?" I take the last bite of my food before pushing my plate away from me.

"The classic, unbeatable, chocolate chip cookies. Duh." He rolls his eyes at me.

He can be so sassy.

We wash off our plates and get all the ingredients for the cookies out onto the bench.

Liam and I take turns pouring the items in the bowl and mixing. Liam takes his finger through the batter, leaving a trench in the dough.

I swat his hand away when he goes for the baking a second time

"Hey, c'mon, it's the best part!"

Liam tries to get more and I pick up the bowl moving it over to the sheet paper.

"Don't make me chase you down for cookies." I know he's joking but I can't help but take a step back.

Liam looks at me with a slight frown. He moves closer to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"I know this hasn't worked out the way it was meant to but I will never hurt you, Cas."

Worked out the way it was meant to.

I repeat it over and over in my head while Liam puts the raw cookies into the oven.

I slowly move to put all the ingredients away, as well as the equipment in the sink to clean when Liam nugdes me over and grabs the sponge to clean the dirty dishes.

After putting everything away, I tried to help Liam dry but he again just nudged me off, saying I don't need to help, I can just sit down and relax.

We cleaned the kitchen; spotless. Liam told me a maid named Robin comes in to clean every second day but I didn't want her to clean up a mess we made.

Even though I'm still a little jumpy around Liam, I'm warming up to him. Liam has been so patient with me, he's been careful to try not scare me when he comes up behind me, and he doesn't ask me questions I don't want to answer; not to mention if he does scare me, he apologies and helps me calm down.

Liam is perfect yet I can't help but find myself thinking about where Aaron is, if he is mad at me or if he will ever come back.

I have to remind myself that I hate Aaron, that he took me aganist my will and locked me in not one but two different houses.

Aaron unknowningly took me back to my childhood; a place I soon wished to forget.

So from this point on, I vow to ignore Aaron. I don't want to see him more than I have too.

Or think about him as much as I do.

Liam and I moved through show after show, movie after movie whenever we got bored of the one we were watching. It's getting really late and I'm tired but I don't want to stop being with Liam.

Going into my room, even if it is to sleep, I feel like I'm trapped back in that room, by myself, lost again.

I don't ever want to be left alone again.

As the new movie played, I find myself closer to Liam on the couch than the last movie, so close our legs almost touch. My breath shakes as I think about Liam's touch; so warm and inviting but it feels like its missing something, I just can't place it.

My eyes get heavier as the movie reaches its denouement.

I lean my head down against Liam's shoulder, holding my breath, just hoping he doesn't push me off him.

Liam didn't move except when he tensed and relaxed.

It wasn't soon after my courage that I fell asleep nestled against Liam. Breathing in softer air, comfortable air knowing Liam is there as I sleep.

There as I wake up, Liam's head balanced on top of mine. He must have pulled the blanket over both of us as it was tucked under my arm. The TV turned off and the coffee table left with the same empty plates of chocolate chip cookies.

I try to get up carefully to go to the bathroom without waking Liam but failed in an instant.

"Where are you running off to." Liam's voice crackles in delightful husk.

He unwraps his arm from the back of the couch that my head was resting on. I didn't notice it was there.

I move to sit on the edge of the couch, pointing to the bathroom in an awkward mannerism.

Liam only laughs.

"You know you can talk to me, Cassie." He rubs his face. "I'm not going to bite." Liam smirks when I give him a small smile.

"I-I...know t-that." I stutter, not because I'm afraid but because Liam makes me blush; he takes my ability to speak.

I get up and race to the bathroom, while Liam slides on his socks to the kitchen.

Once I reach the bathroom that's adjoined to my room I close the door, slipping down the wood, hitting the floor at the bottom. I hold my face in my hands and giggle, smothering the sound.

Liam and I fell asleep curled up on each other all night. Alice would be squealing in my living room right now, yelling at me for all the details.

I get up and look into the mirror, staring back at myself, I look that same as last night yet I heed a stained smile on my face. Liam makes me happy.

I use the bathroom and walk out to see Liam cooking pancakes.

"You look happy." I scare him as I walk into the room again.

Liam turned and looks at me with a huge grin.

"Yes, I am." The way he looks at me, the sparkle in his blue eyes, takes me to a new diminsion.

We gaze at each other for centuries. His beauty, both inwards and outwards, casts a spell on me.

Liam claps, jumping both of us out of our stare.

"So what is the plan for today, m'lady." Liam spins his hands in front of him, bowing at the same time.

I can't help but giggle.

Liam and I decided on board games, seeing as TV got boring quick.

Monopoly - I won.

Poker - Liam.

Chess - Liam

Last card - me.

Scrabble - me.

Lastly, Liam and I battle it out in a game of Connect Four to decided if we tie or I win. Liam is hoping he wins but it's just not possible. I only wish we could do this forever.

The look on Liam's face whenever I win, he pretends to be sad but I know he is proud, he thinks I can't see him when he stares.

"C'mon princess, out of three." I just won and Liam will not let it end.

My smile could break my jaw.

The chips click into place, echoing through the laughter.

"Ok, ok, princess, you win." He raises his hands in surrender, huffing and puffing. I can't help but chuckle at his pout.

"You laughing at me?" You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" He puts his palm on his chest in fake sorrow.

I move to get up when Liam grabs my hand, I slip out from his grasp, giggling and running away from him. Liam gets up after me.

"Oh, no, you don't."

Liam and I run around the house in. All the rooms, jumping over beds and tables. I squeal out, Liam just pouts when I face him across a surface.

He cornered me in one of the bedrooms, his back facing the door as he creeps closer to me.

Just as I try to make a leap over the bed, Liam grabs the back of my legs pulling me flat on the fabric.

I turn over and look at Liam, he has his hand on my ankle and he slowly moves it upwards; grinning.

I writhe under his touch. The feeling of his callous hand against my skin makes me shiver.

I use this as a distraction to slip out from underneath Liam and run out of the room.

"Uh! C'mon!"

I run straight from the bedroom into the kitchen, standing at one end of the bench while Liam catches up to the other end.

"I just want to ask why you were laughing at me." Liam creeps closer to me, making me step around the counter top.

I try to make another run for it; laughing but Liam catches me.

He pins my back to the surface, pressing himself into me, he tucks my hair, that got blown around from all the running, out of my face.

We move our faces closer to each other, noses just butterfly kiss.

I close my eyes, waiting for Liam to kiss me, I feel the soft touch of his lips aganist mine just as the door swings open.

I look over and turn away from the man at the door.

I hear him slam the door and walk into another room, slaming that door too.

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