Liam's eyes go to his phone for the seventh time that night. 

"Are you listening?" Taylor asks him.

"Huh?" Liam focus goes back to the blonde while he puts his phone once again inside his pocket.

"You invited me here as your date. I overlooked the whole leaving me on the street stunt but I really expect some attention here." she scolds him.

"You have my undivided attention."

"I did enjoy our afternoon..." she says caressing his muscular arm once again.

His phone buzzes again and he removes it from his pocket and glances at the blue screen. "Give me one minute, Taylor" 

Taylor frowns and opens her mouth in protest. 

"I promise we will have as many afternoons as the one today." his charming smile disarms the blonde as he lingers a kiss on her cheek while pressing the green icon on the phone.

Liam walks a few steps away from the bonfire crowd and picks up the phone to his ear. "I've told you to stop calling me" his tone is harsh and cold. "This afternoon was the last time." 

He looks at Taylor that stares at him and gives her a fake smile. 

"No, you are the one that is not listening. It's done." he turns his body around and sees Aimee and Josie in a heated argument. He frowns when her eyes land on him and her face connotes disappointment. 

"Do your best shot." he turns off his phone and walks back to Taylor.

"What was that all about?" she asks when he rejoins the group.

"Nothing, just business," Liam says but his mind is fixed on Aimee's eyes that still looks at him unwaveringly.

Josie leaves Aimee and marches to the bar clearly angry. 

"Are you sure about that? You look even more distracted than before." Taylor asks. 

Liam's eyes dart to Aimee that has her head hanging low. "Let me get you another drink."

"I still have a drink..." Liam walks away to the bar unapologetically.

Josie is tapping furiously her fingers against the bar. 

"Is everything ok?" 

She looks up at Liam, her eyes flaring with anger, she points her index finger at him. "I warned you." she punches him with her finger while Liam's considerable height towers over her small stature. "I told you to stay away from her."

"I've stayed away from her. I haven't spoken to her since the night in the restaurant."

Josie shakes her head in regret, "She knows."

Liam stares at her for a beat confused and then glances back at Aimee that is gulping another beer with tears in her eyes. "What have you done?" he roars.

"Ana blurted it out. I was too late to stop it." Josie says in a remorseful tone.

Liam's eyes waver, "I...I..." Liam runs his hands over his hair. "I need to talk to her. I need to explain."

"You are not going to do anything. You've done enough."

"She needs to hear my side of the story!" he raises his voice.

"Why? Why does she have to listen to you?" Josie asks coldly. "You've fucked this up, mate, so fucking much, and you drove her away. Nothing you can say will erase everything that has happened in the last few weeks. She's leaving. Let it be."

"Jos, I..."

Josie picks up the beers from the counter. "I need to make it better with her somehow. She's pissed with me that I didn't tell her. You're my mate, but she's my blood." 

Liam grips his hands to the bar in frustration. 

"Please stay away from her. For good."

His head spins. He wanted to tell her but he was trying to get her to open up for a conversation first that wouldn't end in a screaming match. He wanted to tell her every single excruciating detail but on his term. He holds his head that pounds loudly.

"Oi!" a hand grabs his shoulder. "Why the hell are you ditching the client again?" the unmistakable reproachable tone that Matt uses constantly with Liam discloses his identity.

"Not now, man," he says deflated while internally processing the exchange with Josie.

"Not now? She's spent most of the time chit-chatting with you and you barely paid her any attention." Liam's hands grip the bar counter fiercely. "And, now she tells me you left her by herself to head to the bar and talk to the short brunette which I assume is Josie?" 

Matt turns Liam around.

"Are you going to fuck this up again for us?"

Liam stares at his brother, "I'm not going to fuck anything up." 

He glances at Aimee that is pouring another beer down her throat. In his head, he is playing all the events for the past month. He replays all the touches, kisses and missed moments and arguments. All the times he fucked up by not wanting to disclose his past to her.

He looks at his big brother. The one person that has never believed in him. The one person that has always criticised him. 

"In fact, I already fucked her this afternoon. Because that is what I am, right? The fucking gigolo of this family!" he screams at Matt releasing all the pent up anger.

"Watch your fucking tone."

Liam towers over his brother. He is slightly taller than him and broader. "Or, what?"

"Or, I'll teach you some manners." Matt approaches Liam and stares his brother in the eyes. "Step the fuck back, Lee."

Liam takes a deep breath and turns his back to Matt. 

"Now go and make it right with Taylor." 

Liam freezes at his authoritative tone and without hesitation turns his body around with his fist clenched and lands the first punch on Matt's face.

Matt stumbles taken aback by the velocity of the punch but quickly responds with a gut punch. His body pushes Liam's onto the sand. Matt touches his face that is raw from the punch, he hovers over his little brother that is still on the ground.

"What the fuck, Liam!"

"Embarrassed that your little brother is acting up again?" 

Liam gets up aggressively and charges Matt. He closes his fist and lands another punch to Matt's head. Matt shakes his head that is numb with the unexpected assault and runs towards Liam aggressively showcasing his physical dexterity.

The fight draws the attention of people at the party. 

Eva places her hand over Charlie's arm and looks at him worriedly. "Charles" she uses his full name to denote the urgency in her voice. 

Charlie's eyes travel to where Eva's gaze has fallen and the smile on his face vanishes when he sees his brothers fighting one another savagely. 

"Guys!" Charlie shouts and runs towards them with Callum and Jack following him.

"You are always fucking everything up! Why do you always have to be a spoiled little brat?" Matt lands another punch to Liam's face that bears the brunt of the fight.

Liam's tongue grazes the cut on his lip. He looks at his brother with a deranged smile. "Fuck you, Matt. Fuck you and your perfect political career!"

Matt rams Liam to the ground and swings his right fist to Liam's face, followed by his left fist in a mechanical movement. Liam's body stands still on the ground receiving each blow. Charlie locks Matt's arms from behind and pulls him forcefully from Liam that lays on the floor, bloody and laughing maniacally. 

"This ends now!" Charlie roars.

Matt struggles and releases himself from Charlie's lock. He walks a few steps towards Liam but is interceded by Callum that raises his hands cautioning him. He looks at his younger brother that slowly rises from the sand.

"Go back to your little life back in London. Charlie was the one that wanted you here. I know who you really are. He thinks you can be saved. But I know what you are. You're a loser. Everyone can see it. You're right, you're nothing more than a fuckboy." he spits blood to the floor and wipes his chin. 

Liam's face hardens at his words. In a lightning move, he sprints towards Matt and hurls at him with a primal scream but his body is blocked by Jack that holds him back with a strength that surprises Liam. 

"Enough, kid," he says. "Enough."

Something about Jack's soothing tone calms Liam's rage. Jack's green eyes remind him of Aimee's and Liam searches for her. Within seconds he sees Aimee standing by the fire observing the scene with a worried face. Her eyes are glued to him.

Taylor runs towards him. "Are you ok?" 

Liam dismisses her touch lingering on his arm. "Leave me the fuck alone." he roars menacingly. 

Aimee takes a few steps towards Liam but Josie stops her.

"Come with me." Eva approaches Liam and takes his arm. "I have a first aid kit at the house."

Charlie pushes Matt further to the side while whispering something to him. Matt stares at Liam with hatred in his eyes. Jack pushes Matt away and Charlie follows them. His eyes land on his younger brother that is being pulled by Eva towards the house.

When Jack has pushed Matt further away, Charlie plasters a smile on his face. "Ok, let's go back to our party. A little bit too much alcohol streaming in these two knuckleheads bloodstream."

Slowly the guests resume the festivities, and Charlie walks toward Matt that is being looked at by his wife, whilst Charlie stares with worry at his little brother that has his head bowed while entering the house. 

Once they enter the kitchen, Eva turns the lights on, and Liam sits down. She walks to the freezer and takes a ribeye. She hands it to Liam. 

"Place that on your right side." she glances at his face. "He got you good. Let me get the first aid kit from the bathroom." 

Eva walks inside the house and Liam places the steak on his face and sighs. 

Eva returns and opens the first aid kit. "Why did you provoke him?" 

Liam shrugs.

"Lee, you cannot keep punching your way out of your problems."

"He started."

"Matt will always start things with you. You need to be better than that." Eva sighs. "What will Isabella say? Seeing both of you at it the way you did. Think of the example you are setting to her."

"I'm sorry for always bringing a mess to your house."

"We love you, Lee. We just want you to be ok. Whatever it takes, you need to make it right with what's inside here." she points at his heart. 

A small cough catches their attention towards the door. 

"Charlie is calling for you." 

Her voice makes him clench his hands on the base of the chair. 

"Something to do with Matt," Aimee says. 

"Can't his wife help out?" Eva asks. 

Aimee takes another step inside. 

"Not sure" 

Eva sighs and stares at Liam that bows his head in shame. 

"I can help out here."

"Are you sure?" Eva asks.

He hears her take two more steps inside. Her body is now within his reach.

"Yes, of course."

Eva takes the steak from his face and inspects the left side of his face. "Behave," she whispers to him. She passes by Aimee and pats her shoulder amicably.

His eyes remain glued to the ground. Aimee walks over and starts going through the first aid box and place several items on the table. 

"Take the steak from your face." she requests politely in almost a whisper. 

Liam obeys but remains with his head hung low.

"Can you please look up so I can see where you're hurt?" 

Liam raises his head and stares into her eyes. 

Aimee takes some iodine and applies it to a dressing. "This is going to sting a bit." she starts applying it on the small cuts that have now appeared in his face. She slowly pats the cotton dressing to his cheek and his mouth. 

Liam winces in pain but stays silent.

"Put the steak back to your face. That eye will be black tomorrow." 

He obeys her request. Aimee closes the iodine solution and removes the anti-septic cream. She squeezes a small drop of the cream into her finger and lifts his head softly. Slowly she pats the cream around his busted lip. 

"Why did you let him beat you up?" she asks unexpectedly. 

Liam stays silent and lowers his eyes to the ground.

"Ah, I forgot that you have a new philosophy of avoiding any conversation with me."

Liam frowns at her comment, "I didn't stop talking to you. You didn't want to talk to me any longer." 

Aimee puts another small portion of cream on her index finger and applies it to his right cheek. 

"You made it clear that night." he exhales. 

Aimee looks at him, their bodies in close proximity, his body heat irradiating to her own. She turns her eyes back to the table, grabs a piece of tissue and cleans her finger to take away the remaining cream still lingering on her skin. 

"Give me the steak, I need to change it for something else." she holds her hand to him and Liam hands her the steak. His eyes follow her while she heads to the freezer, opens the latch and takes a pack of frozen vegetables.

Aimee walks back and hands the new frozen pack to Liam which takes it and places it back on his face. "Why did you let him beat you up?" she repeats the question.

"I didn't. He is a better fighter."

She takes a plaster box from the kit. She takes two plasters and puts one down on the table while she peels the other carefully, opening the outer plastic layer. 

"Bullshit. I've seen you fight before. You just stood there and took it." She removes the plastic that sticks to the glue and slowly applies it to his cheek. 

"I deserved it," he replies. 

Aimee raises her eyes and looks at him, "You deserved to be punched by your own brother?" she starts mechanically removing the plastic case for the second plaster. "That's rich."

She peels the plaster and places it carefully on his cheek lining it up neatly next to the other plaster. Aimee walks over to the sink and picks up a towel and runs it over water silently. 

"Why are you helping me?"

She shrugs, "Eva was needed."

She presses the towel to get rid of the excess water and walks back to Liam. She takes his right hand and wipes it carefully. 

"There are more people outside."

"I know." Aimee keeps wiping the cut on his knuckles from the punch that landed on Matt's face.

Aimee takes the iodine and pats the cut slowly. "Is it true?"

Liam looks at her, "I'm not sure what you were told." he responds with his eyes unwavering from hers.

Aimee picks up another plaster and peels it. "Are you married?"

Liam sighs, "I'm separated. Contrary to popular gossip the papers have been filed and signed." 

Aimee places the plaster over the cut in his knuckle.

"I can tell you all about it if you want."

"I'm not sure I want to hear about it."

Liam expels air from his lungs forcefully, "Why did you follow me back here? I'm not worthy of your time."

Aimee frowns, "You're not worthy?"

"I've tried to leave you alone. I know you are leaving..." Liam lowers his eyes back to the ground. "I know you have someone else." 

Aimee's eyes shoot up at his mention.

"You're moving on... and I'm moving on too."

"You're moving on? With that woman?" 

Liam stays silent and looks away to the kitchen wall.

"Do you love her?"

Liam frowns at her question, "Taylor?"

Aimee takes her eyes from his hand and lands on his steel-blue eyes. "Do you still love Mary?"

Liam's face hardens at her name. "No" he realises that Aimee still has her hand on his. "Do you love him? The New Zealand guy?"

"No," she responds without moving her eyes from his.

"I've fucked up this," he gestures between them. "Whatever this is...was" he corrects himself.

Aimee contemplates her next words. "Is that why you didn't ask me to stay?"

Liam is caught off guard with her question. "How could I ask anything of you when you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me?"

"I never said I didn't want anything to do with you." Aimee blurts out while crushing the remnants of the plaster casing in her hands.

"You didn't give me a chance."

Aimee walks over to the bin and throws the rubbish in her hands inside the steel container. "What would you have done in my shoes?" she turns and faces him. "If you had been the one seeing me walking hand in hand with another one, what would you do?"

"I don't know," he replies.

"Would you want to hear me out?"

Liam lowers his eyes to the ground. "You're not me."

Aimee sniggers, "That is such a Liam response. Deflect deflect deflect." She approaches him and lands his eyes on his torso. "I need you to take your t-shirt off." he raises his eyes at her. "He punched your stomach at least three times..." she justifies herself.

"Fine" Liam grumbles and removes his t-shirt.

"Is that why you moved on so quickly to the blonde bombshell? Or is she, like me, just another one to keep your mind away from Mary?"

Liam's jaw clenches once more, "Why the sudden interest in my relationship with Mary or anyone else for that matter? You made it clear that we were never going to happen. In fact..." he smirks annoyed at the conversation, "You've been making this very clear since the moment we've met."

"I haven't..." Aimee glares at him annoyed.

Liam stands and leans closer to her, "If I remember correctly your words, 'I'm not going to fuck you...' what did you call me again?" Liam stops momentarily while gathering his thoughts, "That's right, prince charming. 'I'm not going to fuck you, prince charming'" 

Aimee lowers her eyes to his torso and touches it slowly.

"What are you doing?"

"Does it hurt?"

Liam feels her fingers graze his skin that is red from the blows that Matt landed earlier. "Yes," he says.

"Do you want me to stop?" she looks up at him with her eyes darting to his lips.

Liam closes his fist. The urge of kissing her is too strong and he sits back down. "Yes," he responds.

He looks down and then back to her. "I don't know what you want from me. You made it crystal clear your thoughts about us..." she cuts him off with a kiss. Liam winces at first but her taste melts all the pain away.

Aimee pushes her tongue further down in his mouth which he eagerly takes him. Her hands roam through his hair and his hands travel to her bottom caressing it. 

"What are you doing?" he breaks the embrace.

Aimee looks into his eyes and gives him another kiss. "Kissing you, unless you don't want me to."

"Aimee you are making me very confused right now."

"I can't stop thinking about you," she confesses.

Aimee envelopes him once again with her mouth and sits on him. Liam caresses her legs and feels her soft skin in his hands. Aimee moans involuntarily against his mouth with his touch. Liam gets up and pushes her body towards the kitchen counter. 

"We shouldn't be doing this..." he mutters against her lips.

"Do you still want me?"

Liam connects his forehead with hers in an intimate gesture. "I've wanted you the first moment I've seen you," he says while caressing her face. "But, I don't want you to do something you'll regret."

"I need to have you. Or I'll regret that forever."

Liam lowers her mouth against hers. "You're not drunk?" he asks.

"I'm sober enough." She presses another passionate kiss to his lips. Their tongues melting with one another, his hands go up to her top and graze her belly and touch gently her ribcage. "Take me somewhere private," she begs him while moaning to his touch.

Liam picks her up and carries her to his bedroom. He lays her on his bed. Aimee looks around and realises she's never been inside his room before. Liam walks over to the door and closes it softly. "You're sure about this?"

Aimee sits on the bed and takes her top off revealing a white lace bra. 

Liam stares at her, "You're beautiful." 

He walks towards the bed and Aimee touches his torso gently. His fingers linger on her arms and he grazes her long hair. Aimee slowly unbuttons his trousers and pulls the zip down. Liam stops her hand and raises her face to look at him. He places a kiss on her lips and starts leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. Slowly, Aimee lowers to the bed and allows Liam to hover over her. His kisses on her neck intensify and she pulls slightly his hair. Liam's hand graze her breasts and caress them gently. Aimee moans at his touch. He removes her bra and places his mouth on her right nipple eliciting her to pull his hair more forcefully in response. Liam continues to trace kisses down her belly. He slowly unbuttons her shorts and pulls them slowly. His thumb runs over her slit and massages it gently and he starts leaving a trail of kisses on her inner thighs. Aimee's body responds to his touch. 

"Liam..." she whimpers. "Take me..."

Liam removes her panties slowly and takes his own jeans and shorts. He caresses his member slowly looking at her adoringly. He walks over to her face and kisses her passionately. 

"I'm in love with you," he says abruptly. 

Aimee eyes open at his confession. 

"I want you to know that you're nothing like anyone else. I don't expect you to say it back." His hand goes inside Aimee and massages her clit expertly. "I want you to remember this night forever." 

Aimee gasps when she feels heat coursing through her and her ecstasy is approaching. Liam feels her walls clench around his hand and he allows her to come, staring into her eyes as she unveils.

Liam opens his drawer and removes a condom. He places it in his shaft and stares at Aimee. "Are you sure?"

"Please..." is all she can say.

Liam positions himself at her entrance and slowly pushes himself inside her. Aimee gasps when their bodies start moving in a rhythmic pattern. Liam grunts his arousal and grabs her bottom to push him inside further. Aimee feels him whole and how it hits her most sensitive area. She whimpers softly in his ear which causes him to pick up his pace. Aimee grabs his back and clutches to his body, while her own is riding yet another orgasm. Liam takes her mouth in his and kisses her passionately, both their tongues battling with one another while encapsulated in their own passion. 

After Aimee's third orgasm, Liam huffs, "I need to cum." 

Aimee nods and whimpers and Liam's pace gets faster and sloppier until he reaches his own climax.

Liam stares at her while removing himself from inside her and places another kiss on her mouth which Aimee eagerly returns. He pulls the condom off of him and makes a knot before disposing of it in a nearby bin. 

Liam lays back down and touches her arm gently. "Are you ok?" he asks with a soft voice.

Aimee smiles at him, "I am."

Liam holds her face and kisses her once more. "Don't go." 

His words are raw and Aimee knows he doesn't mean just for the night.