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Chapter 20
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My legs are like jello, ready to collapse at any given moment, but I don't let them. They need to run, they need to make it up to his door, I need to see if he's okay.

My dramatic gala dress was definitely not the best option to wear here since it's way too long, and it keeps getting caught underneath my heels, tripping me along the way. But I didn't have time to change — more like I didn't have more time to think straight after hearing what they told me, I ran off that carpet faster than the paparazzi could blink.

I let out a loud frustrated huff, not caring if I look like a crazy in someone else's eyes at this point, I bend down and tear off my heels. My feet throb, aching at the weird sensation of being held on stilts for the very few hours I was wearing them.

I ignore the feeling and grab a hold of my heels, my eyes dart up to a crying girl who seemed a little older than me. "Wait—" she sniffles. "Aren't you Giana Russo? The designer?" She questions in confusion, pointing to the television screen hanging above to which happened to be streaming the fashion gala I was suppose to be attending tonight.

My mouth keeps opening and closing like a fish as I don't have it in me to speak.

"I love your heels." She commented between another sniffle and I give a sympathetic smile, not knowing why the reason she was here but wanting to make it better.

"They're brand new and new to the collection." I nod, shoving the expensive pair into her hands which seemed to startle her, surprised I would hand them over so easily. "Keep them!" I shout, already halfway down the hall.

My legs ran until they found the door they needed to be at. His door. I let my hand run over the number on the door, my eyes scared to peak into the little window allowing me to view into his hospital room.

Just do it. Just man up and look. It's not that big of a deal. Who am I kidding? It is that big of a deal.

I swallow down the hard lump in my throat as tears brim my eyes, feeling my hands shake uncontrollably at the thought of being here.

I do my best to steady out my breathing, forcing my eyes to get a glimpse of what I should be expecting before I walk in.

Liam's parents.

The two of them with dried up tears of how hurt Liam is and what could I assume broken hearts at the sudden news of their only son loosing his entire career. He can't play football anymore. It's over.

His mom clutches his hand as his sister sits nervously in the chair beside him, her left leg bouncing up and down from what I can assume could only be purely out of nerves.

Just as I was about to walk away, not feeling like this was an appropriate time to intrude, his father locks eyes with me. Damnit. I haven't seen his parents in years, I haven't seen them since high school, and I don't think this is the best way to reunite with them again after all this time.

I give him a little awkward wave, not knowing what to do in this situation. He shakes his head, not believing I was here, a sad smile on his lips as he walks on over to the door to let me in.

I feel the need to look presentable, quickly wiping my tears away, and flattening the puffy material of my dress out.

"Giana, it's nice to see you again." His father's warm voice echoed against the cold walls, and I nod my head lightly to agree. "Though I wish it was under different circumstances." He says in attempt to lighten the mood but all it does is make me frown at the thought.

"Come in, I'm sure Madison would love to see you." He acknowledges, opening the door wider so I can step in.

My bare feet come in contact with the cold tiled floor of his room, my eyes not hesitating to see visit him, the bruises on his face and the cast on his foot.

A severe concussion, two broken ribs, and a ruptured achilles.

It might not seem insane for someone else, but I know deep down that it is for Liam. He might've said he was done with football completely, but that's all he's ever known. Most athletes don't make a full recovery from a ruptured achilles, some people can't even play sports the same, and some give it up entirely.

Liam's mother paces over to me, embracing me as if I was her own, holding me close to her and lightly stroking my hair which was curled loosely in a low delicate bun.

"You look beautiful, Giana." She compliments, her voice worn and tired.

"Thank you," I whisper. "How is he doing?"

My hands fidget with each other as I wait for her response, she goes to take a seat next to Madison and I make sure to say hello to her.

"He woke up not too long ago but we didn't want to stress him since he was so tired."

My eyes linger on Liam's face from the blackish blue bruise formed under his eye, to the little cut going through his left eyebrow and the one still looking freshly opened on his lower lip. The bruising on his cheek from what I can assume was impact from the one football practice that would change everything.

My heart is jumping out of my chest as his eyes flutter open in confusion, probably still disoriented from hitting his head so hard. "Mom?" He croaks out, making my heart clench at how weak he sounded in that moment.

"I'm here, sweetie, I'm here." She comforts, jumping up from her spot to go hold his hand.

I don't think he noticed me walk in because the two of them start talking for quite a few minutes. His mom telling him to relax and not to strain himself until he feels better which he unrelentless had to agree to.

Liam's eyes now wander the room until they land on me, a look of shock and puzzlement passes his features, but that didn't stop him from wanting to give me a warm smile.

"Can I—um—talk to Giana?" He questions awkwardly, knowing that his mom just told him to relax. That doesn't stop Madison from nodding her head in amusement, giving us the go ahead, clearly, wanting to see where this was all heading.

But what really took me by surprise is how easy it was to appease Lauren, especially after her repeated request, it didn't take long for her and Max head into the hall for a few moments to give us some space.

Once they're out of sight, Liam shoots Madison a look basically telling her to get out too. "Oh! You mean alone?" She laughs, so curious as to what he could possibly say to me.

Lauren from behind the open door lightly tells her daughter to pick up her pace and to give us some space. "Alright, I'm coming." She says with a raise of her hands in defeat, closing the door behind her, and leaving the two of us in nothing but dead silence.

"I didn't think you'd come." He admits hoarsely, breaking the tension.

My eyes can't help but automatically water up as I take a step closer to where he's laying. "Why would you think that?"

He licks his dry lips from the chilly hospital air, his eyes not meeting mine as he stares down at his hands. "We didn't exactly leave on the best of terms."

Every single thing I was mad or confused about us leaves my brain, not truly caring anymore.

"C'mon, I bet you rather be at your party right about now than this depressing place." He jokes but I didn't laugh. "Liam, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but where you are."

His brown eyes twinkle, nodding his head over for me to sit on the bed next to him, but I can see him instantly regret that as he squeezes his eyes shut at the pain he's currently feeling. A small pout forms on my lips as I see him try to quickly put on a brave face as if nothing happened.

It takes everything in me to not question him about what happened, but I want to respect his mom since she doesn't want him to stress about the details right now.

I cautiously sit on the bed, careful not to hurt him as I take my spot, and once I do he doesn't wait long to speak his thoughts.

"I realized something today." He admits, making me look up at him curiously as he goes to hold my hand, his thumb caressing the back of my hand making a blush fled to my cheeks.

My heart thumps rapidly in my chest at the feeling, my cheeks reddening with every passing second.

I hum lightly. "What's that?" My brain so fogged up from just being near him, mindlessly my fingertips gently go out to trace his jaw and up to the bruise on his cheek.

Liam, swallows hardly at the simple touch making me realize what I'm exactly doing, but instead of jerking my hand back like I usually would do in these kind of situations, I don't. I continue tracing his face like the piece of artwork it is.

"It's you. It's always going to be you."

A smile gently tugs at the corner of my lips as he places his hand over mine, even though the room was an icicle I felt nothing but warmth cascade throughout my body.

"All I can think about is you, you're the one thing I'm certain of. Every thought I have is you from the moment before I blacked out to the moment I opened my eyes." He bites his lip in thought about what he was saying, but stops to grimace as his tooth presses into the freshly made mark.

"You're the only thing that doesn't seem to leave my mind. Not even for a second." He confesses and I feel myself weaken with every word, wishing we weren't here in this position for him to finally admit all of this to me.

I've been doubting our relationship for years, scared we were built on lies, afraid that everything I felt wasn't valid, but now I know I don't need to live that life anymore.

The love in his eyes is easy to see even with everything that is happening to him. I regret not reading this letters sooner, I regret not listening to him at prom, I regret not giving him a chance that entire year he begged me for one.

He places his hand on my cheek as I let my own fall down to his chest. And like some sort of magnetic force we can't help but lean our foreheads against one another, making my eyes flutter shut for a brief moment in attempt to absorb all this.

His heart beats rapidly underneath my fingertips and for some reason that somehow makes my own speed up.

"All I want to do is spend my life making you happy and if I can't love you for the rest of your life than at least let me love you until the rest of mine, because that's the one thing I live to do. Up to now I still can't seem to figure out how my heart has managed to beat all these years without you." 

His confession is enough to leave me speechless, overwhelmed by my feelings for him to think straight.

The sound of my phone buzzing startles me, making me jump back into reality, reaching for it in the pockets that are hidden in my dress. I'm surprised it didn't fall out when I was running.

My eyebrows pull together as I read over the notification. "What's wrong?" Liam questions worriedly, seeming more on edge compared to how he usually is.

"Sierra Summers," I say with a wave of my phone in his direction for him to see. "She supposedly came out with a podcast to defend herself after what you posted."

For some reason after I said that I notice how tense his shoulders got along, somethings up, I've known him long enough to know that nothing stresses Liam out. He does what he wants, nothing bothers him.

"Liam, you're scaring me. What don't I know?" I ask seriously.

He looks up at me nervously, his eyes darting from different objects in the room to distract himself. "I don't think you'll believe me."

What is that suppose to mean? "Of course I will. Just tell me." I promise.

"I didn't get hurt on the field."

What? Why would he lie about something like that? The whole news is basically gossiping about his terrible injury which was caused from practice on the field from another player.

"Sierra Summers and her manager did this."

(A/n- Chapter nineteen is officially out!

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