Temporary Fix ✔️

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 — Closure Or Something Like That

Since Aaron obviously won't be in for the rest of the day, and Chloe did tell him he can take an early leave, Liam leaves. But instead of heading on home, he finds himself driving in the opposite direction and out of the city and to a place he's promised he will not go. At least for a bit.

It takes him exactly twenty-two minutes to pull up in front a house with olive green walls — a house he should be avoiding if he truly cares what's good for him. Liam doesn't know what he was thinking when he drove over there and now that he's there finally, he still doesn't know what exactly he is thinking.

There is a bronze car parked in front of the house. Liam glances at the time; he didn't think he would be in the house then. He bites his fingernails, thinking what really he is to up here. He can't risk going anywhere near the house if he was in there; there's the restraining order, of course, and also there's no telling what Liam will do if he does see him.

The last time he saw him it didn't exactly turn out well and Liam doesn't want a repetition of that happening. He has moved on from all that after all, hasn't he?

With wobbly fingers, he turns off the car's engine and takes the key out of the ignition, getting out and slowly walking towards the place he once used to call his home. It has been more than a couple of months since his engagement was called off and his relationship went down the drains but still for the life of him, Liam can't figure out what it is that went wrong.

He really thought he had a good thing going on and that he had found his 'the one'. Yes, as cliché as it sounds, Liam believes in that arbitrary concept.

His parents got it right on the first try, and they're still very much happily together. His sister did find herself a good partner too except fate decided to play a rather cruel joke on her.

He reaches the front door and he hesitates before ringing the doorbell, his brain yelling at him internally 'what the fuck are you doing?'

And yes, what the fuck is he doing?

He shakes his head at himself and he decides that maybe it's better that he leaves before it's too late and he gets himself into something that he knows he'll later regret later on. But just as about he turns around, the door opens behind him and there's no mistaking the voice that he hears.

"Liam?"

It's him. It's Benjamin. The man that Liam thought he once loved, and maybe a part of him still does love him. He did think of him as his everything once, it will be a while before his rewires his brain and his heart to think otherwise.

Liam doesn't turn around, but he stops although he does entertain the thought of running away for a moment but dismisses it when he realises how ridiculous that would make him seem.

"I'm sorry," he says, still without looking behind him — he doesn't really have to, to know who it is he's talking to, "I... I, um, I don't know why I came here. I'll leave," he tries to keep his voice void of any emotions and starts to walk away, but stops once again when Benjamin replies.

"Wait, Liam," he can feel him stepping closer, and Liam fists his hands at his sides, but stubbornly doesn't look at him, "I'm sorry. For everything,"

Liam doesn't say anything back. He won't. And if that's all he has to say to him, he'll accept it and leave. He won't turn around, he won't look at him.

"Will you maybe come inside? Have a drink or something?"

And despite his initial resistance, Liam turns around, stunned, eyebrows raised. He lets out a bitter chuckle — so much for not engaging the man into a conversation, "If I remember correctly, you're the one who filed a restraining order against me and now you're inviting me into the house? Are you planning to send me jail yourself; is that it?"