Chapter 135 Why only Liam

Chapter 135 Why only Liam
Elena POV

I shook a pinch of paprika into the pan, humming along to the beat on my phone.

"Yeah, I hear you," Liam’s voice cut sharply from the living room. "Where? The old construction site behind the textile mill?"

My hand froze. The wooden spoon hovered right over the pan as my breath caught in my throat.

"Alright," Liam said. "Thanks, Zayn. I'm heading over right now."

I dropped the spoon onto the counter without a second thought, wiped my hands fast on my apron, and walked into the hallway. My heart was pounding, not from fear, but from the sudden, overwhelming surge of excitement rushing through my veins. Daniel was okay. Zayn actually found him.

​Liam was putting on his jacket when I rushed up to him, my face lighting up as I searched his eyes. "Was that Zayn? Did he really find Daniel? He's at the mill?"

​"Yes," Liam said, turning his hand toward the brass door handle. "He’s at the back fence."

​A huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and before I could even stop myself, I stepped right into his path and grabbed his jacket sleeve, my eyes wide. "I'm coming with you! Let's go!"

Liam stopped dead. He looked down at my hand gripping his arm, then raised an eyebrow, a lazy smirk pulling at his lips.

​"Look at you, all worked up," Liam said, his gaze dropping to my eyes. "Is it because your lover's finally been found that you're glowing like this?"

​I rolled my eyes hard, snapping my hand back from his sleeve. "He is not my lover, Liam! Stop playing around! I'm just relieved he's safe!"

​Liam crossed his arms, his smirk broadening. "Whatever you say. But you can stay right here. There's plenty to do. Sweep the hall, wash the plates, and have dinner hot on the table before I get back."

Liam crossed his arms, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a dry smirk. "You can stay right here. There's plenty to do. Sweep here, wash the plates, and have dinner set on the table before I get back."

I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes and giving him a hard, flat side-eye.

Liam let out a sudden laugh, patted my shoulder twice, and stepped past me straight out the front door.

I stood in the doorway, my fingers digging into my palm as I watched his back disappear down the driveway.

"Unbelievable," I muttered under my breath, slamming a glass lid onto the serving dish. "Who does he think he is? Acting like a wicked stepmother assigning chores while he runs off."

…..

I slammed the glass lid onto the serving dish and set the hot platter down on the dining table next to the plates.

I whipped my phone out of my apron pocket, tapping the screen with a trembling thumb.

No new texts. Zero bars.

"Why hasn't he called yet?" I muttered into the empty room, my stomach twisting into tight knots. "Just hope he found him."

I tore off the apron, tossed it over a chair, and ran out the front door.

I sprinted down the pavement toward the old industrial site, the cool evening air burning my lungs. Darkness was falling fast over the rusted metal frames and overgrown weeds behind the mill.

I ducked through a gaping tear in the chain-link fence, my sneakers crunching over shattered glass.

"Liam!" I yelled out, wrapping my arms tightly around my waist against the wind.

Nothing.

"Daniel!"

My voice echoed off the cold concrete walls. Panic spiked in my chest, making my throat go completely dry.

THUD.

A heavy impact rattled from around the corner of the brick wall, followed by a raw, painful grunt.

I bolted toward the noise, rounding the sharp corner into a narrow alleyway.

Daniel was down on his knees on the concrete, blood streaming from his lip onto his torn shirt collar. Marcus stood right over him, lifting a heavy wooden plank high above Daniel's head, his jaw set to strike.

"Stop!" I screamed.

I threw my body straight across the cold ground, slamming myself over Daniel's back and wrapping both arms tightly around his neck. I tucked my head into his shoulder, shutting my eyes tight and waiting for the hit.

"Please don't hurt him!" I cried out.

The hit never came.

A hand snapped onto my upper arm, twisting hard and dragging me violently off Daniel. Marcus yanked me up by the elbow, his breathing heavy in my face.

"You want to replace him?" Marcus sneered, his eyes wild. "I was just getting to the good part."

Before he could tighten his grip, Daniel exploded up off the floorboards.

With a low roar, Daniel drove his shoulder straight into Marcus's chest with every bit of weight he had left. The force knocked Marcus backward four full steps, his boots skidding through the dirt before he hit the ground hard.

Daniel immediately planted himself in front of me, his body shaking, his chest heaving as he threw his arms out to cover me.

Marcus stayed down on one knee, wiping a streak of red from his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked up through his messy hair and burst into a jagged, manic laugh.

"Look at you," Marcus wheezed, pushing himself up. "Even in your weak state, you still got energy left to save your girl?"

Daniel flexed his blood-soaked fists, stepping forward to lunge again.

I reached out instantly, grabbing the hem of Daniel's shirt and pulling back with all my strength. "Daniel, please! Don't fight!"

…..

I pressed the edge of the last adhesive plaster firmly over the open cut above Daniel's left eye. He flinched, his jaw tightening, but he didn't pull away.

"Why did you come to this quiet place?" I asked softly, dropping my hands back into my lap. "Why were you with Marcus?"

Daniel stared down at the concrete between his sneakers. "What? Are you worried about me?"

"Please don't get hurt," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "Don't stay where people can't find you."

Daniel let out a low, dry laugh that turned into a bitter cough. He lifted his head, his dark, bloodshot eyes locking directly onto mine.

"Maybe I should keep getting hurt," he said, his voice dropping into a rasp. "At least then you'll actually look at me and care. Would you even notice me if I didn't get beaten up? Or will you only ever see Liam?"

My chest seized. I locked eyes with him, my throat closing up tight, unable to force a single word past my lips.

"You see?" Daniel said, a bitter, broken smile twisting his mouth. "You'll always see Liam, and you won't see me. Then why do you want me to stay?"

"It's not like that..." I whispered, reaching my hand out toward him.

"Liam has everything, but I don't have anything!" Daniel snapped, interrupting me.

Before I could pull away, Daniel lunged forward, grabbed my shoulders with shaking hands, and shoved his body straight into mine, pulling me into a desperate, crushing hug.