Timing is Everything (Liam Payne)

This is wrong, so wrong, I think to myself as I throw things in a bag. Liam is on the couch sitting quietly. The TV is on but he's not watching it, his mind is a million miles away. "Now now, like now. We have to leave now?"
He head nods yes, he doesn't even look at me. Wrong, all wrong.
Our trip to the airport is in silence. We board and take a seat. After take off he leans his seat back and goes to sleep. He has totally shut himself off and shut me out.
I try to relax and sleep but that isn't happening. I stay awake the entire flight. I know he is past exhausted so I let him sleep when what I want to do is shake him awake and make him tell me what is going on. I go and sit next to him and rest my head on him. He may have shut me out but just being next to him is of some comfort. Either out of habit or his sub conscience kicking in, he reaches around me and pulls me to him. I lay there motionless not wanting to disturb this at all.
He feels the plane start to descend and he starts to wake up. He pulls me a bit closer and kisses the top of my head, his nose lingering in my hair.
My stomach is in knots and I'm feeling sick.
The plane lands, the door is opened and we exit. A car pulls up to us and we get in.
I breathe in as rage fills my lungs. This has Modest written all over it. Rage mixed with deception, I have a sneaky feeling Liam knows what's going on and cant tell me.
The car pulls up to fancy office building and we escorted inside. Liam's been here so any times, he knows where were headed. Double glass doors are opened for us and Modest in huge letters hangs on the walls. Upon entering a group of four men stand up and precede us through a huge wooden door. We walk down an empty hall, its not office hours, no one is here. I see a trash bin and the urge to get sick is over whelming, my nerves are probably visibly shaking.
We follow the men into a conference room where more men are seated. Simon comes over and shakes Liam's hand and my own. We are instructed to take a seat.
I sit in the leather chair as the man at the head of the table removes various folders out of a brief case and lays them in distinct piles in front of us.
"As we mentioned to you a couple of weeks ago, the actions the two of you took were very reckless. It undermined everything that has been brought about for this group."
At that point, I think my mind went blank. I did not intentionally shut them off, its as if I went deaf, my ears ringing. Liam shifted in his chair and the leather made a noise bringing me back. One of the men brings the folders and sets them in front of the two of us, He points as he explains.
"Ms. Harrison, Payne" my blood starts to boil. "I'm sure you are aware that Mr. Payne is a very wealthy man and we are here to protect him" a long pause, "and you". "In these stack of folders I have, I have various forms of prenuptial agreements. This first set is done in yearly increments: one, five and ten. The second set is an agreement to a percentage if the marriage doesn't work" I'm keen on body language and I look out of the corner of my eye to Liam. He's pale and leaning away from me, his eyes glossy. "This one here is a lump sum to eradicate the marriage and you walk away, non disclosure signature required. "
I feel faint but am not allowing myself that option. I turn and look at Liam as a tear slides down his cheek. The reaction to get up and run is overwhelming but I stay. I pull the first stack to me and open them one by one. The figures mean nothing to me. I pull the next one to me, the percentage one. My poker face intact as I slide it back to its original place. I slide the lump sum towards me and open it. I want to cry. I slide it back.
"And if I refuse to sign?"
"There will be no refusal."
I look at the stacks again and push my chair back. "I need to make some calls".
I leave the office and find a chair somewhere and sit down. I pull out my phone and find who I'm looking for, our family attorney.
He answers on the third ring and I tell him who I am. He knows who I am, he is a long time family friend. He knows me calling him is not a friendly call, its business. I tell him in a nutshell what has happened the past few weeks and tell him what was brought before me this morning, night, whatever it is here.
"Are you wanting more than what was offered?"
"No, God no. These figures are ridiculous. Insane even. I'm beside myself this is even being discussed."
He calms me down and tries to talk to me, the business side of high profile, high dollar marriages. He offers to get Jeff to fly him there. I've seen enough legal documents I don't think I need him here so I tell him it wont be necessary.
I walk back into the room and the man is showing the documents to Liam, he sits there still as a statue. I take my seat and they resume the meeting. I take each document and read them, making sure there are no discrepancies between them. I have no pressing questions and ask for a pen. I sign the 10 year agreement and slide to it to Liam, push the chair back and leave.
I was blindsided by this. I feel deceived.
I open the door to the outside the cool damp London air fills my nostrils. I start to take a step and doors behind me open and Liam pulls me to him, holding me from going anywhere.
"Please don't speak. Lets go back to the flat and talk about this. You have to, need to, hear what I have to say." He hails a taxi and we get in. The ride was silent, the only bodily contact was him holding my hand in his lap. I looked out the window at the streets starting to fill up with traffic. We arrive at the flat, he pays the driver and we go in.
"When? When were you going to tell me this was going on? How long have you known about it? Did you have any say so in those figures?" I scream in frustration, my hands going into my hair as tears start to fall. "Why? Why did you let them blind side me like this?" I take off my jacket and throw it on the couch and sit down. He walks over to me and sits down on the table in front of the couch taking both of my hands in his. One hand reaches up and with his thumb wipes a tear away, I turn my head. He turns it back it towards him.
"The night they pulled you aside in the back of the stadium, they pulled me away from everyone also and they told me this had to be done. I had no choice. They contacted me several times and told me of different options. I told them you wouldn't go for it. I guess I was wrong."
"Like I had a choice. That was made very clear and believe me all the bases are covered in those documents. Is that why you asked about us having children? Because as you know, that is mentioned in each of those files."
I look him in the eyes as he bites his lip, "Yes".
"Now how am I supposed to know that questions asked of me 'out of the blue' have a double meaning. That I may be called in to sign something regarding the innocent question asked two days prior. Please tell me. I have been very forth coming to you about everything. You couldn't have written it on a napkin and shown me, then threw it away, burned it even." The more I talk the more ridiculous I sound. I'm tired, hurt, upset and angry all rolled into one body.
Liam stands up and pulls me up with him and leads me down the hall to the bedroom. As I rant, he is pulling out a shirt from the drawer and puts it on the bed. He undresses me and put the shirt on me, pulls the coves back, I get in. I finally stop talking. He undresses and climbs in next to me and pulls me close. "All I want to do is protect you, I wish you could see that".
I turn over my back to him, he pulls me into him and I feel his breath in my hair. Sweet Liam, always thinking of others. Something positive given a negative spin. I reach around to him and pat his butt. He kisses my head through the hair.
"Why didn't you just say that to begin with?"
"When I was approached and shown the options, those were my words. They were left out as you can tell. Both of our parents are still married. I expect the same of us. They see it as protecting themselves. I didn't want all of this to get so much that you couldn't handle it and leave and not have something to show for it."
"It could have all been handled better if I had known. I hate that."
"Go to sleep before you start ranting again. Are you aware the madder you are the more of a southern drawl you have?" he says laughing.
"Yes, I am very well aware of that thank you." and kick him under the covers.
I wake up a few hours later and he is not in the bed with me. I walk through looking for him and he is seated with headphones on, pecking on a keyboard writing as he goes. He sees me and holds up a finger telling me just a minute. I look out the windows at the somewhat dreary day and decide to step out. Its cool and damp still, It has rained since we were last out. He joins me and lights a cigarette. The smoke lingers in the cool air. He passes it to me and I take a drag.
"This weather is horrible. I may have to buy a place back home. I need vitamin D." He laughs at my remark.
"Anything you want baby" He takes another puff and flicks the ash off. "I know this is totally messing with you, but are you fine with going back to your place tomorrow, I have to go to LA in a couple of days and it will be easier to leave form there and return easier."
"Totally fine." I take one last puff on the cigarette before passing it back to him, exhale and go back in, he stays outside to finish it.
The nap I took was not enough, I'm still tired. Too little sleep, too much stress, too many times zones in a short amount of time.
I go back to the bedroom and sit on the bed, he follows me back then sits next to me, and turns me towards him.
"Were alright, right? You just seem distant"
"That was and is a lot for anyone to handle. You can not do things like that to me, I will grow to resent your lifestyle and I don't want to be that way. I want to trust you and the decisions you make. If it involves us, I need to be involved. None of this them and you then me. They may not manage you the rest of your life, think of it that way."
I lean to him and kiss him. "Were fine, right now I am emotionally spent. I need lots of sleep and that will make a world of difference."
"Pizza and a movie tonight?"
"Sounds good, I don't think I could muster up leaving right now."
The rest of the evening was spent on the couch watching movies and having a pizza. No more talk of lawyers and management. I lay in front of him on the couch and dozed a few times only to be woke up by him laughing at something in the movie.
A deep sigh escaped my lips. Security felt once again as his arm rests on my hip, his fingers tapping out a rhythm on my thigh.

Notes