The Hardest Path

Nearly a week passed, full of Liam being worked and overworked into exhaustion. He hardly had a moment to catch his breath, or pick up the phone and call the one woman who had been constantly on his mind. Once Rhiana had gotten her revenge on her brother for giving her the slip, things slowly returned to normal for Liam. Finally alone, the young leader of the city sat behind his mahogony desk and sighed, staring down at the number he so desperately wished to call. What was wrong with him? Liam had never been short of courage before. Irritated with himself, he quickly picked up his phone and dialed Charity's number, heart pounding in his chest as he waited. After only a few rings, he heard a sound that made his heart melt. "Hello?"

"C-Charity! This is Liam, we met last week." He silently cursed himself for his unusual stuttering, hating that one woman could make him this nervous.

"Oh! Hi! I was wondering if you'd ever call me." There was a warm note in her voice that had him chuckling softly, just from happiness. It didn't take long for them to arrange a dinner date the very next evening. By the time they'd said their goodbyes, Liam was ecstatic.

When Rhiana came back in to make sure he hadn't taken off again, she paused at the door, stunned by her brother's oddly joyful face. At her core, she was a good bodyguard, and so she didn't ask him any questions.

Time seemed to crawl forward as Liam counted hours and minutes until his date with Charity. When the time came, he made sure he was dressed in one of his better suits; a simple black suit with a pale grey tie. In the suit pocket, he carried a jade green kerchief, his father's favorite. Somehow, it brought out the rich green tone in his hair and deepened the hazel brown of his eyes. Satisfied that he looked his best, Liam took his leave of his apartments in the huge Kagailas building, making his way to his car. Time to pick up Charity.

Her tiny apartment was on the poorer side of the city, past the shopping district and beyond. When Liam pulled up, his date was already waiting outside, which, in this neighborhood, he didn't particularly like. Especially dressed as she was; in a strapless seafoam dress, just low-cut enough to be flirtatious.

Ever the gentleman, Liam helped Charity into the car, rushing back to the driver's side and speeding off. "I don't want to miss our reservation," he offered in explanation. Of course, the pair arrived at the restaurant with plenty of time to spare, and were seated at an intimate little table within moments.

The rest of the evening went almost perfectly, Liam managing to keep his stuttering to a minimum, and Charity being graciously accepting of his attempts at normal conversation. On the drive back to her apartment, Charity scooted over a bit in her seat, leaning against him and closing her eyes. Liam's heart melted a little more with each passing moment, and by the time he'd escorted her to her doorstep, he was shaking.

Misunderstanding his reaction, Charity touched his forehead with concern. "Are you alright, Liam? Do come inside, I'll fix you a drink." At his hesitation, she smiled gently and tugged at his hand. "I may not have much, but the least I can offer is a drink to warm you up a bit."

She turned to the door, unlocking it in a matter of a few seconds. Stepping inside, Charity cast an inviting glance over her shoulder, clearly intending for him to follow her.

Swallowing hard and trying to ignore the curl of heated anticipation in his belly, Liam walked into the apartment after her, closing the door behind him.



A/N: Oh my, my. Liam! I think he might just be getting some nookie. But we're not really gonna go there. Finally, we're getting to the main story. Not quite yet, but soon. In the next few chapters, I'll be introducing the main character. Who else is excited?


Also, thank you Wynja for reviewing! You're the only reason I updated this quickly. =P