Surprising Who: Liam and Darcy Where: The festival When: after the auction
Darcy had Liam’s arm as she pulled him off the stage and towards the area to pay. Once she’d settled up, she was smiling at Liam again, tucking the movie tickets into her pocket. “So...I’m Darcy.” In case he didn’t know but she really hoped he knew. Liam was not prepared for this. He went with her and struggled to keep up with her, watching her settle up for him and feeling really strange about it. This really pretty girl had just paid a lot for him and how was he supposed to act now? “I know,” He answered, looking back at her. “I’m Liam...”
That made Darcy giggle, hand finding Liam’s again. “I know that. I’ve known that for a while.” They were practically the same height, but that didn’t bother Darcy, it just put her closer to him. She started away from the tent, pulling him with her, but not as hard as she’d pulled him off the stage.
Liam followed again, feeling like it was all he could do anymore. She knew his name. She knew about him and she was planning on bidding so much on him to win him. “Where?” He asked, looking around them in an attempt to try and get his wits together. Was this the part where he was supposed to take charge? Because that didn’t seem like it was happening and he was actually ok with that since ‘take charge’ wasn’t really in his vocabulary.
“Just not around everyone else.” Lochlan and Patrick had seen her with Liam, or they should have which was a big part of the plan. The other part, that was more getting Liam away from the crowd and once they did, she slowed, taking them more to a casual walk, but not quite letting go of his hand.
How had he ended up here? He was sure absolutely no one was going to bid on him tonight and here he was, strolling with pretty Darcy still holding his hand. “I...didn’t plan,” He started, suddenly embarrassed about that. “Didn’t think...didn’t think I would be picked.”
Darcy grinned, something that she didn’t get to do often, considering how often she was surrounded by people that made her insane. “You weren’t supposed to have a plan. I was supposed to have a plan. And I don’t know why you didn’t think so. That blonde put me through the ringer to get you.” She bumped her shoulder against his lightly.
Audrey. Audrey had left, he’d seen it, and it made him instantly concerned about her. Was she ok? Was she upset? He’d have to find her after this. He’d definitely find her after this. Looking back at Darcy, he felt his face flush with heat and hoped it wasn’t too obvious. He couldn’t ask her why she’d picked him. He didn’t need the answer and he wasn’t ever sure he would be able to take it anyway. Instead, he tried for something else. “What is your plan?”
Darcy nibbled at her lower lip, watching him from under a loose lock of red hair. “Well step one was picking the guy who looked the least like my family as possible, then bidding on him in front of my more protective male cousins. So did that just fine. Then I was thinking we’d find somewhere quiet and sort of away from everyone else to watch the movie from later?”
Liam was so far out of his element here. Was what she just said a good or a bad thing? He didn’t even know. He wanted it to be a good thing, but had she only picked him because he didn’t look like an O’Reilly? And if so, did it really bother him that much? All he had were questions with no real answers. “Quiet is good. I like quiet.” Maybe the understatement of the year, but still. Quiet he could do. He glanced at her for a moment then added, after clearing his throat, “Thank you.”
“You and me both,” Darcy said, nodding her head and squeezing his hand lightly. When he thanked her, she made a confused face, looking at him. “Thank you? For what?”
“For bidding on me,” He answered, looking back at her and smiling softly. He’d not expected this to happen and definitely hadn’t expected to be bought for so much. It still stunned him.
“Oh that. Don’t thank me for that. Thank you for being an option. I didn’t think that was going to be the case.” Darcy smiled more as they got to a more secluded part of the park. The setup for the movie was still there, not too far out of view, but there weren’t a lot of people loitering where she finally stopped, dropping to sit and pull him down with her.
Liam fell down with her, awkwardly crossing his legs under himself as he settled down. The movie was a good thing for him. He could sit next to Darcy and watch a movie. He could definitely do that. And she’d just thanked him for even being an option. He smiled to himself then glanced over at her again. “Do you know the movie?”
“I saw it once, long time ago obviously. Never really got into the singing, but it’s been forever since I’ve seen a movie, I don’t think I’d care.” She leaned back, resting on her elbows as she looked up at him. “So I’m guessing since you were in the auction you don’t have a girlfriend?”
That shot the nerves right back up and he could feel his cheeks heat up again at the question. He ended up shaking his head. “No,” He said, though he did think of Audrey. He wondered if she was all right, if she’d be at home when he got home. Looking back at Darcy, he tilted his head toward her. “No boyfriend?” He asked, thinking it would be bad if she had one and had bid on him out of spite or something, but it didn’t seem like that was the case.
Darcy smiled at that. “Good. I wanted to ask before, because you didn’t seem interested anyone...” She thought of Audrey as well, the blond who looked familiar but didn’t go to school with them. During the auction she’d wondered if the blond was his girlfriend or something, but eventually the girl had given up and Darcy had mostly forgotten about her. Shaking her head she laughed just a tiny bit. “No. My cousins...make dating hard. And I haven’t quite found anyone that’s caught my attention. Well..not since I spotted you.” Because she had spotted Liam before today, interested in the quiet and reserved guy who seemed nothing like what she was used to, which was most of the appeal. Even the guys she’d flirted with, or dated or whatever you called it, they were like Lochlan, like Patrick, like her own brothers. Liam was nothing like any of them, which made him better by default.
What? Since she’d seen him? “Here?” He asked, because he couldn’t believe that Darcy might have seen him before the auction and thought that maybe she would want to bid on him. This whole night was surreal but that would be incredibly surreal. More surreal than anything he could really think of.
Darcy looked at him confused for a moment before sitting up, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “No. At school. Around.” She leaned in more, watching his eyes. “You didn’t see me did you?”
Liam felt a lot like he needed to backtrack. His hands went to his bracelet, still on his wrist, fingers plucking at the beads on it as he looked back her way. “I saw you,” He promised, though he spoke quicker than usual to try and make sure she didn’t jump to conclusions. “Just...didn’t...can’t believe you saw...” He’d seen Darcy in school but never would he have imagined that she’d be in a bidding war against Audrey for him. And never would he have expected that realization to be a difficult as it was.
“Why? Have you looked in a mirror lately? People notice you Liam. You just don’t care.” Which Darcy liked about him. He had that nonchalant cool that came with not giving a damn about what others thought. Despite all her bravado and inability to keep her mouth shut, she didn’t have that.
That Liam was not expecting. He didn't care? He definitely cared. He just didn't know how to interact with people. Did Darcy pick him because she thought he was some quiet, bad boy? Because that was so far from the truth. "I...care. Care about people."
Darcy raised one eyebrow. “Maybe you care about them, but you don’t care what they think. Or if they think about you.”
Because most people don’t think about me. Liam’s head tilted down as he looked at his hands again. “Just want the people that matter to be happy. To be safe.”
She tilted her head to try and catch her eyes. “Who matters?”
When she did catch it, Liam looked back at her and instantly answered, “Finn, Audrey, Eli.” His hand went to his bracelet again and part of him wanted to mention Hayley and his mother, but he didn’t think he would. Not yet.
“Is Audrey the blonde?” Darcy asked, thinking that was the only girl name and she’d seen Finn get bid off to Avery. She leaned in more and eyed the bracelet. “She give you that?”
His hand instantly went over his bracelet to cover it, protective and safe. He shook his head and looked back at her. “No, not Audrey. But that was Audrey...” He frowned a little, the words playing in his head again and not making sense the second time either. “Audrey is blonde. Audrey did not give me this. She gives me presents though.”
Darcy frowned when he covered the bracelet, hand reaching towards his to see it. “Who gave you this?” she asked.
Liam didn’t want to flinch, but he did. His hand didn’t leave from over his bracelet and he wasn’t able to really look at Darcy while he sat there, clutching to a little girl’s elastic bracelet. “No...” He said gently, shaking his head a little more. Not yet, he couldn’t do this yet. This was their first real conversation and talking about Hayley didn’t work that way.
She bit at her lip, watching him for a moment not sure what to make of it. She did pull her hand away. “Someone that didn’t make it then,” she concluded. They all had that look. Darcy had seen it before, once or twice in the mirror. “So Audrey brings you presents and bids on you in the auction and she’s not your girlfriend. That’s gonna be fun for me.”
Liam felt his cheeks flare up again and he wasn’t sure he liked this conversation any more than he liked the one about Hayley’s bracelet. He felt a pang in his chest when she mentioned it was someone who didn’t make it but it was mostly dull now, overwritten with the panic that was setting in from her new words. “Why?”
“Because it sucks having to compete with another girl. We’re mean.” Darcy sneered a little before shrugging. “Lucky for me, I won.” She paused a moment as something dawned on her and she turned back to Liam. “Are you okay with the fact that I won?” It was one thing for her to get what she wanted, time alone with Liam, but did that matter if he didn’t want to be around her? She might still be able to change his mind, but it might take a lot longer than she would have liked.
Why so much talking? Why? Nothing good for Liam came when he had to talk to people this often. He wished the movie would just start so he could avoid Darcy’s next question altogether but instead he had to look her way, hand going to cover his bracelet again. “Yes...” He answered first, but it was automatic and he didn’t want to lie to her. “Maybe,” He said more honestly, now more tentative to look her way. He hadn’t been prepared for this at all and he was positive he still wasn’t, but he didn’t dislike Darcy so far. He just didn’t know how to approach things like this.
“Maybe?” Darcy said, making a face. “Lucky me indeed.” She didn’t like the sound of that and it made her feel a little rejected, leaning back again, sticking her legs out in front of her.
And Liam panicked again. “I’m not good at this,” He said instantly, looking back down at his feet instead of her because it was easier. He didn’t want to send Darcy running. She was nice, aside from the fact that she seemed to think Audrey was a threat, for whatever reason he wasn’t ready to let himself understand yet. “Don’t...do well with....this,” He said, motioning between the two of them then to the movie. “With lots of things...but I’m happy to be here.”
Darcy looked at him, softening a little. She needed to remember that he wasn’t like her family. Her family was better at this and as a result she was forgetting not everyone else was. She leaned forward again and shifted closer. “You’re doing fine. Promise.” She hesitated a moment before leaning in and kissing his cheek. “I’m happy to be here too.”
His cheeks heated up and he could feel the shock rise in him. Her kiss burned on his cheek, hotter than he was already feeling, and Liam bashfully ducked his head a little as he tried to process what just happened. This was someone new, this was a new girl who had just kissed him. And his thoughts were warring with the hummingbird-rate of his heart. When he was finally able to glance back at her, it was to give her a smile just as bashful as moments before.
Darcy bit her lip when he blushed like that, stifling a giggle that shone her eyes. She didn’t look like herself, or that was something Avery or Lochlan would say. She took that smile as a good sign and settled for pulling her knees up towards her chest and resting her elbows on them. She was closer, not touching him, but almost.
And this distance might be all Liam could handle. This whole situation was so strange, so foreign to him, but he was actually smiling to himself by the time the movie started. He knew he’d need to talk to Finn and Eli and Audrey when he could see them again, but right now he was actually enjoying being here, with Darcy, and it was a feeling he didn’t expect to have so soon.