9 Months (ON HOLD)

Chapter Eight - Sweet Home Alabama*

Ellie hears a voice in the headset Liam's wearing as he pulls away.

He holds a hand over one muff, "We're about to land."

She nods, wiping the last of her tears from her face and claiming her seat once again.

After the two were buckled in, Liam gives the okay through the headset and soon after the plane starts descending.

Ellie grips the arm rests tightly as her stomach lurches. 

"Are you alright?" Liam asks, placing a hand over hers.

She nods, but clenches her jaw.

It wasn't this bad going up.

Liam chuckles and slips his hand into hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She's smiles slightly at him before leaning her head against the seat, willing her blood to stop rushing to her head and roaring in her ears.

Eventually it does and she feels remotely normal again. She takes a deep breath before looking at her hand intertwined with Liam's. His hand is nearly as white as hers since she's holding onto it with all she's worth.

She loosens her grip and her eyes travel up to his. 

Suddenly he drops her hand removes his headset, "We can get off now."

Cold air surrounds her once warm hand as she removes the seatbelt and stands from her chair. Liam doesn't say anything as he walks to the door. They both watch in silence as the stairs are drawn out and moments after they are ushered into a waiting SUV.

"Mr. Ashton, your luggage will be transported to your hotel and I will have the supervisor waiting to assist you in settling. He will personally make sure everything runs as smooth as possible during your stay." A man in a suit addresses Liam as he holds open a door leading into the back of the blacked out vehicle. 

"Thank you." Liam responds, curtly.

The man nods, or more so bows his head, to him before shutting the door behind us.

"He was lovely." Ellie breaks the silence.

Liam doesn't respond.

She looks out the window and watches the trees and fields pass by.

"Where are we staying?" Her curious mind gets the best of her.

"A hotel." He doesn't look to her as he speaks, just stares ahead.

His eyes bore into the back of the driver's seat as Ellie's eyebrows draw together in confusion, "What's wrong?" 

Liam's gaze flicker to her for a split second before he turns his head to the window, "Nothing."

"You were perfectly fine before we landed. Do you not like Alabama?"

He finally looks her in the eye,  "We're not here to stay, we're here to get your sister and leave. Then we both won't have to deal with each other ever again." 

Ellie laughs inwardly, "Why are you helping me anyways? Especially if you don't want to be here."

"Because I couldn't help myself." 

"What do you mean?" She searches his face for answers, but returns with none. His eyes hold no emotion and his lips are set in a straight line. 

"Nothing important. Tonight we need to rest so tomorrow we can report to the police. It would be wise to not work yourself up."

Nothing important my ass.

Nevertheless, Ellie audibly agrees and silently tries to figure out what he meant.

Eventually they pull up to the entrance of a luxurious hotel; Nothing more than what she expected, but Ellie gasps at the sight.

"You couldn't just be plain and simple for once in your life, could you?" She deadpans.

He chuckles slightly before sliding from his seat and landing on the brick pavement, graciously. 

"I didn't even know Alabama had such nice hotels." She does a complete 360, taking in the place. Since it was getting dark, the entire area was lit up and absolutely gorgeous. Even the fountain that was spurting water far over her head was shimmering with lights.

"Let's go." Liam metaphorically pulls her from her trance and literally through the golden front doors. 

A man wearing a grey suit and small circular glasses perched on his nose rushes towards the two, "Mr. Ashton! What an honor it is to have you staying with us. Shall I show you where you'll be staying?"

Liam gives him a short nod before following along side him as he rambles about how amazing it is to have such a man like Liam staying at his hotel.

Might as well be a prince.

Ellie trails behind them and nearly runs into the men when they stop in front of a door.
The supervisor flashes a card over the reader before it unlocks and he pushes open the door.

"I was told you prefer rooms on higher floors when you're out of town. I hope this will do." The man stands back to allow Liam and Ellie into the room. 

"This will be just fine, you are dismissed." 

The man bows his head in acknowledgement before scurrying away, shutting the door behind him. 

"You could be nicer, you know." Ellie says, turning away from the window to give Liam a disapproving look.

He just shrugs before kicking off his shoes and plopping down onto the bed. The only bed. 

"There's one bed and two of us." She states as if it was the most confusing thing in the world.

"There's also a couch." 

She glares at him, "I'm not sleeping on the couch." 

"There's also a floor." 

She groans.

"Well I'm not sleeping on the couch." He says, matter-of-factly.

"There's also a floor." Grinning, she sits on the opposite side of the bed and uses her feet to edge him off.

He smirks when she realizes that he wasn't budging and that her legs weren't strong enough to move him.

"I hate you." She lays down with her back towards him.

"I never said you had to like me." 

She rolls her eyes, but soon her vision is gone as the lights are turned out. 

A few moments later, she hears Liam's breathing steady.

"Hey, Liam?"

"What do you want?" She can imagine him burning holes into her soul for waking him up.

"Do you think my sister will be okay?" She stares into the darkness, waiting for it to swallow her into unconsciousness. 

It feels like a decade past before he answers, "If I have anything to do with it."

* * * * *

"Ellie?" A blonde head pops up over the side of the bed.

Seventeen-year-old Ellie sits up in her pink infested bed, "Hope, it's Ellaina."

"Momma always called you Ellie." The five-year-old climbs up onto the bed with her.

Her face softens, "Mom isn't here, Hope."

Hope frowns, "I miss mom."

Ellie gathers her into her arms, "Me too."

"Why does daddy hate us?" She looks up to Ellie.

"I wish I knew, but I will get us away from him, okay? I promise."