His Perfect Match (Liam Payne AU)

Part 22 - Alex

Alex decided to be cat for Louis's Halloween Party. It was a cheap and easy costume, something she could buy. Liam had already told her that he had a batman outfit that he wore every year and he was going to stick with that because it worked.

School was only a half day, a messy, crazy loud half day and Alex was glad when it was over. She and Jackie cleaned up, throwing out half eaten food and paper napkins. "Go peek in Liam's room." Jackie told her. Alex walked over and opened the door. Three woman, dressed in very tight Halloween shirts were cleaning Liam's room. Liam looked up at her and winked.

Alex pulled her head back in Jackie's room. "Now, that is funny."

"Third year in a row." Jackie laughed. "Harry has them, too. It really upsets Mrs. Brower because she told them all that he was gay. They don't care." Jackie shrugged and grabbed a wipe. "Let's clear this table and go home."

Alex laughed and helped her clean.

Liam was supposed to pick her up at 8 that night. She had asked her Aunt, her mother's sister, to come and be with her parents and she had agreed to come and help that night so Alex could stay the night with Liam, if she wanted to. She had packed a bag, just in case. She dressed in the black dress, tights and ears that made up her 'cat' costume and went down the stairs to wait.

Her mother was on the porch, with her sister, passing out candy. Her father was in the living room, watching TV. Alex went and sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "Hey, Dad. How you feeling? Did you eat?"

"Ya. I ate. I just don't feel right. I don't think I have long, baby."

Alex sat up. "Don't say that. Your last scan was fine."

Her dad shook his head. "It's just a feeling. And I want you to put your mother somewhere so you can have a life. It's too much for a young girl. You need to leave home someday."

"Pfft. Stop. I'm fine."

He shook his head. "You aren't fine."

A horn honked and Alex looked up. Liam was here. "I have to go, Dad." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I'll be home tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded and she ran out the door.

Alex jumped in Liam's SUV and smiled. "Guess what? I can stay the night! But, you'll have to take me to work in the morning? Unless you'd rather I drive my car? Like to your house? Or, I guess I could get an Uber."

Liam laughed. "Slow down. I'd drive you anywhere. You can stay?"

Alex nodded. "Yep. My Aunt is here. Wave! She's on the porch with my mom." Alex waved and so did Liam. "She said she'd help me out. She lives alone, divorced. Kids have moved. Great, right?"

"Sure." Liam laughed. "Great that she's lonely." He shook his head and drove away from the house at to the party.

Alex spotted Jackie as soon as she walked into the party. She was dressed as a nun. A hugely pregnant nun. Niall was dressed as a priest. "We are winning best couples costume this year." Jackie said. "Nobody can beat this!"

Then Harry walked over. He was dressed as Elton John. Louis was right behind him, dressed as a candle. "Nope." Harry said. "Elton and a candle in the wind? We win. Hands down."

Alex laughed, listening to them arguing and looked around the party. There was a station by the windows, voting boxes. She walked over to look. There was best overall, best couple and funniest along with tiny pencils and slips of paper. She wrote Jackie and Niall and slipped it into couples the box. She wrote Louis on funniest. Lots of people were standing along the windows, looking out at the street, watching the people walk into and out of bars. Everyone was in costume. Liam joined her, handing her a cup. "It's pretty great, right?" he said. She nodded. "I love this apartment. If I could, I'd sell my house and get a loft downtown like this."

"Why don't you?" she asked.

"Long story." he said.

She stomped her foot. "I thought we knew everything about each other?"

Liam rolled his eyes and took her hand, leading her over to the stairs and up, out onto the patio space on the roof. Nobody else had come up. "Okay. Well, because I'm under water in my mortgage. We took out a second mortgage to pay for the InVitro. Okay?"

Alex shrugged. "Okay. No big deal. I'm not going to be all weird and huffy."

Liam smiled. "Why are you so nice? Other girls I dated used to be so weird about everything, not wanting to hear about realities like mortgages or ex-wives."

"Because those things don't matter in the long run? I see what is happening to my parents and it makes me just want to be happy. Money? Success? None of that matters. What matters is being with someone you care about. The rest? Pfft."

Liam smiled again. "God, you are the perfect girl, aren't you?"

Alex grinned back and put her arms around his neck. "Maybe."

He leaned down and kissed her. "I'm so glad you are going to spend the night."

She heard music start downstairs. "Are people dancing? I want to dance!"

Liam smiled again and took her back down the stairs to dance.

Alex danced. She danced the fast dances, she danced the slow dances. She danced until she couldn't walk another step. Then, she fell on a couch next to Jackie. "Thank god." Jackie said. "Take me to the bathroom." Liam made a face and went to join a game of beer pong with Niall and Harry.

Alex gave Jackie both her hands and hauled her off the couch. She pulled her over to the bathroom and discovered that it was occupied. They waited and when the door opened, Michelle, Liam's ex-girlfriend stepped out. Jackie rushed into the bathroom and Alex stared at Michelle. She was also dressed like a cat. But, she was a sexy cat, more like cat woman than a cat. Then it hit Alex. She was cat woman. And Liam was dressed as Batman.

"I've been hoping to see you." Michelle said. Then she looked Alex up and down. "Is that supposed to be cat woman? It's awful. It's not even sexy. You don't have the legs for it. Too short."

Alex just rolled her eyes and tried to walk away. Michelle grabbed her arm. "Don't walk away. I need to warn you. Liam. He's a mess, you know. He will break your tiny little heart. It would be better if you just left him now."

Alex pulled her arm away. "Thanks, but I'm good."

Michelle narrowed her eyes. "I'm not joking. He broke up with me and look at me. I'm a ten. You? You are a six on a good day and today is not a good day. Plus, you live at home? What are you, twelve? Come on. Please." Michelle rolled her eyes back at Alex. "Liam and I look so good together." She sighed and turned her head to look at him.

"Right. Too bad he broke up with you." Alex laughed.

Michelle turned and slapped her, hard, right in her cheek. Everyone around them froze and looked at Alex. Alex hated to be stared at. She didn't like to be the center of attention. She stepped back, turned and ran to the stairs and back up. There were people on the patio now, someone had lit the fire table. She looked around and decided to try the bathroom Louis had showed her. Also full. Finally, she decided to try a door that turned out to be a closet. She went in and sat on the floor, shutting the door behind her, her face a flame of embarrassment and hurt.