BJ’s been kind of quiet with the ladies the past few weeks, but something seems to have sparked his womanising ways again. I wonder briefly if Liv’s appearance and us getting together has anything to do with it, but I push the thought away as quickly as it came.
Knowing I’ve got something planned for her means my morning drags. My four hours on the radio usually flies, but every time I look at the clock, only minutes have passed.
I may have told a little white lie about Liv meeting me here so we could spend the day together. In reality, I’ve got someone else meeting her before I do. I probably should have told her so she could have prepared, but I wanted it to be a surprise.
As the clock ticks around towards the end of my show, my nerves increase. I know she’s going to be on her way, totally oblivious of what’s about to happen.
* * *
I finish up my show before going to get a coffee. I sit myself by the door so I’ll be able to see her the second she appears. Hopefully, I’ll be able to read her expression before she sees me and know if I’m in the shit or not.
I’m in luck, because when she does appear around the corner, she’s with my boss. He says something to her as they come to a stop by the entrance to the café, and he sticks his hand out for her to shake. Her returning smile is wide but it doesn’t quite meet her eyes, and my heart sinks. Have I done the wrong thing?
“Oh my god!” she squeals when she sees me watching and my boss has walked off down the corridor. “You could have bloody warned me.” Walking over to where I’m now stood, she makes a show of playfully slapping my shoulder. Her smile is much more genuine now, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
When I heard through the grapevine that one of the journalists found out she was seven months pregnant, I immediately went to my boss and threw Liv’s name in the hat. He’d already met her and was impressed when she came to interview for a junior position earlier in the summer, but he felt she would be lowering herself to offer her the job. I’m not sure she felt the same at the time, because it was her attempt at getting out of Cardiff. But she’s here now, and this job has her name written all over it.
“Yeah, I probably should. But I remember how nervous you were last time, so… Anyway, what did he say?”
“That it’s mine!”
Grabbing her arms, I pull her to me. “Congratulations,” I say before kissing her so deeply that it earns a couple of wolf whistles from the others in the café.
“I need coffee,” she admits when I release her.
As I stand and wait to pay for her cappuccino, I watch her. Gone is the joy from a few minutes ago; instead, she looks much like she did when she first arrived here, with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“Sir?” the girl behind the till shouts, dragging me from the thoughts about what could be going on.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you,” she says, plastering a bright smile on her face.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Sure.”
Sliding my hand into hers, I pull her with me to where my car’s parked. She talks about what my boss said in her interview, but her voice doesn’t have the excitement I would have expected.
Pulling up in an almost deserted car park at the top of a cliff, I kill the engine and turn towards her.
“Are you mad at me for not telling you?”
“What? No, of course not. Thank you so much for organising it,” she says as an afterthought.
“What’s going on, Liv? It’s like you’re not really here.”
“Nothing. Everything’s fine.” Her fake smile makes a reappearance, and all it does is piss me off.
“No, it’s not,” I snap, a little more harshly than I intended. Her eyes widen and her chin drops. “Sorry, but something’s happened, I know it has. Tell me. Let me help.”
I can see she’s torn. Her brows crease and her eyes darken before she tears them away from mine and focuses out to the sea beyond. The waves crash into the rocks and I can’t help but feel like it’s a sign for what’s to come.
Chapter Fourteen
Olivia
I pretend to still be asleep when Liam gets up and leaves my room. As usual, he pauses to kiss my forehead, but this morning I almost sob when his lips touch my skin. I’m not stupid; I’m aware he knows I’m up to something. I also know that I probably should tell him what’s going on and accept his help, but I can’t. I need to end this myself. Enough people have already been hurt at that monster’s hands. I won’t allow him to hurt anyone else I love.
I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. The photo he sent me a few days ago has been burned onto my eyelids, along with the thought of what I could be walking into today. This could be the biggest mistake of my life, but I’m not shying away from that arsehole. All this bullshit ends today. I just hope it’s the way I want.
My hands tremble as I dress once I’ve heard Liam leave for work. I don’t need to set off yet, but I can’t just sit here, waiting. I’ll drive myself crazy.
After making myself a very strong coffee, I get in the car and head off for a place I’d quite happily never visit again.
I loved it when I first moved. Being away from my parents and doing my own thing meant I thought Cardiff was the best place in the world. The nightlife was insane and my uni mates were awesome. I thought it was the beginning of something epic. Then, I met David, and I thought I was going to have it all. A caring boyfriend and the career I’ve always dreamed of. I never expected everything to go so wrong, so fast.
A bubble of excitement threatens to erupt at the thought of my new job, but I force it down. I can’t look forward to any of that until this is sorted. I’ve tried to look happy about it in my attempt to keep Liam at arm’s length, but I’ve failed. He’s worried, and probably rightly so.
The sun’s beating down when I pull up into the car park behind the building I used to live in, bathing the whole place in a brightness it really doesn’t deserve. My entire body trembles with adrenaline as I sit and wait.
Dragging my phone from the bottom of my bag, I open my messages for a reminder of why I’m doing this.
I suck in a breath just like I have done every time I’ve opened his message. The photo is everything I feared would happen. It’s the reason I stayed.
The sight of David lying in a hospital bed, battered, bruised and attached to machines fills my screen, and I fight the tears that sting the back of my eyes. I haven’t been in love with him for a very long time, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt to know what he’s been through.
Scrolling through Griff’s threats that followed when I didn’t respond to the photo ignites a fire in my belly.
Blowing out a long breath as I prepare for what’s to come, I grab my phone and drop it into my hoodie pocket before getting out of the car.
I didn’t give a time. I knew I didn’t need to. I have every confidence that he’s waiting.
The security system’s fucked like it always has been, so I easily get into the building. My heart pounds in my ears as I climb the stairs, the very familiar piss smell filling my nose.
When the sight of my old front door comes into view, I stop, afraid that I’m going to puke. Every muscle in my body is pulled tight, and I can hardly breathe through the fear.
I hit call on my phone before I swipe the key from its hiding place and try to walk inside with as much confidence as I can muster.
I heave the second the smell hits me. It’s so putrid that I can’t even decipher what it could be. It’s dark, and as I round the corner, I find all the curtains pulled with just a lamp on in the corner of the room. There’s crap everywhere; it’s nothing like when I lived here. In just a few short weeks, Griff’s managed to make it look like a crack den. I almost laugh to myself as I think that that’s probably what it is now. David’s in hospital trying to recover from his most recent and most brutal beating, while Griff’s been here doing fuck knows what.
My breath catches the second I see h
is dark form on the sofa. I watch his shoulders move with his slow breathing as my heart jumps into my throat. He’s going to know I’m here any second. What’s he going to do?
“You’re even fucking stupider than I thought, bitch.” His quiet words slam into me and, as he turns his evil eyes on me, I realise what an epic mistake this was. His eyes hold mine before they drop to take in my body. My stomach turns over and my skin prickles with hatred. When his eyes eventually come back up to mine, they’re dark and hard, holding a promise of what’s to come. He’s going to fucking kill me before anyone has a chance of locking him up again.
Standing, I breathe a sigh of relief as he wobbles. I can only hope that I’m slightly more alert than he is and therefore have the upper hand. Quicker than I expected, he’s right in front of me, his vile breath rushing over my face as his nose lowers so it’s almost touching mine.
I’m desperate not to show that I’m scared but, without realising, I start backing away. The second I look to the side, I realise I’ve made a massive mistake. He’s backed me into a corner. My body trembles and tears burn my eyes, but I won’t cry. I will not allow this motherfucker to see that he scares me in any way.
He moves before I have a chance to react. His hand wraps around my neck and I’m slammed back into the wall with a thud before his fist connects with my eye socket. Pain radiates from my eye and white light flashes before me, blinding me to what might happen next.
His fingers squeeze my throat and I fight to drag any oxygen into my lungs as pain pierces my head.
“You have any idea how long I’ve waited for this?” he snarls, his breath causing bile to burn my throat. His nose runs along my jaw as the tears I don’t want to shed fill my eyes. “It ends today. You’ll give me what I need.”
His fingers pull down the zip of my hoodie, and I find some fight. I start clawing at the arm still holding me against the wall by my neck.
“Keep fighting, bitch. You know how much I enjoy it.”
I growl as I scratch at him, his skin bunching up under my nails.
“It was worth putting that little fucker in the hospital to get you back here. I’m going to do what I should have done all those months ago and fucking ruin you. You’ll never forget who this pussy belongs to.” He lowers his hand and grabs me between the legs. A cry falls from my lips and he presses harder against me. “I’m going to ruin you for anyone else.”
My vision starts to blur from lack the of oxygen. Griff must sense what’s going on because his hold on my neck loosens. “I ain’t giving you the pleasure of blacking out. You’re going to experience every single second of what I’ve got for you. I’ve been dreaming about fucking up this tight little body, and now I’ve got you all to myself. No one’s coming to your rescue this time, princess. So, where shall I start?” His eyes drop from mine, and I shudder as he opens my hoodie to get a better look at what’s beneath before his disgusting black fingers pop the button on my jeans.
“NO!” I scream, swinging my arms, trying to fight him off. He might be strung out on fuck knows what, but he’s bigger and stronger than me. One swift kick to my knees and I’m down. My head slams back on the floor. White light flashes behind my eyes once again, and I lose sense of my surroundings.
When I come back to myself, I feel his dirty hand trail from my breast, down my stomach, tugging at my waistband.
I scream at the top of my voice, although I know it’s pointless. Most of the flats here are empty or full of drunks and druggies. No one’s coming, and the weight of my stupid decision to come here hits me full-force.
I called for help before I even stepped foot in this place. If they were coming, they’d be here by now.
My head pounds, my throat burns and, as I feel harsh movement at my waist, I turn my head to the side and retch.
It’s at that moment I hear a crash, followed by the best sound I think I’ve ever heard in my life.
“LIV!”
I watch, eyes wide as Liam barrels into the room. He slams his fist into Griff’s face, making him fall off me and straight to the floor before he drops next to me.
“Fucking hell, Liv. What the fuck were you thinking?” he asks, after he’s given me a once-over to check for injuries.
He’s just lifted me up into his arms when the people I was expecting come rushing through the door.
“Police!” Two men run over to Griff, pull him up to a sitting position and restrain him while a woman and another man turn to us.
Liam
I’ve never experienced relief like I did the second I wrapped my arms around Liv’s body. She’d been acting weird for days. I knew she was up to something. I never would have said anything to the others if I didn’t think she was going to put herself in danger, but as much as I wanted to have her beside me every second to ensure her safety, I knew I couldn’t, so I had to rely on everyone else to keep an eye out.
The moment BJ’s name lit up my phone, I knew. My stomach dropped and I was making my way out of the studio before I even answered the call. He didn’t have any details, but I didn’t need them. I knew exactly where she was heading.
My girl wanted to put an end to everything that happened up in Cardiff. I couldn’t blame her after what she went through, but I sure as hell wished she’d asked for help.
Her body trembles in my arms and her tears soak the fabric of my t-shirt as the police do their thing. Their arrival was a bit of a shock, but I’m so fucking glad she was sensible enough to call for some back-up.
Fury fills me as I watch the coppers drag Griff’s limp body from the floor and push him towards the door, before the female officer drops beside us.
“Liv,” I whisper when she makes no attempt to move. “The police would like to talk to you.”
She pulls her head from the crook of my neck and my heart aches when I take in her bruised, tear-stained face. As relieved as I am that she’s okay, I’m furious with her.
“We’re going to need to take statements from you, love. Are you okay to come to the station or do you need medical attention?”
“I’m…I’m okay. Can Liam come?”
“Of course.”
The officer leaves after giving us instructions to follow them, but Liv makes no attempt to move.
“Liv, we need to go.” I try to keep my voice soft. She’s been through enough; she doesn’t need to know how I’m really feeling on top of all that.
After a few minutes, she climbs off me and I follow her down to the car park.
* * *
We’re in the station for hours. I spend most of that sat in a tiny waiting room, not having a fucking clue what’s going on or how long I’m going to be sat there. It does give me a chance to make a few phone calls, though—something Liv should have done a long time ago. I’m done with allowing her not to deal with any of this properly. If we’re going to have any kind of future together, she needs to start trying to put all this behind her. Unfortunately that’s going to have to start with her talking about it, whether she likes it or not.
The longer I sit there, the more images I manage to conjure up of how differently this day could have gone. My fingers grip onto the chair, my knuckles white as thoughts of Griff touching my girl enter my mind. It was obvious the second I walked in what he was planning. Just the thought of his fingers on her flawless skin makes me murderous. It’s probably a good thing the police turned up when they did, because I’ve no idea what I would have done.
I’m totally consumed by my thoughts and fears that I miss the movement in the doorway until I hear my name.
“Liam, I’m done,” Liv says quietly as she stares down at the ground.
Standing, I walk over and pull her into my arms. Her body trembles against me and it’s enough to push my anger down a little as I focus on getting her away from all of this.
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I direct her towards my car with the intention of getting her home.
That idea’s shot to shit the second I start the engine.
> “Can you take me back to the flat, please?”
“What? Why?”
“I’ve still got a few things there I’d like to collect. If it’s okay?” she adds, clearly sensing my unease.
“You’ll have five minutes.”
“That’s fine, thank you.”
The drive to her old flat is in silence. She must know she’s really testing my patience right now.
I pull back up to the shitty old building and blow out a long breath as Liv hesitates to get out of the car.
“You don’t have to do this. It’s just stuff, Liv. You can get more.”
“It’s not just stuff. You can wait here if you like. I’ll just be a minute.”
“No fucking way.”
I follow her up and then stand in the hallway and wait while she rummages about a bit, filling a bag.
“Done?”
“Yes.”
“Fantastic. Now, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
The bruise on her face is getting darker by the second, and she looks like she’s about to collapse with exhaustion.
Taking the half-empty bag from her hand, I guide her back out to my car. She glances over to hers at the other side of the car park but she doesn’t say anything as I open the door for her. “We’ll sort that out later,” I say, but all she does is nod as I lean in to help her with the seatbelt.
I expected her to fall asleep immediately but, to my surprise, she sits staring out the window for a lot longer than I was expecting.
“Turn around,” she demands.
“What?”
“Turn the car around.”
“No fucking chance.”
“Liam, please. I need to go back. There’s something I have to do.”
“I’m taking you home.”
“Then I’ll just come back on my own.”
I know she’s playing me to get what she wants, but fuck if it doesn’t work.
Falling For Liam (Falling Book 9) Page 14
