Page 63 of Destructive Truths

“Fuck.” Rohan halts, drawing me into his chest before he pulls his phone from his tuxedo pants and dials Liam’s number before putting the call on speaker. Thankfully, he picks up on the first ring.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at the car. I was looking for Beibhinn, but it turns out she’s already back at the lodge.” Through the speaker, we hear Liam unlocking the car with a beep and then the door opening as he climbs in. “I was just about to—”

The line goes deathly silent mid-sentence, and a fresh wave of panic crawls up my throat. “Liam… Liam, are you still there?”

“Rohan,” Liam croaks, his voice breaking on the last syllable. “Under the seat. It clicked. I heard it click.”

“Heard what click?”

“Fuck.” The panic in his voice cracks my chest wide open. “I can’t move, man. If I move… shit.”

Then, before anyone can stop me, I rip from Rohan’s grasp. I grab ahold of my tulle skirt with both hands, kick off my heels, and take off running.

“Saoirse. Wait!”

I hear them barrelling down the hallway behind me, but I don’t stop, racing towards the car, needing to get to him.

Panic threatens to pull me under, my heart ripping from my chest with every stride. Within seconds, I rush down the steps, frantically scanning the car park for Rohan’s gunmetal grey Aventador as Liam’s name tears from my throat with the sharpness of a thousand razor blades. “Liam!”

“Saoirse!” Rohan roars. “Stop!” But I can’t. I need to get to Liam.

I push as hard as my lungs allow, and finally, the car comes into view. The air cuts every breath as tears stream down my cheeks, blurring my vision. The closer I get, the more I can make him out, head resting against the headrest, his fingers wrapped tight around the steering wheel. “Liam!”

The next thing I know, I am pressed against the window, my palm against the glass, fighting for his attention. “Dev, please. Please look at me.”

My words tumble out, mirroring stuttering sounds. Hot tears stream down my face, and I squeeze my eyelids shut. Then, through choppy breathing and watery eyes, I bring my gaze back to his and beg over and over. “Liam. Please look at me.”

I thought I knew what heartbreak felt like, but… nothing in the world could ever come close to the gut-wrenching pain clawing at my every limb. Every breath catches as my cries heave from my chest, rattling my entire body. “No, no, no! Get out of the car, Liam. Please. I’m begging you.”

Without shifting his body weight, he tilts his face towards me, and I break. Falling to my knees, I keep my gaze on him, watching as a stream of tears flows from his eyes as he clenches his jaw tight. “I get it now, Saoirse. You were always supposed to be the love of my life, but I—” His words catch. “I was never supposed to be yours. He was.” He tips his chin slightly, and I peer over my shoulder, finding Rohan standing off to the side, allowing us to have this moment.

When I bring my attention back to Liam, a pain beyond soul deep lines his forehead and the corners of his eyes. “I need you to remember something for me, okay?”

I shake my head from side to side, refusing to hear his goodbye. “Remember it yourself, because I am not letting you leave me. Not like this.”

Ignoring me, he holds my gaze. “I love you, Free Bird. Always have, always will.”

“No-no-no-no. You have to—” My words lodge in the base of my throat, but I push past it, refusing to let him give up like this. “You have to get out of the car.”

His eyes briefly close as he wrangles his emotions. “Just remember that for me, okay? Remember that I loved you until the end.”

“No. Please.” My body rattles with heartbreak. “Dev. For me. Please, get out of the fucking car.”

“I wish I could, baby.”

Teeth clattering, I place my hand on the window. “Don’t. Please don’t leave me. You promised, Dev. You promised me all your sunsets.”

“I’m sorry, darlin’. I’m so sorry.”

“No. Don’t say that. Don’t look at me like this is goodbye.”

“Look after Bev for me, okay? She’s gonna need you.”

“Stop, please. Stop!”

Liam’s gaze falls over my shoulder, and the next thing I know, Rohan is behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as he lifts me off my knees and pulls me from the window. Using everything I have, I fight against his grip, kicking and screaming. “Put me fucking down.”

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