Page 1 of Falling For Liam
Prologue
Olivia
The scent of his whiskey-laced breath fills my nose and my stomach turns over. The warm air burns into my skin. Unable to control my reaction, I fight to get to the edge of the bed and retch. His touch is too much. Pulling my arms free of his grasp, I drop my face into my hands. My cheeks are soaked with my tears, my hair stuck to the sweat that’s covering my body. As I manage to drag in a few deep breaths between my sobs, the image that was just so vivid in my mind slowly begins to fade away. It’s not until I hear a different voice to the one that was just filling my ears that I realise it was all a dream. He’s not here. He’s not the one leering down at me.
“Fuck, David,” I pant, and relief washes through me as I look up to the familiar blue eyes of my boyfriend. But my entire body continues to tremble and my heart pounds erratically in my chest. I’d hoped he would bring me comfort, make me feel safe, but I experience neither of those things. As we stare at each other, the only thing I feel is empty.
“You were having a nightmare,” he says, nonchalantly.
Another piece of my heart fractures at his attitude. He knows exactly what my nightmare was about, but if it’s possible, he’s even more broken than I am.
David rolls back over and almost immediately falls into an alcohol-induced coma. Resting back against the hard wall behind our bed, I try to get my head together. I told myself that I owed it to both of us to give our relationship one final push. We’d been together too long to just let what we had slip away. Who am I kidding; what we had vanished a long time ago. About the same time, David fell into a bottle of whiskey to deal with his problems instead of facing them head-on. That bottle took a little more away from me everyday. I practically stood there and watched what was a blossoming relationship go down the drain. Maybe I should have given up on him. It might have been the easiest option. But I didn’t want easy. I wanted my knight in shining armour. I wanted David. Well…the David that existed at the beginning of our relationship. The one who rescued me, protected me, and looked at me as if I was his everything. Yeah, that David is long gone, but I’m still here. Still clinging to memories of what once was.
Chapter One
Olivia
“Have you left yet?” Nicole squeals down the phone. Her obvious excitement helps to lighten my mood a little.
“I’m just about to lock up, then I’m on my way. I couldn’t get out of work.”
Tonight is her and Declan’s engagement party, and I promised I wouldn’t miss it. I want to be excited—Nicole deserves good things, and I want to celebrate with them, I really do, but…I’m going to be reminded of what everyone else’s lives are like. More importantly, I’m going to seehimagain. Liam Haynes. The radio DJ come surfer who I’ve fought like hell to get out of my head since the first time I met him.
He’s not my type at all with his dark hair and even darker eyes, but shit if he didn’t have some weird effect on me the first moment I first saw him all those weeks ago.
Spending a couple of weeks down in Devon with Nicole before my brother’s wedding was equally the best and worst time of my life. I was so desperate to get away from my shitty life, to be able to breathe for the first time in weeks…Then, I discovered what I should be experiencing.
Happiness.
Everyone in that little bay seemed so happy. They all had good things in their lives, and it made my misery seem even worse.
But I’m not going to bail on David. None of this is his fault. He’s just trying to cope the best way he can.
The further away I get from Cardiff, the more I relax. I blow out a long, slow breath as a feeling of safety washes through me. It’s something I haven’t felt in a long time.
The last time I made this journey, I was desperate for a break. I needed to get away from David and the depression that surrounded him over the previous months. It coincided with his brother’s reappearance, but I was totally in the dark about why it was affecting him so much. Now, the truth couldn’t be clearer. Being away from all of that, even if it is just for the night, has me sitting up a little straighter, the weight of it all no longer crushing me.
My relief only lasts so long; the closer I get to the coast the more my nerves start to flutter in my stomach. It’s been over a month since I was here. I’ve had no contact from him in that time, and why would I? I was no one to him. I’d be delusional to think I’ve featured in a single one of his thoughts, but I can’t help my apprehension at the prospect of seeing him again. Nicole didn’t tell me if he’d be here, and I was too scared to have it confirmed, but seeing as he’s Declan’s best friend, I think there’s a very slim chance of him missing tonight.
I crest a hill, beginning the final part of my journey, when a mass of red brake lights appear in the distance. Groaning in frustration, I slow down, along with all the other cars around me. I’m already late, thanks to my arsehole boss ‘forgetting’ that I needed to leave early—now, I’m going to be stuck here for god knows how long.
It’s only a few seconds before I bring the car to a complete stop. Resting my head back, I allow my eyes to close for a beat. It’s a mistake, because all I see is him. The temptation was there before, but after the last few weeks, I’m not sure how I’m going to react to him.
* * *
By the time I pull up behind the beachfront shack that Dec owns, where the party’s being held, the sun is just about to set. Stunning pinks and oranges are reflected back at me from the sea beyond. This place is a little sanctuary; life here seems so much easier. No one really knows me, so I don’t feel like I need to make excuses like I would if I were with my family. Nic knows a little about my life, but she has no clue about the severity of it.
No one, apart from the people involved, knows about that.
Looking around, I make sure no one can see as I peel off my creased work shirt and replace it with a black low cut top and a skirt. I do the best job I can of my make up in the visor mirror before opening the door and throwing my hair over my head in an attempt to get some volume into it. I fuss about with it a little before giving up. I don’t know why I’m bothering; it’s not going to make an ounce of difference.
A smile twitches my lips as I slide my feet into my favourite shoes. They look like they should be uncomfortable, but in reality, it’s like they were made specifically for me. I could wear them like I do my slippers. They’re so powerful that, as I wrap the ties around my ankles, I feel like I’ve just placed amour around my entire body. Securing the ends in a blood knot that I’ve perfected over the last few years to ensure they don’t come undone, I grab my bag from the passenger seat and stand. I stretch out my tired muscles before slamming the door and taking my first step towards whatever this night is going to hold.
Along with the crashing sea beyond, the gravel under my feet is the only noise I can hear, but as I get closer to the shack, the sounds of the excitement inside start to filter through to me.
My pace slows as my apprehension of being in a crowded room begins to get the better of me. At the last minute, I turn away from the shack and head down towards the beach.
I perch myself on the wall a little down from the shack and allow the silence of the night to relax me a little. I want to be here with Nicole. I want to celebrate with her, but I’m going to need to banish the bullshit rolling around inside my head if I’m not going to have her questioning me the second I walk in that place. I know she’s concerned. Hell, she has a right to be. But I don’t need her digging anymore. Not tonight, anyway.
