Page 14 of Falling For Liam
I hear his footsteps behind me before the heat of his hand lands on my bare shoulder. It burns, and I flinch.
“Olivia, a pleasure as always,” he drawls, and my skin crawls. I try discreetly moving away from his touch, but he has other ideas, and instead trails his fingertips along the base of my neck. My stomach turns over as my need to run starts to get the better of me.
I hear Lynn asking a nearby waiter to lay another place, so I make the most of the distraction and excuse myself to the bathroom.
My legs are like jelly as I force them to move as fast as they’ll go. His eyes burn into me the whole way. I don’t need to look over my shoulder to know, but at the very last minute, my head spins and our eyes lock. The skin around his bloodshot eyes creases as he narrows them at me in amusement. I know how much he enjoys getting to me. It’s why I try so hard to appear unaffected by him. But he knows. He always knows.
Tripping over the little step into the ladies’, I stumble forward and just about manage to steady myself when my hands land on the basin. I keep my head hung for a couple of seconds and breathe in a few deep breaths.We’re here with his family. Nothing will happen. I’m safe,I repeat again and again, but it does little for my racing heart or the shaking of my hands.
Squaring my shoulders, I wash my hands, just to waste a little more time before trying to walk back to the table with my head high, like a woman who’s in control.
The situation around the table is much the same as when I left. David and Gareth are still focused on anything but the people around them, and Lynn is looking at Griff like he’s just hung the moon, which is a joke, because what he’s doing in reality is scratching his forearms, looking like the junkie that he is. She seems totally oblivious and I feel anger start to lick at my insides.
“Ah, Olivia, I thought we were going to have to send a search party. Are you ready to order?”
“Yes.”
Lynn waves the waitress over and, once everyone is distracted, I feel his hand brush my thigh. My already tense body jolts and I bump into David—not that he notices.
“I thought you’d run,” he whispers, his voice and the look in his eyes making me want to get far away from this place and never return.
Thankfully, he pulls his hand back and I feel like I can breathe in a little air.
“How was your friend’s engagement party the other week?” Lynn asks, turning to me as I push pasta around my plate. Any appetite I did have vanished the second Griff walked in.
The mention of the party has images in my head that I don’t need. Nicole’s concerned face every time she tries to dig into my life. Liam’s dark eyes as he stared down at me in Nic’s guest bed like he was barely holding himself back.
My cheeks heat at the thought and I chastise myself. I’m with my boyfriend. I almost laugh out loud at how ridiculous I sound.
“It was…fine,” I eventually say.
She tries digging a little more and I give her as little information as I can. I’m aware Griff’s listening to everything, and I have no intention of giving him any information on my friends. He treats his family bad enough; I can’t imagine what he’d do to strangers.
Other than her incessant questions, everyone is deadly silent. Gareth is on his fourth or fifth pint, and David switched his Coke to something stronger a while ago, even though he promised me he’d stay off it today. I feel like I’m sat in the middle of a very bad soap opera, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more relieved in my life when our dessert plates are cleared away.
“Excuse me,” I say, once again getting up to use the toilet.
I do what I need to do and leave as soon as possible, knowing this torture is almost over. I want to get out of here and away from him. I can still feel his stares over the table while we were eating.
Pulling the door open, I go to march down the narrow hallway to get the hell out of here when I crash into someone. The smell is my first clue, so I’m not surprised when I glance up into his evil eyes.
“All in good time, Olivia.” His eyes bore into me as he grips my upper arms so tightly I know they’re going to bruise.
“Get off me,” I snap, trying to free my arms, but all it achieves is him tightening his grip. His eyes burn with desire the more I fight, and I know I’ve made a mistake. This is what he loves.
“I’ll be seeing you very soon,” he promises, his voice deep and husky with lust.
Pushing me away from him, I go crashing into the wall. Pain burns through my shoulder where I collide with a large picture frame, and tears sting my eyes, but when I look up, he’s gone. It’s almost as if it didn’t happen. But I know it did, and I also know he’s going to make good on that promise.
“Liv, are you okay?” Lynn asks, sounding concerned when I make it back to the table. I don’t want to know what I look like right now. I just need to get out of here.
“I’m not feeling great.”
“Oh no, do you think it was something you ate?”
“I’m not sure. I really could do with getting home, though. David?” I nudge his shoulder and he mumbles something in response before getting up and walking towards the door.
“Griff had to go, he had a thing. He said to tell you that it was lovely to see you,” Lynn says sweetly, like it was the most thoughtful thing she’s ever heard.
