Page 17 of Falling For Liam
He must see the confusion on my face, because he leans forwards and whispers in my ear. “He’s told you about Cheryl, I know he has.”
My blood turns cold. Cheryl was David’s ex. But not long after her seventeenth birthday she was…she was attacked.
“Help me,” I scream at the top of my voice. The sudden realisation of why this monster staring down on me went to prison has me panicking even more. No one told me in so many words, so I assumed it was a drug charge. “Help!” His hand muffles my screams once again as he pushes the fabric of my skirt up my thighs. “No, please no,” I plead—not that it will stop him.
His evil eyes burn into me as he runs them over my exposed skin. When they come back up to my eyes, I’ve no doubt he’d kill me, given the chance.
Restraining both my hands above my head, his other goes back to removing what’s left of my clothing.
He’s so focused on what he’s doing, he doesn’t feel one of my wrists slip through his fingers. I stretch as much as I can. The glass teases my fingertips and I feel it roll away. Bucking my hips as his fingers go for my waistband, I manage to move just enough to wrap my fingers around the neck of the bottle.
Just as he parts the fabric, I use every bit of energy I have to swing it towards his head.
Glass shatters. Blood sprays from his face, but more importantly, Griff falls to my side, a dead weight.
I don’t hang around. The second he’s off me, I scramble to my feet and run for the door.
Shoving my hand in my pocket, I find my car key and almost laugh with relief. My hands tremble as I try to get it in the lock, and I will myself to calm down. I need to get out of here before he finds me. Taking a deep breath, I manage to calm myself enough to unlock the car and start the engine.
I slam my foot down on the accelerator. It feels alien with no shoes on, but my only focus is on escape.
Everything around me is blurred with the tears continually filling my eyes, but it’s only minutes before I’m on the motorway and heading south. There’s only one place I can go. One place I know I’m going to be safe.
Clutching my bloodstained shirt closed, I bang on Nicole’s front door, hoping and praying that she’s here. The last thing I need is one of her neighbours coming out and finding me like this. My lips tremble as the memory of what I escaped plays on repeat in my mind.
“Please,” I beg quietly as I knock again. If she’s not here, I’m not sure what I’m going to do; it’s not like I can go marching into the shack to find her, looking like this.
The click of the lock has relief flooding me. My sobs bubble back up my throat, knowing that I’m about to be with someone who cares about me.
“Liv? What the fuck?” Her eyes are wide as saucers as they run over me. I didn’t risk a look in the mirror so I can only imagine the state I’m in. “Oh my god.” Her voice trembles with uncertainty as she stands to the side to allow me in.
Once I hear the door shut behind me, I feel like I can breathe once again. But I only get a very short reprieve, because it’s seconds before Nicole’s questions start.
“Liv, what the hell happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where’s all the blood from?”
My head spins and I’ve no idea which question to focus on first.
“I’m…I’m…” My voice comes out as a rough whisper, but I don’t get to say more because the sound of footsteps pounding down the stairs has me looking up.
Time slows down, and it’s like I’m watching the inevitable happen in slow motion. Liam’s legs appear, then his waist, shoulders… My breath catches because before his eyes find mine, I can sense the anger radiating from him. It oozes from his every pore.
“What the fuck did he do?” he roars, making me cower from him. “Fuck, Liv…I don’t…fuck.”
His shouting pulls Dec and BJ from Nic’s living room, and they also stand staring at me with their mouths dropped open. Pure hatred for the person who did this to me vibrates from them.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Liam says before moving towards me. I’m not scared; I know he won’t hurt me, but something from the last few hours sticks with me because I back away from him. Nic comes to stand in front of me, to protect me. I fight my need to wrap my arms around her shoulders in relief.
When I look up, Liam’s face is twisted in pain. I know all he wants to do is help, but he can’t right now.
“I think it’s best you guys go out for a bit.”
“Fuck that, Nic. Look at the fucking state of her.” He tries moving towards me again but is stopped when Nic puffs her chest out and places her palms against his chest. If the situation were different, I might laugh at her attempt to keep him away.
“Go. Out. Now,” she snaps, and after flicking a look to Dec, he helps get the guys out of the house.
“Let’s go,” Dec encourages, but when I look up, it seems BJ is just as reluctant to leave as Liam is. Just being here and seeing that look in their eyes makes me relax. I know I’m safe here. I know they’ll protect me if need be. It’s not until Dec grabs their shoulders and forces them through the front door that they finally leave.
The second they’re gone, my knees buckle and I start sliding down the wall. Nicole catches me and helps to gently lower me. Wrapping her arms around me tightly, she sits with me for what feels like forever as I sob loudly on her shoulder.
