Page 20 of Falling For Liam
Watching as he turns and gestures for the other guys to enter, my heart starts to pick up its pace as Liam’s angry face fills my mind.
The first thing I see when Liam and BJ enter the room is the black bin bags in their hands. “What the fuck?” I mutter, trying to figure out what the hell’s going on. It’s not until I look up to Liam’s face that reality starts to dawn on me. His face doesn’t look all that different to mine, and fury fills my veins.
How fucking dare they?
Everyone’s silent as we all stare at each other. Dragging my eyes from Liam, I look BJ over, but he seems fine—other than a bloody fist.
“What have you done?” Nic asks, but I don’t need an answer. I already know.
“We went to sort that motherfucker out for good,” BJ pipes up, sounding proud as punch, clearly missing the horrified expression on my face.
“You did what? Why would you do that? I didn’t ask you to go and fight my battles for me. How dare you just get involved like that?” I know I should probably be appreciative, but the only thing I feel is rage that they’ve put themselves in the middle of all this shit.
“But…we just…” BJ stutters while Liam and Dec stand there mutely. A quick slap to the arm from Dec stops BJ’s stuttering.
I pin Liam with a look I hope would make some cower, but he puffs his chest out, standing by their actions. Raising an eyebrow, I wait for his response.
“You’ve got to be fucking joking if you thought we were going to stand by and allow this to happen, Liv. Just fucking look at you. We went to teach your piece of shit boyfriend a less—”
“Please tell me you didn’t.” The thought that they’ve taken this out on David suddenly slams into me. He may not be innocent in all this—he did leave me alone with that monster—but he doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of their fists as well as his brother’s.
“No, we didn’t. Your pathetic excuse for a boyfriend was cowering in the corner while the cunt that did this to you beat on him. What the fuck, Liv? We all offered to help you. Why did you allow it to come to this?”
“None of this is any of your business.” I’m up off the sofa and in his face in seconds. “I didn’t ask you to steamroll in and rescue me. I didn’t ask for any of this,” I sob, my emotions and exhaustion getting the better of me. “You had no right to go storming in there. How did you even know where to go?”
“My phone,” Nic whispers behind me. “That’s why I can’t bloody find it.”
“BJ took it,” Dec says to Nic, his tone pleading for forgiveness.
It’s not them I’m mad at, though. It’s Liam. He should have known better than just to storm in like that.
“I tried stopping them,” Dec pleads again. “But we just want to help, Liv. I got David to pack all your stuff. We all just want you happy, and safe.”
“What if I wanted to go to the police? What if I already have, and they turn up to find they’re too late, that some dickheads have already made a head start?” Their faces pale as my words register.
“Well, have you reported it?”
I really want to make them stew, but I don’t have the energy to keep up the façade. “No,” I whisper.
Liam
I thought I’d made it very clear in the past that I’d do anything for her, and the second I locked eyes on the man who hurt her, there was no holding me back. As far as I’m concerned, she was mine from the moment I saw her. She’s mine to protect, and she’s going to have to get used to it, especially if she’s planning on sticking around.
Dread fills me that she’ll go back to that arsehole. It’s taken the situation to get to this before she left, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that she’ll run straight back into his arms. He’s got some kind of hold over her, that much is obvious.
I stand and take her anger. She aims all of it my way, and I hate the look in her eyes that suggests she’s disappointed in me. I did this for her. I’ve just got to hope that as the emotions from today wear off, she’ll be able to see that.
“I need to get some sleep,” she says after a few minutes of awkward silence. She slams her glass down and walks through us as if we’re not there.
We all stand and listen as she climbs the stairs and shuts the guest room door behind her.
“I can’t believe you lot,” Nic says once Liv’s out of earshot. “Was that,” she says waving her hand, gesturing to my face, “necessary?”
“Yes,” BJ states, sounding more serious than I’ve ever heard. “No man should get away with hitting a woman. Ever.”
“I know, I agree but, still…” she breathes. “Don’t you think she’s got enough to worry about without you all storming in like white knights?”
“We were trying to help,” I admit.
