Page 7 of Shattered Rhythm

CHAPTERSEVEN

Olivia

We’re having yet another argument, or more accurately, Liam is arguing and I’m just standing there, shaking. I can’t handle his behavior anymore. I should have ended things ages ago. The man I once loved is gone, replaced by a raging narcissist.

He’s not only emotionally but physically abusing me, and I need to leave. However, fear holds me back. I’m scared of what he will do to me and my career if I break up with him. He’s the golden child, the one who handles the media, while I’m just the pretty accessory hanging on his arm. Sure, I don’t have to be famous. I would love to have a peaceful life as a dancer in a theater somewhere, but he could ruin my reputation with a snap of his fingers,and then what?All I’ve ever done is dance.

He’s pressing the issue of us moving in together. It’s a miracle I’ve avoided it until now, since we’ve been together for four years and were friends long before that. Our families are close, and we grew up together, went to the same school, and took the same dance lessons. But we were always traveling so much for our performances, everyone agreed that it was unnecessary to live together, since we spend so little time at home.

Now we are in my room at my parents’ house, he’s yelling at me, getting louder and louder, spit flying out of his mouth. Then he hits me, making me step back and hug myself. He’s always careful not to leave bruises where anyone could see.

He’s going to do it again when the door to my room flies open, and my little brother Theodore runs to me.

“Stop hurting Livy!”he yells in his childish voice, standing in front of me, but Liam is too far gone.

I try to stop him, but he’s already violently pushed Theodore to the side. He slams against my dresser, and I get on my knees, cradling his small body in my arms.

“Out!” I scream, pointing at the door.

“Olivia…” Liam begins.

“No! I don’t want to hear it, Liam. That’s it. That was the final straw. You hurting me is one thing, but attacking my family is too far. We’re over. Our relationship is over, and our partnership is done. Get out of my home and my life. I don’t want to see you ever again.”

He’s breathing heavily, while I rock Theodore, who is crying quietly, and avoiding looking at Liam.

“You’re going to regret this,” Liam tells me before he leaves.

* * *

Liv

My scream reverberates throughout the stillness of my sparsely furnished apartment, and my eyes snap open to the darkness. The shadows dance and flicker on my ceiling as I remember my vivid dream. Tears rush to my eyes as the emotions overwhelm me, and I let out a heart-wrenching sob. The sound echoes throughout the silence, making me wince at the sharpness of it. I startle when someone knocks hard on my door, then I hear a muffled voice.

“Liv? You all right in there?”

I freeze for a moment, wondering who it could be, then I realize it’s probably my new neighbor.I get up from the bed and look around at the mess I’ve made of the place. One of my many faults is that I’m not a tidy person, and I still haven’t managed to assemble any of my new furniture. I quickly put on a zip up hoodie that I left on the floor yesterday. It’s an old one from my dad, so it’s way too big and comes just above my knees. Since I’m only wearing panties and a shirt underneath, the scar on my knee is visible, but maybe he won’t notice. I’m just going to open the door to let him know I’m good. I make my way to the door and open it slowly, peeking out to see Gunner’s face.

“Are you okay?” he asks when he sees me. He looks tired, and there’s still an imprint from his pillow on his cheek. “Are you alright? I heard you scream,” he asks again when I don’t answer quickly enough, concern etched on his face.

“I’m really sorry. I have some bad nightmares. I didn’t mean to wake you,” I reply, feeling embarrassed.

He watches me for a moment, his rigid posture deflating as he puts the safety on the gun he was holding. I hadn’t even noticed it before. I stare at him with wide eyes.

“Sorry, I thought you might be in danger,” he explains as he puts the gun into the back of his jeans. His shirt is on backwards, as if he rushed to put it on in the dark.

“I might be the worst neighbor you’ve ever had,” I joke, attempting to lighten the mood. “Next time you hear a scream, just turn over and go back to sleep. I promise the only danger I’m in is not getting any sleep myself.” Except Gunner doesn’t seem amused.

“You were crying,” he states, the concern clear in his voice.

Thanks, Captain Obvious.

“I’ll be okay,” I say, trying to reassure him with a smile. “Thank you for checking on me. Good night.” With that, I close the door in his face, hoping that he doesn’t see through my feeble attempt to hide my pain.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Liv

My first week has been a whirlwind, but I’m absolutely loving it here. The teachers are inspiring and kind, while my fellow students are all incredibly talented. Working with them is an absolute blast, and I’m already learning so much. Despite my excitement for the classes, I’ve been too shy to make any friends just yet. However, most of them have been friendly, and I’m grateful that nobody has noticed me. It was a concern of mine to be recognized, but it seems that everyone is too busy with their own lives to care. I’m also loving Boca Raton. It’s a beautiful city, and I made a really good choice with the selection of my dance studio.

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