Coffee, Sex and Law
Page 18
“You will not touch a hair on her head. Do you understand me?” I say, challenging him in fury.
For a second he seems confused by my reaction.
When the sound of the police officers’ hurried steps reaches us, he realizes I’ve betrayed him. He stands suddenly, scoping the room for a way out. Now trapped, I barely have time to calculate the dark look he gives Bertrand, who is suddenly at my side in just a few long strides, his fist meeting my jaw, and then another and another, throwing me to the ground. He pours Anderson’s anger into me with a surprisingly measured series of movements. The pain surges through my face and then my entire body. A terrifying crack echoes through my head when he hits me in the nose. I can't defend myself: this brute has all his weight on me. The taste of blood fills my mouth, my head bobbing under the onslaught of punches.
“Police!” one of the officers yells as they enter the room.
I feel the relief begin to swell in my stomach, amid all the physical pain Bertrand is still inflicting on me.
“Stop him,” I pray silently. For pity’s sake!
The punching continues.
“You’re a dead man, Desages!” Anderson exclaims as he’s put in handcuffs.
I see a shiny object through my swollen eyes. The cops can’t seem to restrain Bertrand. A strange sensation comes over me. A tearing. A horrible pain. Then nothing. Complete darkness.
18
Zoe
Like with any breakup, I’m now entering the “anger” phase of grieving. I’ve stopped crying so I can devote more energy to being mad at him. I hate him for not accepting my apology, even after I confessed how deep my feelings are for him. I'm really dreading the next phase, the one where I miss him hopelessly.
The doorbell rings, bringing me back to the present.
“Coming!”
I go to open the door. Apparently it’s becoming a habit for my friends to show up without warning right after I’ve put on my onesie.
Except tonight, it’s a complete stranger standing at my door.
“Hello, I’m Julia Lenoire,” she says.
My confusion urges her to continue.
“I’m a friend of Liam’s... May I come in?” she asks.
“What do you want?” I ask, my voice cold.
She shows me her police identification, which makes me even more curious, and now worried. I step aside and motion for her to come in.
“Liam is in the hospital,” she says, not wasting any time.
“The... the hospital? What... why?” I stutter.
“Where do I start?”
She thinks for a few seconds, organizing her thoughts.
“Liam acted as a sort of double agent with Domenic Anderson.”
“Anderson?”
She lifts a hand to keep me from interrupting.
“He agreed to continue working for him so we could use Anderson’s trust against him. There was a meeting this afternoon. We obtained several confessions from Anderson. When he realized what Liam had done, his henchman attacked Liam and managed to hurt him before my colleagues could intervene.”
Liam is hurt?!
The blood stops flowing to my brain. My ears are buzzing and my heart is pounding in my chest as panic takes over.
“How is he doing?” I hurry to ask, one hand over my mouth.
“He’s safe, don’t worry,” she tells me with a sincere smile. “But he’s very weak. He’s only been conscious for a few minutes since he got to the hospital.”
“Can I see him?” I ask, horrified.
“That’s why I’m here, as a matter of fact. I can take you there if you like.”
“Yes, I... Let me get dressed, I’ll be right there,” I say, on edge and in a hurry.
“Zoe?”
“Yes?”
“You should know: he did this for you.”
For me?
***
Julia explained in detail the role Liam played in Anderson’s arrest.
I feel bad for being in the “anger” phase while Liam was risking his life to protect me.
Everything makes sense now. His rejecting me. The distance he suddenly put between us.
When I open the door to his hospital room, under Julia’s encouragement, I can’t believe my eyes.
It’s so strange and surreal to see Liam like this. Inert, disfigured, fragile. His vulnerability breaks my heart. His face is swollen and bruised, covered with bandages. His nose is broken and he has a stab wound in his stomach.
It’s not as bad as it looks, the doctor told me before I entered the room.
What worries me is not only the physical injuries, but the invisible ones, the psychological damage.
I walk slowly to his bed, tears falling to my cheeks. I sit down quietly on the chair next to him, afraid I’ll wake him.
I inspect at his wounds one by one, brushing my fingertips over them. Then I gently caress his hair before taking his hand in mine. He looks so peaceful. It’s probably the painkillers they're pumping into him with the IV.
I feel so guilty. If he hadn't met me, he wouldn't be here, lying motionless, torn to shreds.
But what would my life be if I hadn’t met him? Boring, faded, tarnished, and tasteless.
Liam has made my life so colorful. He had to have a brush with death for me to realize it. I feel so guilty for that.
I never want to lose you again, Liam.
I stay there for several hours, watching for any sign he might wake up. Nothing. I shouldn’t worry. His body is repairing itself. He’ll wake up, the doctor assured me of it.
"I love you, Liam. I love you so much,” I whisper.
Why didn’t you tell me about your crazy plan? Why did you put your life in danger for me? I would have found another solution. My God, what would I have become without you?
Questions bounce around my head. And then the anxiety takes over. Anderson was arrested, but Liam still isn’t safe. Julia didn’t hide the fact that she’s worried as well. They don’t have enough evidence to ban him permanently from French territory. So he's still a threat.
I fall into an agitated sleep, my forehead on Liam’s hand.
“Hey, Zoe..”
Liam’s weak, hoarse voice pulls me from my slumber.
“Liam!”
I sit straight up, thrilled to hear the sound of his voice.
I’m so happy and relieved to see him that my body can’t contain the happiness coursing through it. My joy radiates out into the little hospital room, lighting up the dark.
I kiss him forcefully, making him wince with pain.
“Oops! Sorry,” I say, smiling.
“It’s nice to see such enthusiasm,” he murmurs with difficulty.
"I love you. I love you. I love you,” I repeat, gently kissing his injured lips, closing my eyes to savor the moment, the one I thought I’d never experience again.
The words come tumbling out before I can stop them. It’s the first time I’ve said them out loud, and quite unexpectedly, I feel completely serene as I do. I’m so happy to be able to say them to such an incredible man.
I frown when I see the pain on his face.
“It’s not as painful as it looks,” he says, trying to reassure me.
“Obviously you haven't seen yourself in a mirror!” I tease.
“No, I was talking about your confession just now,” he jokes.
“Watch it, buster, or else I might prolong your hospital stay.”
My fragile, hesitant fingers delicately touch his face, tracing the contours of the gauze and bandages covering his bruised skin. With my touch, I blindly discover the torture he was subjected to.
He turns slightly toward me and meets my gaze, full of worry and pain. I hurt for him.
“Come here,” he says, opening his arms.
I place my head on his chest, careful not to exert too much pressure on hi
m. I inhale his scent, feel his heart beating, his calm breathing. He runs his fingers through my hair and deliciously brushes my bare neck.
We stay like this for a long while, fully experiencing our reunion in the restful silence of his room.
Here, by his side, I’m at peace. How could I have lived in a world without him, without the love I have to give him, without his presence to complete me?
He eventually falls asleep, under the orders of his exhausted body.
When his hands caress my temple, my heart wakes up, bounding up and down in my chest.
Whew, it wasn't all just a dream. I am really here, in the arms of the man I love.
“Why did you take such enormous risks, Liam? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“To protect you,” he explains in a whisper. “He wanted to destroy you, Zoe.”
“You could have died...”
“I know,” he murmurs.
“What would I have done without you?”
“I’m here.”
“I’m scared, Liam.”
“Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”
“I’m an idiot.”
“Why do you say that?” he chuckles.
“Because you’re the one who got stabbed and here I am asking for comfort.”
“Wait! I was stabbed?!” he says, pretending to be shocked, searching for a wound.
“Shut up!” I say, cracking up.
How long has it been since I’ve laughed? Weeks.
Without him, I’m in survival mode: eat, drink, sleep.
With him, I exist. Truly. Fully.
“Zoe?”
His voice sounds far away. His body is pulling him under for more of the restorative sleep he needs.
“Yes? What is it?”
"I love you too.”
Here in this cold hospital room with faded walls, surrounded by beeping and dripping medical equipment to heal Liam, I am the happiest woman alive. I let the emotion wash over me. We've been through so much these past few weeks. The calm is a blessing.
I love him. He loves me. I love him. He loves me.
I repeat the words over and over. They spread happiness through my entire brain.
I understand now that he is my priority.
Our safety is more important than anything else. Even Temple Coffee.
Now, to figure out how to keep us safe...
***
“Hey!”
“Hi there, princess!”
I smile stupidly when I hear him call me that.
Liam can now sit upright. He lays down the book he was reading before I walked in and greets me with a wide smile.
Most of the bandages have been removed. It’s just the ones on his abdomen and nose that are left. The bruising from the punches are healing normally and turning a purplish yellow.
I walk over to his bedside and kiss him tenderly, still worried I’ll hurt him with some awkward movement.
“Kiss me for real! I’m not made of glass,” he jokes.
I happily oblige, hugging him as if it were the last time.
Since we were reunited, I live every moment to the maximum, as if it could be my last.
Someone clears their throat, interrupting our kiss.
“Mom! Dad!”
“Is it a bad time?” Daphne asks, apologizing. She peaks her head round the door.
"No, of course not. Come in!” I say.
I welcome them with open arms. The upside of this whole awful business is at least we have gotten to know each other better. Daphne is a loving mother, a wonderful wife, and an amazing woman. I was always sure of that. The person I was wrong about was his dad. He’s not the man who puts his career before everything else. Quite the opposite. He’s an affectionate father who has been deeply impacted by what has happened to his son.
“How do you feel?” she asks Liam.
She’s always very well dressed when she comes to visit Liam, but her face reveals the truth. Her eyes are tired and ringed with dark circles. Her lips quiver with worry. Like every other day, she repeats the same things, probably in hopes that they will stick in her son’s brain who insists on reassuring her, though in vain.
“I’m doing better, much better, I promise.”
“I still can't believe what you did. You were so brave! I’m so proud of you,” Paul declares, his voice overflowing with admiration.
Paul always stands next to his wife, ready to support her in case she swoons. And it’s bound to happen, as it does every day she visits her son.
“You're so lucky. Any deeper and that knife would have killed you,” she says, tears in her eyes.
Kill. She always uses the same word.
“How would I have survived that? You’re all I have left, Liam.”
“Mom, I'm sorry I put you through this. But I’m fine, look. And Zoe is too, that’s all that matters.”
He can tell when his mom starts to weaken.
“Come here, Mummy darling.”
He opens his arms and she happily walks into them, thanking her lucky stars for protecting her son, for sparing his life.
This is when she seems the most vulnerable, and I feel like a voyeur so I sneak out to get us all coffee. I leave the three of them to enjoy their moment together.
You’re all I have left, Liam.
Daphne’s words echo in my mind, and the family photo suddenly comes back into focus. Liam still hasn’t talked to me about his older brother.
While the black coffee slowly drips into the plastic cups from the machine, I promise myself I’ll ask him about it as soon as possible.
And it doesn't take long for the opportunity to arise.
I'm lying next to Liam, who has moved to the side to make room for me. His arm is under my neck. We’re watching a detective show on TV. I’m not sure I should interrupt this quiet moment, this chance to replenish my strength from his presence. But then I decide. I get up and sit cross-legged on the edge of the bed, gathering my courage to broach the delicate subject.
“Liam, I need to talk to you about something,” I start.
“Me too,” he says to my surprise, looking self-conscious.
"Oh really? What?"
“You first.”
“No, you! Please, I insist.”
He winces with pain as he tries to sit up as well. I grab his hands to help him. All ears, I invite him to start talking.
“I didn't really tell you everything about Anderson.”
Just hearing the name of the man responsible for all my troubles makes me shiver. I decide he will now be known as “He Who Must Not Be Named,” at least in my head. My senses are on high alert. What else is he going to tell me? Did he hire a hitman to kill me? Is he going to attack my friends and family? I fear the worst when it comes to Anderson. I try not to think about it too much, but I know this horror story isn't over yet.
“Zoe, I don’t know how to tell you this.”
His state of worry is contagious. My heart is racing and I’m scared.
“Go ahead. Please.”
Just do it, like a Band-Aid you pull off in one go, I think.
“Victor is an accomplice.”
I burst out laughing uncontrollably.
“Ridiculous!” I tell him, having to restrain myself from poking him in the ribs to show him he almost got me with his stupid joke.
“Zoe,” he says with disarming simplicity.
And I realize.
“No, Liam. Come on! It’s completely absurd!”
The smile begins to fade from my face. My world begins to crumble. Liam stays quiet, giving me time to digest the information.
“But no,” I persist. “Victor, he’s... it’s...”
Tears cloud my vision. Liam takes my wrists to pull me toward him, back to reality.
“I’m so sorry, Zoe. But I had to tell you, right?”
Liam pulls me into his arms and rubs my back to soothe my pain.
“Hush... I’m here. I’ll always be here for you, Zoe. I promise.”
“Money, always money,” I sob bitterly.
He holds me for a long while, letting the information sink in. Everything begins dawns on me in bits and pieces: all the times Victor tried to convince me to sell the shop, almost begging me and claiming he’d accept out of love for me, to protect me... or the times he tried to scare me by explaining what Anderson and his men were capable of. I was so naive. Or maybe I subconsciously refused to see the signs that he was corrupted.
“He’s at the coffee shop now! What am I going to do? What should I do?”
“Julia’s supposed to call me sometime today to talk about it.”
“If I see him, I’ll—”
“One thing at a time, Zoe. Don’t go back to Temple until we find out what Julia has to say, alright?”
Liam’s right. I can’t go back there right now. I won’t be able to look him in the eyes, the man I trusted so completely while he strung me along for weeks. And to think I believed Liam had betrayed me. But from the start, it was Victor. Somewhere deep inside, I’m relieved Dad isn’t here to see this.
“Okay,” I agree. “Luckily I didn’t tell him I caught you talking to Anderson. Can you imagine?”
“How many times do I have to remind you to stop thinking of what might have happened. Look at me,” he says. “I’m fine.”
He looks deep into my eyes and leans forward to kiss me. His tongue caresses mine, pulling me away from my dark thoughts to welcome me into a colorful, delicious world. I moan as I rediscover his mouth.
Pain shoots through Liam’s body, forcing him to reign in the passion that’s started to take over.
“And you, what did you want to say?”
“No, it’s nothing urgent,” I say, chewing on my thumb and turning back to look at the TV mounted high on the wall.
“Zoe...”
“What?” I say innocently.
“You can tell me anything. I’m listening.”
He pulls my arm gently so I’m facing him again.
“I... I went to dinner at your parents’, remember?”