Through The Dark

by Jae

  “Now I need you to go tell the girls that my parents called and told me we need to talk about what I’m going to do with college and you’re going to ride with me too get your car.” I tell her after we walk out of the bathroom. “I’ll go wait in my Jeep, so hurry.”

  Ella nods her head while we make our way out of Red, locking up behind ourselves and then going our temporarily separate ways. I’m not waiting more than a few minutes before I see Ella jogging down the street towards me and then slide into the passenger seat of my Jeep. The entire car ride is silent, neither of us knowing what to say. I stop in front of Ella’s house, giving her a quick hug and a whispered ‘Thank you’, before she gets out and jogs up her driveway. I pull into my driveway and let out a sigh of relief when I see all the house lights are off; meaning both of my parents aren’t home. When I get inside, I tend to my wounds and then take a quick shower before crawling into my bed.

  I’m pulled out of my dreaming state when I hear my phone ringing on top of my night stand. My eyes suddenly snap open as the images of what happened earlier tonight flood my mind. I quickly reach for my phone and suck in a sharp breath when I see Liam’s name flash across the screen. Slowly exhaling, I answer the call and shakily raise the phone to my ear.

  “Hey, Liam.”

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  My heart literally feels like it’s stopped when he says these words. The last person to greet me like that tried to kill me.

  “Daisy, are you okay?” Liam asks, confused.

  I force the tears threatening to fall from my eyes away and let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  He pauses for a second before continuing our conversation. “I missed seeing you tonight. We won the game. It was a total blowout.”

  “That’s great, Liam. I’m sorry I missed it. My parents wanted to talk about college stuff since I haven’t made any decisions and their starting to panic a little bit since it’s coming up pretty soon.” I quickly say, and then instantly regret it since I have no idea if Ella fed him the same story.

  “Yeah, that’s what the girls said.” He confirms.

  I let out a sigh of relief.

  “I was thinking that since I didn’t get to see you at my game, maybe I could come over for a while and we could watch movies or something to celebrate the win.” He suggests.

  My eyes widen in panic. Liam can’t see me like this. Suddenly Colin’s threat echoes loudly in my mind. I can’t let anyone hurt Liam. I have to protect him. Thoughts swirl around in my head while I try to come up with a believable excuse; anything to keep distance between us.

  “No!” I say too forcefully. “I mean, no, that’s okay. I’m really tired and already in bed.”

  “Oh, okay.” My heart breaks at the disappointment in my beautiful boy’s deep, raspy voice. “Well get some rest then and I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “I will.” I reply too quickly, itching to end the phone call.

  “Are you sure you’re alright, Daisy?” Liam presses. “You sound upset.”

  “It’s nothing.” I lie. “It’s just been a long week.”

  “Did someone do something to upset you?” He asks. “I’ll have a few words with them if they did.”

  My eyes squeeze closed. This is so Liam; always trying to protect me. If he could see my face right now, and knew who did it to me, I know he would do more than just have a simple conversation. The thought chills me. No, he can’t know. I have to protect him.

  “No, it’s nothing like that.” I force a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

  “Good.” Liam responds. “I want to cook for you again.”

  “I would love that.” I tell him, appreciating the sweet gesture. “I’m going to go back to sleep, okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to you soon, Little Miss Daisy.”

  “Bye.” I whisper, quickly ending the call.

  I curl up into a ball and wrap my arms around myself before letting every tear left inside of me fall from my eyes, repeatedly begging God to keep Liam safe.

  Chapter Twenty

  I manage to stay in my bed for the rest of the weekend; only getting up to use the restroom. When I had finally built up the courage to inspect my injuries in the mirror for the first time the day after my attack, I was surprised and frightened by how much worse they looked after having time to settle. I stared at myself for so long that even lying here now, I know my lip is still painfully split and the left side of my face is slightly swollen and bruised. Every time I move my body, my arms and stomach throb; the dark bruises brandished on my skin still tender. My Mom yelled for my Dad as soon as she saw my face when she walked into my room the next morning. They both remained surprisingly calm while they inspected my injuries. My entire life I’ve been known to run into things and fall over my own feet. It’s still a complete wonder that I was ever able to play sports. So when I told them I had fallen down some stairs they accepted the excuse. Though, deep down inside, I know they weren’t really convinced.

  I jump when I hear my phone start ringing and then wince at my sudden movement. I lean over and grab my phone off of my night stand, gulping when I see Liam’s name on the screen. I take a deep breath to try and calm myself before answering.

  “Hey, Liam.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you haven’t been feeling well?” Liam asks, wasting no time getting straight to the point. “I went to your work today to take you to lunch and Taylor told me you’ve been in bed the past two days and called in sick this morning.”

  “Oh, crap! I’m sorry, Liam!” I tell him, honestly feeling bad. “I should’ve text you or something.”

  “How are you feeling now?” He asks, his voice sounding distant.

  “I’m okay, I suppose.”

  “Good. I’ll come by later with some soup that my Mom used to make when I was sick.”

  His words fill me with panic again while I try to come up with another excuse. There’s no way I can let him see me. I don’t look much better than I did a couple days ago. If anything, now that cuts and bruises have had time to settle, I may look worse.

  “No, you don’t need to!” I spit out quickly. “I’m feeling a lot better today. No need for any sick soup.”

  “I don’t care, Daisy.” Liam says with an edge in his voice that sends chills down my spine. “I’m coming over anyway. I haven’t seen you in days.”

  “I know. You don’t need to drive over here though, I’ll come to you.” I reluctantly say before ending the phone call and climbing out of my bed.

  I stand in front of my full length mirror in my closet, inspecting my injuries once again. The split in my lip isn’t quite as horrible as I thought it would be, but it still looks bad. My jaw is still slightly swollen and the large red mark on my cheek has turned into a weird brownish color that reminds me of bronzer. The bruises on my arms and stomach are still very dark blues and purples with a yellow tint around them. Just looking at them is painful and I know if I try to touch them I’ll want to scream from how tender they still are. I let out a sigh as I put a white long sleeve shirt with a black Marilyn Monroe graphic, black basic knit leggings, and a pair of black Classic Canvas Pimsolls shoes. I know it doesn’t matter how much makeup or how many layers of clothes I put on, Liam is still going to see the obvious injuries on my body. I take one more painful look at my appearance before grabbing my purse and heading out the door.

  I figured going to Liam’s would be a lot easier than him coming to my house because this way I have more time to prepare myself for what’s going to happen as soon as I walk through his apartment door. Plus I can easily flee if I want to. I concentrate on the road ahead of me, maybe driving a little slower than I normally would. My heart starts to race when I pull onto the familiar street that leads to Liam’s apartment. I sit in my car after I park next to the large black Range Rover I’ve gotten so used to, trying to build some type of strength to get out and face whatever is waiting for me inside.

  At some point I remember ho
w to move my legs and slowly make my way into the apartment complex. The elevator ride up to Liam’s floor goes by too fast; a part of me not sure if it even happened. When I get to his door, I ruffle my hair up a little, trying to hide some of my face before I knock. I can hear his footstep move across the floor, traveling towards the barrier that is currently separating us. For a split second, I contemplate turning around and going back home, but the door opens before I even have a chance to move.

  Liam doesn’t say anything while he takes in my appearance. I try my best to keep a neutral look on my face and not draw to much attention to anything specific. Eventually Liam drops his eyes to the ground and moves out of the way so I can walk through the doorway. I nervously hold my breath while he shuts the door with his back to me. I hear him deeply inhale, like he’s trying to prepare himself to look at me again. When he finally does, I instantly notice the sadness in his emerald green eyes as they trail over my face again. He’s wearing a black t-shirt and dark jeans with a pair of black high-top Chuck Taylor All Star Converse shoes tucked underneath them. His hair is pushed back off his forehead and extra messy; like he’s been repeatedly running his fingers through it. I tighten my fingers around the strap of my purse when Liam reaches out and gently moves my hair away from my face. The sad look in his eyes never leaves as the tips of his fingers brush against my chin before tilting it up to get a better look.

  “What happened to your face?” He whispers while his thumb brushes over the ugly mark on my cheek. “Why did you try to cover it up?”

  I try to turn away to avoid his questions, but Liam won’t allow it and brushes his thumb over my bottom lip next.

  “I just fell down some stairs.” I tell him. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

  I find it hard to look into his beautiful eyes after telling such a horrible lie to his face, but they keep me captive and I watch them slowly begin to turn dark; his eyebrows pulling together and his jaw clenching. I feel my hands start to shake when his touch falls away from my face and he moves his body closer to mine. My breathing begins to become uneven and I focus my eyes on the door in front of me. I feel his soft lips brush against my cheek before moving to my ear.

  “Do you really think I’m actually naïve enough to believe that bullshit?” He whispers.

  My eyes widen as my head snaps back.

  He knows.

  Liam moves away from my personal space, but his height still looms over me.

  “I don’t know what pisses me off more – the fact that you didn’t tell me yourself or the fact that I had to find out from someone else.” He growls.

  I can’t find my voice as his words sink in. I have no idea how to respond, my mouth repeatedly opening then closing seconds later with nothing coming out.

  “You were attacked, Daisy!” Liam’s voice echoes around us. “He fucking hit you!”

  The sudden raise in his voice makes me jump and then wince at the sudden movement as tears sting my eyes.

  “Do you know who told me?”

  I stay silent as the black I fear the most completely fills Liam’s eyes, the beautiful emerald green color I love long gone. I realize now how frighteningly quick he can go from gentle touches to harsh words; transforming into this person I hardly even recognize.

  “Ella, that’s who told me.” He snaps. “Right after she told me you made her promise not to say anything to anyone; especially me.”

  As this information sinks in, I realize that Liam never talked to Taylor today; it had been Ella. Why would he bother fishing for information from Taylor when he knows I’m closer with Ella? I can’t believe I didn’t connect the dots sooner. I flinch when his body brushes past me. I stare at the door in front of me again as I move to it. I grab onto the handle, willing myself to turn it and walk out, but I can’t do it. All I can do is press my forehead against the hard wood and squeeze the cool handle tightly while I convince myself that I need to stay.

  I take one more deep breath and then let it out before turning around and hastily look for Liam, eventually stopping in the doorway of the kitchen. He’s standing over by the sink, head bowed, the muscles in his arms and jaw flexing with anger and frustration. I hear him mumble something to himself, but I can’t make out what it is. My heart sinks when he grabs the nearly empty bottle of vodka and pours it into a glass. I watch him tip it back, the clear liquid disappearing into his mouth before he fills the glass again. My pulse races because I’ve never seen Liam drunk before, but something inside tells me that it isn’t a pretty sight; especially now that his eyes are black. When Liam bangs his glass against the counter after his second drink, I step back from the doorway. He quickly turns to me, his blazing eyes locking on mine while he advances towards me. I’m not sure what to do, so I do the only thing I can think of – run.

  My legs quickly carry me down the hallway to Liam’s bedroom. I can hear him shouting at me when I slam the door shut behind me before rushing into the bathroom, also shutting the door and going a step farther by locking it. Only seconds pass before I hear Liam throw his bedroom door open and the heavy thump of his fist on the bathroom door after he tries to open it. I bring my hands up to cover my mouth and hold in the terrified sob that wants to escape from me.

  “Daisy, open the damn door!”

  I know the barrier between us isn’t going to hold much longer and I back away until my legs come in contact with the bathtub. I quickly climb in and pull the curtain shut, trying my best to shield myself from the anger of the beautiful man I painfully adore. I don’t want him to be mad at me. I don’t want his harsh words to be directed towards me. But his banging fist won’t stop and it’s making me feel like I’m going to explode at any moment. I reach up and turn the shower on, the flash of cold water hitting me like ice and soaking my clothes before turning to the warm temperature I’m so desperately craving. This is the only thing I can think to do to try and block him out.

  “Daisy?” Liam’s voice questions, a hint of confusion in it before his fist makes contact again. “Daisy, I’m not going to do this again! Open the door!”

  I’m only granted a few more moments of peace before his angry voice rings out another time.

  “Open the fucking door, Daisy!”

  That is the last time Liam speaks before the door flies open from the weight of his shoulder. The curtain is ripped back and I know Liam is staring down at me, but I refuse to look up at him and instead try to make myself even smaller. I can hear him pull his t-shirt over his head and kick off his shoes before climbing in the bathtub behind me, carefully sliding me forward to make more room for him. Once he’s settled, he pulls me back between his parted legs and engulfs me in his strong arms; gently pressing me against his bare chest. I’m surprised when his head rests on my shoulder.

  “I’m still angry with you.” He softly tells me.

  “I know.” I respond after releasing a breath I didn’t realize I was still holding.

  We sit in silence for what feels like forever, the water hitting us as one question thumps in my mind.

  “What are you going to do?” I whisper, slipping out my fingers and loosely tangling them with his.

  “I don’t know yet.” He admits after a long pause.

  “Please don’t fight, Liam.” I beg. “Please…”

  My words are cut off when Liam tightens his arms around me, holding me impossibly close. I squeeze my eyes shut from the way his body is pressing into mine in all the wrong places now.

  “You don’t get to decide what I do. You have absolutely no say in it whatsoever.” He states harshly. “Do you understand?”

  When I don’t reply, he shakes me. The sudden movement makes me want to cry out in pain, but I hold it in.

  “Do you understand?” He asks again.

  “Yes.” I whimper.

  Liam then shuts off the water and pulls me up to me feet. He grasps my hand, helping me out of the tub before reaching for a towel and drying off his messy hair. Drops of water trickle down his sun tanned torso, di
pping into each tensed muscle. He hands me the towel when he’s finished and I clasp it with my fingers, bringing my long hair over my shoulder. He stands there observing me for a few moments before reaching out with his long fingers to grab the waistband of my leggings, letting out an annoyed grunt when I take a stumbling step away from him.

  I can’t help but cry out when Liam grabs my forearms, his fingertips unintentionally digging into my bruised skin. He curiously assesses my reaction before snagging the hem of my long sleeve shirt and pulling it over my head. He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth while he grasps my wrists and lifts my arms, the dark bruises coming into view. I watch his eyes squeeze shut before he lets my arms fall back to my sides and he kneels down to take off my shoes and socks. I try my best to stand completely still when my feet are finally bare, but I can’t help but tense up when he brushes his fingers over the just as dark bruises on my stomach. I see a slight tremble in his chin and watch him bite harder on his lip when his hands fall away from my stomach and attempt to take off my leggings again. I don’t protest when he strips them off, leaving me in nothing but my bra and underwear. I shiver when he unclasps my bra and slides my underwear down my legs, letting both of them carelessly hit the floor. I stand completely naked in front of Liam while his eyes trail up and down my damaged body before his fingers undo his jeans and let them drop to the floor, his boxer briefs going along with them. He grabs a towel, securely wrapping it around his waist before walking out of the bathroom; leaving me there to wrap my arms around myself and let a few more tears slip down my cheeks.

  When I walk into Liam’s room, he’s just finished pulling up his fresh pair of boxer briefs. I watch him climb into his bed, his eyes landing on me as I grip the towel that’s secured tightly around my body. His emotionless eyes follow me while I walk over to his dresser and pull a random t-shirt out. My entire body feels empty knowing that Liam has completely shut himself down; nothing left of the sweet and caring boy I know he can be. I drop my towel to the ground and pull the big t-shirt over my head. I pull open another drawer and find a pair of my underwear before sliding them on. When I turn around, a spark of hope surges through me when I see Liam has pulled the covers back for me to climb in next to him. I quickly travel over to the bed and climb onto the cool sheets, surprised when Liam pulls me closer to him.