42. Liam
Chapter 42
Liam
M onths later…
“Come on Liam, have some fun.” I heard Adrianna yell from the middle of her foyer.
The music had been blasting, everyone had been dancing and twirling around like she was the happiest person in the world.
The months that passed since Margo had left, felt like a big blur. Life had moved on since Adrianna had gotten into the big car accident.
Her and Grayson were stronger than ever, and I don’t think anything could really tear them apart.
We also had found out that we are twins, that’s right, as in… we split from the same egg, developed together and share the same birthday.
But not really because, I was born before the clock had stroke midnight, and she was born after.
I never realized how amazing it would feel to have a sibling, not that I grew up without my own. Grayson, Neil, and Chris were my brothers.
But Adrianna loved and cared for me like she knew that I was her brother for the full lifetime.
She would set up time slots where our family could meet and have dinner, just talk, like a functioning family.
My mother enjoyed getting to know her daughter and I couldn’t believe that my father was Damon Cassian.
That must’ve been the reason I was so good at hockey.
Grayson had walked up to me, “You can’t just sit there forever, come on, your sister wants for you to dance. And as her boyfriend it is my job to make sure that the love of my life gets everything she wants.”
I laughed. We hadn’t changed our routine, this evening we all gathered at Adrianna’s house once again for a casual get-together, an attempt to reclaim some sense of normalcy.
Margo hadn’t come by in a while, however. I would only see her around campus, she would help out Ronni at the trainers office, but I avoided it.
My knee had been all healed up and there was really no need for me to be going back there all the time. I wasn’t going to lie and say that I didn’t miss her.
But the way we ended things wasn’t really something that we would bring up the next time we saw each other face to face. Which as normally when I would run into her and Adrianna.
Laughter and chatter filled the room, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness from Margo’s absence once more. Without her laughter and stupid jokes, there was a void that no one really dared to mention.
As my friends and my sister, have tried their best to lift my spirits, the memory of me telling her to leave me alone and to stop loving me was a really big thing to forget.
I didn’t talk about her anymore, the only things that I focused on was hockey, my family, and my friends. Of course there was Sabrina who was a great girl, but I could tell I couldn’t give her one hundred percent of what she deserved.
Maybe I just won’t date anyone ever again.
As Grayson walked off, Adrianna caught my eyes.
Adrianna’s smile faltered; It wasn’t long before the conversation took a more serious turn. She noticed my distant gaze and put a hand on my shoulder.
“Liam, you alright?” She asked, her voice full of concern.
I nodded slowly, trying to muster a smile. “Yeah, I'm just... thinking.”
She gave me a knowing look. “Is what you’re thinking about possibly my blonde angel best friend, that goes by the given name Margo?”
The sincerity in her words struck a chord, and for the first time in months, I felt a glimmer of shock at the sound of her name.
“We can talk about her you know, I mean I’m not exactly stupid in the factor of loving. It took a while for me and Grayson to get together.” She reasoned.
Grayson had followed up behind her, “You have got to stop sulking Liam.”
Adrianna threw Grayson a look that could kill before hitting him in the crotch, “Hey, be nice to my brother.”
Adrianna smiled at me before winking.
I couldn’t help at laugh at the dynamic duo. The other four members of our group had finally stumbled back into the house, covered in snow.
“Guys! The snow!” Adrianna complained as Grayson grabbed a mop.
Everyone’s laughter filled the room, “We made snow angels!” Chris beamed.
“Yeah, can you believe that he’s never made a snow angel?” Verina exclaimed.
Neil and Juliette looked like they were avoiding each other, “What happened to them?” I asked.
“He threw a snowball at me.” Juliette complained as everyone in the group laughed.
Neil folded his arms, “Oh live a little, it’s just snow, besides you threw one back at me, a lot harder might I add.” He pointed out as Juliette, threw him the middle finger.
Before anyone could react, Neil scooped up some snow from Chris’s shoulder and threw it back at her, “Neil, when I catch you, I swear to god!” She shrieked.
I couldn’t help but laugh at her betrayed eyes.
Chris, being the instigator, grabbed a handful of snow from his hair and tossed it into the air, we all watched it disperse over the group like a flurry of playful confetti.
“Snow fight!” Verina declared as her eyes gleamed with mischief.
Adrianna had terror on her eyes as she watched the snow fall to the ground, leaving a mess on the floor. She grabbed a cushion from the nearby couch and used it as a shield, “Don’t you dare, Grayson Nicholas Prince.”
Grayson smiled, at Adrianna’s warning.
“Did she just use my full name?” He asked me as I grinned, “I think she did.”
Grayson grabbed a handful of snow from Verina’s shoulders and grinned as he was looking forward to throwing it at his girlfriend.
I took a step back, raising my hands in mock surrender, “Alright, alright, let’s not turn the living room into a snow battlefield.” I said.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of my friends covered in snow and merriment.
This was the first time I’ve seen a genuine smile plastered across Chris’s face.
Verina, determined to keep the fun going, lunged at Chris with a pillow, sending him toppling onto the couch with a surprised yelp.
“Truce, truce!” He pleaded, holding up his hands yet again.
As the group settled down, breathless and laughing, Neil took a moment to glance around at his friends, his heart swelling with affection. “You know, you guys are so fucking annoying,” he said softly, his voice filled with genuine warmth.
Juliette, still brushing snow off her clothes, shot him a look of mock indignation. “You were the one to pelt me with snowballs first!”
“I never said I regretted it.” Neil teased, earning himself another playful shove from Juliette.
Adrianna, still held onto her cushion shield, she slowly lowered it and looked around at the group, her eyes sparkled with happiness.
“I trust no one.” She said, her voice sincere.
I playfully shoved her as she landed on top of Grayson on the couch.
“Except for me?” Grayson grinned before kissing her.
“You two are disgusting.” I gaged as they picked up two pillows and lunged them at me.
MARGO
I watched them from a far, my heart hurt knowing that I couldn’t hang out with them anymore. I had told Ben that I had a soul cycle class just so I could get out of the house.
I stayed hidden, well not really. I stood outside of Adriana’s double doors. I felt a pang of sadness and longing as I watched my friends share those carefree moments.
It felt as though an invisible barrier kept me apart from them, a barrier erected by circumstances out of my control. Ben had become increasingly possessive, discouraging and sometimes outright forbidding me from spending time with anyone but him.
The more I tried to bridge the gap between us, the more he tightened his grip, isolating me further from the people I loved. I had barely seen Adrianna, he forbid me to hang out with them after classes, I was instructed to go straight home.
Each laugh, each playful insult exchanged between my friends seemed to echo around me, reminding me of what I was missing.
I missed seeing my friends, I missed seeing Liam, even if he told me to leave him alone. But instead, I stood there, a silent observer of a world that felt like it was slipping away from me.
My heart sank further when I saw the genuine happiness on their faces, realizing that even if I joined them, it would never be the same. Liam wouldn’t be able to look at me.
As I turned away, the laughter and joy faded into the background, I knew I had made my choice. All I could do was watch from afar, my heart heavy with the weight of my decision.
Even when Ben wasn’t around me, I could still feel him suffocating me, right when I would arrive back at home it would be him wrapping me around his hand.
I got back in my car; my eyes watered a little bit because I knew I was about to drive back home, back to my prison.
I drove back and finally arrived at the front of my door. I heisted to walk back in, but I had no choice.
Right as soon as I walked back into my own house, a pair of hands grabbed me by the neck.
Ben’s cold eyes met mine, fury blazing within them. “Where were you?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
I stammered, trying to find the words that might diffuse his anger. “I was just?—"
“Don’t lie to me," He interrupted, tightening his grip on my neck. “I know you weren't where you said you’d be.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to breathe, my mind raced to find an explanation that might appease him. But I knew it was futile; he had always seen through my lies, no matter how small or well-intentioned.
“I... I went to see Adrianna,” I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. “I just wanted to see my friends for a little while.”
His anger only intensified, his hold on my neck unrelenting. “You think you can just go wherever you want, see whoever you want? Your’e mine, Margo. You belong to me.”
The words cut deep, but I couldn't muster the strength to fight back. I could only nod, my vision blurring with tears as I accepted my fate.
Ben finally released me, shoving me away with a force that left me stumbling. “You don’t fucking listen to me.” He snarled.
“Do I need to show you why you should keep listening to me?” He bent down on the ground and slapped me.
I yelped as he grabbed me by my hair and pulled me to the bedroom.
I had never felt so much pain before in my life. I felt some of my hair bring ripped out of my scalp as he dragged me to the bed.
Ben pulled me up by my hair and pushed me on the bed. “Take your clothes off.” He seethed as I cried.
“No.” I sniffled as he grabbed me by my jaw and squeezed, “Take your slutty outfit off, or I rip it off.” He whispered with anger as I resisted him.
Ben laughed, a cynical type of laughter, he ripped my tights off, along with my shirt. He exposed my nipples and sucked on them.
His hand found my pussy and forced his fingers inside me. I cried and yelped for help, only to know that there was no help around.
None one could hear me, no one was around that didn’t work for Ben. He’s fired all of my prior help, scared that I they would help me.
I felt his fingers inside of me, only I tightened because of the pan and restriction not because it felt good.
He griped my waist as I tried to get away. Ben’s forearm was exposed, a tattoo gleamed, one that I had seen before.
A tattoo of a snake.
Trauma had hit me like a freight train.
It was the same tattoo that I had seen on the tall man that had tried to kidnap me.
Ben pulls out his belt, he threw me on the bed once more so that I wouldn’t face him. My ass was face up; I was vulnerable. “You want to keep defying me?” He yelled.
I heard the whip of the belt, my whole body constricted as he whipped the belt on to my ass.
I let out a cry as he slapped my face.
“Shut up. Don’t think I know you’re still in love with Brookshire.” He sneered.
I closed my eyes, wishing that this wasn’t really happening to me, but it was.
“You don’t think that I don’t have you followed every fucking time you leave this house?” He belittled.
More tears had gathered.
“You are so fucking stupid, Margo. I was never going to fuck you like I’m about to, but you need to remember that you can’t do anything that you want anymore. You have me to please and me only.”
“Do you understand?” He asked as I cried softly.
I had to figure out a way to get out of this, any way to get out of this never-ending pain and fear. I couldn’t tell Adrianna or Liam about it. My parents would never forgive themselves if they found out they traded me off to an abusive, rapist.
“Yes.” I muttered as he slapped me again.
At this point, the slaps, the punches, and the grips didn’t hurt. It was the new things that did, which only made it worst.
“You don’t talk to Adrianna, Liam, Grayson, Verina, or fucking any of them do you understand?” He laughed, “Or else something might happen to them. You wouldn’t want to be the cause of that would you?” He asked.
My heart felt heavy as he threatened my friends. It wasn’t just my life on the line anymore, but it was my friends lives as well.
I already knew that Benjamin Grimaldi was an awful man, only now I knew that he wasn’t just willing to hurt me but my friends.
Which was something that I couldn’t endure.
So, for the next days, I took the abuse, the yelling, the pain, and I stayed at home.
Only it wasn’t because of fear, but because I was going to dig up dirt on Ben.