Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Jenna
I was ready to book the flight seconds after making the decision to go, but Liam made me wait until morning to get clearance from the pulmonologist. Now we had it, and my hands shook as I hovered over the button to buy the tickets.
“I’m so damn proud of you for wanting this, Firefly, but it doesn’t have to be now.”
“It does. Today is the first day of the new me.” Besides, Tyler’s graduation was a month away, so I only had one month to fix things enough to be able to go.
I clicked the button.
Liam braced his hands on the table on either side of me, caging me in, and kissed the top of my head. “So fucking proud.”
I savored it for a quick moment, then ran upstairs to pack. Thor raced up ahead and Liam followed behind. They settled on the bed, Liam looking like a model for a sexy firefighter calendar with our sweet, handsome dog next to him.
I stared into the closet, a mix of pants and skirts staring back at me.
“Choose whatever you want, Firefly.”
“Skirts because I’m not afraid to wear skirts? Or pants because I don’t need to prove that I’m not afraid?”
“What if it’s not about fear anymore? What if you just choose what you want to wear? Which would be more comfortable on the plane?”
It’s not about fear. Pants would be easier.
I could move around in my seat without a skirt bunching or riding up.
I put on a pair of loose black yoga pants and paired it with a pink T-shirt and a black zip-up because the plane could get cold.
An outfit designed around my comfort, and nothing else.
Then I grabbed a bunch of tops and a mix of skirts, leggings for underneath, sweatpants, and jeans, so every time I dressed, I’d have that choice. Because it was my choice.
Liam’s lips quirked, but he didn’t say anything.
He wasn’t wrong. I had enough clothes to change outfits every hour of the trip. But how else would I choose what I wanted to wear? I barely knew how I felt about it now. I had no idea how I’d feel later.
We rushed to finish getting ready, since I’d booked us the first flight we could realistically make, and dropped Liam’s spare key off with Nicky so she could take care of Thor.
Now we were waiting at the airport, less than an hour from departure.
Less than an hour from being on my way to say the things I’d dreaded saying for most of my life.
“I’ll be right back. I have to go to the bathroom.” I stood, but Liam grabbed my arm before I could take a single step.
He pulled me to stand between his legs, his other hand coming up to caress my face, careful to avoid my bruises. “I’m going with you,” he said, his eyes intense.
“Stay with our stuff. Listen for announcements. I’ll be right back.” I knew my voice didn’t sound as confident as I wanted it to, but this was the new me, right? I wasn’t afraid anymore.
“Firefly, I’m going to walk with you, and I’m going to wait outside the bathroom for you. It’s the gentlemanly thing to do. You don’t want to insult my chivalrous nature, do you?”
Once I was inside the stall, I listened as noises and voices blurred into an indecipherable din.
So many people so close, and I couldn’t see them, couldn’t quite hear them.
What if someone in here was planning something, or even working with someone else, informing him who was in the bathroom?
If I got kidnapped and trafficked from an airport, I could end up anywhere in the world.
No, that was impossible. Well, not impossible, but unlikely.
Still, I was glad Liam was waiting outside the bathroom.
I finished up and squared my shoulders before opening the stall door.
Just in case, I looked purposefully around the bathroom, noting the women walking in and out, the short line of people waiting, and the ones at the sinks. Aware of my surroundings.
I headed to the sink closest to the exit, closest to where Liam was.
That’s what he’d say to do. I washed my hands, my heart pounding, and used the mirror to keep aware of what was around me.
I let my attention drift briefly to my own reflection.
I didn’t need to see the bruises to remember each one, but I looked anyway. They’d fade soon, but would this fear?
It’s only been a few days, I reminded myself. Give yourself grace.
My gaze was drawn to two girls about my age, fixing their hair and whispering furtively, their eyes flicking toward me. My skin prickled, then rage took over as their words drifted to me. “...probably that big guy by the door…looked mean…”
How dare they! I glared at them, quickly drying my hands and hurrying out to defend Liam before they could get to him, but one girl grabbed the other’s arm and dragged her over to me.
“Wait,” she said. “Before you go—”
I turned to fully face them and saw the moment they took in the full extent of my injuries. I held my ground. I didn’t have anything to hide, and I would not allow them to disparage Liam. “What?” I spit out.
“We just want to make sure you’re okay. Are you safe? Can we do anything to help?”
The pressure in my chest eased, everything in me softening. This is how it was supposed to be. “I’m good, thank you. The guy that did this is in jail, and that big, mean-looking guy waiting for me is the best there is. I’m safe.”
“Thank God,” one said.
“We’re glad you’re okay,” the other said.
“Me too. Thank you for asking.”
“Girls gotta stick together.”
“Sure do,” I agreed.
We walked out together and smiled at each other as I walked straight into Liam’s arms.
“You okay?” he asked, looking between me and the girls.
“Great,” I said, and I truly meant it.
That good feeling vanished the minute we touched down in Atlanta. The closer we got to my parents’ house, the tighter my stomach knotted.
We parked the rental car, the knot so big it nearly choked me.
The house was empty, of course, even though they knew we were coming.
There was a car in the driveway across the street, but I’d been gone too long to know which of the Belkes it belonged to.
Liam hurried around to open my door, and as we walked up the driveway, I pulled out the key on the lanyard keychain I hadn’t seen in years and gripped it.
My hand shook as I unlocked the door, one eye on Brian’s house. It was like no time had passed at all.
“That’s his house?” Liam’s gruff voice and his proximity, his body vibrating with barely constrained rage, reminded me this wasn’t anything like before. This time I had my furious and protective, six-foot-five, U.S. Army-trained bodyguard with me. I was safe.
“Yes, but please don’t do anything.” I begged, a total hypocrite. I’d love to see Brian tremble under Liam’s wrath, but I wasn’t ready to deal with that fallout.
“I won’t,” he agreed begrudgingly. “Not yet.”
“Thank you.” I knew how much he wanted to beat the crap out of him. Knew he probably would before this was all over. But I needed to tell my parents first.
He grunted.
“Liam!”
“I said I won’t, but let’s go in because I make no promises if he comes near you.”
We went in and I placed my purse on the foyer table, same as I’d always done.
Our bags were still in the car since we were staying at a hotel.
Liam had insisted, and I’d agreed wholeheartedly, despite my parents saying it was silly and wasteful.
I was ready to face many things, but sleeping in my childhood bed wasn’t one of them.
“Want the tour?”
He blew out a harsh breath. “Sure.”
I tried to take his hand, but it was fisted at his side. I followed his gaze to the living room couch. The site of the story I’d told him about Thanksgiving. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
“You’re better than okay, but nothing about what happened is okay.”
“I know.” I whispered, and then I led him on a tour of the house. A tour of my personal hell. Memories bombarded me in each room, and we hadn’t even gotten to my bedroom yet. I saved that for last.
I opened the door to my bedroom and leaned back into Liam’s chest, wrapping his arm around me, plastering myself to him. He brushed his chin over the top of my head. Surrounded me.
The pale lavender paint was the same. New bedding and decorative pillows covered my bed. My dresser and desk were the same, but my mom’s trinkets filled the space where my stuff used to be. It made a fine guest room, except for the stench of my nightmares.
I stepped away from Liam, slowly walked to my bed.
Sat on it. Ran my hand over it. Over the spot where I’d been sleeping when Brian climbed on top of me.
The spot where I’d given him a blow job.
Where I’d lain awake so many nights wondering when he’d come in.
Liam pulled me up, into his arms, and only then did I realize I was shaking.
“Fuck, Firefly,” he gritted out.
“I’m o—” I stopped myself. I wasn’t okay, and we both knew it. I didn’t know what else to say, though.
“Call your parents. They need to get home so you can tell them, then we can get the fuck out of here.”
That sounded good to me. Especially now that I was facing a framed photo on my dresser. “That’s him,” I said, pointing.
It was a picture of our families standing outside a restaurant.
I think it was my mom’s fortieth birthday.
I would have been ten. Brian and I stood in front, his arm around my shoulders, the smarmy smile I knew so well on his face.
My body looked the way I remember feeling—like I was doing my best to shrink away and disappear.
But my eyes. God, I didn’t remember them looking so sad.
And our parents stood behind us, smiling, with a laughing Tyler on my dad’s hip.
“Firefly,” Liam whispered, anguish in his voice, and I hated Brian even more for causing that.
The front door opened and shut. “Jenna?” my mom called out.
“Be right there!”
Liam held onto me. “I know this will be hard, but it’ll be worth it. Telling them will help you find peace, and you deserve that.”