Chapter Forty-Nine
Liam
People’s voices swarm around me like mosquitos buzzing. I ignore it, my eyes following my wife on the other side of the pool. She’s so pretty in a red dress and her hair loosely tucked behind her ears. Her belly isn’t showing, but of course it’s too early.
Although she looks like she’s lost a bit of weight, she’s likely doing fine.
She’s back in her own condo, the home she loves.
She couldn’t have left our Malibu home faster even if she tried.
Although she said it was to give the place back to me, she has to know I can’t go back there anymore.
The house holds too many memories that slice my heart like naked razor blades.
I don’t think I can look at the Steinway without suffocating.
In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at another piano without my heart breaking.
I need a drink, something strong and hard. I start toward one of the numerous open bars, then stop at the sound of a splash.
Shaking my head, I keep moving toward the bar—everyone jumps into the pool at a party like Ted’s. But something in my gut says I need to look more closely.
Why—
“You can’t kill her!”
Brielle?
I spin around. She’s on her knees at the edge of the pool, shouting into the water.
Icy apprehension clamps my gut and I dive in, acting purely on instinct, cutting through the water in one smooth motion.
Black hair dances in the water, and a red dress unfurls like blood.
Olivia!
Adrenaline burns through me. I move faster, using all my strength to shove the guy off, pull her into my arms and kick upward.
The second we break the surface, I turn to her. “Olivia!”
Her face looks waxen, and her eyes remain closed.
“Olivia, baby, don’t do this.” My voice cracks as I pull her toward the edge. Several people finally notice the commotion over the skull-splittingly loud music. They reach down and help drag her out of the water. I push myself up and check her breathing.
Nothing.
Her cheek feels marble-cold against my palm. Shit, shit, shit.
Abruptly, the music cuts off. Everyone gathers around, phones out.
“Somebody call 911!”
“Is she dead?” The blunt panicked question slices through the buzzing of the crowd.
She’s not dead, you asshole!
I start CPR, pushing air into her lungs. Come on, Olivia, don’t let Hugh win. You’ve fought so hard to fuck him over, so don’t let him win.
Cold sweat coats my back as I begin to compress her chest. Come on, come on. Breathe, baby, breathe. I keep on going, desperate. I’ll do anything if you just open your eyes again and focus on me. Please.
Finally, she chokes, then coughs, turning over.
I pull back, plopping on my ass. My whole body shudders with relief. I did it. She’s going to be okay… Probably. I pray the baby will be okay, too. I don’t know what she’ll do if anything happens to it because she wanted one so much.
But first she needs to go to the hospital. A siren wails in the distance.
“She’s not dead. So the money’s still good, right?”
Tyler’s voice hits me like a bucket of gasoline over a lit fuse. I erupt to my feet and spin around. “You fucking son of a bitch!”
“Hey, that’s the guy who pushed her!” one of the people says from the crowd even as my vision goes red and a need to kill incinerates all my thoughts. I swing, punching Tyler right in the face.
There’s a loud crunch and he stumbles back, hands on his nose. Blood spurts everywhere. But the sight only reminds me of Olivia’s dress under the water and makes my rage burn hotter. I kick him hard between the legs. He doubles over and falls backward into the water.
“Oh fuuuuuuck!” Joey screams. “That’s it! Everyone out! We gotta drain the pool!”