Two for Alex

Shit. It was possible she wouldn’t be back for hours or even days. He hadn’t counted on her absence. So determined to seek her out and talk sense into her and so excited by the idea of bringing her home to Daniel, he hadn’t worked his way past finding her.

He sat for several minutes pondering what to do. The sound of an engine behind him made him look in his rearview mirror. It was Alex. She pulled up behind his car and turned off her engine.

He jumped from the car and headed toward her. She didn’t get out of her car as he approached. He bent down to look in her window. Her face was hidden against the steering wheel, her arms covering her head.

Alarmed, Liam pulled open the door. Alex’s shoulders were shaking and he could hear her muffled sobs. “Alex, what’s the matter? Alex?” His heart was pounding with fear. Had she been in a wreck? Was she running from something? Had someone hurt her?

Finally she looked up at him, her face red and streaked with tears. “Liam?” She squinted at him as if she weren’t sure who she was seeing. “What—what are you doing here? Is Daniel with you?”

“No, I came alone. I had to come, Alex. Daniel…we missed you. But what’s going on, sweetheart? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?”

He reached for her and she tumbled into his arms, wrapping them tight around his neck. She was still crying. He held her, frightened and sure something was terribly wrong. “Baby,” he crooned. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe now. Tell me what happened. Please. Tell me what happened to make you cry.”

Alex let go and stepped back, wiping her tearstained face with the back of her hand. The shirt was only partially buttoned and though it came to her knees, he saw she was naked beneath it. Anger seeped into his veins, for the moment obscuring his fear. If someone had hurt her, he would kill him. He would fucking kill him.

Alex followed his eyes and looked down, clutching the large shirt around herself. “Come inside.” She had stopped sobbing but was still sniffling. “I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

He followed her up the stairs to her apartment, the whole of which would have fit in their living room. The room was warm, the air close as if no one had been in it for a while. He wanted to ask a thousand questions, to demand the answers but he knew he had no right. He’d come uninvited and unannounced. At least she appeared basically unharmed.

She waved toward the sofa and he sat upon it, moving a pile of laundry to make room. Alex looked embarrassed. “Sorry about the mess. I wasn’t expecting company.” She peered at him again, tilting her head as if to question his very existence. “I still can’t believe you’re really here. And Daniel’s okay?”

“Daniel’s fine. But obviously you’re not. You come driving up in a man’s shirt with nothing underneath and break down sobbing. What happened to you, sweetheart? Please tell me.”

“Anthony,” Alex said, as if saying this one name explained it all.

“What?” Liam was confused.

“Anthony Campos.” She winced as she said his name and suddenly Liam understood. She’d somehow become entangled with that sadist.

Liam jumped up from the couch and pulled Alex to him. Anger surged through him. “That bastard. What did he do to you? I’ll kill him. I swear to god I’ll kill him.” He swept Alex into his arms and carried her to the sofa, sitting with her in his lap.

She hugged him, pressing her wet face against his chest and bringing her hands up around his neck. He could feel her heart hammering against his like a caged bird. She had begun to cry again. Damn it, he needed to calm down—he was making whatever had happened worse.

As gently as he could Liam urged, “Tell me what happened. Are you hurt? Do we need to go to the hospital?” He wouldn’t put anything past that creep.

Alex sniffled and let go her stranglehold around his neck. She pushed her hair from her face and even managed a wan smile, which warmed Liam’s heart. “A few bruises, a few welts.” She rubbed at her bottom, making his heart tug with emotion. “I’m okay, I think. It was fucking terrifying, Liam.” Her voice broke. She drew a tremulous breath. “I managed to escape while he was in the bathroom. I didn’t even stop for my clothes. I just flew out of there.”

“Jesus,” he breathed, enraged again. “We are totally pressing charges against that motherfucker,” he snarled.

She paled, two bright spots of pink on her cheeks, her eyes wide with fear. “No. Please, god no. I couldn’t go through that. He’d say it was consensual. And it started out that way. Please… Please, just let me process this in my own way.” She blew out a breath and brushed her hair from her face. “I’m—I’m so embarrassed. I mean, I’m incredibly glad to see you. You have no idea. But not like this. I didn’t want you to see me like this. I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”