Phoenix Falling

Chapter 3

 I spent every afternoon that week visiting Chuck.  He was in particularly good spirits Friday when I showed up.  

“Why are you so damn cheery?” I asked him as I gave him his requested Starbucks drink.  He took a sip and smiled.  

“I’m getting a visitor later today.”  He answered, but he never let on any details.  I pulled out our crib board and dealt him in.  

“How’s Connor?”  He asked as he handed me the two cards for my crib.  

“Not a clue, I’ve kind of been avoiding him he pissed me off on Monday.” I said, I had learned not to hide things from him.  He’d keep asking.  

“What did he do?” He pried.  I laughed because I had known It was coming.  And I answered anyway.  

“He blew a fit because I didn’t want to go out.”  I answered.  He looked at me like I knew I had more to say but he didn’t ask.  

“Nine.”  He said, laying his card down on the table.  

“Fifteen for two.”  I said, placing a six down. When we had finished our game I got up.  

“I’m going for a water.  You want anything?”  I asked getting up after having my ass kicked at cards.  

“Nope I’m all good.” He said smiling. I headed down to the cafeteria in a cheery mood. He was really a lot of fun. I had to say I enjoyed his company. I hoped that we could remain friends even after he got out which was only a few days away. But I worried he'd be going home. He hadn't told me where home was exactly but he had that same southern accent as Liam so I assumed the south. As I walked back towards his room I could hear the voice of someone else. Must be his visitor I thought.  Whoever it was had his back to me.  I smiled at Chuck and silently asked if he would like for me to go but he motioned me in.  As I stepped through the door the visitor turned to face me.  My heart stopped.  Oh my god.  Liam.  

“Hello Love.”  He said smiling at me.  My mouth was too dry to respond so I took a sip of my water.  

“Hi.”  I croaked out.  Chuck was beaming brightly at me from his bed.  

“You knew?” I asked him stunned at his sneakiness.  He just smiled at me from his very vulnerable state.  Liam had now stood up and offered me his chair which I accepted politely while he grabbed another.  I was still completely stunned at Chuck.  This was his reasons for all the questions.  

“Liv, this is my fellow troop.  Liam.”  He said, smiling brightly at me.  

“Thanks Chuck, but we all know that we already know each other.”  I said, attitude dripping from me.  He just laughed.  Ding.  f**k my phone.  I dug through my purse looking for it.  

“You carry a purse now?” Liam asked me quietly.  I nodded finding my phone.  I started carrying one when I started partying so much.  Sometimes a girl need a toothbrush when she’s drank too much.  I didn’t tell him that though.  

Party tonight.  I’ll pick you up at 8.

It was Connor, and I hadn’t seen him outside of school all week.  I hadn’t had a drink all week either and truth be told I needed one.  Especially right now. 

K

I sent back.  Both Liam and Chuck were studying me.  I offered no explanation just smiled.  It was now 6 so I had a little time to go home and get dressed.  I would need to leave soon.  Church being the kind to always call me out on my s**t.  

“Let me guess that was Connor, he’s picking you up tonight your going to go drink too much and then you’ll be late getting here tomorrow morning?”  He asked me, god dammit Chuck.  

“No I am not going to be late getting here tomorrow.  Stop being a pessimist.” I told him briskly.  He laughed.  

“Fine, but I get out at eleven.”  He told me with insistence.  I nodded, I already knew that. 

“Where are you staying once you get out?” I asked him, but I feared I already knew the answer.  

“My place.”  Liam answered.  I nodded.  

“K,  well I should get going I gotta get ready.”  I said, now looking at my feet.  Why did I feel so guilty.  I was allowed to have a new boyfriend.  Liam stood to allow me room to get past.  I brushed against him as I moved.  Oh god he smelled so good.  I felt the urge to get closer but I fought it.  

“I’ll see you in the morning.”  I said to Chuck and smiled at Liam as I turned. When I was out of the room I hurried my pace.  Bursting through the hospital doors into the parking lot I gasped for air.  God he still affected me.  I took a minute to catch my breath and then headed home.  

The party was a typical teen drink fest.  The girls were there this time which made it far more enjoyable for me.  We sipped keg beer and laughed about how stupid the guys were being.  I hadn’t told the girls that Liam was back.  I honestly didn’t know what to say.  Instead I chugged another beer.  When Connor came around with a tray of tequila shots I did three.

“Woah baby.  I’m getting lucky tonight.”  He whispered into my ear.  I rolled my eyes.  Yea right.  He slid his hand down my rear and then walked over to his buddies.  I finished off another beer and then turned to Peyton and Nora.  

“Liam’s back.”  I said, matter of factly.  They both stopped moving.  Peyton eyed me nervously.  

“What?”  She asked me as if she was worried I was just drunk and stupid.  

“Got back last Monday.”  I answered her.  She looked at me questioningly like she was waiting for me to continue. But really what else could I say.  I grabbed a tequila shot from the tray walking by and knocked it back.  

“Jesus Christ slow down Liv.” Norra said staring at me.  I knew she was right, I shouldn’t but I just couldn’t not.  

“Yea I will.”  I said trying to calm her nerves.  But the damage had been done.  I slowly but surely felt my balance losing itself.  My eyes getting blurry and my inhibitions leaving my body.  Before I knew it I was beyond drunk.  I found myself struggling to stay standing while Connor drug me to his car.  After some sloppy s*x I yelled. 

“Take me home!”  At him while he drove towards his house.  

“Why? You don’t want to go to my place?” He asked me, and through my drunken stupor I knew that I had somewhere else I wanted to go.  

“No take me home!” I slurred.  He tried to walk me to my room but I didn’t want that either.  

“Go home Connor, I’m fine.”  I mumbled out and from my foyer I watched him drive away.  Once he was gone I fluffed my hair and stumbled across the street.  I was going to make him understand exactly why I wrote that stupid letter.  The lights were on in the living room so I pressed the doorbell.  Then I started rapping on the door.  Hurry up god dammit.  He opened it standing there all sexy like he did.  

“Hello.” He said, surprised to see me there.  

“What are you doing home.”  I slurred at him.  Through the drunken haze I couldn’t really see his face.  

“Well I live here?” He said, but it was a question.  He didn’t understand what I was saying.  

“You said, you’d be gone another year.”  I spat angrily.  God I was so angry at him.  He nodded, he got it. 

“I’m sorry.”  He whispered.  

“Sorry? You’re Sorry!?” I said my voice raising.  He reached for me.  But I retreated.  He had lied to me.  

“Olivia please.”  He said, but from in the house I heard a woman’s voice.  

“Liam? Where did you go?” She yelled from the upstairs.  Oh my god, he has a woman here.  

“You’re sleeping with someone?!”  I gasped.  Now he grabbed my arms and tried to pull me with him. 

“No!” I shouted pulling away.  Always the gentlemen he released me.  I stumbled down the stairs.  

“Olivia, please come back.”  He said from right behind me.  He was following me.  I turned in the middle of the street and put my hand up stopping him.  I peered around him at the door of his house.  Anna stood in the door. Seriously f*****g Anna? 

“Oh for fucksakes!” I shouted pointing at her.  When he took the second to look back I made my mad dash.  I made it to the side walk on the otherside before I fell and scraped my knee. 

“f**k!” I shouted.  He tried to pick me up.  But I pushed him away.  Tears were now flowing freely down my face.  

“Go Liam. Just go f**k her. I’m fine.”  I cried, but he picked me up and packed me into the house.  In the foyer we ran into Tim who was heading upstairs with a glass of milk. 

“Evening Tim.”  Liam said kicking the door behind us.  

“Daddy.” I cried drunkenly.  

"Liam has a girlfriend." I slurred. 

"No I do not." Liam answered. 

"I have a realtor." He finished. 

“What?” I slurred at him, he just shook his head and continued up the stairs. Tim held my bedroom door open for Liam.  He set me down on my bed and disappeared into the bathroom.  I kicked off my shoes and unbuttoned my jeans.  Pulling them off I realized that I had cut my knee wide open.  From the door Tim said,

“Your in good hands.  Drink some water and sleep it off Olivia.”  He said, disappointedly.  Liam came back from the bathroom with some peroxide and bandaids and he cleaned the blood off of my knee.  Putting a bandaid on me he kissed my knee and then tucked me into bed.  

“Why Anna?”  I mumbled out.  He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.  

“Olivia, you have a boyfriend.  Don’t worry about it.” Then he left.  In the morning I wouldn’t remember any of it. 

******** Liam ******* 

    I was upstairs showing Anna around, she was taking pictures of the spare bedroom. Giving me her approval on my house. I wanted to sell it. Being here with Olivia having a boyfriend had proved hard. Seeing her with Connor while he abused her had really tried my patience. f*****g Chuck. He'd known she was my ex since the day he met her and he just kept getting to know her. Dammit. 

"This house is gorgeous." Anna said, moving into the next room with her camera. 

"I have to put it into the computer but you should get over six hundred thousand for it." She finished. Damn, I only paid four fifty. Thats pretty good. Property prices had obviously increased. The door bell rang. 

"excuse me," I said, heading out of the room and down the stairs. I opened the door to see Olivia. My breath caught in my throat. What I wouldn't give to pull her to me and kiss her with everything I had. 

"Hello." I said, wondering what she was doing here. She was supposed to be partying wasn't she? But then I caught a whiff. Jesus. She had really been partying. I was worried about what she was doing. Obviously drinking a lot. Not like there was anything wrong with a good buzz once in a while. But I noticed she was slightly unsteady and then she spoke. 

"What are you doing home?" But it wasn't her normal voice. She slurred it badly. 

“Well I live here?” I answered, questioning what she meant. 

“You said, you’d be gone another year.”  She spat at me. s**t. Yes I had, actually I told her two more years. I nodded, I knew she was right.  

“I’m sorry.”  I whispered. I meant it too. I really was.  

“Sorry? You’re Sorry!?” she was screaming at me. I reached out trying to touch her. But she flew backwards.  

“Olivia please.”  I pleaded with her. Just then Anna called from upstairs.

“Liam? Where did you go?” echoing down to the foyer. s**t. She isn't going to think this is good. 

“You’re sleeping with someone?!”  She shouted at me again. I reached out, grabbing her arms. I needed to explain this before she took it the wrong way. Although what would she think when she sees the realtor signs on the front lawn? 

“No!” She shouted pulling out of my grip. I let her go. Then followed her as she stumbled down my stairs and across the lawn. 

“Olivia, please come back.”  I almost begged, this isn't what I wanted. She turned to face me and put her hand up stopping me. Then she looked passed me to the front door. He face angry.  

“Oh for fucksakes!” She shouted, pointing back. I turned to look and there stood Anna. Crap. Just as I turned back she tripped. Falling on the sidewalk. s**t. This is a run away.  

“f**k!” She cried out. I tried to pick her up but she kept pushing me away. There were tears pouring down her face. God dammit. I don't like this. I don't want to make her cry. 

“Go Liam. Just go f**k her. I’m fine.”  She cried. Maybe I should have told her that she wasn't here for me but for my business but instead I picked her up off the ground and packed her into the house.

“Evening Tim.”  I said kicking the door shut behind us.  

“Daddy.” She cried drunkenly.  

"Liam has a girlfriend." She slurred, dammit she can't even talk. What has she been doing. 

"No I do not." I answered. 

"I have a realtor." I finished. 

“What?” She slurred at me. I shook my head at her and continued up the stairs.  Tim held her bedroom door open for me. I set her down on the edge and went into the bathroom looking for some first aid supplies. I scored some bandaids and peroxide. I heard Time from the door. 

“Your in good hands.  Drink some water and sleep it off Olivia.”  He said, disappointedly.  When I entered the room again she sat there, sad, broken, her knee bleeding her pants on the floor. I doctored her up and tucked her into bed, kissing her on the forehead. I had wanted to crawl in beside her and cuddle her. But I couldn't she needed to get out of her situation first. 

“Why Anna?”  She mumbled out.  

“Olivia, you have a boyfriend.  Don’t worry about it.” Then I left.  Walking back across the road to where Anna stood outside. 

"Well she's in rough shape." She commented. I looked at her. Is she judging? Because really it's none of her f*****g business. 

"So, I got everything I needed. I will send you an official price tomorrow and then I'll be over with signs and a contract tomorrow afternoon. She said smiling. I simply nodded. I held her car door for her while she got in and closed it behind her. 

"If your not busy, maybe we could go out for dinner." She suggested with a sly smile on her face. 

"Yea, I'll let you know." I answered then I turned and headed back to the house. Stopping only to look back at Olivia's room. The lights were off.