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’dbeen 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 shrinkaway 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.”