AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Liam made my life a living hell when we were kids, and somehow, he managed to come back to town hotter and richer. It felt like an injustice. Like he would always be destined to pull the long straw in every situation.
He was going to be the town's golden boy because of the shifters and their endless tattoo-seeking, which meant I would have to deal with seeing a lot more of him.
It seemed like no matter what, I would still be that tormented girl, and he would be the one walking away unscathed.
But I had spent more than enough time working on myself to let him throw it all away. When he left, I promised myself I would never be in a similar situation again. I would never let anyone make me feel that small again.
If only it were that simple.
The apartment doorbell rang, and I was quick to answer, glad for the chance to get out of my head.
It was an even bigger relief to see Sara on the other side, holding a bottle of wine and a box of pizza.
"Delivery is here," she sing-songed, stepping inside with a smile. "Griffin said he could manage at home alone for one evening, so I took the opportunity."
"Am I ever glad to see you," I murmured, pulling what I could of a smile. I graciously took the pizza box from her and gave her a side hug.
Sara examined me curiously. "Bad day?"
Sighing, I put the pizza in the center of the table while she grabbed two glasses, well acquainted with the layout of my kitchen. "You could say that."
I felt Sara's eyes on me all the while we set everything up, even while we sat down and dug in.
She narrowed her eyes at me slightly. "You're being a lot more reserved than usual...are you working on a tough story?"
"In a sense," I mumbled, reaching for the glass she had poured for me. Even thinking about Liam made my stomach twist. "Liam Saunders is back in town, and I'm covering the opening of his tattoo studio."
Sara thought about the name for a moment, and then the recognition entered her eyes. "I haven't heard that name in years."
"Neither had I, and to my surprise, there he was," I exasperated, running a hand through my hair. "It was like seeing a ghost or something. Everything hit me at once."
She gave me a sympathetic look. "He wasn't very nice to you, was he? We weren't really close yet, so I missed most of it."
Nodding carefully, I let my mind drift back to that point in my life—the one I preferred to keep hidden.
But at the same time, I didn't think keeping it bottled up was good for me.
"He would try to humiliate me almost every day, and it usually worked," I began, feeling that shame as it trickled back into my system. "I don't know why, but he picked me as his target and always made sure to embarrass me in front of his friends. I hated school then, but there was nothing I could do about it."
"And nobody said anything or tried to help?"
I shook my head, trying to pull myself back together. After all that time, I didn't want him to bother me again. I didn't want him to have that power.
"Never. I tried to tell teachers, but they always waved me off, citing that 'boys will be boys'."
Sara made a repulsed face at that, disappointed to hear it. "I'm sorry nobody took you seriously. I can't imagine how that must've felt to see him again."
"I just don't want to see him after the fact," I murmured, pulling in another breath to steady myself. "I'll publish the piece and avoid him like the plague after."
Sara's gaze on me was gentle, and I knew she was sincere in her empathy. "I do remember how miserable you had been at the time. I just never knew the extent of it."
Reaching for a slice of pizza, I took a bite and shrugged. "The only good part was when he moved. Everything got much better after the fact."
She nodded, swirling her wine in her glass. "I back your decision to avoid him once the article is published. Just because he's back and you're covering his story, it doesn't mean you need to get stuck in those memories again."
Thinking about how different I had become since he left was enough to instill more confidence in me.
"You're right," I said, resolving that only I could control how I reacted to the whole situation. "I worked too hard on myself, building my confidence and getting to know myself better, to let it fall apart because of some jerk. He doesn't deserve to know me now."
