Tree branches slapped her face and hands as she stumbled blindly through the night. She tripped over a log and fell to the ground. Her hands and knees stung from the impact but she didn't notice through the panic constricting her heart. She climbed back to her feet and started running again. The gazebo loomed before her as she finally made it to the park.
She froze as something inside told her not to go any further. She could see Liam and Michelle in the gazebo. Michelle was gesturing excitedly, her voice drifted through the night, but the words were indiscernible. Liam's voice was angry and insensible.
Sera started to creep forward. A part of her told her to run, to leave, and to never look back. Another part of her, the bigger part, told her to keep going. This was Liam, he loved her; he would never hurt her.
Liam looked up and spotted Sera standing at the edge of the woods. He froze as his eyes latched onto her. Michelle turned toward Sera, Michelle's body stiffened, and then relaxed. Liam's arms remained locked on the banister behind her as Sera approached.
Sera looked like a ghost, pale and ethereal as she moved toward the steps of the gazebo. Her long hair billowed like a banner behind her as it whipped in the wind. Michelle turned back to Liam, her eyes were still filled with apprehension, but there was a glimmer of hope in them now. Sera climbed the steps; her eyes were turbulent as they met Liam's before going toward Michelle. Sweat beaded her brow and matted her hair to her face. Her breath was coming fast, and he knew that she had run all the way here. He just didn't know why. He turned his attention away from her and back to Michelle.
"I think you have something to tell her," he said.
"I called Jacob," Michelle admitted.
Sera's jaw clenched. "How did you know?" she grated.
Michelle looked at the ground as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I knew that something had to have happened to you," she whispered hesitantly. "You never spoke of your home, you never go back there; you were always so skittish around men..."
Her voice trailed off. Sera's breath was frozen in her lungs. Liam's face was completely inhuman, deadly, as he stared at Michelle. She bit down on her bottom lip, willing him to look at her, willing him to show some sign that he was still the man that she knew and loved. But his gaze never traveled to her as he kept Michelle pinned in.
"Tell her everything!" he barked.
Michelle jumped and tensed. Sera shivered and buried herself deeper into Liam's jacket. Her gaze flew to the back of the gazebo as Mike took a step forward. She hadn't seen him standing there. Relief washed through her as she realized that there was at least someone else here to help. Nothing bad was going to happen.
"I... I did some investigating," Michelle stammered, drawing Sera's attention again. "I called your old high school and got in touch with your parents. At first no one would tell me anything. But, a couple of weeks ago I got a hold of one of your yearbooks, and I managed to get in touch with someone from your class..."
Michelle's voice broke off. "Who?" Sera asked.
"Lisa Evans."
Sera closed her eyes against the wave of sorrow that crashed through her. Lisa had been her best friend and it had been Lisa's party they were at that night. Lisa had seen her leave with Jacob. Yet, she had never said a word, and she had been one of the first to accuse Sera of lying. Betrayal, fresh and new, tore through her, wrung tears from her eyes, and shook her body.
Liam turned his head to gaze at Sera. Her eyes were closed as tears slid down her pale cheeks. She looked so small, vulnerable, lost, and hurt. The impotence he felt caused his hands to clench upon the rail. It took everything he had not to rip Michelle's throat out. A gasp escaped Michelle as she gazed at him in wide-eyed alarm. Her body began to tremble.
"Please don't kill me," she whispered pleadingly. "Please."
Liam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was enough blood on his hands tonight, and no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't kill her. Not with Sera there. She would not see that side of him. As far as he was concerned she would never know it existed.
"What did Lisa say?" Sera asked.
Michelle nervously licked her lips as she stared pleadingly up at Liam. Her heart was racing so frantically that he could see it leaping in her throat. "Answer her," he grated.
Michelle jumped and blurted a response. "She told me that you had accused Jacob of trying to rape you, and that it had been a lie. She said that once everyone learned about the lie, you took off to live with your grandmother, and no one heard from you again. She put me in touch with one of Jacob's friends, who gave me his number."
"So you called him?"
"Yes."
"You told him where I was. You told him about Liam and I. Why would you do that?"
The betrayal in Sera's voice ripped through Liam. His hands clenched so firmly on the wood that he was sure he would rip it free. Michelle's eyes flitted back to him. She swallowed convulsively as she tried to find the words to speak.
"She said it was a lie. He said it was a lie. I thought that he should confront you on it. Make you face up to the fact that you had lied."
"I didn't lie!" Sera yelled.
Michelle jumped again; she glanced hopefully at Mike. Liam's temper was coming to a dangerous boiling point. Michelle had become suffused in a reddish haze. He knew that if he didn't get away from her soon, he would kill her.
"I know that now," she whispered. Her head bent as her body was racked with sobs. "Please just don't kill me, I'm sorry. I really am sorry."
