Page 18 of It Was Always You

Eve cupped Lily’s bruised cheek. ‘Lily, please.’

Lily crumpled to the floor and Adam rushed to her side, crouching beside her. ‘Lily? What’s going on?’

‘He hit me.’

‘What?’ His voice was calm, belying the storm that had begun to rage beneath his skin. ‘Who hit you?’

‘It was my fault. But it’s all fine now.’

He took Lily’s face in his hands and wiped the tears away with his thumbs and grazed one lightly over the yellow and purple mark there. ‘Did Carl do this to you?’

‘Yes, but it was my fault.’

Adam’s jaw ached from clenching so hard as he fought to keep his composure. ‘Okay, on what planet is it ever okay for a man to hit his girlfriend?’ he asked her gently. ‘Lily, answer me that. When is it ever okay?’

‘I… I… but he thought I’d trapped him.’

Adam shook his head. ‘What? What do you mean?’

‘I missed a period. He thought I was pregnant. He said if I was that I’d done it on purpose.’

Adam spoke through clenched teeth. ‘So, he hit you when he thought there was a chance you could be pregnant with his baby?’ Lily nodded. ‘Where is he now, Lily?’

Lily’s eyes widened and her skin paled. ‘Adam, no… it’s fine… he said sorry.’

Adam let out a derisive laugh. ‘Oh, well, that’s fine then… as long as he apologised.’ His voice came out strained and high-pitched. He stood and turned to Eve. ‘Where is the lowlife piece of scum?’

Eve knotted her fingers before her. ‘He apparently went out for a smoke.’

Adam nodded slowly. ‘Keep Lily here.’ He flung the door open so hard it crashed into the wall, making the whole thing judder.

Carl was leaning against the wall, puffing on a rather large cigarette that looked distinctly like a joint. A cloud of smoke encircled him and sure enough as it drifted through the evening air the smell hit Adam; the straw that broke the camel’s back. Adam ran towards him, and before Carl had a chance to figure out what was happening, Adam’s fist connected with his nose.

‘You bastard!’ Adam shouted as he repeatedly punched Lily’s boyfriend in the face. ‘You lay one finger on her again, and I swear I will fucking kill you!’

Carl flailed his arms before curling into a ball on the ground. ‘Whoa, mate, stop hitting me! What the fuck? You’ve broken my nose!’

Adam stood over Carl, fists still clenched, chest heaving, heart pounding. He pointed an extended finger at Carl. ‘You stay away from her; do you hear me?’

Carl laughed through his blood-stained teeth. ‘Whatever she’s told you, pal, it’s all lies. She does that. She’s a manipulative bitch, pal, you know that, surely?’

‘Don’t call me your pal, you prick!’ Adam’s blood thundered through his veins causing a whooshing in his ears and he had to compel himself not to continue with the beating.

Carl held up his hands. ‘Look, Adam, she tried to trap me! She tried to get pregnant. You know what women can be like. They see a good thing, and they don’t want to let it go.’

Adam grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to his feet. Moving to within an inch of Carl’s face, Adam gritted his teeth. ‘You’re not a good thing! You’re a coward. If I ever hear that you’ve stepped within a foot of Lily again I swear to God, I’ll kick your arse from here to Australia. Do you hear me?’ Carl, who was now decidedly pale, nodded. ‘Because next time, pal, I won’t be as kind as to let you walk away with just a broken nose!’ he shouted. People had congregated outside the club where they were, some were filming, some just spectating, and Adam wondered absently how long it would take for this to end up on YouTube.

He shoved Carl again and the man fell into the wall before landing unceremoniously on his bottom on the concrete. Before he opened the door, Adam turned back to Carl. ‘Oh, and while I remember, Carl Denton, if you decide that you’re going to involve the police, don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell them and your employers, Dunkeld Holdings Limited, about the joint you’ve been smoking, and the coke you were handing out earlier, along with the fact that you hit your girlfriend when you thought she was pregnant and trying to trap you. As if anyone would want to trap you, you arrogant piece of shit!’ Gasps travelled around the gathered crowd and Adam turned to face them. ‘Did you get all that? Good.’

Lily and Eve were waiting by the bar when Adam returned, shaking his sore hand.

Lily’s eyes widened. ‘Are you okay, Adders?’

He grinned. ‘I’m fine. Your ex is a little sore though.’

When they arrived back at Lily’s flat, Adam walked Lily to her room, and he hugged her tight as they stopped inside the doorway. Her tears soaked his shirt and his heart ached for her.

He tilted her chin up. ‘Hey, why are you crying?’