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“I was going to call Janice and see if she wanted to join us for drinks then dinner,” Thomas said shaking hands with Will again.
“We need to get back,” Will stated.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to just run off now that the papers are signed,” Thomas said looking between them.
“Liv’s husband was injured at work, and I can’t let her fly all the way back to New York alone right now.”
“I take it that’s what all the calls were about?”
“I apologize for that. Scott isn’t the most patient and he hates voicemail.”
“So, he’s alright?” Thomas asked.
“He was shot in the arm. He said he’d be on desk duty while it heals…I just really need to get home.”
“Of course, you do, honey,” he agreed. “Let me get my assistant to set up the flight for you while the driver runs you back to the hotel. Can’t have a gorgeous gal like you crying all the way to the airport.”
“Thank you,” she said as Will accepted his help.
She was tense on the flight back and for once didn’t have to come up with an excuse as to why. Will assumed she was anxious to get home and check on Scott whereas the truth was she was terrified to get home. She didn’t want to deal with regular Scott let alone an injured one.
“I’ve got it Will,” she said when they finally reached the dark house. “Thank you for driving me.”
“Anytime, take tomorrow off and call before you think about coming in on Thursday, alright? Goodnight Liv.”
“Night Will,” she said wishing she could go with him as he drove away.
The moment she stepped into the house she knew the night was going to end badly. Scott was still awake and in a mood as he grabbed her wrist and drug her up the stairs. He pushed her back into the wall inside the bedroom and ripped open her blouse with his good hand and her breath stalled in panic that he took as desire.
“Little bitch behaved herself? Then get on the bed to be played with…”
The word no almost slipped out. Keeping it in was as hard as the desire to walk out the doors but he could hurt her so easily even with his arm in the sling and she gave in. It’d been almost three weeks since he’d touched her this way and it made her sicker than ever. She had to find someone to talk to before she did something she’d regret and got someone she loved hurt.
She laid on her side facing away from him afterwards, trying to keep the tears from falling and cried out when he shoved her off the bed. She smacked her head against the nightstand and knew extremely well, she was home.
***
“Morning Livy,” Will said as she came into his office. He studied her wondering why he’d never realized how amazing she was before now. She’d always been right outside his door, but he hadn’t seen her as anything other than his friend and Dan’s little sister until now. In the two weeks since they’d gotten back from Vancouver, he’d been having a hard time keeping her out of his mind and his hands off her.
“Morning Will,” she said giving him a smile.
“How’s the head doing?”
“Fine I still can’t believe I was that oblivious to where I was and smacked into that cupboard door,” she said touching the spot where the two stitches had been. “Thomas has been busy, hasn’t he?”
“Incredibly,” he agreed handing her the latest stack of information that they’d sent over. “Feel like working through lunch with me so we can possibly get out of here before midnight?”
“Sure,” she agreed, sitting down to keep herself from looking directly at him. She could still remember how easy it’d been in Vancouver with him and now she was wondering even more about things she shouldn’t considering what was going on in her life. Scott had upped his abuse and it was beginning to crush her more and more.
Every little thing made him mad outside the bedroom and once inside he used her then discarded her, most of the time barely conscious. She wanted to tell Will the truth but if she did, she would be terrified that he would look at her the way Scott did. Or worse, be furious and call him out on it, and then Scott would come after him.
She pushed herself to concentrate on her work and it fell back into a routine as the weeks slid into a new month then another. At work, she felt alive, but only when she was with Will. Outside of it she felt nothing but fear and a wish for death to stop it all.
She was working her way through a document for Will when she felt someone grab her shoulders and she jumped.
“It’s just me Livy,” Will teased sitting down on the edge of her desk.
“Don’t do that,” she replied, shooting him a look as the fear subsided and her heartrate returned to normal.
