Escaping to Ireland

Vinessa

I had to tell Liam everything. Especially after he proclaimed, he loved me.

He loved me.

I knew he didn't mean to let it come out the way it did, but everything had been hyphenated with the events of the night.

I was angry with Susan after realizing she had texted Shawn, letting him know our room number. I wanted to call her out on it, but I stopped; Susan didn't need another person attacking her; she needed someone in her corner, someone letting her know that she could do this on her own. She needed to know that she was a fighter, a survivor, that she wouldn't let a man define her life. That she was more than just a punching bag, so I built her up instead of being another person to tear her down.

The commotion was loud enough to wake me up. Shawn had tripped over the ottoman as he tried to make Susan sit down with him. His arms were wrapped tightly around Susan's as he tripped.

My entrance distracted him enough that Susan could come to stand by me. I could have had her stand by me, but I didn't want anything to happen to her. "Susan, go to our room. I'll be right in," I said to her. I expected her to fight, but she shook her head, saying sorry as she headed into her room.

"Well, hello there," Shawn said, his words slurring. He was still in his usual suit; the tie was loosened around his neck and hung to the side. He looked like a typical businessman who had a few drinks after work. "You want some of this?" He asked me, his arms sticking out to the side.

"No. You need to leave," I said to him, wondering if I could reason with a drunk Shawn. I had never seen him drunk before. I knew he got drunk; I had heard stories from his Frat brothers that he was the crazy one; I just had no clue he was the abusive one. People could hide behind their masks for so long that you believed that was how the person was.

"I'm not leaving without you," he said to me. "I mean... Susan. And my baby," he said, pointing at the room Susan had walked into. Shawn didn't know that Liam was in this room with us, and I wondered if I should run to Liam's room. Shawn was looking around. "What did your sugar daddy buy this room for you? Does he pay you for your services..." He spits out at the end.

"Shawn, you need to leave."

He laughed at me. His eyes had seemed dark and edgy, and that was when I was scared. He stepped closer to me; I took a step back. He took another step toward me, and that was when I stood my ground. I didn't move; I didn't take another step back. I kept my arms crossed in front of me and stared him down.

"You could have had the whole package," Shawn said, his breath blowing in my face.

"You mean someone to punch me at night?"

He gawked at me. "Is that what that little bitch has been telling you? She deserved it those nights." I wanted to throw up dinner and the dinner from the day before. It had been multiple occasions. But then he spoke something that made my skin crawl. "Come on... Let's just do it right here," his head tilted to the chair next to us. I wanted to punch him, but I noticed Liam coming out of his room straight toward me. My fears subsided, and I knew there was no way Shawn would beat Liam.

Thankfully after that and threatening that we would call the police on him, he finally left.

"Anything else," Liam said; my hands had been in his the whole time I told him everything.

"I just feel guilty...."

"Why?" He asked me.

"How did this happen with Susan and Shawn? When I had left, Cole was alive and dating Susan, and now we have a pregnant Susan with an abusive baby daddy, who used to be my ex."