To the Ends of the Earth

Chapter Sixteen: Justifiable Reason

I cuddled closer to Liam, enjoying the warmth and safety I found in his arms. Breathing in his unique masculine scent, I sighed in relief. The moment Liam heard my voice when he phoned me last night, he instantly knew something was off. 'Am I coming over or are you?' he'd asked, sounding worried. I tried to reassure him that I was fine, but I couldn't do it. And so, I rushed to his place so we could have some privacy.

Liam had something that immediately made me feel at ease and secure. I didn't know what it was exactly. I couldn't point out the specific reason why I felt that way with him, but it was a feeling I was beginning to crave. With the way things were escalating, Liam was keeping me in one piece.

After my confrontation with my parents, I took some time to calm down. Then, I called Camilla and told her to start moving forward with my case. I was ready to move on from it all, and I wanted to start my life in LA. I was hoping for the longest possible prison sentence for Virginia and Jeffrey but —at this point— I would take anything that would put them behind bars. I was just too tired of dealing with them. I was tired of the constant harassment. I was tired of always being on my toes. I was tired of worrying they would plan another attack. I was simply tired.

"What are you thinking about, butterfly?" Liam asked as he laid next to me, pulling my waist closer to his body.

"Many things," I mumbled.

"Things? Like what?"

"Well, things like how good I feel in your arms," I admitted. "But, also about how Camilla is going to file the reports against Virginia and Jeffrey today."

"Does that make you nervous?" he asked, caressing my arm with his fingers.

Goosebumps broke out all over my skin from his touch. I loved his touches. But, even more, I loved that I could have his hands on me without panicking. Pressing my body even closer to his like I wanted to be embedded in him, I decided to be honest. "A little," I confessed.

"Lottie, you must know Alex and I would never let anything happen to you. You're going to get the justice you deserve. I promise you that."

"You too."

"What?" Liam asked, pensively.

"You're going to get justice too...for what Vivi did to you."

"Yeah," he whispered, staring into space.

I was about to ask him how his therapy sessions were going, but I was interrupted by the doorbell. Furrowing my brows, I looked up at Liam. "Who could that be?"

"Not sure." He shrugged his shoulders and got out of bed. "Maybe it's your brother. You should just stay here and I'll answer it."

"No, hold on. I'll come with you." I slipped out of the warm, cozy bed and slid Liam's t-shirt over my head while Liam put on a pair of pajama pants. Once we were sufficiently covered up, we headed toward the door.

Liam looked through the peephole before answering the door, knowing about my idiosyncrasies in regards to safety. When he got a good look, he slowly pulled away from the door and stared at me strangely.

"Sweetheart, you should go back to the bedroom and lock the door," he ordered.

"What? Why? Who's at the door?" I rambled, nervously.

"It's Virginia," he said, watching me cautiously.

"Virginia?"

"Yeah, I'll take care of it baby. I don't want you to have to see her."

"No, Liam." I shook my head, coming up with a better idea. "I'll answer the door. I want you to stay hidden in the hallway."

"Absolutely not! Why would I hide?"