Walks like Rain

Veronica

I woke up before Liam, his arm sprawled out over my body. I slid out from under it and went to the kitchen to make some cinnamon and raisin toast. I pulled my bread out of toaster and placed it on a plate before I took a seat at my kitchen table. I turned on my television and flipped to the news. There was a reporter standing outside next to a closed off alleyway by police tape.

"Woman's Body Found in Dumpster Next to a Club." The headline read. I turned the volume up to hear the reporter.

"Twenty-two year old Veronica Pricehold was found murdered in a dumpster next to this club. Police are still investigating, but there have been no suspects."

My heart dropped. Veronica. I saw her that night in the alley. With that man. I could've stopped him. I could have saved her. But I didn't. She told me not to. Why did I have to listen? She could still be here right now if I had done something. I tried to calm myself down, but then I thought of her family. Her poor mum and dad without a daughter anymore. I felt bad for the person who had to break the news to them, to tell them their daughter had been killed. Then I remembered I had to tell someone. Liam.

I walked into my bedroom, Liam sitting up half awake. I quietly approached him as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched. I sat down next to him.

"There's something I have to tell you..." I spoke quietly. He nodded for me to continue. For a moment I couldn't speak, my breath hitched in my throat before I found the words to say. "Your friend Veronica... s-she was murdered." Liam shook his head before getting up and making his way out of the room, knocking things over on his way. I followed after him to the kitchen.

"I knew her ways would get her in trouble one day. I knew it god dammit! I tried to protect her!" He was getting angrier by the second, I was afraid to tell him I was there. I saw her. His chest heavily rose up and down trying to calm himself down. I pulled him over to the table and made him sit.

"I-I saw her outside the club with a man. It looked like she was being raped. I tried to stop it. She told me to leave. I could've stopped it..."

"If I hadn't been inside fighting that bastard I could have saved her." He mumbled.

"It's all my fault." I said.

"Stop. No it's not. It's mine."

"I think we should pay a visit... To her family. You know..."

Liam stood up from his chair.

"I'll be back." He grabbed his bag and slipped on his shoes and just like that he was gone.

I looked at my half eaten pieces of toast. I put it in the rubbish bin. I was too upset to eat, my stomach churning at the thought of food. I went to go shower before going to meet her parents. I put on some skinny jeans, flip flops, and a blouse. I glanced at the time. I glanced at the time. It was almost noon and Liam hasn't returned yet. I decided to go to the closest market to buy some items for her family. I bought some flowers and a sympathy card, as well as some ingredients to make them dinner for the night. I couldn't imagine what they're going through, losing their child. I tried calling Liam after I walked out of the market, but he didn't answer. I decided to stop by his flat. I turned the corner to see Liam being beaten by the man from the club. I dropped my bags and ran towards him as he took a nasty hit to the stomach. Jason had him up against the brick wall. I slid my body between his and Liam's, my back against Liam trying to shield his body.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered. I smelled alcohol on his breath. Of course.

Before I could reply, Jason intervened.

"You shouldn't be with guys like him, sweetheart. It's dangerous."

"I also shouldn't be with a scumbag like you."

His large hand flew across my face, his force making my head turn. I felt my cheek turn red with his handprint. Liam swung forward to hit him but I pushed him back, my power over taking his. I walked towards Jason and looked straight into his cold, icy blue eyes.

"How dare you hit a woman." I said through clenched teeth. I waited a moment before connecting my knee with his crotch, making him fall to the ground. I pulled Liam off the wall and dragged him home without saying a word to him.

I dropped my bags at the stairs and pulled Liam into my bedroom and made him lay on the bed.

Stay here." I commanded as I went and got some ice and bandages. When I returned his shirt had been stripped off his body, revealing his blue and purple bruised chest. He laid back, his elbows supporting his weight. "Lay all the way down."

"I can take care of myself." He snapped.

"Obviously not." I said, putting a band-aid over the cut on his chin. He caught my wrist.

"Stop. I'll do it."

"No, you want. You're drunk as hell, Liam." I said, putting a bag of ice on his bruised cheek. "I'm going to get a heating pad for your chest. DON'T move." I went into the kitchen and put the pad in the microwave and got him some ice water. "Sit up a little and drink some water." I put the heat pad on his chest and he flinched slightly. It was obvious that had been where he took the most hits.

"I told you to stop." He said in a tone that made me take a step back from him. I'd seen him mad, but I'd never seen him mad and drunk before. His judgement was impaired, who knew what he could do. He could hit me without a second thought.

"You're drunk. And you got in another fight. Don't you understand!? This needs to stop!"

He pushed the heating pad and ice off of his body and stood up. I took another step back, not taking my eyes off of him. He brushed past me and slowly made his way towards the wall opposite of me. His chest heavily rose up and down as his front leaned against the wall. He brought his two arms above his head and connected them with the wall, resulting in a giant thud which made me jump. "I just want to protect you!" He screamed, bringing one fist down on the wall again. "Because I couldn't do that for Veronica..." It got really quiet. You could've heard a pin drop. I slowly walked over to him and pulled his bruised body away from the wall. I took his hands away from his face to see him crying. He quickly looked away from me.

"Shh." I ran my fingers lightly across his cheek. "Babe, it's okay." He sat down on the edge of the bed and I joined him. He was still unable to look at me as the salty waterfalls poured out of his eyes. "You can't protect everyone from everything. And that's okay."

"No, it's not." He choked out. His eyes made contact with mine only for a split second before he turned his head again. "I could've saved her from dying like that."

My fingers made contact with his chin and turned his head towards me. "I tried. She didn't want help. None of this is your fault." I brought his lips to mine, only for swift second. "Okay?" He nodded and his lips met mine once again. "Now you're going to have to drink a lot of water to get to sobered up before we go to her parents. Lay in here and relax. I'm going to go make them dinner."