Cheryl x Liam: Inevitable

Part 20

There was an overwhelming sense of anxiety that was plaguing Cheryl the next morning as she stood in the bedroom of Liam's apartment, smoothing out her deep blue skinny jeans and her black t-shirt with tiny white hearts dotted over the front. She hadn't even bothered getting dressed up in her normal court attire because court wasn't happening today. Liam was going ahead into the court room to pretend as if everything was going to plan, but obviously he knew exactly what was happening.

"Cheryl, are you ready?"

Cheryl swallowed as she finished putting her hair into its ponytail. She was ready to do whatever she had to do to get her daughter back.

Game time was over...

She tottered out of the room in her wedged trainers, smiling at the sight of Liam standing in his kitchen – dressed smartly in a black suit with his crisp white shirt and a black tie. She held onto his shoulders and pecked his lips, stroking his shoulder. He squeezed her waist in return; both of them silently praying to God that this plan would work and that by the evening, they would have Sophia back.

"Ready for this?" she asked him.

"You know I'm ready," he put his phone in her hand, "I've messaged Sophia; it didn't take her long to talk though and I didn't even have to do anything because look."

Cheryl frowned slightly in confusion before reading through the messages herself...

<<8:15am – Hey Soph; it's Liam – can we talk?>>

<<Sophia: 8:17am – Hey Liam. Yeah, I think we need to talk. I'm sorry for everything; what's started as revenge against you has turned into a bigger mess orchestrated by my father against a lawyer he hates and it's ridiculous now. I know you're messaging me strictly for Sophia; I already know.>>

<<8:18am – What are you talking about?>>

<<Sophia: 8:32am – Sorry I took ages to respond, but anyway I'm not stupid Liam; you haven't text me in weeks now and it's no coincidence that you respond to me the morning of the trial when your lawyer's daughter is missing. Yes, my dad had his people kidnap Sophia. Please tell Cheryl that we haven't harmed her; I haven't let anyone harm her and I'll do anything to help get her back to Cheryl. Please Liam, you have to believe me; I never wanted any of this – I swear.>>

<<8:36am – I know you won't harm a child that's the only reason I'm believing in you right now. Look, Cheryl deserves the explanation; I'm glad that Sophia is alright. All I need you to do is not tell your dad that I'm texting you, and to have you on board with a plan.>>

<<Sophia: 8:38am – Whatever the plan is, I'm in and I pray it works! I don't want you to go to jail. Not meaning that in a romantic way but I genuinely never wanted this to go as far as it did. The assault and stalking part was me I'll hold my hands up to it, but daddy planted those drugs in your car. I swear to God Liam I had no idea he was going to do that to you; when I found out, I wanted to flip but you know my dad – I wasn't going to flip at him. I just screamed and cried to my pillow for ages.>>

<<8:40am – What did you do when they showed up with Sophia?>>

<<Sophia: 8:41pm – I was told to be mean to her, and I tried – I'll admit that I tried; I would blank her or tell her to shut up, I made her cry when I shouted at her. But then, I saw myself in her – and no pun intended because we have the same name, but I genuinely saw myself. I started feeling bad for her, for everything we had done. She's such a sweet kid and this has gone too far; Daddy should have never gotten Rob to kidnap her; this is too far.>>