Warrior

Chapter Thirty Two

Warning: very dark, talk about abuse, do not read if violence triggers you.

Satey

"My mum and my dad were never married," Liam began, chin knocking gently into the top of my head as he spoke. He hadn't wanted to look at me, I assumed, so he took the position he was in; standing behind me, arms wrapped around my waist to hold me close to him as we looked out at the lake-it's surface shimmering with the reflection of the setting sun.

"I never understood why, really, but my mum always told my sisters that she didn't need a ring to prove his love to her."

It was a nice sentiment, I thought, until Liam let out a dry laugh; single and loud.

"The lowlife just didn't have any money and, if he had, he wouldn't have spent it on her."

I frowned, utterly confused.

"I like to believe that, at one time, he really did love my mum; she was the nicest person I've ever met. I mean, I remember how he treated her at first-like he really loved her, like he cared. I like to believe it wasn't all just a sick act to get her inheritance."

The pieces were beginning to fall into place as he spoke.

"But, when she got sick," Liam's voice cracked and I gripped his hands in mine, linking my fingers through his in comfort, "things changed. I guess she... She wasn't gaining him money, she was losing it. He didn't like that very much."

It pained me how small and innocent he sounded, almost like a child.

"He started beating her," he said bluntly, and the pain was evident in his voice. "I didn't realize it at first-I was too young, too naive to know what was going on-but the asshole beat the woman that loved him. He beat her in between treatments, when she was at home."

Liam shuddered against me and pulled my stunned body closer to him, craving comfort.

"My sisters told me it was because he was drunk, it was because he was so grief-stricken that he drank himself mad and beat his lover. 'He was insane.' And he was. Not because he drank himself into a depressed insanity, but because he was messed up in the head."

Liam paused for a long time, taking steady breaths as his grip tightened around me like iron. He was silent for so long, I thought it was all I was going to get. Granted, it was more than I has ever expected, but I knew this had to be hard for him.

But, just after I pressed a small kiss onto the back of the palm of his hand, he continued.

"My own father beat my favorite person in the whole world right in front of me."

I turned around then, pulling away from his grasp to look at him. He had tears streaming down his face, eyes squeezed shut tight.

"'Do you want him to see this?' he yelled at her, 'do you want your precious son to see you die?' And she cried and cried but he wouldn't stop."

Liam's voice was coming out in choked sobs as I reached up, holding his face in my hands and stroking the tears away from his cheeks with my thumbs as my own tears blurred my vision. Seeing him so weak and vulnerable was something I expected to be touching, but instead it was heartbreaking.

"He didn't stop until his 10-year-old son jumped on his back, screaming at him to stop or he'd do to him what he was doing to her."

Terror was seeping into my veins picturing the scene in my head, a traumatized innocent Liam trying trying so hard to protect those he loved.

"He didn't listen," Liam said, his voice quiet again as he opened his eyes to look at me, "he carried me out and threw me on the floor. I stayed there the whole night, sat with my ear pressed to the door and crying, waiting for her to come and see me after, like she always did."

A new tear rolled down his cheek as he reached up and took my hand away from his face, gripping it in his own.

"That was the night he snuck out the window and took her to the hospital, so he wouldn't have to explain to my sisters."

I let out a sob, pulling myself into his chest.

"That's all so horrible," I blubbered into his t-shirt as he pressed tear-stained kisses into my hair, "I'm sorry that happened to you, Liam, I'm so sorry."

His arms were around me, hugging me as close to him as possible.

"After she died, he went bloody insane. If he was already off the deep end, he was in the endless sea of crazy."

It seemed like, since he had started, Liam wasn't able to stop. After so many years of holding it in, I guessed, he had to tell it all. I wanted to kiss him, to tell him he was alright now but even I didn't know it. I didn't want to move either, I only wanted to let him keep holding me. He needed to be close.

"He abused my sisters in a way no human should ever do."

I didn't need him to say it for me to know what it was.

"That was when I started fighting competitively. I was eleven."

I squeezed him tighter.

"I told myself that if I had been stronger, I could've saved my mum and I had to make up for it by saving my sisters. I did, eventually. Paul gave me money to get them out of there and in a safe, far away place, and then he took me away here, to America. I haven't stopped fighting since. I've always felt the need to be able to protect people. From anything. Especially from men like my father, or my father himself... Because you never know." He drew in a breath, relaxing himself and I realized he was finished.

"That's why I'm so..." He gestured to himself.

I took his hands in mine, tucking myself under his chin and pressing kisses to the rough knuckles and calloused fingertips of a fighter, pretending not to notice his sigh of appreciation.

"You're not scared of me?" He mumbled into my hair.

"No," I said firmly, without a second thought, "no, I'm not."

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Wow I'm a shit updater I'm sorry, I know it's been months and believe me I'm sorry, I just went through a huge personal emotional thing, but I'm okay now:) Still in school, so slow updates, but I will update. As an apology, new chapter by the end of this weekend.<3
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