Among the Stars ✔️ [Completed] [book three]

Chapter 44

"Please calm down..." I plead with my husband over FaceTime for what feels like the hundredth time today. He paces up and down the length of his trailer like a caged tiger. Our calls have been interrupted by hair and make up so far, but he firmly told the director when he came to collect Daniel that he would be out once our conversation was over, and not a minute before. I watched with unease as the director just nodded in response, thankfully judging that Daniel was not in the mood to be challenged.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down?" He asks through gritted teeth, glaring at me across the miles. "He fucking pays my heavily pregnant wife a visit after he'd already fucking checked that I was filming away... so he could fucking ambush you about your psychotic ex-husband!"

I open my mouth to respond, but close it when I see his furious expression. Instead, I glance out of our kitchen into the darkness of our garden.

"Lizzie... don't you dare defend him again! He knew you were on your own!"

"I'm not!" I shout in frustration.

Daniel pauses to actually look at me. He roughly rubs his free hand down his face while his wild blue eyes meet mine through the screen. "You don't look very well. Are you OK?"

I nod, but feel my eyes sting with tears. A whirlwind of thoughts race through my mind to lie and say I'm fine, and for him not to worry. But as I focus on his eyes, desperately searching mine, I can't lie. "No, I'm not OK." I mumble. "He's hurting someone else because of me. This is all my fault!"

"Oh, sweetheart. None of this is your fault-"

I abruptly cut him off. "Just stop! If I had of had the guts to stand up for myself and actually go to the police, then he wouldn't be hurting her, Daniel. Her pain is on me!"

"Lizzie Weston, I'm not allowing you to torture yourself over this. Anything he does is on him! You hear me? You are not to blame for what he does! You made the decision not to go to the police, and although many wouldn't agree with your choice, it had fuck all to do with anyone else! You did what was right for you at the time."

"She looks like me..." I suddenly sob, even taking me by surprise. "It was like peering through a time machine at myself all those years ago." Dropping my phone onto the table, I practically collapse onto the chair. The room begins to spin as I feel exhaustion seep into my bones.

I hear Daniel repeatedly shouting my name which I try to focus on so I don't delve head first into the nightmares from my past. Slowly I turn the phone over, aware of Daniel's ever increasing desperation. I prop the phone up so he can see my face. Tears stream uncontrollably down my face, making me feel as though I cannot breathe.

"Lizzie, please talk to me." He speaks frantically.

The responsibility I feel towards this stranger is overwhelming, but once again I'm torn between wanting to protect my family and attempting to save her from a monster. "I'm just tired, so bloody tired. I shouldn't have bothered you about this while you're so far away, I'm sorry."

"I'm your husband, Lizzie! I want us to share everything. I just wish I could come home-"

"Daniel, don't you dare! I'll be fine, I just need to think about what I'm going to do about it... I always wondered whether it was just me that brought out that rage in him, or whether he would just move on to another target... now I know!" I stare at the photographs still on the kitchen table.

"Lizzie, please don't do anything rash. You are nearly eight months pregnant... and you're on your own right now... let me ring your mom to come and stay with you."

"No!" I exclaim before looking up at the clock to see that it's almost eleven. "Daniel, you know what this would do to them! Please don't call them, it's late. Mom will panic and I just can't deal with her dramatics right now. I'm just going to go to bed... and you should be filming."