Page 17 of Captured Memories
Rage flooded her from head to toe, the bliss of being with Z earlier today banished by the way her damaged past reared its ugly head even around those closest to her.
Lex stepped back as if she’d struck him, and at once, the harshness leeched out of his expression, those ice blue eyes melting.
Tessa gaped from where she sat at the kitchen counter, her grip tightening around the edge. “Liv, I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice softening. Tessa opened her mouth as if to continue but shut it again a moment later. The aftermath of Liv’s outburst rang around the room, evident by the thick tension in the air and the awkward hesitation from Lex and Tessa. Whatever solid intentions they’d arrived with, both seemed to be reconsidering their manner of approach.
Liv flexed her jaw. To hell with this childish confrontation, and to hell with their judgments. She’d allowed the protectiveness until they smothered her, until she’d forgotten how to live. And yet every moment with Zane re-awakened her, like the slow unfurl of a flower in early spring.
“When you guys are prepared to treat me like a normal human being, we can talk,” she said frostily. “While I was planning on enjoying the rest of the night following a wonderful day, you two have fucked that up. If you don’t mind locking when you leave, I’m heading out.”
Liv turned on her heel, not waiting for either of them to respond as she marched for the door of her apartment. Cold rage radiated through her, the sort holding her heart in a vice and tightening her throat. Yet she refused to bow to any of the nonsense they wanted to spoonfeed her, and she wanted no part in their intervention.
Lex and Tessa cared. Deep down, she knew that. However, no matter who threw the blame, she refused to accept an ounce. Refused to let the fear of one bad thing shatter her. Liv poured some kibble into Percival’s bowl by the door before snagging her knapsack from where she’d let it slump to the floor. Silence radiated from her kitchen. Either they’d realized what asses they were being, or the two of them were pissed enough to not follow. She didn’t have the energy to handle them right now, didn’t have enough armor on to guard her tongue and keep from destroying those relationships.
Liv felt a complicated brew of anger, shame, and sadness broiling through her like a kettle ready to steam. She just wanted to feel normal. Just wanted to be in control for once, not fighting her family, friends, and even her own body.
Her footsteps echoed through the lonely corridor of her apartment, a familiar, choking walk. Her hand curled into a fist as she trudged past the wrinkles in the carpet and the overhead light that kept flickering. The memory of breaking down in this stale hall, of curling against the wall and sobbing until her ribs rattled, seared into her.
Even as she pounded down the stairs en route to her car, she didn’t question where she headed. One person made her feel safer than anything, and right now, he was the only one who didn’t treat her like she was damaged. Liv slipped into her Subaru, curled her hands around the steering wheel, and drove off.