Chapter 51
The rope swayed gently in the cold night air as Andrea took a trembling step onto the makeshift stool beneath the old tree. The soft rustle of the rose garden surrounded her, the scent of decaying petals mingling with the bitter sting of her tears.
Her hands gripped the branch above her, steadying herself as she stared up at the loop of rope. Her chest rose and fell with shaky breaths, her thoughts spinning into an overwhelming storm of despair.
No one cares. No one will notice if I’m gone.
The distant crunch of footsteps didn’t register at first. But when a familiar voice cut through the silence, sharp and panicked, Andrea froze.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Andrea turned her head slightly, her blurred vision catching sight of Liam standing just a few feet away. His wide eyes locked on the rope, then on her.
Before she could answer, Liam surged forward, grabbing her waist and pulling her down from the stool. She stumbled into him, her legs giving out as he held her firmly.
“What were you thinking?” he demanded, his voice shaking with both anger and fear. “Andrea, what the hell were you about to do?”
Andrea couldn’t speak. Her body trembled violently as sobs tore from her chest, and she collapsed against him, unable to hold herself up any longer.
“Hey,” Liam said, his tone softer now, though still laced with panic. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”
He wrapped his arms around her as she cried, her fingers clutching at his jacket. Her sobs came in uneven gasps, her heartbreak pouring out in waves.
“I c-can’t… do this anymore,” Andrea choked out between cries. “I’m so tired, Liam. I can’t take it.”
“You can,” Liam said firmly, pulling back just enough to look at her tear-streaked face. “You can, Andrea. I’m not letting you give up.”
They sat on the bench near the tree as the night deepened, Andrea still trembling as Liam kept a steady arm around her shoulders.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Liam asked after a long silence. His voice was quieter now, but his frustration was clear.
Andrea wiped at her face, her words barely audible. “Who would care? Everyone’s turned their back on me. Even Nathaniel…” Her voice broke as fresh tears welled up.
Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Nathaniel’s an idiot. And so is Damian. And Gabriel.”
Andrea let out a bitter laugh through her tears. “That doesn’t make it any easier.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Liam admitted. “But you don’t need them. You don’t need any of these assholes who think they’re better than you.”
Andrea turned to him, her eyes swollen and red. “Then what do I do, Liam? I can’t keep fighting like this. I don’t have anything left.”
Liam was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the dark horizon. Then he stood, pulling her to her feet.
“Come on,” he said.
“Where are we going?” Andrea asked, her voice hoarse.
“To my room,” he replied simply. “You’re not spending another second out here.”
Andrea sat in Liam’s room, a soft blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she held a steaming cup of tea he had handed her. The warmth seeped into her fingers, though the chill in her chest remained.
Liam leaned against his desk, his arms crossed as he watched her. His usual smirk was absent, replaced with an expression she didn’t often see—serious, almost calculating.
“You scared the hell out of me tonight,” he said finally, breaking the silence.
Andrea looked down at her tea, her hands tightening around the mug. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” Liam said, his tone sharper than she expected. “Just promise me you’ll never do anything like that again.”
Andrea hesitated before nodding. “I’ll try.”
“That’s not good enough,” Liam said firmly.
Andrea met his gaze, confused by the intensity in his voice. “What do you want me to say, Liam? That everything’s going to magically get better? Because it’s not.”
“Not if you keep letting them push you around,” Liam said, stepping closer. “You need protection, Andrea. Real protection.”
She frowned, unsure where he was going. “What are you saying?”
Liam sighed, his jaw tightening. “I’ll protect you. No one will touch you again, not with me backing you up.”
Andrea blinked, her heart lifting slightly—until he continued.
“But there’s a condition,” he said.
“What condition?” she asked cautiously.
Liam hesitated, then spoke, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “You’d have to be my girl.”
Andrea stared at him, disbelief and confusion flooding her. “What?”
“Be my girl for the week,” Liam said, his gaze unwavering. “That’s how it works, Andrea. If people see you with me, they’ll back off. But it has to look real.”
Her stomach churned as his words sank in. “You want me to be… what? A prop to boost your reputation?”
“It’s not like that,” Liam said quickly, his tone almost defensive. “It’s the only way I can protect you without making things worse.”
Andrea set her tea down, her hands shaking. “You’re serious.”
“I am,” Liam said. “Look, I don’t like this any more than you do. But if you don’t do this, things are going to keep getting worse. And I don’t want that for you.”
Andrea’s chest tightened, tears stinging her eyes again. “I can’t believe you’d ask me this, Liam.”
“I’m not asking because I want to,” he said quietly. “I’m asking because I care about you. And this is the only way I can help.”
Andrea looked away, her mind racing. The thought of agreeing to his terms felt like losing another piece of herself, but the thought of enduring another day without protection was unbearable.
After a long silence, she wiped at her eyes and nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Okay.”
