Shadow

Fourty-two

I feel the van start to move slowly and turn. I hear the tires hitting against hard rocks now rather than the smooth road.

"Where are we?" I break the silence once Liam steps to open the van door. The van completely stops and the door swings open fully. A gush of wind seeps and chills my skin. I stand up and Liam sticks his hand out for me to grab. I'm hesitant at first, but with the thought of Esmay, I grab it.

I immediately regret all my actions made in the last hour when I feel both my arms swung to the back of me and a black bag covering my face completely. My screaming seems faint as I try to catch my breath from the fast pace of the situation. I knew I shouldn't have trusted Liam at all. I'm such a fool.

I begin to cry and try to swerve my way free from Liam's grip, but then more hands grab me. My feet drag on the rocks as the men carry me to wherever I'm going.

It's hard to know what's going on around me or where I am, but after a few minutes, I know we are inside somewhere. Its extremely quiet and the ground is smooth where my feet continue to drag. The tears are constant as I'm placed down into a chair.

White light flashes in my eyes before my vision starts to clear up. Its blurry, but I blink a few times and a dark figure forms in front of me. Liam's smile is prompt on his face as I scope around where he has taken me.

We're in a small, empty room with only me and him inside. There's one door behind him, but no handle to open it. Theres a camera up in the corner of the ceiling next to the only light in here.

"What's going on? I thought that I was going to se Esmay!" I begin to cry harder. All of this is so stupid and I'm such an idiot for actually believing that maybe Liam was telling the truth.

"Calm down. You will see Esmay." Liam crosses his arms over his chest.

"When?"

"Once you do something for me."

"Do something for you?" I wipe my eyes and scold Liam. What do I have to do for him to see Esmay? In the pit of my stomach I know it's nothing good.

"Yes. If you do what I tell you to do then you and Esmay can be free."

"Free?" My heart jumps at the thought, but sinks back down when I think about leaving Harry and never seeing him again. Call me crazy, but I wouldn't care to stay at Shadow. As long as I'm with Harry. I just want Esmay back too. Its going to be hard to convince her to like Shadow.

"Free as a bird. Obviously you'll have to go back to hiding, but I'll make sure I let you go." Liam smirks and rubs his chin. I don't want to be leaving in fear again, but I'm not going to tell Liam that.

"What do I have to do?" I ask and Liam's smile grows. I squirm in my chair and remember the feeling of burns forming on my wrists.

"Do you remember my girlfriend, Angie?" My stomach quivers at the mention of Angie - Liam's girlfriend that Harry sent to the drainers because of me. Because Liam hit me and left a welt on my skin, Angie died. Because of me.

"Yes," I stutter.

"Well, Harry sent her to the Drainers and I was left alone." Liam leans close to me and I flinch away.

"And?" I press, not wanting his face so close to mine.

"And now. . . I want you to leave Harry alone." My heart stops.

"What? What do you mean?" Liam moves his hand to my face and traces my lips. I want to spit in his face, but hold it back and swallow.

"I'm going to drop you back at Shadow." He moves his fingers and traces my eyebrow.

"And?" I hold back the urge to smack his hand away from my face.

"And you're going to tell Harry about us." He traces my lips again and I flinch back in my seat, but he grabs my hair and pulls me toward him.

I whimper with displeasure, "What about us?"

"About how you're truly madly deeply. . . in love with me and that you're leaving Shadow to be with me ." My eyes widen and my stomach falls to the ground.

"What? No! Absolutely not!"

Liam tightens his grip on my hair and I stop squirming in my chair from the anger building inside me. I knew I was going to have to do something, but not this! I can't tell Harry Im in love with Liam and that I'm leaving Shadow! That will crush his heart especially after he finally told me how he feels.

"Then I'll just have Esmay sent to the Drainers," Liam says before walking away toward the exit.

"No, wait!" I yell before I can stop myself. Liam's back is facing me, but I can sense the smirk on his lips.

"Esmay or Harry, Ellie. Your choice." Liam walks back toward my chair and I hold back the tears in my eyes. This has to be the hardest decision I've come across. I've been trying to find Esmay this whole time, but I completely fell in love with Harry while trying to do that. Liam leans back down to me and looks me deep in the eyes and I know what I have to do.

"I'll do it." I whisper.

"Good girl." Liam pulls my lips down with his thumb.

I move my head back breaking his touch on me and glare at him, holding back the tears in my eyes from choosing Esmay over Harry.

It's been like months since I updated. Sorry lol I'm not very motivated in Wattpad anymore but I promise to finish the book so you know how it ends.