downpour ➤ liam dunbar [REVAMPING]

017 ; Jail Time

Chapter 17
Jail Time

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Peyton was brought into a small holding cell. The cell only held a toilet and a small bench that was probably supposed to be a bed. Parrish unlocked her handcuffs and allowed her to get settled into the cell.

Parrish was her guard. And for some reason, Peyton was strangely elated by the fact. Maybe it was just simply because it wasn't a complete stranger.

"You know I didn't do this," Peyton said, her voice coming out in more of a pleading tone than she'd wished for.

Parrish turned around to face her before answering. His back had been to her for a brief second, probably feeling safer with her since she wasn't an actual criminal standing behind bars. "I know you didn't do this. But you were turned in and, even though you were taken by him, we're required to take you in. I'm sorry."

Peyton nodded slowly. Of course, she knew they'd been required to take her in by law. She knew the law back and forth due to the fact that her mother was an attorney.

She sighed; a sigh that would have been inaudible to anyone else but since Parrish had supernatural hearing, he most likely could hear. The blonde was about to slump back down into her seat when the door clicked and a familiar Beta came running through it. Peyton ran back to the front of the cell, gripping onto the bars tightly.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped at him, her voice bowing with an edged anger.

"They said I could talk to you about what's happening," Liam responded. His hands gripped the bars directly above hers.

Peyton let out another sigh, this time it was louder and filled with more irritation rather than self-pity. "Go on. It's not like I have anything better to do right now." She pulled back from the bars and crept over to her tiny, hanging concrete bench.

"First off, your parents are the ones who turned you in," Liam started, his eyes following her to her seat.

The blonde girl looked down at her hands and rested her chin on them. "Figures," she muttered softly before projecting her voice again, "Continue."

He ran a hand through his hair and finally stepped through the bars. Peyton bit her tongue, trying to hold herself back from wondering about things she shouldn't. But it was hard when his jaw was so tightly clenched and his worried, tired eyes were trained on her.

She was an animal in a cage and he was a little kid, passing her at the zoo and pitying her for her lack of freedom. But where a kid wouldn't watch her with a terrified shine in his eyes, Liam did, and she knew they feared the same thing; her going to jail for the rest of her life for something she didn't do. It was bad enough the holding was going to be on her permanent record.

"I'm going to get out of here, Liam. I can't be blamed for something I didn't do." She did her best to assure him, but she failed to fill her voice with the courage it needed to say something like that.

"They have evidence against you, Peyton," Liam said softly, but the tone of his voice didn't change how deep the words cut her.

She bounced up from her seat and grabbed onto the bars, shaking her head feverishly. "Liam, you've got to get me out of here. Do you know what happens to me when I'm alone like this?"

Her voice broke as she spoke and her knuckles turned white she was grabbing the bars so hard. He placed a hand on top of one of hers and nodded his head, so faintly was barely a nod.

"I promised I'd protect you," he said softly and it came out so softly it was almost a whisper, "And I don't break my promises."

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