We spent a few hours at the top before deciding to go back down. Going back down was a lot quicker as it was all downhill. It surprised me that a steady stream of people were still making their way up. Liv unlocked the car and we put our backpacks in the boot of the car. She changed back into more comfortable shoes and I offered to drive us back but she refused, saying she was fine. The hike made me warm so I took off my jacket once we were in the car and I felt the need to shower but we still had a half hour drive until we got home.
On the ride back, we talked about our plan for the rest of the day. We both agreed we didn't want to eat in a restaurant after a hike so we decided on takeaway from a Mexican restaurant and taking it back to my place. Liv parked in the loading zone in front of the restaurant and I quickly got out to pick up our takeaway. As soon as I closed the door, the aroma of our food filled the car, making us hungry. Luckily I didn't live too far from the restaurant. Liv parked the car and opened the boot so I could grab my stuff and head up.
Bondy was out with his mates so it was just Cookie who was home. Bondy had taken him out before leaving which was an hour ago so I figured Cookie was fine until we were done eating. I set my backpack against the wall to unpack later while Liv brought the food to the table. She set her purse and coat on the couch and excused herself to use the bathroom.
As soon as she closed the door, I ran over to the couch. It felt wrong to look through her purse without her permission but I had to know. I managed to find her wallet and opened it in search of her ID. It didn't take long to find it so I took my phone out to snap a photo of the front and back of her ID to look at later. Going through her wallet quickly, I didn't find anything strange. Just her credit card, debit card, insurance cards, and cash. Figuring she was going to finish soon, I put everything away, careful to leave things how she left it.
Even though I got what I wanted, I was afraid she'd come back and know that I looked through her purse. In the meantime, I made myself busy, setting the table and heading over to the fridge to grab some drinks. Liv later emerged from the bathroom, taking a seat at the table. She had fixed her hair and makeup. Despite having just come back from a hike, she was still beautiful. Now I wondered what I looked like. My hair was probably a mess from sweating and pushing my hair back one too many times.
"Do ya want anything to drink? I've got beer, wine, fizzy drinks, and water," I told her, looking at what we had.
"What kind of beer do you have?" she questioned.
"I've got lager and IPA."
"I'll take IPA."
I grabbed two bottles and brought them over to the table. She wasted no time in tucking into her food as she was already eating the tacos she ordered. A piece of chicken fell out of her taco as she took a bite and she laughed, licking her fingers.
"I'm starving. Quit looking at me eat!" she scolded, holding up a napkin to cover her face. I laughed at how daft she was being so I opened my takeaway.
"Okay, I'm not looking anymore. Do you want some of my burrito?" I offered. I keep forgetting how massive the portions at this place are.
"Sure. I'll trade you a taco," she answered.
I stood up to get a knife and cut my burrito, giving her a portion. She gave me a taco in return and we just sat there eating. Cookie took turns going back and forth between the both of us begging for scraps of food. We were ignoring him so he'd whine and paw at our legs to get our attention. He had moved onto Liv and she looked down, smiling at Cookie.
"You can't eat this, sorry," she said sweetly.
The tiredness was settling in. All I wanted to do was lay down and never get up. The hike exhausted me and the food I just ate wasn't helping. After eating, I boiled some water in the kettle for tea and I had to tell Liv to not wash the dishes but she didn't listen. After downing my tea, I excused myself to the bathroom. I was craving a cigarette and was surprised I went this long without smoking but some part of me didn't want Liv to know that I smoke even though I'm sure she suspects it.
I surreptitiously snuck my lighter and cigarettes in my coat pocket and put it on. This caused Liv to look up, wondering where I was going.
"Gonna let Cookie out for a bit. You can stay here. I won't be long," I told her. Liv dried her hands on the towel which made me panic.
"I'll join you," she replied, rushing over to grab her coat.
My heart sank as I was going to have to tell her I smoke. I put the lead on Cookie and waited for Liv to tie her shoes before opening the door and stepping out. Once outside, Liv offered to hold the lead so I left her to it, being sure to stay close by. What was supposed to be a toilet break ended up being a walk for Cookie and I couldn't wait any longer so I told Liv that I was gonna have a quick ciggy. She seemed surprised that I smoke.
"I'm trying to quit but it's hard," I explained, feeling awkward. Her expression was hard to read so I focused my attention on getting a ciggy out and putting it to my lips, lighting it.
"It's not easy," she finally said. "But I think you can do it if you set your mind to it."
She held onto Cookie's lead, preventing him from wandering too far. What I told her was half truth, half lie. I do intend to quit smoking some day but not anytime soon. I was too dependent on it as a stress reliever and to clear my mind. I was afraid my anxiety and stress would get worse if I stopped smoking completely. She waited for me to finish before continuing on with the walk.
"Have you noticed he's always around when we go for a walk?" she asked out of the blue.
I followed her gaze to the man in all black with a hat at the end of the street. I instantly recognized the man; Cookie had growled at him before and I apologized. But I only recall seeing him once. This is my second time seeing him. Where else has she seen him?
"I never noticed," I answered honestly. "He probably lives around here." My explanation didn't seem to soothe her as she still glanced at him nervously. "Let's turn around and head back, yeah?" I grabbed her arm and led her away so we wouldn't have to cross paths with the man.
"I don't have a good feeling about him. I'd stay away if I were you," she said. I was surprised how worried she was about him. He didn't seem as harmful as she made him out to be.
"What makes you think that?" I questioned, genuinely curious where this was coming from.
"He's watching you. What did you do?"
I glanced back nervously at the man who hadn't moved from his place. The way she asked me what I did was as if she knew about my double life but there's no way.
"I didn't do anything. I've never talked to him before," I replied.
"Well you obviously did something if he's watching you."
I glanced back one more time at the man who was slowly getting smaller and smaller as we walked away. Liv's responses were cryptic and I wasn't sure what she was hinting at. We made it back to my apartment building and I looked for the man once again before badging into the building to make sure he wasn't following us. It wasn't until we were in the safety of my flat that I spoke again.
"Is everything alright?" I questioned, kneeling down to clean Cookie's paws before undoing his lead. Liv's demeanor changed which made me nervous. She was looking out the window at the street below, no doubt looking for him.
"Yeah," she replied, her eyes not leaving the window. "I'm gonna head home. Thanks for having me over." She grabbed her purse and made her way towards the door. It made me uncomfortable that she was heading home with that man still outside.
"Let me walk you to your car," I offered. Liv shook her head.
"I'll be fine."
I watched as she put her shoes on and the realization came to me that she was getting away. I was supposed to confront her about her lies. If not now, when? Now was my chance. Liv straightened up and undid the lock, opening the door. I surprised her by pushing the door closed, causing her to turn around. While she was distracted by shock, I took the opportunity to lock the door.
"What are you doing?" she asked. You could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't expecting this and she was scared. It wasn't my intention to scare her.
"Who are you?" I asked slowly.
"I'm Liv."
"No you're not. I'm gonna ask you again. Who are you and what do you want from me?"
"I—I don't know what you're—"
"You didn't actually go to school with Dan. You paid him to pretend," I cut her off. Liv's eyes widened and she didn't say anything so I continued on. "There is no Liv or Olivia that matches your description that works for Moss Adams. And you have no socials. You are literally non-existent."
She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. Then out of nowhere, her leg connected with my groin and I doubled over. There was a few second delay before I felt the pain which immobilized me. My senses were overwhelmed that all I could focus on was the pain and curl into a fetal position hoping it'd stop. Cookie was barking but I ignored him. I've been hit in the balls a handful of times but never like this. After a couple minutes, the pain subsided but I stayed on the floor. I could hear Cookie's collar as he came up to me, licking my face.
"Fuck that hurt," I told him, sitting up.
In my pain, I didn't notice Liv had slipped out. I guess the way I approached her wasn't the best. She probably got scared and her natural instinct was to get away.
"I don't think she wants anything to do with me anymore and I don't blame her," I said to no one in particular.
I slowly got up and locked the door, looking around. Liv grabbed everything so it was just me and Cookie. Remembering that I was still gross from the hike, I decided to take a shower to clear my mind but all I did was think.
To say I was disappointed was an understatement. When under pressure, I can be impulsive. Act first, think later. Looking back at what happened, I wish I had acted differently. How do you go from there? Seems like I'll never know who she is and what she wants.
I suddenly remembered the photos I took of her ID. I pulled my phone out, studying the photos. I've paid someone to make a fake ID for me in the past so I know what people look for. What I was looking at was a fake ID, confirming what I already knew but I was too late. She was already gone.