I broke a fair few traffic laws as I drove, I took every back street I could to get to her quicker. Her cries were ringing through the speakers of the car and I just wanted to get to her and make sure she was okay. She hasn't said much on the phone and she was still slightly drunk. I saw her walking towards my car, phone held to her ear her other arm was wrapped around herself. Her normally perfect hair was mattered and frizzy. Her make-up was running down her cheeks. "I can see you, I'm going to hang up," I tell her and pulled over. I got out of the car.
She ran to me and held onto me. Her grip was tight but her hands were shaking, she was visibly trembling. "You're okay. I got you." I tell her leading her to the passenger seat. "Your dress is torn," I tell her she looked down at it and traced the tear. I got in the car and started to drive. "Have you messaged your friends?" She shakes her head, she was in shock. "Baby? What happened?" I asked as I drove towards her building. "I'm just drunk. I shouldn't have called." She said looking at me. There was something she was telling me without saying it, but I couldn't work it out I couldn't look at her long enough to work it out but there was something.
"Is Wanda at the party?" "Yes." "Do you feel comfortable staying with me? You seem upset. And I don't want you to be alone." I tell her. "I'm sorry. I didn't listen." So something did happen, she wasn't just drunk and crying. "Forget about it." I dismiss her. I take her hand and give it a squeeze. "Sleep if you want. I'll wake you when we get to the apartment." I tell her noticing her eyes getting heavy. "You're safe," I whispered to her as her eyes shut.
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"Liv?" "yeah?" "We're home." She gets out of the car and I take her to my apartment. She sat on the sofa. "What happened?" "I told you, I was just drunk. I shouldn't have called you." She said emotionless. "You said someone was coming." "No." "Liv?" I sat on the floor in front of her taking her hands in mine looking her in the eyes. "You can trust me." "Nothing happened. I was just drunk." She said sticking to her story. "How did your dress get ripped?" "I don't know. I climbed on a table at one point, could have been then." She shrugged, she was lying.
"Can I borrow some clothes?" She pulled at the hem of her dress tugging it down. "Yeah, come on." I took her hand and lead her upstairs she walked up in front and I noticed she had no underwear on. "Are you sure nothing happened?" "Yes." She said sitting on my bed. I could guess what happened but I didn't like the thought. Not one bit.
I grabbed her an oversized tee and some shorts. "Here you go, the bathrooms through there and there are toothbrushes in the cabinet." She nodded and went through to the bathroom. There was nothing to go off. No one I could call to ask what happened because how do I explain me picking up my student from a party at 4 AM.
She came back into the room and climbed onto the bed, she sat in the corner and looked out at the city she wrapped herself in my duvet.
"Baby?" "I'm tired. Can we sleep?" "Yes. Of course." I took my hoodie off and was in my tank top, I was asleep before she called me. I was annoyed at first, I thought she was just butt dialling me. And then I heard her cry and I haven't moved that fast to my car in a long while.
We lay in bed. "Can you hold me?" She asked in a small voice almost scared to ask me. I opened my arms and she laid her head on my chest and I wrapped my arms around her. "If someone hurt you, you can tell me." "I was drunk. I'm sorry." She said again. I pecked her head. "I'm glad you called me," I mumbled tracing patterns on her exposed arm. She snuggled into my embrace more. She may not want to talk but I can reassure her that she did the right thing by calling me. "I got you," I tell her as her breaths change telling me she had fallen asleep.
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I woke up before Liv, she was fast asleep still laid on my chest her legs laced with mine. I brushed her hair off her face, I admired how peaceful she looked which is a complete contrast to her state last night.
She moved around a little. "Stop." She mumbled. "Baby?' "Please stop. Get off." She was still asleep. "Liv, you're safe." I continued to brush through her hair. Her legs kicked about getting tangled in the sheets. I helped her unwrap it from her legs giving her better movement and hoping it would reduce her panic. "You're safe," I whispered to her. She calmed down and went back to sleeping soundly.
Her legs were littered in bruisers. Something happened last night. She was keeping something from me. "Nat?" She mumbled. "Morning." "What time is it?" She asked. "10," I tell her. "How's your head?" "Hurts but not too bad." She said moving further up my body her head now pushed into the crook of my neck. I smiled to myself at her actions she was so close to me, closer than she's ever been to me not physically we've been intimate but emotionally, her breath fanning lightly on my neck her nose nudged against it with each movement, she was right there and I had never been happier to have close to me safe in my arms.
It felt weird. I didn't have people in my bed, I didn't do relationships like that. I did me, solo and meetups with people outside of my house. But it was nice, being able to hold her like this. Having her to wake up to someone to cuddle with in the morning fighting off the cold winter air tonight. "Please talk to me." "Have you seen my purse?" "It's down in the lounge." "Can I stay here? I don't want to see anyone." "Will you tell me what happened?" "Maybe."
"Do you want me to get you, your purse?" She nodded. "Are you going to get off of me?" She nodded again before rolling over letting me get out. "You look cute in my top," I tell her before taking the stairs down to the main floor.
I grab her water and aspirin and then got her purse and went back up. "Meds and water first." I hold them out to her and she sat up slowly. "You okay?" She nodded. "Tired." She took the meds and had a drink before making grabby hands at me. I give her, her purse. "You silly." She said. I chuckled but got back in bed. "You're needy." "I'm going to be today." She told me snuggling back into my chest. I didn't mind, she was being cute like this and I liked being needed.
She got her phone out and typed away on it. "Wanda is freaking out." She mumbled. "I'm going to tell her I hooked up with a guy." "Why a guy?" "I can say, girl." She shrugged. "Say what you want." I played with her hair as she typed away.
We changed positions so we were looking out at the city, I love my bedroom, the walls around my bed were pure glass, you could just watch the city from up here. "So are you going to tell me what happened?" "You're pushing me. Stop." "You called me at 3 AM crying... I think I'm allowed to be pushy right now." I tell her. "What happened?" "Dylan." "Dylan? I'm going to need more to go off of." "I was looking for Wanda and he told me she was upstairs... I think. It's a little blurry." I knew where this was going. I knew where this was going before she even mentioned a name. "She wasn't up there and he locked the door and... It doesn't matter okay." I pecked the top of her head. "Did he...?" "No... I kicked him off of me and left." "I'm going to kick his ass." "Please don't. I don't want anyone to know." "You need to report this." "My friends are part of the frat house one more bad thing and there closed and Bucky has nowhere to live and most of the guys there are nice guys." "They're nice to you because they want to sleep with you," I mumbled. "Well, it's a good job I don't want to sleep with them." She assured me.
"Please don't tell anyone Nat." "Promise me you won't go back there?" "Promise." She didn't hesitate to tell me that. "Not having the best of luck with men in this city am I?" She joked. "I got you," I told her again. "Forget about the assignment, just relax on the break." "Don't give me special treatment." "I'm not." "You are. If I wasn't in your bed right now you'd tell me to get that assignment done." "True... But you are in my bed." She looked up at me.
"I want to kiss you so bad right now," I admit to her. "Nothing against you, I'm just not in the mood." "I get it. Don't worry." I tell her brushing her hair off of her face. "Do you want anything to eat? I can drive and pick us something up?" "I don't want you to leave me." She told me her eyes glazed over. "Then you can come with me," I tell her simply. "What if someone sees?" "I don't care," I tell her, she needed me I'd be right there for her.
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"I'll run inside, you can stay in the car," I tell her tossing her the keys so she could lock it when I got out. "Don't be long." "Okay." I pecked her cheek and then went inside and waited to order our food.
I got us a toasted sandwich and a fruit pot, a muffin and a smoothie drink. I went back to the car and tapped on the window she jumped but relaxed when she noticed me, she unlocked it and let me in.
We took the food back to the apartment and sat at the dining table. "Do you want a shower after you've eaten?" "If you don't mind." "Of course not." I smiled at her. "Thank you for coming last night." "I told you to call me if you ever needed me." She nodded and continued to eat.
Whilst she was in the shower I cleaned up a little making the bed and tidying the kitchen. I got changed myself into some yoga pants and a fresh tank. She came out wrapped in a towel. "Do you have anything I can wear?" "On the bed." I called up to her "Thank you." She sang back.
"I like your apartment." She said as she came down from the loft.
"Thanks." She joined me on the sofa I held the blanket open so she could climb in beside me. "What do you want to watch?" "Anything. I don't mind." I picked a film and we laid there her in my arms where I knew she was safe not at some dangerous frat party.
"Are you going to tell your dad?" "Unless you want to testify in a murder investigation no." "Are you going to tell the girls?" "Are you going to make me?" "No. I can't make you do anything." "There's a but coming." She said knowing me. "But I think it'll be good if they knew, to support you." "Nothing happened, I don't need support." She said sitting up from my chest. "He locked you in a room and held you down on the bed." "But nothing else happened. Wanda holds me down all the time." "You're friends with Wanda and she wouldn't hurt you." I remind her. "Something happened last night, you not admitting that something happened is only going to make you feel worse. When it hits you You need support. " "I don't need support, I'm fine. In fact, I'm going to head home. Wanda will be worried." "Olivia, you don't have to leave." "Just forget I said anything okay. Forget anything happened. Despite nothing actually happening."
She got up and went up to the loft and then came back down with her things."Olivia quit it." I tell her as she pushes her feet into her trainers. She wasn't listening and was heading for the door. "At least let me drive you home," I say catching her wrist as she entered the hallway. She looked over her shoulder at me. "It's raining out, let me drive you home," I say softer this time. She nodded. "Will you wait inside whilst I get my shoes on?" She nodded again. I nudged my head and she walked back through the door, I locked it back and went to find my shoes.
I took her hand and walked her out to the car, I made sure she was in before going to the driver's side and getting in myself. I dried my hands on my sweats before turning on the car, it was really raining out here. We drove home in complete silence, I didn't know what to say to her and she seemingly didn't want to talk. I pulled up to the front of her building. "Baby, we're here," I say scared to talk in case the peace breaks. She leaned over and pecked my cheek. "I'll see you after the break." She said with a small smile. "Text me." She nodded. She got out of the car and closed the door, I watched her jog to the door before she froze she came darting back to the car pulling at the handle, I quickly unlocked the door and let her in. "What's wrong?" I asked her. "He's in there." Clearly, something did happen, she just didn't want to create drama around it or admit it to herself. She told me what happened I knew something happened but she didn't want to admit that it's a big deal.
"Two options," I tell her holding her hand to get her attention. "Option one. I walk you in there take you to your room and Wanda will look after you." "You can't walk me in there, it's a Saturday." "Option two you come back to my place and I'll bring you home tomorrow morning in time for your dad's arrival." "Option three, I suck it up and just walk in there." "That's not happening," I tell her seriously. She wasn't going near him ever again and if he was to so much as look in her direction I'll have his head.
"What do you want for dinner?" I asked her turning the car back on and pulling off. "So you make decisions for me." "You wasn't going to let me walk you in so we only had one option. Now dinner?" "Anything." She shrugged. "Pizza?" She nodded. "Speak, baby." 'Yes, sounds good."
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We were laid back on the sofa, she was on the phone with Wanda whilst I watched the film and played with her hair. "Wanda I'm fine." She chuckled. "I'll be home in the morning, we can go to the café then." "I miss you. I want snuggles." She said back, I held Liv tighter at her comment, I didn't want others holding her. "I'll give you snuggles tomorrow. I promise." She said back amused. "Where even are you?" "A friends place." "Which friends, you have none." "I have friends. And you don't know them." "Well does this friend have a name?" "Natalie." "Natalie? Where is Natalie from?" "The school." She said like it was the most obvious thing. "So she's from the city?" "No... She's from out of state. I met her at the party. We're just hanging." "What does that mean?" "Not what you think it means." She shot back and they both chuckled. "We're just watching a film right now." "Carol's taken over your bed." "Great, tell her to wash the sheets then. They were clean on." "She said fuck you." "Rude! At least make the bed in the morning." "She said." "Let me guess. Screw you?" "Correct." They both laughed again.
"Anyway, I'm going to go. I'll be home in the morning." "What time?" "Whatever time we wake up." "Okay." "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Carol called it was just heard on the line. "You would do a lot worse than I would do." She resorted. "True, don't do anything Peter wouldn't do." She said back. "Okay, love you guys, speak tomorrow." She hung up.
"So what would Carol do that was worse than making out with their Russian teacher?" I asked amused. "Probably sleep with them and have their children." "Well, we're in the clear for that one," I say back. "True."
"Do you and Wanda 'snuggle' a lot?" I asked intrested but also jealous, I was trying to hide it. She looked up at me trying to read my expression. "Sometimes." "Is that all you do?" "What are you asking me?" She asked sounding unsure. "Do you kiss her?" I asked, she frowned. "No. We're friends." "But you snuggle?" 'When we watch movies, or we're reading at night yeah." She said pulling away from me. "Cute." "You're annoyed." "No, I'm not." "You're a bad liar." The irony... If she knew the full truth she wouldn't be calling me a bad liar. "I'm not going to stop being cuddling with my friend just because we're... doing whatever this is." She told me. "I didn't ask you to." "Good." "Good." She leaned back against the sofa cushions and not on my chest. I reached for her and pulled her back down on me wrapping my arms securely around her. "You're obsessed." "Maybe a little," I whispered in her ear pecking her neck before turning back to the TV.
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"Text me when you're in your room okay." She nodded tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'll wait out here until you text, in case you want to come back out." "Thanks." It was early in the morning and most people would still be hung oversleeping in their rooms, so the chance of Dylan being here visiting his friends was slim.
She pouted her lips so I quickly pecked them. "See you after the break." She smiled before getting out of the car with her things, which was just her purse and phone. she threw her dress out because it was ruined and wore my clothes home instead.
I watched her jog inside to avoid getting too wet from the rain. I waited for her to text.
From Liv Barton
I'm in my room, thank you for this weekend :)
Anytime, just a phone call away :)
Text me over break?
Of course
Have a good time with your dad where ever you are in the world.
Russia! Going to see my grandparents
Stay safe
I will don't worry about me. Have a nice time with your family <3
<3
I drove back to the apartment. I thought about my family. I thought about contacting them to see how they were but decided against it. I didn't have the heart to tell Liv that. She was such an empathetic person it would play on her mind when she should be having fun with her family.