❝And there he was
This young boy, stranger to my eyes
Strumming my pain with his fingers❞
Killing Me Softly With His Song - Fugees, Ms. Lauryn Hill
TW: Manipulative, controlling and abusive relationship!
(If you see * then that is the section with the trigger warning)
Olivia's POV
*Steve opens his apartment door and steps aside, letting me walk inside. It looks similar to the last time I saw it, except it's messy.
"Sorry for the mess, this week has been quite hectic." Steve apologizes.
"Don't worry about it." I sniff.
"Please sit, Tiny."
I take my seat on their coach and look around the apartment, noticing small details that I couldn't appreciate the last time being here. The large wooden TV stand holds small canvases with scenery paintings on them and stacks of books. Each book tells me different parts of the boys that I can't wait to learn. Sitting at the back of the stand, was a photo frame. Inside the frame, was a picture of a white kitten curled up in a ball on a bed. The photo made me smile, for the first time today. I wonder whose it is? Steve seems like the type to have a cat.
"Sorry, we don't have any more lemonade left, but we do have diet coke." Steve cackled.
"That's fine Steve, thank you." I took the can from his hands as he sat on the couch opposite me.
We both silently drank from our cans, not sure how to approach this situation. I had to fill in this silence, it was painful.
"Whose cat is that?" I asked, pointing to the photo frame.
He chuckled and looked up from his can and to the photo.
"Buckys. She was called Alpine."
"Was?"
"Yeah, she passed away when he was a kid. She was a family cat."
"Oh, I'm so..."
I was interrupted by the front door swinging open and bashing the wall, startling me. In walks a very clearly pissed-off James. He storms over to the kitchen island and pulls out a bottle of whisky and a glass, pouring the liquid in and chugging it down.
"Asshole." He mutters, placing the now empty glass on the counter and exhaling.
"You good, bud?" Steve asks.
James turns around when hearing his voice and makes eye contact with me. I can see him physically relax, which helps me to calm myself from seeing him so angry. I wasn't ashamed to admit that seeing him like that was hot, but I'd never say that out loud. He walks over to the coaches and sits down next to me.
"Did he hurt you?" He questions, softly touching my wrists which were littered with dark bruises in the shape of Liam's fingers. I can't help but stare at my wrists in disgust. Disgust in Liam, but also myself. Why hadn't I seen all the red flags before? I began to weep. James pulls me into a hug, letting me cry onto his shirt.
"Do you want to talk about it, Liv?" James carefully asks.
I lift my head from his now-wet shirt and nod. As selfish as it sounds, I needed to get this off of my chest. I can trust Steve and Bucky with anything, so I begin to tell them everything.
"I felt sick at work today, so I asked to have the rest of the day off, which Wanda was fine with. I walked into the apartment and it was dark, which was weird cause' Liam doesn't usually work on a Thursday. Anyway, I walked into the bedroom and saw...."
There was a part of me that didn't want to say it out loud because then it would become true. It would sink in what he did, and I don't think I could stop the tears from falling if I tried. I see James' mouth make an oval shape as he leans back in his seat. On the other couch, Steve raises his eyebrows in surprise, sucking in a small breath.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Tiny." Steve apologized.
James's focus sticks in front of him, with his nose flaring in anger.
"Yeah anyway, we both started shouting and I was trying to leave the apartment. I don't remember how it all happened, it happened so fast, but he had me pushed up against the wall and was shouting at me." As predicted, the tears poured down my cheeks uncontrollably as I shook with fear. Once again, I feel James's arms wrap around me and kiss the top of my head, calming me down. I slowly stop trembling and lift my head from his shirt, smiling up at him as a thank you.
"I just can't believe I didn't see it coming." I wept.
"You couldn't have possibly known he was cheating on you, Tiny." Steve reassured.
"No, I mean what he did after."
"What? Getting angry?"
I nod my head, unable to still admit everything that just happened. James stands up from the couch and grabs a box of tissues, placing them on the coffee table in front of me. I smile at him again, as a thank you and grab a tissue, drying my cheeks.
"What do you mean, Liv?" James asks.
"Only now do I see who he actually is. I know it sounds stupid, but I think it's 'cause of my parents."
"It's not stupid, Tiny. But how do your parents come into this?" Steve asks, placing a hand on my bouncing knee, stopping the nervous habit.
"Growing up, our family never had a moment of peace. We were all constantly arguing, about everything. My parents could never agree on something, me and my brother were always arguing, and soon enough it all became normal. Me and my brother were always compared by my parents. They were so proud of him, for making his own business in Brooklyn and making a name for himself. But with me, I could never be good enough. They didn't like the idea of me moving out here and being a writer. I guess they were always old-fashioned because they said 'as a woman, I could never succeed'."
Silence hit the room as everyone let sink in what I had just said. None of us knew what to do, we were all out of our depth. I heard what I had just said, letting myself drown in it all. A wall started to build up inside me, protecting me from the pain I'd felt. I start to overthink every action, thought or word I've for Liam. Seeing me spiral, James places his hand on my knee, pulling me from my dangerous thoughts.
"I can see what you're doing, done blame yourself, Liv." James reassured.
"I just can't believe it took this for me to see it."
"Don't blame yourself, Tiny. He did this, not you." Steve insisted.
"I know, but I went along with it."
Both of them raise their eyebrows in confusion.
"What do you mean, Tiny?"
"You two." I make eye contact with both of them before continuing. "I haven't spoken to you guys in a week."
"He did that?" James asks, his jaw slightly tightening.
"I just didn't want him to get angry, I'm sorry."
Steve placed his hand on my thigh, again.
"No, don't apologize. None of this is your fault okay."
"Yeah, sorry." I mentally facepalm.
Both slightly chuckle, looking at me.
"How about we make a rule, no apologizing, okay Tiny?" Steve concluded.
"Yeah, that sounds good." I agree.
James' POV
We've all been sitting on the couch talking for about 30 minutes. Every time Liv talks about her life, I can feel myself slowly getting angry. Someone as heavenly, brilliant, hilarious and incredible as her, should not have to have gone through all this, alone. I feel a sudden urge to make that stunning smile appear on her face again.
"Why don't we watch a movie? That could cheer you up, Liv." I suggest.
Her head turns towards me, and I see a slither of that gorgeous smile.
"I would really like that." She sniffs.
Seeing what I'm trying to do, Steve tries to make her smile as well.
"Yeah, we can watch whatever you want, and we can order takeout. You mentioned that you haven't tried the Chinese place down the street yet."
"Yeah, I'm just going to go clean my face." Liv stands up and walks over to our bathroom, closing the door behind her.
"Jesus Christ, man. I can't believe the whole time, that was happening." Steve sighs and runs his hands up and down his face.
"I know. For a whole week, while we were here, she was going through that, alone."
Steve stands from his seat and walks over to the phone attached to the wall, picking up the Chinese menu along the way.
"I know, but at least now it's over. She's safe now, with us."
"Do you think he meant what he said?" I ask.
"About it not being over?"
I nod.
"Maybe, I wouldn't put it past the dick." He answers.
"Should she move back into her apartment?"
"I don't know. She could always stay he..."
Liv walks out of the bathroom with dried cheeks, puffy eyes and no streaks of mascara running down her face anymore. She sits down on the couch again, facing me and Steve.
"Hey Tiny, You want anything specific from the Chinese place?" Steve asks.
"No thanks, I'm not picky. You guys can choose."
Steve dials the number from the menu, places the phone to his ear and waits for them to pick up. I turn to look towards Liv, finding her already looking at me, I smile.
"Why don't we see what movie is one?" I ask her.
She nods her head. I pick up the remote and turn on the TV, turning it over to Sky Cable. Once it is on, we see that 'FRIENDS' is on. Liv leans back into the couch, allowing me to subtly place my arm on the back of the couch, almost touching her shoulder. For now, that's enough, she did just break up with her boyfriend. Steve comes back over to us, sitting on the other couch, and watches the show with us. Next to me, I feel Liv shiver slightly. I get up from my place on the couch, and race to my room. I grab my biggest hoodie, take the coat hanger out of it, and walk back to the living room. I sit back down in my place and offer my hoodie to Liv, which she gratefully accepts. She pulls it over her head, slightly messing up her neat hair, stands from the couch and pulls it all the way down. It falls down to her mid-thigh, looking like a dress on her. I smile and get a bubbling feeling in the pit of my stomach, seeing her in my clothes. She sits back down on the couch, further leaning on my arm.
"It's like a dress on you, Tiny." Steve chuckles.
"To be fair, my hoodie is pretty big."
"𝗂𝗍 𝖽𝗈𝖾𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝖾𝗑𝖺𝖼𝗅𝗒 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂'𝗆 𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗒!" She jokes. We laugh, happy to see a small fracture of the girl we met a week ago.
We all watch TV until our food arrives.
❀❀❀
The sun burns on my closed eyelids through the wooden shutters. I cautiously open them, not remembering how I got into the living room instead of my room. I try to stand up, but can't move my arm. I look down to see Liv, asleep on it. A smile creeps on my face, as it all comes running back to me. She stayed over. I lean back on the couch, but accidentally, lift my arm slightly in the process, waking her up. She slowly lifts her head from my arm and starts to search the apartment with her eyes, as confused as I was when I woke up. She turns towards me, and a smile breaks on her face. It's contagious and I can't help but smile back.
"Good morning, doll."
The nickname made her smile widen.
"Morning James."
Usually, I don't like people calling me James, I prefer Bucky. But hearing it come from her plump lips, spilling like sweet honey, makes me feel special.
"What time is it?" She asks.
I look over at the clock on the wall.
"10:20, why?"
Her eyes widen, and she stumbles off the couch, knocking the coffee table slightly. When the table moves, it hits Steve's leg which hangs off the couch, waking him up.
"Liv, you okay?" I ask, concerned.
"Yeah, it's just I was meant to be at work an hour ago." She frantically searches for her bag, which sits by the front door.
"It's over there." I point to her bag.
"Thank you."
"Of course."
"No, I mean for everything. I'm sorry for springing all of this on both of you."
Steve points his index finger at Liv, with a raised eyebrow comically placed on his face.
"Remember the rule, Tiny? No apologizing!"
She slightly chuckles, thanks us both and walks out the door, closing it behind her.
A smirk creeps up on my face as I realise she left wearing my hoodie. She looked really beautiful wearing it like a dress, covering the denim shorts she was wearing for work.
"What's got you smiling like that?" Steve questions.
"Nothing." Everything.
Steve giggles.
"What?" I ask.
"Your smile wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that she left wearing your hoodie, does it?"
Shit. This man can read me like a damn book.
"I didn't even realise until you said that." I lie.
Steve continues to laugh. "So why you smiling like a kid on Christmas?"
"I...was thinking about what I was going to have for breakfast, I got excited."
"And what are you going to have?"
"Pancakes!" I click my fingers at Steve, finally thinking of an excuse, even though it is shit.
Steve stops laughing and suddenly looks at me seriously.
"In all seriousness, you better not be thinking of treating her like you do other girls."
"Steve, I haven't been like that for years. I was young and stupid, I would never dream of treating Liv like that, ever!" I defend.
"Good, because Tiny is like family to me. You better not hurt her." He smiles and walks off, back to his room.
"I promise." I whisper, to no one in particular.
Olivia's POV
I arrive at the shop, only 20 minutes after leaving their apartment. When I walk through the door, I expect Wanda to be furious. In all honesty, the thought alone scares me. Don't mess with Wanda. I push the wooden door open, waiting for my telling off. When I make it through the door, I find it strange that there is no one in the front. Not even a cashier. I make my way to the staff door to put my bag out back when I see Wanda and Vision.
"Is everything okay? I didn't see anyone out front." I commented.
"Babe..." Wanda doesn't finish her sentence. She has a look of sorrow mixed with outrage.
"I'm sorry I'm late, I promise I will explain but do you want me to be behind the cashier or making bouquets today?"
"Olivia, I think you should sit down."
Shit. She only ever calls me my full name when she's pissed, sad, or drunk. I reluctantly sit down opposite a very serious Wanda and a calm-looking Vision. His poker face is making my palms sweat slightly.
"Is everything okay?" I questioned.
"There's no other way of telling you this."
"Telling me what, Wanda? What's going on?"
She pulls an envelope out of the back pocket of her jeans, places it down on the table and slides it towards me. I go to pick it up but stop.
"This was on the doorstep before we opened the shop this morning." Wanda explains with a tremble.
Silence suffocates the room. I feel frozen in place. My hands start to shake. My breath starts to quicken. My eyes start to fill with tears. I recognise it. I recognise the handwriting.
I leisurely pick up the envelope, tear open the seal and slip out the piece of paper. I place the now empty envelope on the table and unfold the paper. My eyes fall on the small black ink, telling the most terrifying eight words.
It isn't over.
You will be mine again.
I'm sorry for how sad this story has been so far, I promise it will get happier. But, if you need a little cheering up after this chapter, I have a mini-series on my 'Bucky Barnes One Shots' that you could read (Yes, this is self-promotion, don't judge me!) It is a High School AU with your best friend.
Please let me know what you think of this series, I love to read your guys' comments, I swear I get so giddy when I get a notification from you!
Sorry for all this writing at the bottom of the chapter, but songs at the top of the chapter, I wouldn't recommend listening to when reading. They are there for the picked-out lyrics to get a feel of the chapter. If you want to listen to songs whilst reading, go to the playlist chapter on this story and pick out some to listen to. If it would help, I could recommend one for each chapter moving forward. Let me know!