Page 101 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)
Me, age… twelve? Or eleven? Sandwiched between Liam and Jake, their parents behind us. I stare hard at the image.
This is the most bizarre scenario I’ve ever found myself in. Naked, tied, with a photograph of our childhood being shoved in my face.
“I thought for sure you’d try to stuff your dick in my mouth,” I retort. I tear my gaze away from the picture. “We were headed in that direction, if you know what I mean?”
He frowns. “The photo, Sky.”
I glance at it again, then away. It hurts to look at it for too long. I don’t remember it. That exact moment. There are fragments, sure. My mom introducing the new neighbors, the two boys. Being shy. Liam’s mom asked if mine would take a photo of them in front of the new house…
But why am I in it?
“You wouldn’t let go of my mom’s hand,” he says. He sets it aside and leans down, pressing his elbows into the mattress on either side of my head. “We moved in a month earlier and finally got settled. My parents were a wreck because of the, er…”
“Downgrade,” I say flatly. I feel along the edge of the knot at my wrists, trying to find a weakness. “You lived in Rose Hill before that. Of course a little house in the middle of nowhere was a disappointment.”
One corner of his lips lifts briefly. “You and your mom came over to introduce yourselves, remember?”
“I do.”
“You were happy.”
I narrow my eyes. “You’re implying what, exactly? That this photo you have is the last documentation of my happiness? Newsflash, Liam, trauma messes with you. Complex PTSD—that’s what the doctors diagnosed me with. Do you know how long it took me to work up the nerve to research what that meant? Most of the time it’s caused from prolonged childhood trauma. Prolonged. So why the fuck do you want to make me relive it?”
I finally loosen the knot enough to slip my arms free. As soon as I do… I freak out. It’s not intentional. But the relief of having my arms back seems to elevate my panic at what I just went through.
I shove Liam off me, using some near-forgotten self-defense move from a class Mom made me take. He rolls to the side and drops off the edge with a surprised grunt. I fly off the bed and sprint to my new room, slamming the door behind me. I lock it and back away, half expecting it to rattle with his rage.
It doesn’t, though.
Only silence comes through.
I slowly go to my dresser and find new clothes. Once I’m dressed, I lean against the wall and slide down it, curling into myself.
Thirteen. Happy. Smushed between Jake and Liam.
I glance around for my phone, and my heart thumps harder when I don’t see it. I haven’t seen it since Colt drugged me.
The more I sit in silence, the angrier I get.
How dare he… manhandle me like that? Not even Colt—I almost expect that from him—but Liam? He should’ve known.
Everyone makes mistakes, Dr. Penn often said.
But Liam is just plain confusing.
With that in mind, and fueled by a decent amount of fury, I storm out.
He’s in his room, sitting on the bed. His head is bowed, and he stares at the picture in his hands. My clothes are still on the floor, the loose tie on his headboard.
I clear my throat.
He shoots up and takes a step toward me. “Sky—”
I hold up my hand. “Do you hate me, Liam? Is that it? I just… You’re hot and cold, and it’s making my head spin. You kiss me, then you try to terrify me.” I show him my wrists. “What’s the point of stripping me and tying my wrists when Colt just did nearly the same thing? All you were missing was the Klonopin.”
His eyes narrow, and he opens his mouth to respond.
But I’m not done. “I’ve been convinced you loathe me. Even before the stupid fucking video—which wasn’t even my fault, by the way—you kept people away from me. You kept boys away from me, intimidated almost everyone.” Against my will, tears burn in my eyes. A lump forms in my throat. “But you? You don’t talk to me. You don’t… claim me, or whatever sort of possessive shit you’re trying to pull now. It’s too late. I don’t need a Mitchel Norton to realize guys are assholes, because you’ve done that all on your own. My entire fucking life.”