Page 149 of Undone

Looking out of the store window, I catch a suit stepping by, so I quickly turn off the sharpener and look down.

“Hey, Liam? Can you stay in here for a minute? I just need to check on Miss Lily.”

Liam nods and continues drawing with the pack of colored pencils and new sketchbook he told me Anna Koteskiy bought for him. I leave him behind in the room and close the door, calling out quickly, “What the hell are you doing here?”

LaBlanc turns toward me with a sharpened smile. “You’re still here then? Not corrupting my daughter?”

I smirk and spread my arms open wide. “There’s always more time for that.”

My words melt the grin from his face and a thrill of satisfaction rolls down my spine. He’s got nothing on me, no one to dangle in front of my face like a carrot.

“I came to make sure these papers reach Max. Wouldn’t want the parents of the precious kids in skating school finding out about their domestic abuser teacher before he had a chance to deal with it.”

My stomach drops, my body hollowing until I feel like there’s nothing there. Panicked breaths heave out of me as I’m barely able to pry open my mouth and say, “That’s not true.”

LaBlanc snaps his fingers, stepping forward and crowding into my space. “That’s right. Those charges were dropped. But the breaking and entering painted a pretty picture, didn’t it. The scholarship kid convincing the ‘weird girl’ with no friends that she was in love with him? And then using that to—”

“It’s not fucking true. You know it’s not true,” I try to shout but it comes out like a near cry, hoarse and grating on my throat. I shove at him, but he’s ready this time. I’m bigger than him. Stronger than him. But there will always be a part of me that feels weaker. Like kryptonite.

“I told you not to fuck with me, Kane. I fucking warned you.” He spews pure venom into my ear, pushing me into the painted concrete wall. “And still you couldn’t keep your fucking filthy hands off my goddamn daughter. Fucking trash, psychopath—”

“Get off him!”

My stomach drops at the tough, little voice as Liam muscles his way between me and LaBlanc, trying to push the massive grown adult man off me.

I push LaBlanc back quickly, grabbing Liam and stepping away, picking him up and tucking him as close to my heavy body as I can. Panic and adrenaline swirl in my veins as I fold his head into my neck. He’s fighting me, just a little, yelling and crying but I can’t hear what he’s saying. I can’t hear anything beyond the rush of blood in my ears.

“Liam! Toren!” Lily’s voice breaks through the rapid whooshing. “What’s—”

“He was hurting him!” Liam shouts, pushing up, fighting my hold as he raises his teary eyes to Lily. “The mean guy—he w-was yelling and hurting T-Toren.”

She steps up but doesn’t try to take him from me. Which is good, considering I don’t think I can let him go. Her hand touches Liam’s reddened cheeks and she nods. “Breathe slow. Try to calm down.”

He’s crying now, looking at the person I realize is standing next to Lily.

Sadie Brown.

Goddamn it.

“I’m sorry, Brown— I didn’t . . .”

Sadie steps forward and looks into Liam’s eyes. “Hey, bug. Are you okay?”

“Toren— That guy w-was hurting him, like Dad. A-and Oliver or you always stops him. I was just t-trying to stop h-him—”

“Shh,” I coo. “Hey, I’m okay, Liam. I promise. He wasn’t going to hurt me. We were just having a fight.”

Sadie gives me a look, as if she’s reading right through my bullshit.

“But h-h-he—”

“I know. I’m so sorry it scared you. But look at me,” I say, trying to plaster on the best smile I have, one that’s close enough to genuine to calm him. “I’m okay.”

Liam shakes still, before tucking his head into my shoulder again and nodding.

LaBlanc is looming nearby, his eyes careful, though he looks entirely put together again. As if nothing happened.

“Why don’t I take him?” Sadie says, reaching her hands out. I don’t want to let him go. It’s selfish, but there’s a moment where my arms lock a little tighter around his small form, before I let him go to his sister. She leans in close as I hand him off, her voice dropping as she says, “Coaches like that will never stop, huh?”