First And Forever (under reconstruction) (Wattys2018)

Chapter 32: FIGHT Liam's POV (edited)

I turn around, coming face to face with Calvin, with Josh next to him. Oh fuck no, Calvin said he'd PROTECT her, not socialize with her fucking stalker... I glare at Calvin, feeling pissed and betrayed. He flinches back from my harsh glare, looking at the ground, "You're on our territory." Josh's smirking voice invades my ears, a voice my subconscious screams at me that I KNOW that voice!

It clicks, I finally remember where I've heard his voice before,"YOU called me and threatened Clair!" Josh smirks, "Did you enjoy losing my girl? You're never going to get her back, she's MINE!" His voice takes on a possessive edge, he glares at me insanely with hate. "She thinks she loves you, but I know she loves me the most. Not only am I better looking, better, and smarter than you, God told me this girl is my soulmate. I have been working for this for years. I have connections with the cops, connections with her doctors, and connections with her parents. No matter what I do to her, you can't get any charges to stick. It won't matter if she has gaping cuts littering her body from her punishments, it won't matter if I kill her. Any evidence you could have against me would disappear."

The bastard smirks, "You can't touch me, Liam Black. The child she's carrying is mine, not yours. When I was inside her, when I claimed her, it was MY name she screamed! She's mine, and always will be no one's but mine!"

I snap, lunging forward in a flash. No bastard will disrespect my Clair like that! My foot connects with his stomach, my fist with his face. I dance away from him, dodging the punch he throws my way as I drop my backpack to the ground.

He comes at me again, no style or technique to his fighting....I get it now. He doesn't have much physical strength, but he's manipulative and has connections. God, what can I do? I have skills, my experience from past fights aiding me in this battle. I duck, and kick him hard as I can across the knees.

He screams as his knees crack, before he lands a kick to my lower back. Calvin appears between us, shoving me back harshly and wrapping his arm tightly around Josh to hold him back.

"Stay away from my girl," Josh gasps, "Or I will kill her and get away with it. If I see you even near her again, I will show her no fucking mercy." There's nothing else I can do, not at this moment. Even though my heart clenches in fear and hatred, I head to school covered in blood with a painful bruise across my back.

Clair POV
I've been stuck here for four weeks now, or is it months? How should I know, Josh never lets me see a calendar. I haven't left the house once, I haven't seen anybody other than my parents and brother. I curl up on my couch, tears on my cheeks as I think of Liam. My mother comes in, kicking my ass harshly to get me to stand up. "Get up, you useless and hideous slut."

I say nothing, going into the bathroom and locking the door. I stare at my body in the floor length mirror, seeing the bruises and cuts that mar my once smooth skin. I've hit a growth spurt since I've been locked up, I grew a solid 5 1/2 inches, so maybe it really has been four months. Or maybe it's all the drugs he pumps through me daily.... That would explain a lot. No pictures have been taken of me since I got locked up, the bruises and cuts from Josh's "Punishments" are too visible. I run warm water from the bath tap in an effort to soothe my mounting nerves, sobbing viciously as I try to scrub Josh off and out of me. The windows have been barred and tinted, the doors only open from the outside, all the glass has been reinforced with three extra layers, I can't escape no matter what I try.

Josh got home a couple of hours ago, but I refuse to leave the bathroom in hope of just a few hours of peace. There's a knock at the front door, then voices. "We got a call about a domestic disturbance." Police!

I run out of the bathroom desperately, sobbing. "Please help me, he's been abusing and raping me, GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Josh stomps on my foot, HARD!

"I'm sorry, my girlfriend is schizophrenic, and hasn't taken her meds. Everything is perfectly fine here, I just need to get this girl into bed."

The cops don't question, noticing my haggard and wild appearance, the black circles under my eyes, and the crazy look in my irises. They do nothing, before their eyes roam to Josh. He's standing firm, a murderous look dominating the brown of his irises. Oh god, I forgot. He has contacts. They nod without another word, leaving me alone with my abuser. Oh God.... As soon as they're gone, Josh turns to me with a murderous look on his face. I shrink away from him, fearing the punishment I know is going to come. He backs me into a wall, raising his hand to hit me when another knock sounds on the door. His face instantly smooths into a mask of sweetness and care as he opens the door, smiling widely.

My best friend looks around him, smiling at me in relief when she spots me huddled against the door. "Clair! I was worried sick, are you ok?" She looks at Josh, and freezes. She knows the whole story, from one look at my face. That's the depth of our bond, one that I could not be more grateful for if I tried.

She looks at Josh, "I'm taking her out for dinner, she looks pasty. Besides, you wouldn't want anyone to think she's being abused and call the FBI, hmm?" Josh growls lowly at her, but to my utter shock, he agrees with her. His harsh brown eyes watch me as I leave, and I know for a fact he has a tracker connected to my ankle. As soon as I'm outside in the sunlight and in the car, I grab Kaitlyn (my best friend) into a hug and sob. She soothes me, taking me to get some of my favourite food to calm me down.

Kaitlyn's POV
I sigh as I watch Clair wolf down some fries. She looks so tired, about to give up. Clair, the strongest person I know, about to give up. I bite my lip, studying Clair's haggard appearance and visible injuries around her long sleeved shirt. I know the full story now, but how can Josh DO that to her and still keep a clear conscious?! I mean, not only is he manipulating her and her parents, he keeps spiking her drinks and raping her on a daily basis. I can't go to the police because of his contacts, but I want to help her! She's been crying every night, her eyes are so dull. I know she's pregnant, and I know the child is Liam's, not Josh's. I know what she really needs right now is Liam, but that's impossible, Josh has too many connections. There has to be some way for me to help her....

~Time Lapse~
When we get back to her house, there's another car in the driveway. I look at the beat up truck curiously, wondering who's car that is. We walk up her front porch stairs, and I collide with something solid. "OOMPH!" I stumble back, almost falling down the steps with a squeak. A hard and solid arm wraps tightly around my waist, keeping my face from making contact with the hard stone. I look up, into the pair of warm brown eyes above me. The boy they belong to is unfamiliar to me, but he's cute. He's taller than me by a few heads, with pale white skin and sandy brown hair. His face is angular, with high cheekbones and a straight nose. Those warm brown eyes are captivating, almost a cedar wood reddish, but still warm mahogany, he's still looking into my own hazel brown eyes. A throat clearing breaks the moment, mystery guy and I jump apart. "Kaitlyn, meet Liam's friend Calvin." Clair's quiet voice hits my ears. Calvin? As in, Liam's friend Calvin? Wait! Maybe he can help me get Clair out of Josh's clutches. We must have the same goals, there's no way in hell he can be ok with this!  I smile at Calvin, trying to convey with my eyes what I hope he can help me with. He smiles back, his eyes conveying his own message back to me. We both hug Clair tightly, before we leave. I hate leaving her alone with Josh, but we have no choice. As soon as her front door swings shut, Calvin turns to me with hard eyes and says, "What are you planning to get her out?"

Josh has got everyone wrapped around his finger, everyone but Clair's friends and Liam. They just HAVE to get her out! But how, when Josh is monitoring Clair's every move?

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