The last time I had seen my ex-boyfriend, I was hiding behind a chair, desperate to avoid talking to him, broken and terrified of conflict. Now, as he stood waiting for me in front of my apartment door, wearing one of his expensive suits, glancing from his watch, up to me, I didn't feel that same fear.
I was irritated.
I didn't feel like the same person I was the last time I saw him because instead of ducking for cover, I audibly groaned, too tired to filter myself as I walked down the hallway. "Liam? You have terrible timing. If you are here about your lucky tie, Bex burned it. Take it up with her. I'm going to bed."
"It's 2 pm," Liam said by way of greeting, eyes on his watch, making it clear that waiting for me, even if I hadn't been expecting him, had eaten into his precious free time.
"That fact doesn't make me any less tired," I said, gesturing toward my front door, where he currently leaned, blocking my entrance.
"If you want to talk, make an appointment with my assistant," I said dryly. "Now move."
"You don't have an assistant. You are the assistant."
I smacked my forehead like the thought just occurred to me. "Oh, right! You are the one with assistants. Two of them. So have one of them make an appointment."
Liam seemed to register me for the first time, surprised by my tone. I had never talked to him like that before and his shock was obvious. He looked at me, really looked and I saw a change cross his face as he took all of me in. My heels, navy blue dress and styled curls, the confident head tilt.
I wasn't the same girl he dumped in a KFC drive thru months ago.
"Wow," he breathed. "You look..." he trailed off, eyes wide. He tried talking again. "You look... great. What happened?"
I raised my brow and he had the good sense to look embarrassed at his terrible word choice.
I really know how to pick winners don't I?
"No longer dating my butt face of an ex-boyfriend. Does wonders for my confidence."
He scoffed, brow raised, giving me a judgemental tone. "You are crabby today."
"Why are you here Liam?"
"This won't take long," he said, gesturing toward the door. He didn't ask to be let in, just waited for me to open the door.
"Say it out here," I replied, leaning my shoulder against the wall. "I'll wait."
"Fine," he said shifting his weight, adjusting his suit jacket sleeves, looking utterly uncomfortable. "I... I got a call."
I waited, silent, refusing to ask for more information.
He looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm still your emergency contact... You got lost in another country? And broke your fingers? I just... came to see if you were okay. The message just got to me."
"Oh..." I said softly, some of my anger leaving.
He looked away. "I wasn't sure if you had anyone else that knew. Someone to check in on you."
Sighing, I opened the door and let him inside.
As I made him tea and myself a cup of hot chocolate, I watched Liam out of the corner of my eye. It was strange having him in my apartment. He didn't fit. My apartment was cozy and warm, filled with thrift store items and eclectic furniture. Where I loved pieces that been loved for years and told a story, he was all about the new and never touched.
When I finished, I stood across from him at the kitchen counter and pushed a small teacup, covered in delicate flowers, to him. "I'm fine."
He glanced at my hands, one still covered in flakes of blood and the other with two splints keeping my broken fingers from moving, and gave me a disbelieving look. "You sure?"
I nodded. "Yes."
He nodded back, taking a sip of his tea to fill the silence. "So what were you doing in Costa Rica? That's where you were, right? The hospital told me."
"I was running a photo shoot," I said, looking at him over the rim of my cup.
His brow went up. "You've been promoted?"
I raised my cup in a toast to myself. "Yep. You are looking at the new COO."
Liam smiled, surprised and impressed. "Wow... you really have been doing well since your butt face of an ex-boyfriend let you go."
I smiled back with a shrug. "Little bit. Yeah."
He shook his head. "I must have said something right."
The cup nearly fell out of my hands. "What?"
"Well I just mean... You never would have pushed yourself if I hadn't inspired it right?"
My cup clacked down on the table, spilling hot chocolate in every direction.
Liam jumped back, avoiding the brunt of the chocolate explosion. I continued to stare at him as he mopped up the mess with the paper towels on the counter nearby. "You have obviously done something great. And even though it was hard for you to hear, I did the right thing byâ"
"Stop talking," I said sharply. "You don't get to take credit for my accomplishments."
He looked up at me, still mopping up the chocolate, unable to help himself when it came to physical messes, but oblivious to the emotional messes he always caused. "Come on Lil'. You know what I mean."
"You should go."
He laughed, not taking my tone seriously. Not taking me seriously. "Come on. I'm just proud of you."
"You are proud of yourself," I said, the realization like a slap across the face. "This isn't about me, at all."
He pushed the used paper towels into the trashcan next to the counter, quiet for a moment. "Aren't I allowed to be proud of you without you making it into a thing?"
I leaned across the table slightly and took in the look on his face. "You came here to see if you made a mistake didn't you?"
He blinked, trying to look surprised. "What?"
Things started to click. "You found out about my promotion when you got the call from the hospital... That's why you're really here. This wasn't a 'I was worried about you' visit. This was a 'I needed to know if I made a mistake' visit."
"Don't be ridiculousâ"
"So what's the verdict? You find out I am doing fine without you and suddenly want back in?"
"How did you do it?" he asked instead of a answering me. "How'd you get promoted so fast? I've been fighting to become partner for years. Are you sleeping with Royal?"
I took a step back, something inside of me cracking at the implication. I shook my head wildly. "No."
"How else do you explain your new position? From secretary to COO?" he said with a sneer. "If you aren't sleeping with him, then he is trying to make it happen after getting you the job! Come on Lily, I'm not blind! You are dressed like a present for your boss to unwrap!"
The words should have smashed me into emotional pieces. He accused me of playing dress up. A fancy toy for someone else to play with. But I knew better. I knew a lie that intended to draw blood when I heard it, and Liam didn't have that kind of power anymore. He couldn't make me bleed anymore.
"GET. OUT."
"No! Not until you answer me."
"I did answer you, Liam. But my answer wasn't good enough. I wasn't good enough. And that's all you can see when you look at me. That I MUST have taken a short cut because I couldn't have possibly done it alone. But I did! I did this on my own. Without you. Without favors. I did this because I am good at my job. Because I am worth it. Because I am strong, and capable and worth everything."
I opened the front door for him to leave, but he didn't move. He just stared at me like a deer caught in headlights. Shocked, wide eyed, trapped by a beacon of self esteem he didn't know what to do with.
I AM CONFIDENT! HEAR ME ROAR!
Grabbing him by the arm, I ushered him toward the door.
He yanked his arm free as he stumbled through the doorway and out in to the hall, turning to face me.
"There's no reason to be rude," he said, angry.
"Are you serious?" I said with a laugh.
"I am serious. You had your bosses kick me out of your office building for no reason."
I laughed, the sound harsh and biting. "You don't get to be mad," I said, glaring up at him. "You dumped me." I poked him in the chest.
"You lost the 'high and mighty' card when you told me I was small and you wanted someone better." I took a step toward him, forcing him back against the wall at the other end of the hall.
"You showed up at my job and were angry when my coworkersâ not my bossesâ did what I asked because your very presence is like a splinter under my skin, not painful, but annoying and something I just want to take a knife to!"
He stared down at me, wide eyed.
"So when I say go, you go. When I say I don't want to see you again, I mean it. And when I say my life is nothing but better since you left it's true. And I have no one to thank but myself and the wonderful people I have surrounded myself with since you left."
Spinning around, I walked back through my front door. "To answer your question. Yeah you made a mistake letting me go. Sucks to be you. Goodbye Terrible Liam," I said stealing a line from Dash. "I hope to never see you again."
Then I slammed the door in his shocked face, suddenly not needing to hide under a pile of blankets or eat a pound of cookies. I didn't want to forget the day I just had. I wanted to remember it forever. Not only did it include my a new found strength that I was just learning I possessed, it included the wonderful look on Liam's face as I slammed the door. So yes, today was a day I definitely wanted to remember.
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Thank you for reading chapter twenty five! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes! Add this story to your reading list to know when the next chapter drops!
UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!
It looks like Lily was finally able to confront Liam! Do you think Lily was right? Does he regret letting her go?
Bex will be visiting Royal Winters to upgrade the office security. Will Dash Bex's visit to the office as an opportunity to ask her out?
What will Carter and Derik do next?
Do you think Lily's brothers will do something about Carter, Liam and Derik?
What will happen next?
CHAPTER QUESTION - Have you ever stood up for yourself after someone was cruel to you? How did it go?