Peachy

Part 7. Burst Into Flames

I compose myself and get ready to catch the last of the sun. Taylor and Leah are going to die when they hear what just happened.

Jax and Jesse are standing by the breakfast bar chatting and drinking beer. Jax is still looking pretty angry and flustered, his clothes are soaking wet, looking like he's had some kind of accident. I laugh at the thought.

"Oh my gosh, what happened to you?!" I burst.

"That's it. Fuck it. Your going in the pool."
He puts down his beer and starts to chase me round the kitchen. I'm practically falling out my little black bikini as I try to run and dodge him.

"Don't you dare! Jesse stop him!!!"

"No can do hunny, I'm not getting involved!" He puts his hands up and takes a step back. Just then Jax grabs me around the waist from behind and we are both in fits of laughter while I'm trying to wriggle out of his grasp.

There's a commotion coming from the front door. I'd been too preoccupied to notice. Then a familiar voice stops me in my tracks. My heart sinks to its lowest point. It can't be. Surely not? I pull Jax's arms from around me calmly and look up at him confused and worried and he heads for the door..

"Jax keep Hallie in the kitchen." Leah urges.

"Who the fuck is he?" Jax looks pissed.

"How did you even know where to come? What the fuck! Get out of here she doesn't want to see you!"

"I'm not leaving till I speak to her. The least she can do is give me 5 fucking minutes"

Liam. It's Liam. I'd recognise that voice anywhere. I can feel my chest getting tighter, I need to remember to breathe. I'm stood frozen unable to move.

"You deserve fuck all after the way you treated her! Get out of here!" Taylor screams at him.

I manage a step forward so he's now in my view. This man wasn't even attractive to me anymore, everything about him made my stomach churn..yet he still made me more nervous than I could mask. I look at his face and all I feel is sadness, not even for our broken relationship, just for how I know he's forever changed me and for the all the time he's taken. Any feelings I had for this man, the hurt had washed them away. How did he even know where I was staying. How is this even possible..

"Hallie, come on tell them it's fine and you want to talk to me" he demands.

I look up at Taylor and Leah who both look raging. Jesse, Matt and Luke are watching close on and Jax is waiting to see my reaction to know how to respond to him.

"It's ok guys give me 5 minutes, he will be gone after that".

Jax grabs my hand clearly noticing the tension in the room.

"You don't need to go with him if you don't wanna peach" I look up at him with a small dry smile and squeeze his hand reassuringly.

"Il be ok"

They all clear the way and I walk towards him, he looks insanely maddened by the interaction between me and Jax. I take a deep breath and step outside to talk with him reluctantly, knowing what's to come and praying no one can hear. I know he won't leave till he gets this time with me, so I just need to get it over and done with.

"I came all this fucking way to tell you how sorry I was, how much I missed you, only to find you all over some other guy, practically naked at that, what the fuck Hallie?!"

"I .. I didn't ask you to come. We broke up over 2 months ago Liam. I'm trying to get my life together.. that's a life without you" I try to remain calm and get my words out but I'm focused on just letting him say his peace so he can be gone.

"Had another cock and already forgotten about the past 2 years have we? Slut! I knew I couldn't fucking trust you"

"How did you find me Liam?"

"Oh yeah, like that matters 'peach'. Look at you, you've gone downhill since I last saw, spending too much time with Taylor clearly and now your parading yourself about like that!  I told you what she'd turn you into! it was a mistake me coming here"

"HOW??!

"I knew not to fucking trust you and I was right! Do you blame me for needing to know where you were? When I find you here with a house full of men?!"
He confirmed my suspicion. He's tracked my phone. It's the only way he could of known, we had all been so careful with sharing any details.

"I always knew deep down, and to think you were gonna be the mother to my child. Thank fuck your not that's for sure. What kind of mother would you of been. That kid dodged a bullet"

"That's enough, get the fuck out of here now" Jax storms over and grabs Liam by the scruff of his shirt and drags him down the path through the gates.

I don't even watch I just close my eyes, pretending this is not all happening. My mind blacks out, if anyone is talking to me I can't hear it. I simply close my eyes and breathe. Once it's silent I know he's gone and everyone is looking to me for a reaction.

I get up calmly, get my phone from my purse and pass it to Jesse.

"If you heard that conversation like I expect could you please check my phone, I don't want a repeat of this,".

"On it" he nods.
I'm not sure anyone knows what to say to me in this moment.

"Im fine. I'm just going to take ten minutes"

Everyone's staring at me waiting for me to break, to cry, to burst into flames. Instead I walk off calmly through the villa beyond the pool down by the steps which lead to the beach. Overlooking the sea and I sit quietly and take a minute before the tears start streaming down my face and I can no longer control them.