chantelle & liam

chapter 37.

"where's chantelle?" george asks liam as they watch her cake arrive to the middle of the table.

"she was out in the front garden." he says glancing over at him. george is peering through the window.

"she's not there now." george mumbles, confused. liam sighs and goes closer to see.

where is she then?

"i'll go and check the back." he says walking away from liam, whose heart seems to drop at all these negative thoughts surging threw his mind.

"she's got to be here somewhere." liam glances at the stairs and sees specks of mud, laying at the edge of the carpet.

he rushes upstairs and bursts into her room. she's laying so still on her bed.

oh. is she asleep?

"chantelle.." he whispers cautiously, edging closer to her bed.

her hair is so messy and she looks like she's been through hell and back. her once lovely and clean dress is now slightly torn and damp.

what the hell happened??

"babe.. it's me," he says a little louder hoping she'll hear.

however, chantelle doesn't even move. like at all.

liam tries to feel her pulse, carefully.

nothing.

he tries to move closer to hear her low snore.

nothing.

liam sits next her and holds her up to him. he shakes her, vigorously and she doesn't awaken.

"chantelle!" he cries out. she remains 'dead'. "wake up!"

just then, rachel walks into the room, "where have you been? i was-"

she looks towards the two of them and her mind goes blank  for a moment.

"what's the matter?" rachel asks slowly, moving closer. liam looks at her with tears in his eyes.

"she's not- breathing." he stutters as the small tears run down his horrified face. rachel's eyes widen and she immediately pulls out her phone to call an ambulance.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"my friend, she is not breathing and i need an ambulance now."

"how long has she been out for?"

rachel glances towards liam, anxiously and he mouths 'thirty'.

"thirty minutes.. we just found her laying in her bed.. without a pulse."

"alright, you're going to need to tell us your location."

"15 ashton road, Ma23 4h5."

"ok, an ambulance is on their way."

"thank you,"

liam begins to hold her tighter as rachel goes back downstairs to tell the others.

how the fuck did this happen?

"chantelle.." he mumbles helplessly. he rests his head against her chest, hoping to hear something.

anything.

but there's no pulse, no beat.

"we shut the party down." rachel says walking back in. she watches liam with tears in his poor eyes.

he pulls away and observes chantelle's for any clues.

"hang on.." he begins unsure. liam notices that chantelle's hands are slightly bruised and her lips are swollen. her neck is also a little bit red and there's a small speck of blood. he narrows his eyes slightly and realising something.

"this was clearly done intentionally.. but who?" he asks himself, slowly before wiping away his tears.

"and why?" rachel says placing her hand on his shoulder. liam nods.

"who the fuck would do this?" he says running his shaky hands through his hair. rachel's eyes zone in on her neck.

"that looks like a needle wound." she observes. then she thinks back to when chantelle said she used to date a drug dealer.

"do you think.. it could've been her ex?" she asks unsure. "i mean he was a dealer.."

"but why would mason do this?" he asks confused.

the sound of an ambulance alarm rings through their ears and liam jumps at a sudden thought.

"we need to call her parents!" he says. rachel says leaving to go and call them. liam carries out into the front garden where the bright light of the siren shines into his eyes.

they roll her on the stretcher and into the ambulance. liam follows them as they try to figure out what's wrong with her.

i hope.. she'll wake up.

•

"sir, there's no need to worry.. we'll try to figure out what's wrong with her." the doctor says as the other nurses push chantelle's body into one of the emergency rooms.

liam nods and tries to smile as the doctor walks away.

*ding*

rachel: her parents want to speak to you. here's her mum's number, 0793457624.

liam: okay.. thanks.

liam gulps as he dials the number.

it rings for a few seconds before someone picks up.

"hello? is this mrs walker?" he asks his tired voice breaking.

"yes! what happened to our baby?!" she cries out, sounding like she's in tears. liam's throat slowly begins to close up at that moment.

"liam!! hello?" her mum says causing his to snap out of his trance.

"yes.. sorry! i found her laying in her bed- she wasn't breathing." he says quietly. her mum sighs and sniffles as the tears rolls down her face.

"she had quite a lot of bruises and- cuts." he says his heart sinking. her mum collects herself and begins to talk.

"it couldn't have been suicide, right?" she asks before sniffling again. liam's eyes widen and his head begins to pound.

"why would our daughter commit suicide?!" mr walker says as he swerves through the chaotic traffic. liam feels a tear fall at this.

"no.. why would she kill herself- mrs walker?" liam calls out, the phone trembling in his hands.

"yes, liam?" she replies, helplessly. he sighs before speaking.

"did chantelle ever tell you that she saw mason at the café?" he says slowly. mrs walker's heart stops at the mention of that terrible name.

"no.. what are you saying?" she asks fearing the worst.

"i think it could've been him.. but i'm not sure-" he's interupted by her sobbing cry.

"why would he come back? that little bastard.. after everything-" mr walker starts before glancing over at his wife in the passenger seat.

"he came to finish her off." mrs walker says wiping her nose. liam gulps, stiffly.

"what?" he says his voice barely above a whisper.

"don't worry, liam. we are on our way," mrs walker says quickly before cutting off the call.

liam's throat seems to close up even more and his heart sinks further, as the dread slowly kicks in.

that can't be true.

more tears begin to roll down his face as his mind goes blank.

"fuck."