Stay: The sequel to Lost

Part 31

Liam's record label threw him a huge party. They rented out a nightclub and invited what seemed like hundreds of people, very few who she actually knew. She wasn't even should Liam knew most of them. When she asked him, he just shrugged. "They all work at the label. And I do know most of them. I think?"

"That doesn't seem odd to you? People you don't know at your birthday party?" she asked.

"It's not even my real party, okay? I had fun with my actual friends and my parents will be here tomorrow. Let's just have fun. Everyone is grumpy. Jake is supposed to have the day off, Jamie is mad she wasn't invited. Why can't you at least try to have fun?" Liam gave her a look that clearly asked her to stop, he was exasperated.

Penny nodded and followed him to the dance floor, throwing her arms around his neck. They danced for a while before a man Penny didn't know whispered in Liam's ear and dragged him off. Penny went to sit and eat some of Liam's cake. She picked at it and checked her phone, waiting for Liam to reappear. It was about twenty minutes but he did finally show back up, laughing and grabbing her to dance again. He danced until Penny couldn't stand anymore then took her back to the booth. Then he went off again.

He wasn't drinking. Penny couldn't smell anything on his breath. He wasn't smoking pot or anything else, he didn't smell like a skunk. She sank down in the booth and closed her eyes. He was trying, she thought. He was. Liam reappeared and sat with her, laughing. He kissed her and asked if she was having a good time. She was, she said, but she was tired. He tried pulling her back on the dance floor, but she refused. He shrugged and went off with her.

At last call, she went to find a bathroom and Liam. The bathroom was easy to find, they were always in back corners, but Liam wasn't anywhere she could see. She spotted Jake and went over, asking where Liam was. He pointed behind him, at a small office as Liam walked out, wiping at his nose. This was the first time she'd seen him in proper light. He was high. His eyes drooped and his pupils were huge. There was no way he wasn't high.

"Babe! Love!" he yelled, grabbing her. "One more dance?"

Penny pulled away and grabbed Jake. "Take me to the car. How could you let him do....whatever he was doing?"

"My job is to keep him safe, not babysit, Penny." Jake answered.

Liam followed them to the car, yelling goodbye and thanking people as he left. He chased them to the car, calling for Penny. She didn't stop. She got into the car and ordered Jake to take her back to the flat. Liam jumped in the car and grabbed Penny, kissing her mouth and neck, muttering about how great the party was, how great the he felt, how much he loved her. Penny just sat, embarrassed, not liking how he was acting, not liking do this in front of Jake.

When they pulled into the underground parking garage, Liam told Jake to go, have his night off. He didn't waste a second, hopping out of the car, and heading for the exit. He wasn't even going up to his room. Liam pulled Penny into his lap. "Alone. At last. I've wanted to be alone with you all night." he said.

"You're high." she said.

"Naw." Liam said. "Kiss me." He grabbed her face and kissed her, over and over until she was kissing him back. She didn't want to be that person, staying with someone who lied, she didn't, but she couldn't stop herself. She was as addicted to him as he was to drinking and drugs. He ran his hand up her dress, tugging on her panties.

"Stop." she said. "I'm having my period. I told you!" She pushed him away.

Liam's lip curled up and he glared at her. "Well, that doesn't mean you can't suck me off." he said. He pushed her back and started undoing his pants, pulling at his belt and freeing his hard shaft from his clothes. "It's my birthday. Do it."

"Suck you off? Did you really just say that to me?" Penny was shocked. It was like he flipped on a dime, turning into someone else before her eyes.

"Ya. Go. Come on." Liam put a hand on her back and forced her down. "Go." He said again.

"Liam!" she said, but he just pushed her again, forcing her open mouth over his penis.

"Do it!" he said again, grabbing her hair and pulling her up and then forcing her back down so hard that she gagged.

She used every ounce of strength she had to push herself up and try to get away from him. "Let me go, Liam!" she screamed. "Let me go!" She beat on his hand, trying to get him to release he hair as she backed out of the car. She was trying to not throw up but she was so upset and scared that her body let go and she barfed all over Liam and the car.

Liam screamed in rage, let her hair go and she ran. She ran for the elevator, pounding on the up button. She was too terrified to look behind her and just kept pounding on the door. When it opened she fell in, dragged herself to the panel and hit the number for Liam's floor. The door closed and it the panel flashed, asking for the pin. You had to have the code to get into his place. She punched in her code and felt the elevator lift her away from the parking garage.

Fifteen floors later, the doors slid open, relieving the foyer of the flat. She burst into the door, turned and slammed it shut, locking it, before running into the living room, down the stairs and down a hallway to the master bedroom. She shut that door behind her and locked it. She still didn't feel safe. She eyes flew madly around the bedroom, looking for something to put in front of the door. She pushed a long, low dresser in front of the door, adrenaline giving her strength she didn't know she had. She still didn't feel safe, so she dragged the bench from the end of the bed against the door and then her nightstand.

She could hear someone banging around, yelling, somewhere in the flat. She ran into the closet, shut on locked that door, then flew around the corner and curled up into a ball underneath all of the long coats on Liam's side of the closet.

Shaking, she felt around, wondering if she'd lost her purse, her phone. She felt it, hitting her hip, pulled it up and reached inside, pulling out her phone. She needed help. She needed to call someone. She scrolled through her contacts, realizing that she still didn't have anyone's number. Not Jake, or Jamie. Not Tony. Not even Andy or his mother. Everyone she knew was in the US, at least eleven hours away.

Finally, she spotted the one person she knew who lived here, in London and whose number she had. Liam's bandmate, Louis.