What I needed was a plan. I knew I couldn’t leave without backup. I needed Gunner to help me again.
He’d given me his phone number, in case of an emergency. Since I doubted I’d survive even another minute in Liam’s presence, I considered this an emergency. I tapped on his name, and the phone rang twice before his voice came on the line.
“Quinn, what’s wrong?” He sounded wide-awake, despite it being one in the morning.
“I need your help.”
“Did something happen?” There was a pause, and then his voice lowered. “Is Freya okay?”
“She’s fine. Sleeping soundly. But I need someone to get me back to San Francisco.”
He sighed. “Have you talked to Liam?”
I faltered but knew this was the best thing to do. The only thing, really. “No. Because it’s none of his business what I do or where I go. Now, you can either send someone to Liam’s apartment, or I’m going by myself.”
“Fine. Someone will be outside in twenty minutes.”
“Thank you.”
Hanging up, I went in search of more clothes. There was nothing but towels in the bathroom, and I ventured out.
When I opened the door, I gasped and tripped at the sight of Freya, arms crossed, face distorted in a scowl. “Well, well, aren’t you a little Judas.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” I was breathless, my heart still beating too fast. “And tell Gunner that’s the last time I’ll ask him for help.”
“If you wanted to leave, you could have told me.”
Twisting my hands in the hem of my T-shirt, I studied my chipped nail polish. “I wasn’t sure if you’d let me go without telling Liam.”
Sighing, she dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m your best friend. I’ll always be on your side. I know how hard it is for you to be so close to Liam. But if it helps, I think he genuinely cares for you. He was desperate when he heard you’d been taken. He tore the city apart to get you back.”
Scoffing, I continued my search. “I think you’re forgetting one important fact here: he’s engaged to someone else and didn’t tell me about it.”
“I’m his sister. I know him. And no matter how much he acted like a butthole, he cares for you.”
The thought did nothing to make me feel better. “
Going to my friend, I put my good arm around her, gently hugging her to me. “Thank you for always being there for me.”
After hugging me back, she took my hand. “I’ll walk you down.”
We tiptoed out of the room and past a snoring Liam, who was sitting on the couch, head tilted to the side at an uncomfortable-looking angle. My feet felt heavy, each step that took me farther away from him harder than the last. But I had to leave, no matter if he cared for me or not. He’d lied to me. Was engaged to someone else.
The car was waiting as promised, and I sighed in relief that at least something was going right for once. Freya greeted Carter with a big hug and a warm smile. Kissing my cheek, she helped me into the back seat. “Call me when you land.”
Blowing her a kiss, I managed to lift the corner of my lips into a tentative smile. “Of course. Love you. Thanks for everything.”
“Love you more.”
Closing the door, she waited until we pulled away before she turned to head back inside.
Settling into my seat, I rested my forehead against the glass, my eyes blurry with unshed tears.
22
LIAM
Freya shuffled into the kitchen,yawning. Her hair was sticking to the side of her head, and she had pillow creases on her face. Offering me a half-hearted wave, she went straight for the cabinet that held the mugs. “Morning.”
