Liam sat on the couch, staring at the gifts spread across his coffee table. The console’s box glead under the overhead light, still wrapped in its plastic.
The headphones sat beside it, sleek black with silver accents. Top-of-the-line stuff. Probably cost more than his rent.
His phone buzzed.
He picked it up, squinting at the screen.
Elena~ Did you like the presents?
Liam’s stomach dropped. He stared at the ssage for a few seconds, his jaw still aching from the punches.
’You’ve got to be fucking kidding .’
He didn’t respond. Just stared at the screen, hoping if he ignored it, this whole nightmare would sohow go away.
He typed back, his hands shaking slightly.
Liam~ How did you get my number? How did you get into my apartnt?
The reply ca almost imdiately.
Elena~ That’s not a very nice way to say hello after everything I did for you.
Liam~ You broke into my place.
Elena~ I had a key made. And had people drop the key at your place
Liam’s blood went cold.
Liam~ Co get this stuff. I don’t want any of it.
There was a pause. The three dots appeared, disappeared, then appeared again.
Elena~ Did I do sothing wrong? I was just thinking about you after we had such a wonderful ti together. I thought you’d appreciate it.
Liam~ I’m good. Really. You don’t need to do this.
Elena~ Need? Sweetheart, I don’t do things because I need to. I do them because I want to.
Liam’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. He needed to be direct. Clear. He typed carefully.
Liam~ Look, what we did was a one-ti thing. I can’t see you again. It’s not personal.
Another pause. Longer this ti. When the response ca, he could almost hear the shift in her tone.
Elena~ Can’t? Or won’t?
Liam~ Both.
Elena~ I’ve never been denied what I want, Liam. And I don’t plan on starting today.
Liam exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. This woman was insane. Completely insane.
Elena~ Dinner. Tomorrow night. I’ll send you the address. We can talk about this like adults.
Liam~ I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Elena~ I do. And honestly, after the gift I just gave you, the least you could do is give an hour of your ti. Or would you rather I take matters to my own hands?
Liam’s breath caught in his throat.
’Is she threatening ?’
Liam~ What?
Elena~ You heard . One dinner. That’s all I’m asking. Unless you’d prefer I make things... complicated.
His hands were shaking now. She had him cornered and she knew it. If her husband knows he’d been bothering her, those n would co back. And next ti, they wouldn’t just punch him.
Liam~ Fine. One dinner.
Elena~ Good boy. I’ll see you at eight tomorrow.
The conversation ended there. No argunt. No negotiation. Just a statent, like it was already decided.
Liam tossed his phone onto the couch and leaned back, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes.
’I’m so fucked.’
---
The next morning, Liam woke up to sunlight streaming through the blinds.
His jaw was still sore, and when he touched it, the bruise had darkened to a deep purple along the left side of his face. His lip was swollen, split down the middle.
He dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face. The reflection staring back at him looked roughtired eyes, ssy hair, bruised skin.
’This is my life now. Getting punched by jealous masked psychos and stalked by rich married won. How did I even get to this point?’
A knock at the door jolted him out of his thoughts.
"Liam! Open up, man!"
Kelvin.
Liam sighed and walked to the door, unlocking it. Kelvin pushed his way inside before Liam could even say hello.
"Dude, I got bagels and" Kelvin stopped mid-sentence, his eyes locking onto the gifts spread across the couch. "Holy shit. Did you rob a Best Buy?"
Liam closed the door and leaned against it. "Not exactly."
Kelvin walked over to the console, picking up the box and turning it over in his hands.
"Bro, this is the new one. Like, the new new one. People are still on waiting lists for this." He set it down and grabbed the headphones.
"And these? These are like four hundred bucks." He looked at Liam, grinning wide. "Dude, did you finally get a sugar mama or sothing? Because if so, I need her friend’s number."
"I got it from soone," Liam said flatly.
Kelvin raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "From who? Please tell it’s from so hot older woman who thinks you’re special."
Liam hesitated, then said it. "From soone I t at the swingers party. Elena Ashford."
The room went silent.
Kelvin’s grin disappeared like soone had flipped a switch. His mouth opened slightly, the box of headphones still in his hands.
He blinked a few tis, then carefullyvery carefullyset them back down on the table.
"Elena Ashford," Kelvin repeated slowly, his voice completely flat.
"Yeah."
"Elena Ashford," he said again, like saying it twice would change what he’d heard.
"That’s what I said."
Kelvin stared at Liam for a long mont. Then his eyes went wide, his mouth dropped open, and he grabbed Liam by both shoulders.
"Bro. What? How did youElena Ashford?!" His voice cracked slightly on her na. "The Elena Ashford? The one who’s married to" He stopped himself, shaking his head rapidly. "Dude, how the hell did you manage that?"
Liam shrugged, wincing as the movent pulled at his sore jaw. "I don’t know, man. She ca onto at the party. Things happened."
Kelvin’s eyes dropped to Liam’s bruised face, and his expression shifted from shock to understanding. The color drained from his face.
"Oh no," Kelvin said quietly. "Oh no, no, no. Is that why you look like you went three rounds with a heavyweight?"
Liam nodded. "Her husband sent so guys. They took to a warehouse last night. Told to stay away from her."
"Jesus Christ." Kelvin let go of Liam’s shoulders and sat down heavily on the arm of the couch, running both hands through his hair. "Fuck, man. Fuck." He looked up at Liam, genuine fear in his eyes. "I shouldn’t have left you alone at that party. This is all my fault."
"It’s not your fault."
"Yes, it is!" Kelvin stood up again, starting to pace.
"Dude, I knew who she was. I knew the kind of heat she brings with her. The host of that swinger party and Elena have history. Sexual history. Fuck mate and shit, power plays, the whole thing.
And her husband?" Kelvin stopped pacing and looked directly at Liam. "Her husband is crazy powerful. Like, untouchable powerful. The kind of guy who makes problems disappear. You don’t ss with people like that."
Liam’s chest tightened. His voice ca out smaller than he wanted. "So you’re saying I’m screwed? Like, screwed screwed?"
Kelvin’s face said it all before he even opened his mouth.
"Yeah, dude. You’re screwed."
’Shit.’
Liam sank onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. The weight of everythingthe warehouse, the punches, the threats, Elena’s ssagesall of it crashed down on him at once.
Kelvin stopped pacing and looked at him. His expression shifted from panic to concern, and he sat down beside Liam.
"Okay," Kelvin said after a mont, his voice steadier. "Okay, we need to figure this out. You need to cut all ties with her. Block her number. Ignore her. Disappear if you have to."
Liam looked up, shaking his head. "And won’t that make things worse? Think about it, dude.
She doesn’t want to leave alone. She broke into my apartnt, for fuck’s sake. If I try to ghost her and she gets pissed, what do you think she’ll do? She already threatened to take matters to her own hands."
Kelvin’s mouth opened, then closed. He frowned, thinking it through. "Wait, she what?"
"She said if I don’t have dinner with her tonight, she’ll tell her husband I’ve been bothering her for more. Which ans those guys co back. And next ti, they’re not just going to punch ."
"Jesus." Kelvin leaned back, exhaling slowly. "Okay. Okay, that’s... that’s a big problem."
"Yeah."
They sat in silence for a mont, both of them staring at the expensive gifts on the table like they were cursed artifacts.
Finally, Kelvin clapped a hand on Liam’s shoulder. "Alright, look. I’m here for you, man. Whatever happens, I got your back. We’ll figure this shit out."
Liam managed a weak smile. "Thanks."
"Maybe..." Kelvin trailed off, rubbing his chin. "Maybe you should just tell her. At dinner. Tell her about her husband, about the warehouse, the guys, the threats. Maybe if she knows what her husband’s doing, she’ll back off. Like, she might not even know."
"You think that’ll work?"
"I don’t know, man. But it’s better than doing nothing."
Liam nodded slowly. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was sothing.
Kelvin’s expression suddenly brightened, and he gestured toward the console. "Alright, but real talkwe should at least try this thing out. I an, it’s here, right? Might as well get so use out of it before you die."
Liam stared at him. "Are you serious? We were just talking about how I might actually get killed."
"Exactly. Which is why we should enjoy this while you’re still breathing." Kelvin grinned and started ripping open the console box. "Co on, man. Live a little."
Liam shook his head, but he couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. "You’re insane."
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