“Oh, no,” I muttered, rereading the last one three times.
Everyone would be better off if you were dead. Then I could enjoy my relationship without your fucking dramas you bitch.
You are a fucking dead man when I get to you -- Adrian, I typed back, slamming the machine shut before running after her. She would be somewhere by the Liffey, I felt that in my bones. Hell, it was right outside the damn door. But at seventy-eight miles long, even just cutting it down to the few miles of the town centre there was little chance of finding her in time. But I had to try.
Running the banks as fast as I could, my lungs began to burn. I had to stop, pausing under a streetlight near where we first met, I heard a splash. She was in the water; I didn’t even stop to think. Just ripped off my jacket and jumped in after her. Sweet Jesus, was it cold! She picked a good spot, isolated. No one would hear anything if I shouted. It was all up to me. Good thing I was a strong swimmer, all those years of drumming before I became lead singer paid off as I moved my way over to her. She tried to push me away, but she was weak from the cold. I dragged her over my shoulder in some sloppy fireman’s carry as I pulled us up out of the water. Up some rusted old ladder allowing access for emergency services.
I dropped her onto the street, watching her cough up black water from her lungs. “What the hell were youse thinking? No man is worth losing your life over. No man!” I shouted.
Lily couldn’t even make eye contact, she looked completely broken. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Oh, little Lily, my little Lily.” I hugged her close, shaking and not just from the cold. “Let me help youse Lil, let your walls down and let me help you. Please! You need it. Let someone take care of ye for once. Please, darling.”
She nodded slowly, burying her head in my shoulder. I could see in her mind the struggle to try to trust someone. I wasn’t sure if she found a reason to or if she was just so desperate for something to hang onto as she snuggled into my arms. I could feel myself already growing more attached to her than was safe for me. I was only here to help her move on and start again, right?
Lily let me lift her up, wrapping her in my still dry coat to carry her home. She was asleep long before I got her back into the flat. Tucking her into my own bed where I could watch over her after stripping off both our wet things. Turning up the heating and piling blankets on to try and stop her from catching a chill if it wasn’t already too late. Before taking a long, hot shower myself to try and clear the ice from my bones. I couldn’t stop myself thinking about those messages I had seen; it couldn’t be the first time by her reaction. How could anyone message those disgusting things?
A bottle of neat whisky later, I knew exactly what I had to do. Fumbling a little with the touch screen on my phone, I called that man.
“What the hell do youse think you are doing sending those messages? No, I don’t care what she’s done to ye or what she has said. No, there isn’t a single goddamn reason to speak to anyone like that, not ever. No, she doesn’t fucking deserve it, shut up! Ye need a good fucking beating, you cunt. Youse are destroying her! Oh, she won’t do it, huh? Really? You honestly think she is just attention seeking and won’t really kill herself? Then explain to me in simple terms why I just pulled her out of the fucking Liffey, ye fucking knob sack! Oh, cat got ye tongue now, huh? You claimed to have loved her. Well, fucking get clean and think about what ye did to her. You need to get your lazy fucking whore ass to rehab before ye lose everything and everyone. Including your oh so precious fame!”
I disconnected the call, throwing my phone across the room. Likely smashing the fragile smartphone screen. I barely cared; I could not stand the entitlement of ‘stars’ who thought they were better than everyone damn else who lived! Doing whatever and often whomever it took to get an extra zero on their paycheck. They destroyed so many in the process, but as long as they got what they wanted, it was okay. That young girl was just collateral damage to him. He would probably barely even think of her, too drugged up on whatever the latest designer drug was and the fawning of the groupies the management dragged along to keep the stars ‘well oiled’ and fit for the stage. It made me sick to even think about it. About how poor Lily was used and then thrown away. It would never happen again. I would damn well make sure of it!
Chapter 7
Adrian’s POV
I woke in the morning aching all over from the icy plunge added with sleeping in a chair to watch over my charge. When I retrieved my phone, the cracked screen was still useable. I found I had over two dozen abusive messages from her ex. My first call was to Brad about it, my second to my legal team to take it further for both myself and her, the third was to my band and the fourth to step up the next few days to work around her so I could make sure she was okay. By the time she stumbled into the living room, dressed in what looked like the last of
