Chapter 136 She Is My Girlfriend

Chapter 136 She Is My Girlfriend
Liam POV

I slammed the front door shut, zipped my jacket up, and started down the driveway.

My phone vibrated sharply in my pocket. I pulled it out, but the call ended before I could answer, leaving a missed call on the screen. I shoved it back in my pocket and kept moving.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket, taking long strides down the street.

A familiar figure stepped out from the walkway near the neighborhood store. Daniel’s mother was standing by the curb. I stopped in front of her and bowed my head. "Good evening, ma'am."

I slowed my steps, coming to a stop in front of her. I lowered my head, giving her a respectful bow. "Good evening, ma'am."

"Oh, Liam," she said, her voice shaking. "Have you seen Daniel today? He hasn't come home since morning, and his phone keeps ringing."

"One of our classmates just called me," I said. "He saw Daniel near the old construction site by the mill. That's where I'm going right now."

She gasped, her eyes wide. "Thank you so much, Liam. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," I said, shaking my head softly. "Daniel is my friend. If you'll excuse me, ma'am, I need to get moving so I don't lose time."

I bowed my head again and took a step forward to walk past her.

Suddenly, her hand reached out and grabbed my waist, her fingers tightening around my jacket.

I froze, looking down at her hand on my hip, then up at her face.

She snapped her hand back immediately, her face turning red. "I'm—I'm so sorry, Liam. It was a mistake."

I swallowed the awkward silence, giving her a brief nod. "It's fine, ma'am."

I turned around and broke into a fast walk, keeping my eyes fixed straight on the road ahead.

PING.

My phone vibrated again. I pulled it out and unlocked the screen. A new text message from Marcus popped up.

What trouble is Marcus sending me? I muttered, tapping the notification.

The screen opened a photo: Elena sitting next to Daniel, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, holding him close.

Anger spiked through me. I shoved the phone back into my pocket and started running like crazy toward the mill.

I shoved the phone into my pocket, bent my knees, and sprinted down the street at full speed.

I turned the corner into the alley behind the mill, my breathing heavy.

Directly ahead stood two figures.

Daniel was on his feet, his shoulder locked as he leaned forward. Before I could take another step, Daniel caught my eye across the yard. His face went rigid, and without a second thought, he pulled Elena straight into his chest, wrapping both arms tightly around her.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

My legs stopped walking right there. I froze, watching them.

Before I could move, Elena slammed both of her palms hard against Daniel’s chest, shoving him backward with all her strength.

She stumbled back two paces, catching her balance as she straightened her back.

"Please don't do that, Daniel!" Elena shouted, her voice ringing sharp and clear through the empty alley. "When I am with you, I think of Liam even more!"

The words hit the silent alley like a thunderclap.

The knot in my chest unraveled instantly. A sudden wave of heat surged through my veins, washing away the doubt and filling me with pure strength.

I stepped forward, my heavy boots striking the ground with purpose.

I reached Daniel in three long strides. Before he could react, I grabbed his shirt collar with my left hand, yanking him up off his feet until we were nose-to-nose.

My right hand pulled back, my fingers curling tight into a hard fist. My arm trembled, the veins bulging along my forearm as I pulled the punch back, aiming straight for his jaw.

Daniel glared back at me, his eyes bloodshot, not even trying to block it.

I stared into his beat-up face for one long second. My chest heaved. Slowly, I uncurled my fingers, released my fist, and shoved him violently backward. Daniel stumbled into the brick wall, coughing as he slid down onto his knees.

I turned around, grabbed Elena’s wrist, and pulled her behind me.

"Let's go," I grunted, taking long steps toward the exit of the alley.

Elena kept stumbling behind me, her head turned completely around over her shoulder. "But Liam... Daniel is hurt! We can't just leave him—"

"Don't look back," I said tight through my teeth, keeping my grip firm on her wrist.

"Liam, please—"

I stopped walking, spun around, and looked down into her eyes, my voice booming off the walls. "Stop looking at any man other than me!"

Elena gasped, her eyes widening as she clamped her mouth shut.

……

There.

Marcus walked casually near the outer gate, tossing a piece of wood into the trash pile, an ugly smirk on his face.

"Marcus!" I roared.

Marcus started to turn his head toward the sound of my voice.

Before he could complete the turn, I closed the distance and drove a hard right fist straight into his cheekbone.

The crack echoed loudly. Marcus’s head snapped sideways, and his body slammed face-first into the dirt lot.

"How dare you touch my friend?!" I yelled, swinging my heavy boot straight into his ribs before he could even raise his hands to cover himself.

Marcus groaned, curling into a ball on the ground.

I stepped back, pointing a tight, shaking finger directly at his face. "This is your last warning! I don't ever want to see you around any of my friends again!"

I turned on my heel, grabbing Elena’s wrist again to walk away.

Behind me, the sound of boots scraping against dirt echoed fast. I caught the shadow shifting in my peripheral vision—Marcus lunging up from the ground with his fist cocked back.

Without breaking stride, I ducked my head low, turned my body smoothly, and threw a devastating left hook straight into the middle of his face.

My knuckles connected directly with his nose. A loud crunch echoed through the air.

Marcus flew backward, hitting the hard concrete with a heavy thud, blood spurting wildly from his nostrils onto his shirt.

"Last warning," I spat out, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"You..." Marcus wheezed from the floor, clutching his broken nose with both hands as red blood ran down his chin. He looked up at me with venom in his eyes. "Who the hell is Elena to you anyway?"

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Elena pulled back slightly behind my shoulder, holding her breath.

Marcus spat a mouthful of blood onto the dirt, letting out a rasping laugh. "She's just a witch messing with people's heads! Using her magic on everyone!"

I turned around slowly, stepping right up to Marcus's bleeding face on the ground.

"You want to know?" I asked, my voice dropping dangerously low.

I looked down at Marcus, then glanced sideways at Elena.

"She is my girlfriend."