Chapter 80 The choice
Chapter 80: The Choice (Liam’s POV)
I didn't stay in the car for long. The rain was coming down harder, and the guilt was eating me alive. I walked back up to the apartment, thinking I’d just sit in the hallway outside the door to make sure she was okay. But when I reached the third floor, I saw Maya standing there.
She was leaning against the wall right next to my door, looking like she had been crying. She wasn't wearing her usual "popular girl" makeup. She looked messy and small.
"Liam?" she whispered when she saw me. "Is she in there?"
"How did you find this place, Maya?" I asked, my voice hard.
"I followed you from Julian’s," she said, wiping her eyes. "I saw him throw her out. I was so shocked, Liam. I thought he loved her. I felt so bad about everything—the kiss at the bonfire, the lies Chloe told... I just couldn't sleep."
"Go home, Maya," I said. "She’s exhausted."
"No, let me talk to her," Maya pleaded. She pushed past me and knocked on the door. "Elena! It’s Maya. Please, open up. I’m so sorry!"
The door opened after a few seconds. Elena stood there, clutching my spare hoodie around her. She looked confused and drained.
"Maya? What are you doing here?"
"I came to take you home," Maya said, grabbing Elena’s hands. "My home. Liam told me you were staying here, and I told him he was crazy. You can't stay in this tiny place with a guy who just broke your heart. Come to my house. We can have a sleepover, eat junk food, and forget about all these stupid boys."
I stepped forward. "Maya, she needs rest. She doesn't need a party."
"She needs her best friend!" Maya snapped at me. She turned back to Elena, her voice softening. "Elena, I know I messed up with the kiss. It was a stupid dare and I was drunk. But Julian... he’s a monster for what he did tonight. You aren't safe with these guys. Come with me. Just us girls."
I watched Elena’s face. I could see her heart wavering. She looked at me, then at the small, dark apartment, then at Maya. To her, Maya was the "safe" choice. Maya was the friend who had been there before all the drama started.
"I... I think I should go with her, Liam," Elena said. She wouldn't look me in the eye. "It’s better this way."
"Elena, think about it," I said. "Maya has been playing both sides this whole time."
"And you haven't?" Maya cut in, her eyes flashing. "You lived with her for months and didn't even say you liked her until she was homeless on a bench. Don't listen to him, Elena. He’s just trying to be the hero because his ego is bruised."
Elena went back inside and grabbed her bag. She didn't even say goodbye. She just followed Maya down the hall. I followed them all the way to the parking lot, feeling like I was watching a slow-motion car crash.
As they reached Maya’s red car, I saw Elena stumble. Maya caught her, acting so motherly it made my stomach turn.
"Elena, wait!" I called out.
Elena stopped and turned around. The rain was soaking into my hair. "What, Liam?"
"Just... call me if you need anything. Seriously. Anytime."
"I won't need anything," she said. She got into the passenger seat and closed the door.
Maya looked at me over the roof of the car. She didn't look sad anymore. She looked like she had just won a championship game. She stuck her tongue out at me, got in, and peeled out of the parking lot.
I stood there in the rain, feeling like the biggest idiot in Northview. I was about to get into my car when a set of headlights flashed from the back of the lot. A white SUV pulled up beside me.
The window rolled down. It was Chloe. She was wearing a silk scarf and sunglasses even though it was the middle of the night.
"That was quite a show, Liam," Chloe said. "I didn't think Maya could actually pull it off. She’s better at the 'sweet girl' act than I thought."
"What are you doing here, Chloe?" I asked, my jaw tight.
"I’m just enjoying the view," she smirked. "Maya texted the group chat the second she got Elena into the car. She’s taking her home for a 'makeover.' She says the charity case needs to look presentable before we all come over for brunch tomorrow."
"Brunch?" I felt a cold chill that had nothing to do with the rain.
"Oh, didn't you hear? Maya is hosting a little 'Welcome Home' party for Elena. Julian is coming. Jax is coming. Even I’m coming. We’re going to see how well Elena handles being a 'project' instead of a tutor."
"She’s not a project," I growled.
"Maya thinks she is. She’s already talking about taking away that 'ugly' cane and giving Elena some of her old clothes. She wants to see if she can make Elena look like one of us, just for the laughs."
Chloe shifted the car into gear. "Don't bother showing up, Liam. You aren't invited. Maya says the 'Ice King' is officially out of the circle."
She pulled away, splashing water onto my boots. I stood there, realizing I had just let the most vulnerable person I knew walk straight into a den of snakes.
I got into my car and hit the steering wheel. My phone buzzed. It was a text from Jax.
Jax: Heard the news. Maya's house tomorrow at 10 AM. Julian says if you show up, he’ll have the guards throw you off the property. Stay away, Vance. It’s over.
I looked at the text, then at the dark road where Maya had disappeared. My captaincy was gone. My reputation was in the trash. But Elena was in that house, and they were planning to strip her of the last bit of dignity she had left.