Page 80 of Battered Moves

He looks at me, but his smile seems forced. I furrow my brows.

“Did your dad give you a hard time again, Gun?” I ask him when we enter a relatively large room that looks like an old meeting room. It’s big, yes, but not big enough for an event. The room is dimly lit, and there are several old chairs and tables scattered about. I start to feel uneasy, and my instincts tell me that we shouldn’t be here. He’s acting strangely, and his behavior is making me nervous.

“No,” he just says, not looking at me.

“Gunner, what’s going on? You’re freaking me out,” I say, andfinally, he turns to face me.

“Are you happy, Olivia? he asks. The name catches me off guard, and I feel my blood run cold.

“Why would you call me that?” I take a step back, wary of his sudden behavior.

“No, don’t be spooked. I’m sorry, Livy. I didn’t mean to scare you. You know I would never hurt you. You’re my best friend,” he says. His words reassure me somewhat, but the atmosphere still feels eerie.

“Okay, but let’s get out of here. The whole setting is spooking me,” I say, heading for the exit, but Gunner’s gentle grip on my wrist stops me in my tracks.

“You know he would never hurt you intentionally either,” he says.

“Who are you talking about?” I ask.

“He loves you. You’re his whole world. The media lied, everyone lied. It was just an accident, Livy. He would never do that to you deliberately. You guys are soulmates. He just wants to talk to you,” he says.

Panic begins to set in as I get what he’s saying. I try to free myself from his grasp, but his hold only grows stronger.

“No, Livy, don’t be scared,” he pleads again, reaching out to touch my face with his other hand, but I recoil from his touch.

“Let me go,” I plead.

“Livy, he just needs you to listen to him,” he says, looking at me sadly. “He’s going to tell you what happened, and if you’re still not going to forgive him, we’ll go. Just give him a chance to explain.”

“Gunner,” I plead as tears well up in my eyes, my emotions a mix of fear and anger. “He’s crazy. He killed my family right in front of me. It was no accident.”

“No, he told me everything,” he says, his brows furrowing in confusion. “It was an accident. He didn’t do what they accused him of. The media just made him the bad guy.” I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

“Heisthe bad guy, Gunner!” I yell.

Then the door opens, and I find myself staring into the same blue gaze that haunts my nightmares.

“Hello, angel,” Liam says with a smile.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

Four years ago

Gunner

I’m overcome with nerves. Sweat is running down my spine as I inch closer to the front of the line. I spent the past forty-five minutes rehearsing what I wanted to say to him while standing in line, but now my mind is completely blank. I’ve sacrificed so much to be here. I worked my ass off at my dad’s security firm for the past month, taking night shifts and working off days so I could afford my plane ticket to Canada for this meet and greet. I couldn’t miss this opportunity to see him in person, just once. I need to see his handsome face, not just over the TV.

If my dad found out where I was, he would freak out. He got suspicious when I wanted to work all the extra shifts, but when I told him I wanted to go on a weekend trip with a new fling, he grunted and told me that’s how to keep the pussy coming. It makes me shudder to think about it. My dad is an ex-army brute, my mom died when I was born, so I’ve only ever felt the pressure to be better, to be what he wanted me to be, a man. To simply not be me—a gay son who’s into dance. He’d rather see me dead.

They won the competition, but of course they did. I’ve watched every episode ofCanada’s Biggest Talentsat least five times. They outshine everyone easily, and Liam just stole my heart with his easy and positive manner. You can’t not like him. The behind-the-scenes footage they always show at the end of the episode reveals that he’s like that in real life too, and he’s such a good partner for Olivia. I’m so envious of her, as she has everything I want, but I also see that he needs her. I would do anything to see him happy. I know I have an obsession, I really do, but is it that bad to have a crush on a star?

I take a deep breath as the person in front of me finishes their turn and exits the booth. It’s now or never. I step forward, but Olivia stands up just that second.

“Be right back,” she says to Liam, leaving without as much as a glance in my direction.

I look at Liam and come face-to-face with the man of my dreams. I don’t care if she’s not around.I’m here for him.My heart is pounding so hard, I can feel it in my throat.

“Sorry, she just needs a quick bathroom break,” he says, looking up at me and smiling. “She’ll be right back to meet you. Hi, how are you?”

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