fics-by-em

[fics-by-em]

BRETT GOLDSTEIN for the NY Times, 2023.

[fics-by-em]

Amorous Facades - Chapter Sixteen

A wild night out leaves the lives of Jamie Tartt and Ophelia Adams more intertwined than they ever would have imagined.

Will their decision to try and use the situation to their advantage work out in their favour or will they realize that they should have cut their losses when they had the chance?

———-

previous chapter

———-

Note: I am so sorry for such a long hiatus! It was unplanned, but life was busy and I was super unmotivated. Also, I know this chapter is kind of short, but I'm definitely back in the groove now so hopefully I will have more chapters ready soon and they will be longer.

If anyone is still around, please let me know!

———-

The morning after her altercation with Daniel, Lia woke up feeling humiliated.

The thought of Roy being forced to barge into the bathroom to save her, the way she’d fallen apart in front of everyone as Daniel was dragged outside, how she’d blubbered and cried to Keeley and Rebecca about how her mind couldn’t stop racing with the possibilities of what could have happened. Considering it was her first formal event as Mrs.Tartt, she was fairly certain that she couldn’t have made much more of a mess of it if she’d tried.

And things only got worse when she checked her phone.

While Lia hadn’t seen any lingering press when she left with Jamie, Daniel had apparently run into some after he’d been removed and was more than happy to give them his version of events. Rebecca had already issued a statement refuting his claims before Lia even knew what was going on, but she knew who would be believed in the court of public opinion. She could see it already as the people in the comments on the first post she’d found had all sorts of things to say about her and not much of it was very flattering.

She immediately tossed her phone aside and buried herself back in the blankets where she spent the rest of the morning curled up with Jamie. It was the most comforting place she could think of as the support that he’d offered her throughout the aftermath of their evening had meant more to her than she could ever express. He never made her feel unreasonable or pressured her to talk about how she was feeling, he just gave her space to process her emotions while staying close enough to make her feel safe. The gentleness he’d used while he washed her in the bath had almost made her fall to pieces all over again and it had the bond she felt with him growing even stronger despite the tumultuous events that led to their intimate moment.

She was sad to see him go that afternoon when he had to drag himself to training for Richmond’s big match against Chelsea the following day and when that match finally rolled around, Lia - somewhat reluctantly - chose not to attend. She was feeling a little more herself after taking an entire day to hide away and take care of herself, but just the thought of being in a stadium full of people who had probably at least seen some sort of headline about what had happened was enough to make her anxiety spike. 

Instead, she went to work, hoping that returning to her routine would bring her a little bit of comfort, but that hope was dashed when the bell above the door rang about halfway through the afternoon. As usual, Lia lifted her head to greet whoever had just walked in, but when her eyes landed on Mike, she felt her blood run cold.

“What are you doing here?”

Her tone was harsh and entirely unwelcoming and for once she was grateful that the store was practically completely devoid of any customers.

“I come in peace,” he assured her, holding his hands up as if to surrender. “Well, I’ve come to hopefully make peace actually. I owe you an apology.”

It had been just over a month since Katie had walked in making the same claim and she was tempted to make a joke about them comparing scripts, but the memory of how her conversation with Katie had gone took all humour of the situation - especially considering the events that had happened a couple of nights earlier.

“It’s too late for that.”

Lia crossed her arms, hoping to seem firm and confident despite her racing heart, but Mike had always been stubborn.

“Please, Lia, can we at least talk?” He requested. “I know I was an absolute arsehole and I don’t deserve any of your time, but it would mean a lot to me…and to Katie.”

“Does she know you’re here?”

“No, she has no idea,” he shook his head. “She’s at home, probably still staring at her phone and trying to think of what to say to you. She’s written and deleted at least fifty different messages this morning.”

“Sorry, am I supposed to feel bad for her?” Lia questioned, feeling her annoyance starting to rise. “Oh, poor Katie, it must be so hard for her to have no idea how to fix the mess she made that led to me being physically attacked.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Mike cringed. “But we want to make things right.”

“That’s what Lia told me a few weeks ago before basically admitting that she had no intention of actually doing anything to fix the situation,” Lia informed him. “And considering you seemed to be the biggest problem, I find it very strange that you’ve suddenly changed your mind about things.”

“I saw the articles,” Mike admitted. “I saw what he was saying about what happened and it makes no sense to me. I don’t believe for a second that you would attend an event with your boyfriend and try to shag Daniel in the bathroom, you’re not that kind of girl.”

The certainty that he spoke with almost caught her off guard, but she was skeptical of his motivations and saw some holes in his story.

“But a few months ago you believed that Daniel’s actions towards me were justified because even though I had a boyfriend, I was supposedly flirting with him all the time,” Lia pointed out. “So if you think I’m capable of that, why wouldn’t I be capable of having an affair right under Jamie’s nose?”

“There’s a bit of a difference between flirting and trying to get off with him while your boyfriend is in another room,” Mike argued as Lia was once again happy that no customers were around to hear their conversation. “Besides, I didn’t think that you actually wanted to be with Daniel, I just said that I understood why he thought it was okay to pursue you the way that he did because you were sort of leading him on all the time.”

“But I wasn’t,” Lia firmly clarified. “I never flirted with him, I never gave him any indication that I was interested. I said no repeatedly and without any indication that I was joking or hoping he’d read between the lines and realize that I actually meant yes. The fact that you took his side in that disagreement is why this happened, Mike! You let him think that I was playing games with him until he was fed up with being messed with and decided to just take what he wanted. God, if Roy hadn’t found us when he did then I don’t even want to think about what could have happened!”

“He wouldn’t have…” Mike trailed off as Lia shot him a look of disbelief and his shoulders slumped as he was forced to face the truth. “Okay, maybe I don’t know what he would have done or how far he would have gone, but that’s what I’m here to admit and apologize for. He’s not who I thought he was - or he’s become someone that I don’t want to be around - and I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you when you tried to tell me. You had no reason to lie about it and I should have listened.”

Lia watched him for a minute, but to her surprise she couldn’t see any signs of insincerity on his face. She waited a little longer - just to make him sweat a bit - before she relented as much as she felt comfortable.

“I appreciate the apology,” she decided, being careful not to use words like ‘it’s fine’. “I can’t say that it makes everything better, but it was big of you to come here and talk to me so I appreciate that.”

Mike nodded and looked somewhat relieved, but a sigh slipped from his lips.

“He was my best friend. I thought I knew him so well, I never thought he’d do anything like this. It seems unreal.”

His firm use of the word was tugged at Lia’s heartstrings. Despite her hesitation to accept his apology and her knowledge that his words didn’t make everything right, she had to admit that finding out your best friend was a predator and a danger to women would have to be very unsettling and upsetting. However, he would have found out a lot sooner had he simply listened to her so every flicker of sympathy she felt was quickly squashed by the reality of the situation.

“I’m sorry that he turned out to be so awful,” Lia empathised before reminding him, “But if you’d listened to me then you would have known about it months ago. It shouldn’t have taken him attempting to assault me for you to believe me. So, again, while I appreciate you taking the time to come and apologize, I’m not sure that it’s enough right now to mend any burnt bridges.”

“I can understand that,” Mike agreed, despite the way his head dropped and his shoulders hunched with disappointment. “But promise me that you’ll answer Katie if she messages you, yeah? She’s worried sick about you and dying to make sure you’re alright.”

“I’ll think about it,” Lia shrugged. “I can’t make any promises. I just need time, Mike. This isn’t something that I can easily forget about.”

That clearly wasn’t what Mike had been hoping to hear as a defeated sigh fell from his lips and he moved towards the door.

“Alright,” he relented, apparently sensing that there was nothing more he could say to convince her. “Well, I hope I’ll see you soon, Lia, and I’m glad that you’re alright.”

There were many responses to that statement that came to Lia’s mind, but it all felt rather pointless so she settled for a simple nod of her head before Mike slipped out the door and left her to her thoughts.

——

Lia was in two minds about whether or not to tell Jamie about her conversation with Mike.

It felt wrong to keep it from him, but he’d been so protective since the incident and she was fairly certain that he wouldn’t take it well. However, any doubt slipped from her mind as soon as Jamie strolled into their living room that evening with his concern for her still written all over his face.

“How are you doing?” He asked as he perched on the arm of the chair across from where she was lounging on the couch. “How was your first day back at work? Wasn’t too much going back, was it?”

“No, work was fine,” she assured him before admitting, “But I did have an interesting visit.”

She saw Jamie’s body language shift, tensing as if he was ready for a fight.

“Oh, yeah? Who?”

“Mike. He wanted to apologize for not believing me, I guess he’s finally come to his senses.”

The scoff of disbelief that slipped from Jamie’s lips summed up her feelings on the matter as well.

“And did you tell him to fuck right off?”

“Sort of, but not in those words,” Lia smiled weakly. “And in the end I told him that I appreciated the apology.”

“Why the fuck did you do that?”

The complete disgust in his voice had Lia biting back another smile, but as she contemplated the question, she found herself feeling very conflicted.

“Because, despite everything that happened, I think he was being genuine and I think both him and Katie have learned a hard lesson.” He looked shocked by her admission, but seemed to sense there was more she wanted to say and stayed quiet until she composed her thoughts enough to continue. “Do you think I’d be mental if I forgave them? Obviously the damage has been done and I don’t think our friendship could ever be the same, but I do miss them.”

It was clear from Jamie’s expression what he truly thought about her question, but she was surprised by what he said when he finally spoke.

“Well, they don’t deserve your forgiveness,” he reminded her. “But if you’re doing it for you then I don’t think it’s mental. Would only be mental if you were doing it because they guilted you into it.”

“I don’t think that’s what’s happening,” Lia mused. “I think I just genuinely miss them and if they’re willing to make it right then I would like to let them.”

“You’re too nice.” Jamie flashed her a brief smile, but his look of concern quickly returned. “As long as they stay away from that prick though, yeah? If they’re still friends with him and ever let him near you again then I’ll kill them all.”

While she would never let him actually hurt anyone, his protectiveness filled her with a warmth as it was comforting to know how fiercely he was growing to care for her.

“I don’t doubt you would,” she assured him. “Anyway, how was your day? How was the match?”

Her question had Jamie’s face darkening in a way that she hadn’t expected. She’d heard that the match was a draw and while the team obviously strived for a win, usually anything that wasn’t a loss was still worth celebrating.

“The match was fine. Started off rough, but we pulled out a draw in the end,” he informed her. “Got some interesting news after though, Zava is coming to play for Richmond.”

“Zava? Who’s Zava?”

“Apparently one of the best footballers in the world.”

“Well, that’s good news, isn’t it?” Lia watched as her question simply earned a shrug of his shoulders. “Are you not happy about it?”

“Dunno, I guess so.”

It was clear from his huffy tone and sullen face that he really wasn’t thrilled about the team’s new player and Lia shifted slightly on the couch before reaching out to Jamie.

“C’mere,” she requested, relieved when Jamie didn’t hesitate before coming over. He settled on the couch beside her and rested his head in her lap. She immediately let her fingers run through his hair in the way she’d discovered he found rather soothing before pressing him a little more. “You don’t sound like you’re happy about it.”

“He’s a good player and he’ll help us win games,” Jamie admitted. “But he’s also a selfish prick. Everyone gave me a hard time for being like that and I worked hard to change, but now they’re acting like he’s some kinda gift from God.”

The tinge of jealousy in his voice helped Lia understand just what the problem was. Jamie was used to being the best - to being the hero on the team - and his position in that role was threatened by the arrival of another similarly talented player.

“Maybe he wants to change too,” she gently suggested. “If he’s so good, surely he could have joined any team in the world. If he’s choosing to join Richmond instead of a more prestigious club then maybe he’s drawn to how well you all play together and wants to be more of a team player.”

“Doubt it,” Jamie pouted. “Probably just wants the fame of swooping in to save us.”

“Richmond doesn’t need saving,” she assured him. “You’re a great team already, even without Zava.”

Jamie pressed a kiss against her thigh as he mumbled out a quiet ‘thanks, babe’ before a silence settled between them.

It seemed that they both had a lot on their minds, but Lia was relieved to know that they were in it all together. She knew that no matter what she decided to do about Katie - or however the situation unfolded - Jamie would be by her side through it all. Thinking back to how things had been only a few short months ago, it was amazing how close they’d become and how natural it all felt. The strength and comfort she took from his presence and the contentedness she felt simply curling up on the couch with his head in her lap had her realizing just how happy she was to have him in her life and as he sighed happily when she scratched lightly at his scalp, she started to realize just how deep her feelings for him were becoming.

[fics-by-em]

Amorous Facades Masterlist

A wild night out leaves the lives of Jamie Tartt and Ophelia Adams more intertwined than they ever would have imagined.

Will their decision to try and use the situation to their advantage work out in their favour or will they realize that they should have cut their losses when they had the chance?

———-

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

[fics-by-em]

“how did you get into writing” girl nobody gets into writing. writing shows up one day at your door and gets into you

[fics-by-em]

@giftober 2023 Day 28: Change

[fics-by-em]

do u see this shit my liege

[fics-by-em]

@giftober 2023 Day 27: Old

[fics-by-em]

Roy is none of those things. He is perfect.

[fics-by-em]

big believer that writing doesn't always have to be writing. sometimes writing is going for a walk. sometimes writing is rehearsing your characters' dialogue in the shower. sometimes writing is putting a song on loop and staring at the carpet. sometimes you need to hang out with your story instead of writing it

[fics-by-em]

Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso (s03e12)

✦ GIFTOBER 2023 | Day 26/31: Teary.

[fics-by-em]

"Is that it?" "And that's it."

✦ GIFTOBER 2023 | Day 24/31: Countries.

BONUS!

[fics-by-em]

roy kent's departure from & return to football

he's here, he's there, he's every-fucking-where, roy kent! roy kent! (1x10 // 2x05)

[fics-by-em]

@giftober 2023 Day 23: Hands

[fics-by-em]

Amorous Facades - Chapter Fifteen

A wild night out leaves the lives of Jamie Tartt and Ophelia Adams more intertwined than they ever would have imagined.

Will their decision to try and use the situation to their advantage work out in their favour or will they realize that they should have cut their losses when they had the chance?

———-

previous chapter

———-

Note: CW: Assault - I don't think it's particularly extreme but I know we all have different sensitivity levels so I wanted to give everyone a little heads up. I don't want to give too much away for those who are happy to read, but if you think this is something that may upset you then please send me a message or leave a note and I can give you a more detailed summary of the chapter so you can skip it if you need to and still understand the story.

There's lots going on in this chapter though so I would definitely love to hear everyone's thoughts!

———-

As Lia stared at her reflection in the mirror, she had to admit that she was feeling a tinge of nervousness.

Her hair was perfect, she’d taken the time to do her make-up as flawlessly as she was capable of and she knew that the dress she was wearing was probably the most flattering thing that she owned, but attending a massive gala in support of AFC Richmond as the wife of one of their star players was a fairly intimidating thing. She also knew the press would be there - she’d been warned of a red carpet - and it was her first time really being under their scrutiny. She didn’t want to do anything that would let Jamie down or embarrass either of them and she was feeling more pressure than she’d anticipated when she accepted the invitation.

However, when she heard the front door opening and Jamie calling out her name, it put an end to her spiralling as she felt her anxiety immediately eased by his presence.

“I’m up here!” She called back. “In the bedroom.”

The sound of Jamie jogging up the stairs echoed down the hall and she smiled when he strode into the room, but the words he greeted her with had the comfort that his presence had offered her shifting back into trepidation of a different kind.

“Did you know that Roy and Keeley broke up?”

The question hung between them for a moment until Lia slowly nodded her head.

“I did, yeah,” she admitted. “Keeley told me when I met her for coffee the other day.”

“It’s mad, innit? I was just speaking to Roy about it and what makes it even weirder is that he broke up with her.” Jamie shook his head in disbelief. “Who the fuck would break up with a girl like Keeley?”

His query - however rhetorical - had the dread that Lia had been grappling with since she’d heard the news rising up again. She’d been pushing it down and trying to convince herself that she was being unnecessarily paranoid, but his passionate reaction had her worried.

“I don’t know…” The words slipped from her lips as hardly more than a murmur, but while her heart was urging her to shut the conversation down and change the subject before she had to hear any more gushing from Jamie about how amazing Keeley was, her head took over and decided to nip all the uncertainty that was swirling through her mind right in the bud. Almost before she even knew what she was saying, she blurted out another question to counter his. “But what does this mean for us?”

Immediately, Jamie’s brow furrowed in clear confusion as Lia anxiously cracked her knuckles, waiting for his response. However, when it came, it wasn’t what she was expecting.

“For us?” He questioned. “What do you mean? What does it have to do with us?”

His genuine bafflement left Lia feeling torn. In some ways it was comforting that his mind hadn’t gone to the same place that hers had when she heard the news, but it left her unsure if she should explain what she was thinking or if she would just be giving him ideas. She worried her lip between her teeth for a moment as he watched her with a look on his face that was so innocent it made her heart ache as she fought through the knots in her stomach.

“I’ve just been a bit worried that maybe you would want to get back with Keeley now that she’s single.”

“Oh…” The look of realization that slid onto Jamie’s face unsettled her, but what he said after was what really made Lia’s heart sink. “I hadn’t even thought about that.”

Suddenly, Lia felt like an idiot. The dress, the hair, the fancy make-up, all the things that had made her feel beautiful and worthy of standing by Jamie’s side only a few minutes earlier suddenly felt ridiculous. She felt like she was trying to step into a role she didn’t belong in and she wanted to wash her face, slip into her sweatpants and stay away from any prying eyes as she braced for disappointment.

“Well, if you are going to think about it and decide that you want her back, can you do it quickly? I don’t want to spend the night playing your doting wife just to have our divorce splashed all over the papers tomorrow.”

To her tentative relief, her words made Jamie recoil as the look on his face shifted into one that could only be described as offended.

“What? No! That’s not what I meant,” he insisted.”I didn’t think about it because it’s not gonna happen. I don’t wanna be with Keeley, I’m happy being with you.”

It was exactly what she’d been hoping to hear, but Lia still felt slightly ill at ease.

“Are you sure?” She pressed him. “After everything that happened and what you said at the funeral, I’d just rather know now.”

“I’m absolutely sure,” he insisted, moving across the room until he was close enough to slide his arms around her waist. “I mean, look at you. You’re fuckin’ gorgeous and I tell you all the time how great you are and how smart. I’d be the world’s biggest idiot to give you up.”

Lia relaxed into his embrace as the sincerity of his reassurance eased her concern.

“Even if giving me up meant you had another chance with Keeley?”

“Even then,” Jamie confirmed. “I lo-like you a lot, Lia. I really care about you.”

There was a hesitation before the word ‘like’ that Jamie glossed over and while it didn’t escape Lia’s notice, she was happy to let it slide for the time being. It piqued her curiosity and she had a pretty good idea of what he’d almost confessed, but the emotional roller coaster of their conversation was enough for her to deal with so close to a big event without causing any more drama by questioning him on it.

“I care about you too.” She flashed him a smile and stretched up to place a kiss against his lips before circling back to something he’d mentioned earlier. “I’m surprised Roy told you about it though, I didn’t think you two were close enough to discuss things like that.”

“We’re getting better,” Jamie shrugged. “But he didn’t tell me, I figured it out using body science.”

“Body science?”

“Yeah, looking at people’s bodies and using the way they’re standing to figure out shit.”

His explanation - while not entirely as enlightening as he seemed to think it would be - had Lia biting back a laugh.

“Alright, well, did he share any insight into why he broke up with her?”

“Uh, no, he did not. We ain’t that close yet, I tried to hug him and he almost punched me.”

The thought of Jamie attempting to offer Roy some comfort and almost getting attacked for it had her laughter breaking free as she buried her face in Jamie’s chest to hide her amusement.

“I just wondered because Keeley seems a little blindsided by the whole thing. She said they’re both just busy at the moment, but she didn’t seem to really understand why he took it to the extreme of actually dumping her,” Lia elaborated when she regained her composure. “So, if he does choose to confide in you anytime soon then please let me know.”

“I will, but don’t hold your breath,” Jamie warned her. “Anyway, I think we’ve wasted enough time talking about that old fart. Especially when we could be talking about how amazing you look in this dress.”

Lia smiled proudly as she stepped out of his grasp to smooth down the front of the dress she was wearing. It was short - showing off her legs - and while the top was tight, it flared out below her waist in a simple, but classy style. Despite the formality being somewhat out of her comfort zone, it had her feeling very much like a princess.

“You like it?” She asked. “I was worried it might be a little too much.”

“Nah, it’s perfect. You look great and everyone gets dressed up for this thing.”

“Yeah? What are you wearing?”

“Just a suit,” Jamie informed her as he moved towards the wardrobe and began to riffle through his clothes. “And Rebecca says I have to wear a shirt this time because she knows nothing about fashion.”

“I think she does,” Lia argued, raising an eyebrow at the specification as she recalled it being mentioned before as well. “But, can I ask, why weren’t you wearing a shirt last time?”

“For fashion,” he said, like it was obvious. “I wore a suit jacket, but the shirt made me look dumb. I did spill soup on myself though and burnt my nipple so Rebecca might be right about it being a good idea.”

The entire scenario seemed so ridiculous that Lia let out another snort of laughter as she shook her head.

“Yes, I think usually it’s a good idea to wear a shirt, especially to a formal event.”

“I’d still rather not,” Jamie sighed as he pulled a suit out of the wardrobe. “But I think I found one that makes me look fit.”

Lia was tempted to point out that any suit was likely to make him look fit given the fact that he was one of the most attractive men in London, but she figured the adoration from the press later that evening would be enough of a boost for his ego for one day.

“Oh, I like it,” she smiled as he held the jacket up against his chest. “That shade of blue looks nice with the walnut mist in your hair.”

Her observation was somewhat facetious. She wasn’t entirely sure what the difference between ‘walnut mist’ and ‘blonde’ was, but it was a mistake that she wasn’t going to make twice after having already been scolded for mixing them up when he’d first dyed his hair shortly after they’d returned from their trip to Italy and Jamie seemed oblivious to the glibness of her remark.

“Thanks, babe,” he grinned. “I thought so too.”

Feeling a wave of affection wash over her, Lia watched as Jamie turned to look at himself in the full length mirror in the corner of the room. She could have stayed there all night and admired Jamie as he primped and readied himself for the evening, but in the interest of getting out of the house on time, she headed downstairs to wait for him there.

——

Walking the red carpet into the gala was like nothing Lia had ever experienced before. As soon as they stepped out in front of the cameras, she felt herself freeze up, but Jamie was there to guide her every step of the way and when he kissed her - causing a symphony of shutters and almost blinding levels of flashing lights - she felt strangely adored. Not because of the interest of the general public or the nosey press photographers, but because of how open Jamie was with their relationship. He wanted to show her off. He was proud to kiss her and let everyone know that she was his date - his wife - and that had her walking into the event feeling like she was on cloud nine.

It was busy inside with people bustling around and already socialising, but Lia spotted Keeley and Rebecca right away as Keeley waved frantically at her from beside the bar so they made their way over to them first.

“Good choice starting here,” Keeley greeted her as she pulled her into a hug. “You’ll need a drink, or twenty, to get through the night.”

“Um, excuse me,” Rebecca protested with a laugh. “I planned this entire evening and it’s actually going to be a lot of fun!”

“Hasn’t been before,” Jamie scoffed. “But I am glad you decided not to auction us off this year.”

“Auction you off?”

The question came from Lia as she looked at them all like they were insane before Keeley jumped in to explain.

“They used to auction off a date with each of the players,” she elaborated. “But it made the ones that got less interest feel bad and some of the interest was really unwanted so Rebecca decided to get rid of it this year.”

“It was more of Rupert’s thing anyway,” she clarified. “And our donors were generous enough to provide plenty of other wonderful items for auction.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Lia smiled, resting her head on Jamie’s shoulder. “Because I don’t think I could afford to outbid many of the women that I’ve seen here so far.”

“Wouldn’t want to date anyone else anyway,” Jamie assured her, twisting his neck to press a kiss against the top of her head. “Would’ve had to bring you with me.”

Lia giggled at the thought as Keeley and Rebecca shared a look that Lia couldn’t quite place before Rebecca picked her glass up from the bar behind her.

“You two are just disgustingly adorable now, aren’t you?” She teased. “But as much as I’d love to hide over here all night, I should probably go do my job as hostess. I will see you all later.”

With that Rebecca strutted away with a confidence and grace that Lia hoped to achieve one day. 

“Have you found your table yet?” Keeley asked. “I was hoping you’d be sat with us, but I think Rebecca put you with the coaches.”

“Again?” Jamie huffed. “I got stuck with Roy last time too.”

“It’ll be good for you,” Lia insisted, gently pushing him with her shoulder. “You were just saying that you and Roy are starting to bond, socializing away from the field might help with that.”

“Or make it worse when I get tired of him being such a grumpy prick all the time.”

“He isn’t like that all the time,” Keeley insisted, her voice soft in a way that seemed almost nostalgic. “And he likes you, Jamie. Deep down, I know he does.”

“Must be pretty fuckin’ deep,” Jamie murmured. “But we should go find our seats, what do you want to drink?”

Lia requested a glass of white wine and when Jamie moved away to get the bartender’s attention, she took advantage of her moment alone with Keeley.

“How are you doing?” She asked. “It’s sweet of you to come to support Rebecca, but it must be hard to be here too with it being kind of a Roy centric place.”

“It’s fine, I’m happy to be here for Rebecca,” Keeley assured her, but Lia couldn’t help but notice that the smile on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s a little strange, but Roy and I are still friends so there shouldn’t be any awkwardness.”

“I’m glad to hear that and I’m here if you need someone to vent to for a minute,” Lia offered, earning a ‘thanks, babe’ from Keeley before she shifted the subject to something she’d been nervous about bringing up. “I have a little favour to ask of you actually, but you can totally feel free to say no and I won’t be offended at all.”

Her preface of the question had Keeley looking very intrigued as she prompted her to explain.

“Sure, anything you need,” she sincerely assured her. “What’s up?”

“Well, my dad’s bookstore hasn’t been doing too well lately and since building up brands is sort of your job now, I was wondering if we could find a time to chat about it?” She asked before rushing to assure her. “It really is completely fine if you don’t have any free time now, I know you’re busy with your new company and I’m not trying to take advantage, but I just thought you’d be the best person to give me a few tips.”

“Oh my gosh, I can absolutely help you with that!” Keeley agreed with such genuine enthusiasm that Lia immediately felt more at ease. “I have a couple free afternoons this week actually, I’ll double check my calendar and let you know.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” Lia gushed. “I know that bookstores aren’t the most exciting thing in the world to market, but there has to be something we’re missing that can boost our brand a little bit.”

“Oh, definitely,” Keeley nodded. “I’ll brainstorm a few things for you and we can discuss them over lunch.”

“You’re a life-saver, I’ll owe you forever if you can help us out.”

“Don’t worry about it, I love my job so I’m happy to help.”

It was at that moment that Jamie reappeared with drinks in hand and while he looked a little puzzled by what Keeley was saying, Lia was fairly certain he would figure it out before she could fill him in later - especially since it had been his idea to talk to her about it in the first place.

“Should we go find our table?” He asked as he handed her the wine glass he was holding. “I wanna make sure we get better seats than Roy.”

Lia rolled her eyes at his pettiness, but agreed and reminded Keeley again that she would be there at any point during the evening if the forced proximity to Roy became too much. Jamie chimed in to insist that he’d be needing that support as well, but Lia shook her head and gently pushed him in the direction of their table. Unfortunately for Jamie, they were the last to arrive which ruined his plan of picking the best seat - whatever that even meant - and one of the two seats left was beside Roy. Jamie quickly darted for the one beside Ted instead and Lia smiled in amusement as she took the last empty chair.

“Well, hello there,” Ted greeted them. “Welcome to the table.”

“Thank you,” Lia replied as Jamie rolled his eyes. “We’re happy to be here.”

“Would’ve rather been at one of the other tables though,” Jamie chimed in, earning a kick under the table from Lia. “What? I’m just sayin’ it would have been more fun to be with the rest of the team.”

“It makes sense to me that the star of Richmond would be seated with the coaches,” Lia shrugged, trying to appeal to his ego. “Makes you a little special, doesn’t it?”

“I think perhaps Rebecca was trying to encourage a little bonding time,” Coach Beard chimed in. “I think she was hoping that Jamie and our good friend Roy might be able to find a little more common ground.”

Lia could practically feel the eye roll from the men on either side of her, but she had a feeling that Beard was probably right and that Rebecca had been very intentional with her seating arrangement. However, before she could comment on that observation, someone across the room caught her eye. Someone that had her blood running cold and her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

“Jamie,” she gasped as her hand shot out to grip his arm in a panic. “Daniel’s here.”

“What? Where?” He asked, his brow furrowing in confusion as he followed Lia’s gaze. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

“I don’t know, isn’t this a private event?”

Jamie nodded as their hushed conversation drew the attention of the rest of their group.

“Who is he?” Ted asked. “An ex-boyfriend?”

Jamie scoffed in annoyance.

“He fuckin’ wishes.”

“He’s a friend of an old friend,” Lia explained. “He liked me and he was very aggressive about how he tried to pursue me until he found out that I was with Jamie.”

Lia found herself unable to take her eyes off of Daniel as if keeping him in her sight would offer her some kind of protection. However, it ended up being her undoing as she watched him scanning the room until their eyes met. She quickly glanced away - hoping not to draw his attention - but it was too late. Without even looking she could sense him moving across the room towards their table and her grip on Jamie’s arm tightened.

“Hi, Lia!” His enthusiastic greeting had her looking up to see a smarmy smile on his face. “I thought I might see you here.”

“I bet you did.” Lia rolled her eyes. “But why are you here? How did you get invited to this?”

“I’m the newest user experience designer for Bantr,” he proudly informed her. “And since they’re Richmond’s biggest sponsor, I was sent to represent them.”

His smug face had Lia’s stomach turning, but she kept her reply short in an effort to avoid causing any kind of scene that might embarrass Jamie.

“I would have thought they’d send someone with a little more seniority,” Lia mused before adding, “But congratulations on the new job.”

“No one else wanted to attend, events like this are generally considered to be a chore,” Daniel smirked, earning a glare from several other people at the table. “But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

There was an underlying hint of something threatening in his tone that sent a shiver down Lia’s spine and made her throat feel so tight that she couldn’t even respond as he excused himself with a foreboding “I’ll catch up with you later, I’m sure”. She sat frozen for a moment after he’d walked away until Roy broke the silence that had settled around the table.

“Well, he seems like a prick.”

His astute observation eased the tension as a laugh slipped from Lia’s lips and Jamie cracked a smile as he nodded.

“Glad we can finally agree on something.”

“Do you want me to ask Rebecca to tell him to leave?” Ted offered. “I’m sure she’d have no problem with it if he’s going to make you uncomfortable.”

It was a tempting offer, but not one that Lia really felt she could justify. He hadn’t done anything yet that was worth being removed from the event so - considering her strong dislike for any unnecessary conflict - she reluctantly shook her head and assured the table that it was fine despite the way her hand was shaking from the shock of seeing him as she lifted her glass of wine.

——

Other than the lingering feeling of being watched, Lia managed to relax and enjoy the evening. The dinner that was served was delicious and the somewhat playful bickering between Roy and Jamie was even better entertainment than the auction that followed the meal. She was pleased for Rebecca when she reached the goal she’d set for how much money she’d hoped to raise and was happy to celebrate with the entire team in a champagne toast just as the musical performer started. However, the drinks had been flowing since they’d arrived and by the time she’d finished her glass of champagne, she excused herself to use the bathroom.

She let Jamie know where she was going and stole a quick - somewhat sloppy - kiss before wandering away, noting the slight fuzziness and familiar flush of warmth that always came when she’d had a few drinks. It had her feeling a touch sentimental as she reflected on the camaraderie of the evening and how nice it was to be part of the little community that Rebecca had built at Richmond, but she only made it halfway down the hallway to the bathroom when her quiet moment of thought was interrupted as the man coming out of the men’s bathroom just a few feet in front of her stopped her in her tracks.

“Lia, hi,” Daniel grinned, glancing around as if to check they were alone. “I was hoping we’d have time to chat tonight, but I didn’t think there was much chance of your superstar husband letting me have you to myself.”

“No, I don’t think he’d be very happy about us talking,” Lia agreed. “But more importantly, neither am I. I don’t have anything to say to you.”

The smile dropped from his face and was immediately replaced by a scowl.

“Well, unfortunately for you we have a lot to talk about. Starting with how you’ve ruined my fucking life.”

Lia was taken aback by his accusation, enough so that she questioned him without even pausing to debate if she could be escalating the situation.

“I did? How exactly did I manage that?”

“You’ve made my best friend treat me like some kind of criminal!” He informed her. “You completely turned Katie against me and now Mike acts like he’s ashamed to spend time with me!”

“I didn’t do any of that,” Lia insisted, her nerves about Daniel’s behaviour outweighing her surprise at the news that Katie had managed to sway Mike in any way against his friend. “You did it to yourself.”

A flicker of anger flashed through his eyes as he stepped towards Lia and the flush of fear his movement caused had her backing away. When her back hit the wall, she felt like a mouse cowering from a cat and the glaze of his eyes and flush in his cheeks from his apparent intoxication did nothing to ease her worries.

“That is not true,” he practically growled. “You made up all that nonsense about me harassing you, you planted the seed in everyone’s mind! If you hadn’t spread those lies then Katie wouldn’t be trying to convince everyone that I’m such a tosser!”

His harsh tone and aggressive body language scared Lia enough that her adrenaline had her finding the courage to stride past him until he was no longer standing between her and the bathroom she’d been heading towards.

“Katie never believed me,” she reminded him. “You turned Katie against you when you harassed her new flatmate the same way you harassed me. You did this to yourself, Daniel, I’m not going to be your scapegoat.”

With that, she turned and walked into the bathroom without giving him the chance to argue. Her heart was pounding and she took a moment to lean back against the door and steady her breathing before she walked into a stall. She was surprised that he’d been bold enough to corner her when anyone could have stumbled on their little confrontation at any moment, but she wasn’t entirely surprised by the level of resentment he held for her. He wasn’t the kind of man that would take responsibility for his own actions and it was easier for him to blame her than to accept that his behaviour was inappropriate. Her mind was spinning as she tried to process everything he’d said and her racing thoughts had her distracted enough that it didn’t even register when the sound of the bathroom door opening echoed through the room.

She took her time - enjoying the quiet moment and hoping to give Daniel enough time to get back to the rest of the party - but eventually she made sure that her dress had settled back into the right position before flushing the toilet and walking out of the stall. Before she even knew what was happening, she felt herself get shoved hard back against the doorframe of the stall she’d just left. A cry of pain slipped from her lips as her spine was pressed hard into the wood, but as she realized that it was Daniel’s hands that had pushed her, the cry shifted into a scream of terror. Immediately, she felt his hand clamped over her mouth and the panic she felt brought tears to her eyes.

“Be quiet, you little bitch,” he hissed. “This is what you think I do, isn’t it? Just take what I want without asking.”

She felt his hand trailing up her thigh and sliding under the skirt of her dress as she fought to breathe despite the way his hand was smothering her and the terror was making her chest tight. It was an escalation in his behaviour that she’d always worried would happen, but she never would have imagined that he’d dare to attack her at a party surrounded by people who care about her.

But those people now seemed so far away. She felt isolated and alone and completely at Daniel’s mercy. That is, until the door swung open again.

“Oi!” The gruff voice of Roy Kent barked through the room .”What the fuck are you doing?”

As suddenly as he’d pressed himself against her, Daniel was wrenched away as Roy gripped the back of the collar of his shirt, but he was undeterred. 

“Fuck off, mate,” he spat. “Mind your own business.”

“This is my fucking business,” Roy growled, dragging him by his shirt towards the door before pausing and looking back at Lia. “Are you okay?”

The shock of it all had her simply nodding her head as she followed them out of the bathroom. She was tempted to tell Roy to stop and let him go in an effort to avoid a scene, but she found herself unable to speak even as Daniel protested his current treatment by spouting off lie after lie about how she wanted it and had asked him to follow her into the bathroom. She didn’t even realize she was crying until they got back to the main room where the party was still going strong.

“Tartt!”

Roy bellowed out his name loud enough to catch his attention over the music, but as Jamie - and the entire group he was standing with - turned to see what was going on, the shame had Lia dissolving into sobs. Jamie practically sprinted over to her side, but as he pulled her instinctively against his chest, his attention was on Roy and the man in his grip.

“What happened?”

“I caught this prick pinning her to the wall in the bathroom.”

The disgust was clear in Roy’s voice as he answered, but Daniel wasn’t one to go down without a fight.

“She wanted me to,” he insisted. “She asked for it!”

“If you say that one more time,” Roy warned him. “I will wring your fucking neck.”

It was comforting that Roy was so clearly not swayed by any of Daniel’s lies and Lia peeked out from where her face was buried in Jamie’s chest in time to appreciate how pale his threat had made Daniel, but Roy didn’t wait for him to argue or continue his objections before he dragged him away.

“What happened?” Jamie asked again after taking a moment to simply hold Lia in his arms, but his voice was soft and gentle as he added, “What did he do to you?”

“Nothing,” Lia sniffled. “Well, not nothing, but nothing like what you’re probably thinking. He confronted me in the hall and tried to blame me for Katie and Mike being mad at him then he followed me into the bathroom. He pushed me into the wall and put his hand up my dress, but then Roy came in.”

“What a fuckin’ prick,” Jamie shook his head, his jaw clenched in anger. Lia held onto him a little tighter just in case he got any ideas about following Roy outside, but she was relieved that the tiny voice in her mind that thought he believe Daniel and be mad at her was wrong. “I’m so sorry. I should have gone with you, I should’ve been there.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Lia assured him. “I can’t believe he would do something like that here with so many people around. I think he was drunk, but he’s never been that aggressive before.”

Lia felt her lip quiver as she finished speaking and Jamie pulled her back against his chest, but the sound of heels clacking on the ground as Rebecca and Keeley raced over to them had her resisting the urge to bury her face back into Jamie’s suit jacket.

“Oh my god,” Keeley blurted out as soon as they practically skidded to a stop by her side. “Are you okay?”

“We saw Roy on his way outside,” Rebecca explained their panic. “And he filled us in.”

“I’m alright,” Lia insisted, despite knowing that the tear that was sliding down her cheek probably undermined her claim. “Just shaken up.”

“I can imagine, I can’t believe that slimeball had the guts to do something like that here and I’ll certainly be having a word with his boss,” Rebecca sympathized. “But what can we do to help you now?”

“Why don’t we go fix your make-up, yeah?” Keeley suggested. “Get away from all these people for a minute.”

Lia felt Jamie’s hesitance to let her go, but as she silently nodded her head, he reluctantly let her slip from his grasp.

“I’ll be right here,” he told her. “Won’t move an inch.”

She forced out a weak smile at his clear concern and stretched up to place a kiss against his lips before letting Keeley loop their arms together and guide her down the hallway. Her mind was foggy as if it was all just a horrible dream, but the ache that was growing between her shoulder blades was a constant reminder that what had happened was very real.

——

Jamie was still standing frozen in place when Roy came back from dragging Daniel outside.

"Did you kill him?" 

He asked the question without taking his eyes off the hallway that Lia had disappeared down and Roy followed his gaze as he answered.

"No, but I fucking wanted to," he huffed. "Is she okay?"

"I dunno," Jamie admitted. "She seems pretty shaken up, but Keeley and Rebecca are with her now."

"That's good," Roy nodded. "They'll know what to do."

"I hope so because I fuckin' don't," Jamie sighed. "Do you see what he did to her?"

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Lia, but he wasn’t entirely sure that she wouldn’t downplay the situation ro prevent everyone from worrying and considering Roy was as close to a witness as he had, he was eager to get a little clarification.

"I don't think he had time to do much," Roy tried to assure him. "I heard her scream just as I was coming out of the bathroom so I ran straight in. Hopefully he just scared her more than anything."

"Well, thanks, man. I owe you." Jamie peeled his eyes away from the empty hall to look Roy in the eye in the hopes that he would feel his sincerity. "I don't even want to know what would have happened if you hadn't been there. I shouldn't've let her go off without me. I knew she was worried but I wasn't fucking thinking. I didn't even notice how long she'd been gone."

"Don't blame yourself for what that prick did," Roy insisted. "Lia doesn't strike me as the type to appreciate being chaperoned all night anyway."

"I know but I should've been paying more attention. I'm trying to be a better boyfriend, but I guess I'm still shit at it."

“No, that is exactly not what you’re going to do,” Roy told him firmly. “What happened to her tonight is absolutely not your fault, but what you do next will be. The last thing she needs right now is you being a mopey little twat who makes it all about you and your guilt for not protecting her. She needs you to put your fucking big boy pants on and focus on making her feel better.”

Jamie’s instinctive response to Roy’s unsolicited advice was to be defensive, but as he took a moment to process his words, he realized that he was right. While he did feel genuine guilt over not being able to protect Lia, she didn’t need to worry about that right now. She needed someone who could make her feel safe and secure and Jamie was determined to be that person. 

He nodded reluctantly at Roy and relaxed his tensed shoulders, appreciating the way that Roy didn’t force him to answer or talk any more about how he was feeling. He simply offered to get Jamie a drink - an offer that Jamie politely declined - before heading off to the bar and leaving Jamie alone with his thoughts again.

News of what had happened had obviously spread quickly through the event as several of Jamie’s teammates came over to check on him, but - as promised - he stayed exactly where Lia had left him until she returned. Despite Keeley’s offer to help her fix her make-up, it looked like she’d just washed it off entirely and even though she was no longer crying, she didn’t seem like she was far from starting again. She was tense as her eyes darted around the room as if looking for any hint of a threat and the way she looked so small and defeated had Jamie’s protective instincts rising up again.

“You alright?” He opened his arms as he asked the question, but let her come to him so as to not crowd her any more than she already had been that night and he was relieved when she accepted his silent offer and wrapped her arms around his waist as she nodded her head. “Do you want to go home?”

“Yes, please,” she croaked out. “Do you mind? I don’t want to ruin your evening…”

“You’re not ruining anything,” he insisted. “I’m not really in the mood for all this anymore anyway.”

From the looks that Keeley and Rebecca were giving him, Jamie knew that was the right answer which he was glad about because it was sincere. He didn’t want to stay at the party any more than she did and was happy to take her hand and lead her out the door after a quick goodbye to Keeley, Rebcca and any of his teammates that they passed on their way.

He hoped that she might relax a little when they were away from the crowds and loud noise inside, but she didn’t. The entire ride home, she stayed silent and simply gripped Jamie’s hand like she was terrified to let go as she looked out of the window of the taxi. He felt so out of his depth with how to deal with what she was feeling and that inadequacy was hard to ignore, but Roy’s words were - rather annoyingly - floating around in his mind. She needed him to set aside his guilt and focus on giving her support and he was grateful when she seemed willing to guide him through the process.

“Can we take a bath?”

She asked the question almost timidly as soon as they walked through the front door, but it caught Jamie a little off guard.

"We?" 

His question was met with a nod from Lia.

"Yeah, I want to wash the evening off of me, but I don't want to be alone right now."

It wasn't something they'd done before - showering together wasn't unusual, but baths were more of something Lia did to relax by herself at the end of a long day - but if that was what it took to lift her spirits then it didn't seem like an unreasonable request. 

However, Jamie wasn't prepared for just how intimate it would be. 

Lia seemed dazed and exhausted. Despite being the one to request they have a bath, she made no moves to prepare for it as Jamie began filling the tub. He almost questioned her at first and suggested they just go to bed instead, but he paused for a moment before he spoke and came up with another idea.

"My mum bought me some bath stuff last year for Christmas," he told her as he moved to unzip her dress, hoping the casual conversation would distract her. "She says it's supposed to be good for sore muscles, but I haven't tried it yet. Smells nice though."

"It does," she agreed, letting Jamie slide the straps down her arms and wiggle her dress down her body until it pooled on the floor by her feet. "Your Mum is very sweet."

"She's the best," Jamie grinned. "She's always trying to take care of me and she knows I won't buy shit like that for myself."

“You didn’t have to waste it on me.”

“It’s not a waste,” he insisted, pulling his own shirt over his head. “I don’t take baths much, I get bored.”

He was pleased to see that his confession earned a smile from Lia as he quickly rid himself of his pants and underwear before turning off the tap. Lia still hadn’t moved from where she waited by the sink so he carefully helped her shed her own underwear and bra and led her to the steaming water. As soon as she was settled under the fragrant bubbles, she visibly relaxed and Jamie felt some of his worries ease as he slipped in behind her, feeling grateful that their bathtub was big enough to fit them both inside.

As Lia leaned back against his chest - their completely naked bodies pressed together in a nonsexual way that Jamie was unused to sharing with someone - he hoped that their closeness was bringing her the same comfort that it brought to him. Having her safely in his arms after his regret for not keeping a closer eye on her was very reassuring, but the silence that hung in the air as Lia was still deep in her thoughts had him concerned that he wasn’t doing enough. At the same time, he didn’t want to push her too hard if she needed a little space to process what had happened.

Settling for just being a soothing presence for her quiet moment, Jamie gently swept her hair over her shoulder in an attempt to keep it out of the water, but as he leaned down to press a kiss against the back of her neck, something caught his eye that had him letting out a hiss of sympathetic pain.

“Shit, babe, you’ve got a nasty bruise on your back.”

It went from the base of her neck down between her shoulder blades and with how fast it had appeared, Jamie had a feeling it was going to get worse before it got better.

“I thought I would,” Lia admitted, flexing her shoulders as wincing as the muscles moved. “It’s sore already.”

“What a fuckin’ prick.”

Jamie was at a loss for anything else to say, but he pushed down the fury he was feeling as he traced kisses along her sensitive skin as if his gentle actions could cancel out the aggressiveness that marked her. Lia offered no response other than the way she leaned into his touch and Jamie figured that maybe simply being there with her and showing her a little tenderness was the best way to distract her from the memory of what had happened. 

So, he set to work. 

Lathering soap on his hands, he carefully and slowly washed every inch of her skin. He traced his hands up one arm, pausing to rub gently at her shoulders before continuing down the other, he glided over her chest and the smooth skin of her stomach and lifted each leg to run his hands as far down them as he could reach. He revelled in the soft sighs of encouragement that slipped from her lips and the way that she seemed to relax even more with every touch until she eventually settled back against his chest and let out a noise that sounded almost content.

He let her rest against him in silence until the heat of the water faded and the cool edge to it had goosebumps rising on her skin. He was reluctant to leave the little sanctuary that they’d created, but he was exhausted after the events of the evening and knew she must be too so he pulled the plug - figuratively and literally - on their moment of relaxation. 

But Lia was still loath to let him out of her grip. He delicately dried her off and helped her into her usual bedtime attire of one of his t-shirts, but she lingered in the bathroom even as he dried himself off too. When they finally crawled into bed, she wrapped herself as tightly around him as she could and pressed a kiss against his chest.

“Thank you,” she murmured into the darkness of the room. “I’m sorry I ruined your night, but I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me tonight.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he insisted. “And you don’t have to be grateful, I’m just happy I could help.”

Lia let out a hum of acknowledgement more than agreement and Jamie found himself feeling almost overwhelmed by the vulnerability of the admission that was suddenly taking over his heart and mind. It took him a moment to think it over, but eventually he found the courage to speak.

“Roy told me that I shouldn’t say anything about this and usually I don’t give a fuck what he says, but it seemed like good advice so I kept it to myself, but I’m really sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.” His words were met with silence so he continued, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake. “I should have been paying more attention - especially since I knew you were nervous about him being there - and I hope you know I won’t let it happen again. It really scared me, if I’m honest. Just thinking about something happening to you, someone hurting you like that. Makes my blood boil and I think it’s because I’m pretty sure that I’m in love with you. Probably have been for a while, but I’m not good at all this emotional shit really.”

He paused after his monologue with his heart pounding in his chest as the threat of rejection loomed over him and his anxiety only got worse when Lia continued to offer him nothing but silence in response. However, when he glanced down at his chest and saw her eyes closed as her steady breath ruffled his shirt, he realized that she’d fallen asleep.

He felt a hint of relief as well as a slight disappointment that he’d have to work up the courage to tell her how he was feeling all over again another time, but he figured it was probably for the best. A big confession like that would probably be more welcome on a day that was slightly less hectic and upsetting for her and with how tightly she was gripping his shirt, he had a pretty good feeling that she already knew just how much he cared about her.

[fics-by-em]

Y'know, I see a lot of posts urging people to comment on fics, so I just want to say, to all the people who do comment, and especially the long commenters:

thank you.

Long comments can be time-consuming. They can be difficult to write, but you leave them anyway!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone who comments.

You are the highlight of fanfiction writers' days.

[fics-by-em]

I love you, fellow fanfic writers. I wish you many beautiful comments.

[fics-by-em]

Amorous Facades - Chapter Fifteen

A wild night out leaves the lives of Jamie Tartt and Ophelia Adams more intertwined than they ever would have imagined.

Will their decision to try and use the situation to their advantage work out in their favour or will they realize that they should have cut their losses when they had the chance?

———-

previous chapter

———-

Note: CW: Assault - I don't think it's particularly extreme but I know we all have different sensitivity levels so I wanted to give everyone a little heads up. I don't want to give too much away for those who are happy to read, but if you think this is something that may upset you then please send me a message or leave a note and I can give you a more detailed summary of the chapter so you can skip it if you need to and still understand the story.

There's lots going on in this chapter though so I would definitely love to hear everyone's thoughts!

———-

As Lia stared at her reflection in the mirror, she had to admit that she was feeling a tinge of nervousness.

Her hair was perfect, she’d taken the time to do her make-up as flawlessly as she was capable of and she knew that the dress she was wearing was probably the most flattering thing that she owned, but attending a massive gala in support of AFC Richmond as the wife of one of their star players was a fairly intimidating thing. She also knew the press would be there - she’d been warned of a red carpet - and it was her first time really being under their scrutiny. She didn’t want to do anything that would let Jamie down or embarrass either of them and she was feeling more pressure than she’d anticipated when she accepted the invitation.

However, when she heard the front door opening and Jamie calling out her name, it put an end to her spiralling as she felt her anxiety immediately eased by his presence.

“I’m up here!” She called back. “In the bedroom.”

The sound of Jamie jogging up the stairs echoed down the hall and she smiled when he strode into the room, but the words he greeted her with had the comfort that his presence had offered her shifting back into trepidation of a different kind.

“Did you know that Roy and Keeley broke up?”

The question hung between them for a moment until Lia slowly nodded her head.

“I did, yeah,” she admitted. “Keeley told me when I met her for coffee the other day.”

“It’s mad, innit? I was just speaking to Roy about it and what makes it even weirder is that he broke up with her.” Jamie shook his head in disbelief. “Who the fuck would break up with a girl like Keeley?”

His query - however rhetorical - had the dread that Lia had been grappling with since she’d heard the news rising up again. She’d been pushing it down and trying to convince herself that she was being unnecessarily paranoid, but his passionate reaction had her worried.

“I don’t know…” The words slipped from her lips as hardly more than a murmur, but while her heart was urging her to shut the conversation down and change the subject before she had to hear any more gushing from Jamie about how amazing Keeley was, her head took over and decided to nip all the uncertainty that was swirling through her mind right in the bud. Almost before she even knew what she was saying, she blurted out another question to counter his. “But what does this mean for us?”

Immediately, Jamie’s brow furrowed in clear confusion as Lia anxiously cracked her knuckles, waiting for his response. However, when it came, it wasn’t what she was expecting.

“For us?” He questioned. “What do you mean? What does it have to do with us?”

His genuine bafflement left Lia feeling torn. In some ways it was comforting that his mind hadn’t gone to the same place that hers had when she heard the news, but it left her unsure if she should explain what she was thinking or if she would just be giving him ideas. She worried her lip between her teeth for a moment as he watched her with a look on his face that was so innocent it made her heart ache as she fought through the knots in her stomach.

“I’ve just been a bit worried that maybe you would want to get back with Keeley now that she’s single.”

“Oh…” The look of realization that slid onto Jamie’s face unsettled her, but what he said after was what really made Lia’s heart sink. “I hadn’t even thought about that.”

Suddenly, Lia felt like an idiot. The dress, the hair, the fancy make-up, all the things that had made her feel beautiful and worthy of standing by Jamie’s side only a few minutes earlier suddenly felt ridiculous. She felt like she was trying to step into a role she didn’t belong in and she wanted to wash her face, slip into her sweatpants and stay away from any prying eyes as she braced for disappointment.

“Well, if you are going to think about it and decide that you want her back, can you do it quickly? I don’t want to spend the night playing your doting wife just to have our divorce splashed all over the papers tomorrow.”

To her tentative relief, her words made Jamie recoil as the look on his face shifted into one that could only be described as offended.

“What? No! That’s not what I meant,” he insisted.”I didn’t think about it because it’s not gonna happen. I don’t wanna be with Keeley, I’m happy being with you.”

It was exactly what she’d been hoping to hear, but Lia still felt slightly ill at ease.

“Are you sure?” She pressed him. “After everything that happened and what you said at the funeral, I’d just rather know now.”

“I’m absolutely sure,” he insisted, moving across the room until he was close enough to slide his arms around her waist. “I mean, look at you. You’re fuckin’ gorgeous and I tell you all the time how great you are and how smart. I’d be the world’s biggest idiot to give you up.”

Lia relaxed into his embrace as the sincerity of his reassurance eased her concern.

“Even if giving me up meant you had another chance with Keeley?”

“Even then,” Jamie confirmed. “I lo-like you a lot, Lia. I really care about you.”

There was a hesitation before the word ‘like’ that Jamie glossed over and while it didn’t escape Lia’s notice, she was happy to let it slide for the time being. It piqued her curiosity and she had a pretty good idea of what he’d almost confessed, but the emotional roller coaster of their conversation was enough for her to deal with so close to a big event without causing any more drama by questioning him on it.

“I care about you too.” She flashed him a smile and stretched up to place a kiss against his lips before circling back to something he’d mentioned earlier. “I’m surprised Roy told you about it though, I didn’t think you two were close enough to discuss things like that.”

“We’re getting better,” Jamie shrugged. “But he didn’t tell me, I figured it out using body science.”

“Body science?”

“Yeah, looking at people’s bodies and using the way they’re standing to figure out shit.”

His explanation - while not entirely as enlightening as he seemed to think it would be - had Lia biting back a laugh.

“Alright, well, did he share any insight into why he broke up with her?”

“Uh, no, he did not. We ain’t that close yet, I tried to hug him and he almost punched me.”

The thought of Jamie attempting to offer Roy some comfort and almost getting attacked for it had her laughter breaking free as she buried her face in Jamie’s chest to hide her amusement.

“I just wondered because Keeley seems a little blindsided by the whole thing. She said they’re both just busy at the moment, but she didn’t seem to really understand why he took it to the extreme of actually dumping her,” Lia elaborated when she regained her composure. “So, if he does choose to confide in you anytime soon then please let me know.”

“I will, but don’t hold your breath,” Jamie warned her. “Anyway, I think we’ve wasted enough time talking about that old fart. Especially when we could be talking about how amazing you look in this dress.”

Lia smiled proudly as she stepped out of his grasp to smooth down the front of the dress she was wearing. It was short - showing off her legs - and while the top was tight, it flared out below her waist in a simple, but classy style. Despite the formality being somewhat out of her comfort zone, it had her feeling very much like a princess.

“You like it?” She asked. “I was worried it might be a little too much.”

“Nah, it’s perfect. You look great and everyone gets dressed up for this thing.”

“Yeah? What are you wearing?”

“Just a suit,” Jamie informed her as he moved towards the wardrobe and began to riffle through his clothes. “And Rebecca says I have to wear a shirt this time because she knows nothing about fashion.”

“I think she does,” Lia argued, raising an eyebrow at the specification as she recalled it being mentioned before as well. “But, can I ask, why weren’t you wearing a shirt last time?”

“For fashion,” he said, like it was obvious. “I wore a suit jacket, but the shirt made me look dumb. I did spill soup on myself though and burnt my nipple so Rebecca might be right about it being a good idea.”

The entire scenario seemed so ridiculous that Lia let out another snort of laughter as she shook her head.

“Yes, I think usually it’s a good idea to wear a shirt, especially to a formal event.”

“I’d still rather not,” Jamie sighed as he pulled a suit out of the wardrobe. “But I think I found one that makes me look fit.”

Lia was tempted to point out that any suit was likely to make him look fit given the fact that he was one of the most attractive men in London, but she figured the adoration from the press later that evening would be enough of a boost for his ego for one day.

“Oh, I like it,” she smiled as he held the jacket up against his chest. “That shade of blue looks nice with the walnut mist in your hair.”

Her observation was somewhat facetious. She wasn’t entirely sure what the difference between ‘walnut mist’ and ‘blonde’ was, but it was a mistake that she wasn’t going to make twice after having already been scolded for mixing them up when he’d first dyed his hair shortly after they’d returned from their trip to Italy and Jamie seemed oblivious to the glibness of her remark.

“Thanks, babe,” he grinned. “I thought so too.”

Feeling a wave of affection wash over her, Lia watched as Jamie turned to look at himself in the full length mirror in the corner of the room. She could have stayed there all night and admired Jamie as he primped and readied himself for the evening, but in the interest of getting out of the house on time, she headed downstairs to wait for him there.

——

Walking the red carpet into the gala was like nothing Lia had ever experienced before. As soon as they stepped out in front of the cameras, she felt herself freeze up, but Jamie was there to guide her every step of the way and when he kissed her - causing a symphony of shutters and almost blinding levels of flashing lights - she felt strangely adored. Not because of the interest of the general public or the nosey press photographers, but because of how open Jamie was with their relationship. He wanted to show her off. He was proud to kiss her and let everyone know that she was his date - his wife - and that had her walking into the event feeling like she was on cloud nine.

It was busy inside with people bustling around and already socialising, but Lia spotted Keeley and Rebecca right away as Keeley waved frantically at her from beside the bar so they made their way over to them first.

“Good choice starting here,” Keeley greeted her as she pulled her into a hug. “You’ll need a drink, or twenty, to get through the night.”

“Um, excuse me,” Rebecca protested with a laugh. “I planned this entire evening and it’s actually going to be a lot of fun!”

“Hasn’t been before,” Jamie scoffed. “But I am glad you decided not to auction us off this year.”

“Auction you off?”

The question came from Lia as she looked at them all like they were insane before Keeley jumped in to explain.

“They used to auction off a date with each of the players,” she elaborated. “But it made the ones that got less interest feel bad and some of the interest was really unwanted so Rebecca decided to get rid of it this year.”

“It was more of Rupert’s thing anyway,” she clarified. “And our donors were generous enough to provide plenty of other wonderful items for auction.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Lia smiled, resting her head on Jamie’s shoulder. “Because I don’t think I could afford to outbid many of the women that I’ve seen here so far.”

“Wouldn’t want to date anyone else anyway,” Jamie assured her, twisting his neck to press a kiss against the top of her head. “Would’ve had to bring you with me.”

Lia giggled at the thought as Keeley and Rebecca shared a look that Lia couldn’t quite place before Rebecca picked her glass up from the bar behind her.

“You two are just disgustingly adorable now, aren’t you?” She teased. “But as much as I’d love to hide over here all night, I should probably go do my job as hostess. I will see you all later.”

With that Rebecca strutted away with a confidence and grace that Lia hoped to achieve one day. 

“Have you found your table yet?” Keeley asked. “I was hoping you’d be sat with us, but I think Rebecca put you with the coaches.”

“Again?” Jamie huffed. “I got stuck with Roy last time too.”

“It’ll be good for you,” Lia insisted, gently pushing him with her shoulder. “You were just saying that you and Roy are starting to bond, socializing away from the field might help with that.”

“Or make it worse when I get tired of him being such a grumpy prick all the time.”

“He isn’t like that all the time,” Keeley insisted, her voice soft in a way that seemed almost nostalgic. “And he likes you, Jamie. Deep down, I know he does.”

“Must be pretty fuckin’ deep,” Jamie murmured. “But we should go find our seats, what do you want to drink?”

Lia requested a glass of white wine and when Jamie moved away to get the bartender’s attention, she took advantage of her moment alone with Keeley.

“How are you doing?” She asked. “It’s sweet of you to come to support Rebecca, but it must be hard to be here too with it being kind of a Roy centric place.”

“It’s fine, I’m happy to be here for Rebecca,” Keeley assured her, but Lia couldn’t help but notice that the smile on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s a little strange, but Roy and I are still friends so there shouldn’t be any awkwardness.”

“I’m glad to hear that and I’m here if you need someone to vent to for a minute,” Lia offered, earning a ‘thanks, babe’ from Keeley before she shifted the subject to something she’d been nervous about bringing up. “I have a little favour to ask of you actually, but you can totally feel free to say no and I won’t be offended at all.”

Her preface of the question had Keeley looking very intrigued as she prompted her to explain.

“Sure, anything you need,” she sincerely assured her. “What’s up?”

“Well, my dad’s bookstore hasn’t been doing too well lately and since building up brands is sort of your job now, I was wondering if we could find a time to chat about it?” She asked before rushing to assure her. “It really is completely fine if you don’t have any free time now, I know you’re busy with your new company and I’m not trying to take advantage, but I just thought you’d be the best person to give me a few tips.”

“Oh my gosh, I can absolutely help you with that!” Keeley agreed with such genuine enthusiasm that Lia immediately felt more at ease. “I have a couple free afternoons this week actually, I’ll double check my calendar and let you know.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” Lia gushed. “I know that bookstores aren’t the most exciting thing in the world to market, but there has to be something we’re missing that can boost our brand a little bit.”

“Oh, definitely,” Keeley nodded. “I’ll brainstorm a few things for you and we can discuss them over lunch.”

“You’re a life-saver, I’ll owe you forever if you can help us out.”

“Don’t worry about it, I love my job so I’m happy to help.”

It was at that moment that Jamie reappeared with drinks in hand and while he looked a little puzzled by what Keeley was saying, Lia was fairly certain he would figure it out before she could fill him in later - especially since it had been his idea to talk to her about it in the first place.

“Should we go find our table?” He asked as he handed her the wine glass he was holding. “I wanna make sure we get better seats than Roy.”

Lia rolled her eyes at his pettiness, but agreed and reminded Keeley again that she would be there at any point during the evening if the forced proximity to Roy became too much. Jamie chimed in to insist that he’d be needing that support as well, but Lia shook her head and gently pushed him in the direction of their table. Unfortunately for Jamie, they were the last to arrive which ruined his plan of picking the best seat - whatever that even meant - and one of the two seats left was beside Roy. Jamie quickly darted for the one beside Ted instead and Lia smiled in amusement as she took the last empty chair.

“Well, hello there,” Ted greeted them. “Welcome to the table.”

“Thank you,” Lia replied as Jamie rolled his eyes. “We’re happy to be here.”

“Would’ve rather been at one of the other tables though,” Jamie chimed in, earning a kick under the table from Lia. “What? I’m just sayin’ it would have been more fun to be with the rest of the team.”

“It makes sense to me that the star of Richmond would be seated with the coaches,” Lia shrugged, trying to appeal to his ego. “Makes you a little special, doesn’t it?”

“I think perhaps Rebecca was trying to encourage a little bonding time,” Coach Beard chimed in. “I think she was hoping that Jamie and our good friend Roy might be able to find a little more common ground.”

Lia could practically feel the eye roll from the men on either side of her, but she had a feeling that Beard was probably right and that Rebecca had been very intentional with her seating arrangement. However, before she could comment on that observation, someone across the room caught her eye. Someone that had her blood running cold and her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

“Jamie,” she gasped as her hand shot out to grip his arm in a panic. “Daniel’s here.”

“What? Where?” He asked, his brow furrowing in confusion as he followed Lia’s gaze. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

“I don’t know, isn’t this a private event?”

Jamie nodded as their hushed conversation drew the attention of the rest of their group.

“Who is he?” Ted asked. “An ex-boyfriend?”

Jamie scoffed in annoyance.

“He fuckin’ wishes.”

“He’s a friend of an old friend,” Lia explained. “He liked me and he was very aggressive about how he tried to pursue me until he found out that I was with Jamie.”

Lia found herself unable to take her eyes off of Daniel as if keeping him in her sight would offer her some kind of protection. However, it ended up being her undoing as she watched him scanning the room until their eyes met. She quickly glanced away - hoping not to draw his attention - but it was too late. Without even looking she could sense him moving across the room towards their table and her grip on Jamie’s arm tightened.

“Hi, Lia!” His enthusiastic greeting had her looking up to see a smarmy smile on his face. “I thought I might see you here.”

“I bet you did.” Lia rolled her eyes. “But why are you here? How did you get invited to this?”

“I’m the newest user experience designer for Bantr,” he proudly informed her. “And since they’re Richmond’s biggest sponsor, I was sent to represent them.”

His smug face had Lia’s stomach turning, but she kept her reply short in an effort to avoid causing any kind of scene that might embarrass Jamie.

“I would have thought they’d send someone with a little more seniority,” Lia mused before adding, “But congratulations on the new job.”

“No one else wanted to attend, events like this are generally considered to be a chore,” Daniel smirked, earning a glare from several other people at the table. “But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

There was an underlying hint of something threatening in his tone that sent a shiver down Lia’s spine and made her throat feel so tight that she couldn’t even respond as he excused himself with a foreboding “I’ll catch up with you later, I’m sure”. She sat frozen for a moment after he’d walked away until Roy broke the silence that had settled around the table.

“Well, he seems like a prick.”

His astute observation eased the tension as a laugh slipped from Lia’s lips and Jamie cracked a smile as he nodded.

“Glad we can finally agree on something.”

“Do you want me to ask Rebecca to tell him to leave?” Ted offered. “I’m sure she’d have no problem with it if he’s going to make you uncomfortable.”

It was a tempting offer, but not one that Lia really felt she could justify. He hadn’t done anything yet that was worth being removed from the event so - considering her strong dislike for any unnecessary conflict - she reluctantly shook her head and assured the table that it was fine despite the way her hand was shaking from the shock of seeing him as she lifted her glass of wine.

——

Other than the lingering feeling of being watched, Lia managed to relax and enjoy the evening. The dinner that was served was delicious and the somewhat playful bickering between Roy and Jamie was even better entertainment than the auction that followed the meal. She was pleased for Rebecca when she reached the goal she’d set for how much money she’d hoped to raise and was happy to celebrate with the entire team in a champagne toast just as the musical performer started. However, the drinks had been flowing since they’d arrived and by the time she’d finished her glass of champagne, she excused herself to use the bathroom.

She let Jamie know where she was going and stole a quick - somewhat sloppy - kiss before wandering away, noting the slight fuzziness and familiar flush of warmth that always came when she’d had a few drinks. It had her feeling a touch sentimental as she reflected on the camaraderie of the evening and how nice it was to be part of the little community that Rebecca had built at Richmond, but she only made it halfway down the hallway to the bathroom when her quiet moment of thought was interrupted as the man coming out of the men’s bathroom just a few feet in front of her stopped her in her tracks.

“Lia, hi,” Daniel grinned, glancing around as if to check they were alone. “I was hoping we’d have time to chat tonight, but I didn’t think there was much chance of your superstar husband letting me have you to myself.”

“No, I don’t think he’d be very happy about us talking,” Lia agreed. “But more importantly, neither am I. I don’t have anything to say to you.”

The smile dropped from his face and was immediately replaced by a scowl.

“Well, unfortunately for you we have a lot to talk about. Starting with how you’ve ruined my fucking life.”

Lia was taken aback by his accusation, enough so that she questioned him without even pausing to debate if she could be escalating the situation.

“I did? How exactly did I manage that?”

“You’ve made my best friend treat me like some kind of criminal!” He informed her. “You completely turned Katie against me and now Mike acts like he’s ashamed to spend time with me!”

“I didn’t do any of that,” Lia insisted, her nerves about Daniel’s behaviour outweighing her surprise at the news that Katie had managed to sway Mike in any way against his friend. “You did it to yourself.”

A flicker of anger flashed through his eyes as he stepped towards Lia and the flush of fear his movement caused had her backing away. When her back hit the wall, she felt like a mouse cowering from a cat and the glaze of his eyes and flush in his cheeks from his apparent intoxication did nothing to ease her worries.

“That is not true,” he practically growled. “You made up all that nonsense about me harassing you, you planted the seed in everyone’s mind! If you hadn’t spread those lies then Katie wouldn’t be trying to convince everyone that I’m such a tosser!”

His harsh tone and aggressive body language scared Lia enough that her adrenaline had her finding the courage to stride past him until he was no longer standing between her and the bathroom she’d been heading towards.

“Katie never believed me,” she reminded him. “You turned Katie against you when you harassed her new flatmate the same way you harassed me. You did this to yourself, Daniel, I’m not going to be your scapegoat.”

With that, she turned and walked into the bathroom without giving him the chance to argue. Her heart was pounding and she took a moment to lean back against the door and steady her breathing before she walked into a stall. She was surprised that he’d been bold enough to corner her when anyone could have stumbled on their little confrontation at any moment, but she wasn’t entirely surprised by the level of resentment he held for her. He wasn’t the kind of man that would take responsibility for his own actions and it was easier for him to blame her than to accept that his behaviour was inappropriate. Her mind was spinning as she tried to process everything he’d said and her racing thoughts had her distracted enough that it didn’t even register when the sound of the bathroom door opening echoed through the room.

She took her time - enjoying the quiet moment and hoping to give Daniel enough time to get back to the rest of the party - but eventually she made sure that her dress had settled back into the right position before flushing the toilet and walking out of the stall. Before she even knew what was happening, she felt herself get shoved hard back against the doorframe of the stall she’d just left. A cry of pain slipped from her lips as her spine was pressed hard into the wood, but as she realized that it was Daniel’s hands that had pushed her, the cry shifted into a scream of terror. Immediately, she felt his hand clamped over her mouth and the panic she felt brought tears to her eyes.

“Be quiet, you little bitch,” he hissed. “This is what you think I do, isn’t it? Just take what I want without asking.”

She felt his hand trailing up her thigh and sliding under the skirt of her dress as she fought to breathe despite the way his hand was smothering her and the terror was making her chest tight. It was an escalation in his behaviour that she’d always worried would happen, but she never would have imagined that he’d dare to attack her at a party surrounded by people who care about her.

But those people now seemed so far away. She felt isolated and alone and completely at Daniel’s mercy. That is, until the door swung open again.

“Oi!” The gruff voice of Roy Kent barked through the room .”What the fuck are you doing?”

As suddenly as he’d pressed himself against her, Daniel was wrenched away as Roy gripped the back of the collar of his shirt, but he was undeterred. 

“Fuck off, mate,” he spat. “Mind your own business.”

“This is my fucking business,” Roy growled, dragging him by his shirt towards the door before pausing and looking back at Lia. “Are you okay?”

The shock of it all had her simply nodding her head as she followed them out of the bathroom. She was tempted to tell Roy to stop and let him go in an effort to avoid a scene, but she found herself unable to speak even as Daniel protested his current treatment by spouting off lie after lie about how she wanted it and had asked him to follow her into the bathroom. She didn’t even realize she was crying until they got back to the main room where the party was still going strong.

“Tartt!”

Roy bellowed out his name loud enough to catch his attention over the music, but as Jamie - and the entire group he was standing with - turned to see what was going on, the shame had Lia dissolving into sobs. Jamie practically sprinted over to her side, but as he pulled her instinctively against his chest, his attention was on Roy and the man in his grip.

“What happened?”

“I caught this prick pinning her to the wall in the bathroom.”

The disgust was clear in Roy’s voice as he answered, but Daniel wasn’t one to go down without a fight.

“She wanted me to,” he insisted. “She asked for it!”

“If you say that one more time,” Roy warned him. “I will wring your fucking neck.”

It was comforting that Roy was so clearly not swayed by any of Daniel’s lies and Lia peeked out from where her face was buried in Jamie’s chest in time to appreciate how pale his threat had made Daniel, but Roy didn’t wait for him to argue or continue his objections before he dragged him away.

“What happened?” Jamie asked again after taking a moment to simply hold Lia in his arms, but his voice was soft and gentle as he added, “What did he do to you?”

“Nothing,” Lia sniffled. “Well, not nothing, but nothing like what you’re probably thinking. He confronted me in the hall and tried to blame me for Katie and Mike being mad at him then he followed me into the bathroom. He pushed me into the wall and put his hand up my dress, but then Roy came in.”

“What a fuckin’ prick,” Jamie shook his head, his jaw clenched in anger. Lia held onto him a little tighter just in case he got any ideas about following Roy outside, but she was relieved that the tiny voice in her mind that thought he believe Daniel and be mad at her was wrong. “I’m so sorry. I should have gone with you, I should’ve been there.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Lia assured him. “I can’t believe he would do something like that here with so many people around. I think he was drunk, but he’s never been that aggressive before.”

Lia felt her lip quiver as she finished speaking and Jamie pulled her back against his chest, but the sound of heels clacking on the ground as Rebecca and Keeley raced over to them had her resisting the urge to bury her face back into Jamie’s suit jacket.

“Oh my god,” Keeley blurted out as soon as they practically skidded to a stop by her side. “Are you okay?”

“We saw Roy on his way outside,” Rebecca explained their panic. “And he filled us in.”

“I’m alright,” Lia insisted, despite knowing that the tear that was sliding down her cheek probably undermined her claim. “Just shaken up.”

“I can imagine, I can’t believe that slimeball had the guts to do something like that here and I’ll certainly be having a word with his boss,” Rebecca sympathized. “But what can we do to help you now?”

“Why don’t we go fix your make-up, yeah?” Keeley suggested. “Get away from all these people for a minute.”

Lia felt Jamie’s hesitance to let her go, but as she silently nodded her head, he reluctantly let her slip from his grasp.

“I’ll be right here,” he told her. “Won’t move an inch.”

She forced out a weak smile at his clear concern and stretched up to place a kiss against his lips before letting Keeley loop their arms together and guide her down the hallway. Her mind was foggy as if it was all just a horrible dream, but the ache that was growing between her shoulder blades was a constant reminder that what had happened was very real.

——

Jamie was still standing frozen in place when Roy came back from dragging Daniel outside.

"Did you kill him?" 

He asked the question without taking his eyes off the hallway that Lia had disappeared down and Roy followed his gaze as he answered.

"No, but I fucking wanted to," he huffed. "Is she okay?"

"I dunno," Jamie admitted. "She seems pretty shaken up, but Keeley and Rebecca are with her now."

"That's good," Roy nodded. "They'll know what to do."

"I hope so because I fuckin' don't," Jamie sighed. "Do you see what he did to her?"

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Lia, but he wasn’t entirely sure that she wouldn’t downplay the situation ro prevent everyone from worrying and considering Roy was as close to a witness as he had, he was eager to get a little clarification.

"I don't think he had time to do much," Roy tried to assure him. "I heard her scream just as I was coming out of the bathroom so I ran straight in. Hopefully he just scared her more than anything."

"Well, thanks, man. I owe you." Jamie peeled his eyes away from the empty hall to look Roy in the eye in the hopes that he would feel his sincerity. "I don't even want to know what would have happened if you hadn't been there. I shouldn't've let her go off without me. I knew she was worried but I wasn't fucking thinking. I didn't even notice how long she'd been gone."

"Don't blame yourself for what that prick did," Roy insisted. "Lia doesn't strike me as the type to appreciate being chaperoned all night anyway."

"I know but I should've been paying more attention. I'm trying to be a better boyfriend, but I guess I'm still shit at it."

“No, that is exactly not what you’re going to do,” Roy told him firmly. “What happened to her tonight is absolutely not your fault, but what you do next will be. The last thing she needs right now is you being a mopey little twat who makes it all about you and your guilt for not protecting her. She needs you to put your fucking big boy pants on and focus on making her feel better.”

Jamie’s instinctive response to Roy’s unsolicited advice was to be defensive, but as he took a moment to process his words, he realized that he was right. While he did feel genuine guilt over not being able to protect Lia, she didn’t need to worry about that right now. She needed someone who could make her feel safe and secure and Jamie was determined to be that person. 

He nodded reluctantly at Roy and relaxed his tensed shoulders, appreciating the way that Roy didn’t force him to answer or talk any more about how he was feeling. He simply offered to get Jamie a drink - an offer that Jamie politely declined - before heading off to the bar and leaving Jamie alone with his thoughts again.

News of what had happened had obviously spread quickly through the event as several of Jamie’s teammates came over to check on him, but - as promised - he stayed exactly where Lia had left him until she returned. Despite Keeley’s offer to help her fix her make-up, it looked like she’d just washed it off entirely and even though she was no longer crying, she didn’t seem like she was far from starting again. She was tense as her eyes darted around the room as if looking for any hint of a threat and the way she looked so small and defeated had Jamie’s protective instincts rising up again.

“You alright?” He opened his arms as he asked the question, but let her come to him so as to not crowd her any more than she already had been that night and he was relieved when she accepted his silent offer and wrapped her arms around his waist as she nodded her head. “Do you want to go home?”

“Yes, please,” she croaked out. “Do you mind? I don’t want to ruin your evening…”

“You’re not ruining anything,” he insisted. “I’m not really in the mood for all this anymore anyway.”

From the looks that Keeley and Rebecca were giving him, Jamie knew that was the right answer which he was glad about because it was sincere. He didn’t want to stay at the party any more than she did and was happy to take her hand and lead her out the door after a quick goodbye to Keeley, Rebcca and any of his teammates that they passed on their way.

He hoped that she might relax a little when they were away from the crowds and loud noise inside, but she didn’t. The entire ride home, she stayed silent and simply gripped Jamie’s hand like she was terrified to let go as she looked out of the window of the taxi. He felt so out of his depth with how to deal with what she was feeling and that inadequacy was hard to ignore, but Roy’s words were - rather annoyingly - floating around in his mind. She needed him to set aside his guilt and focus on giving her support and he was grateful when she seemed willing to guide him through the process.

“Can we take a bath?”

She asked the question almost timidly as soon as they walked through the front door, but it caught Jamie a little off guard.

"We?" 

His question was met with a nod from Lia.

"Yeah, I want to wash the evening off of me, but I don't want to be alone right now."

It wasn't something they'd done before - showering together wasn't unusual, but baths were more of something Lia did to relax by herself at the end of a long day - but if that was what it took to lift her spirits then it didn't seem like an unreasonable request. 

However, Jamie wasn't prepared for just how intimate it would be. 

Lia seemed dazed and exhausted. Despite being the one to request they have a bath, she made no moves to prepare for it as Jamie began filling the tub. He almost questioned her at first and suggested they just go to bed instead, but he paused for a moment before he spoke and came up with another idea.

"My mum bought me some bath stuff last year for Christmas," he told her as he moved to unzip her dress, hoping the casual conversation would distract her. "She says it's supposed to be good for sore muscles, but I haven't tried it yet. Smells nice though."

"It does," she agreed, letting Jamie slide the straps down her arms and wiggle her dress down her body until it pooled on the floor by her feet. "Your Mum is very sweet."

"She's the best," Jamie grinned. "She's always trying to take care of me and she knows I won't buy shit like that for myself."

“You didn’t have to waste it on me.”

“It’s not a waste,” he insisted, pulling his own shirt over his head. “I don’t take baths much, I get bored.”

He was pleased to see that his confession earned a smile from Lia as he quickly rid himself of his pants and underwear before turning off the tap. Lia still hadn’t moved from where she waited by the sink so he carefully helped her shed her own underwear and bra and led her to the steaming water. As soon as she was settled under the fragrant bubbles, she visibly relaxed and Jamie felt some of his worries ease as he slipped in behind her, feeling grateful that their bathtub was big enough to fit them both inside.

As Lia leaned back against his chest - their completely naked bodies pressed together in a nonsexual way that Jamie was unused to sharing with someone - he hoped that their closeness was bringing her the same comfort that it brought to him. Having her safely in his arms after his regret for not keeping a closer eye on her was very reassuring, but the silence that hung in the air as Lia was still deep in her thoughts had him concerned that he wasn’t doing enough. At the same time, he didn’t want to push her too hard if she needed a little space to process what had happened.

Settling for just being a soothing presence for her quiet moment, Jamie gently swept her hair over her shoulder in an attempt to keep it out of the water, but as he leaned down to press a kiss against the back of her neck, something caught his eye that had him letting out a hiss of sympathetic pain.

“Shit, babe, you’ve got a nasty bruise on your back.”

It went from the base of her neck down between her shoulder blades and with how fast it had appeared, Jamie had a feeling it was going to get worse before it got better.

“I thought I would,” Lia admitted, flexing her shoulders as wincing as the muscles moved. “It’s sore already.”

“What a fuckin’ prick.”

Jamie was at a loss for anything else to say, but he pushed down the fury he was feeling as he traced kisses along her sensitive skin as if his gentle actions could cancel out the aggressiveness that marked her. Lia offered no response other than the way she leaned into his touch and Jamie figured that maybe simply being there with her and showing her a little tenderness was the best way to distract her from the memory of what had happened. 

So, he set to work. 

Lathering soap on his hands, he carefully and slowly washed every inch of her skin. He traced his hands up one arm, pausing to rub gently at her shoulders before continuing down the other, he glided over her chest and the smooth skin of her stomach and lifted each leg to run his hands as far down them as he could reach. He revelled in the soft sighs of encouragement that slipped from her lips and the way that she seemed to relax even more with every touch until she eventually settled back against his chest and let out a noise that sounded almost content.

He let her rest against him in silence until the heat of the water faded and the cool edge to it had goosebumps rising on her skin. He was reluctant to leave the little sanctuary that they’d created, but he was exhausted after the events of the evening and knew she must be too so he pulled the plug - figuratively and literally - on their moment of relaxation. 

But Lia was still loath to let him out of her grip. He delicately dried her off and helped her into her usual bedtime attire of one of his t-shirts, but she lingered in the bathroom even as he dried himself off too. When they finally crawled into bed, she wrapped herself as tightly around him as she could and pressed a kiss against his chest.

“Thank you,” she murmured into the darkness of the room. “I’m sorry I ruined your night, but I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me tonight.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he insisted. “And you don’t have to be grateful, I’m just happy I could help.”

Lia let out a hum of acknowledgement more than agreement and Jamie found himself feeling almost overwhelmed by the vulnerability of the admission that was suddenly taking over his heart and mind. It took him a moment to think it over, but eventually he found the courage to speak.

“Roy told me that I shouldn’t say anything about this and usually I don’t give a fuck what he says, but it seemed like good advice so I kept it to myself, but I’m really sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.” His words were met with silence so he continued, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake. “I should have been paying more attention - especially since I knew you were nervous about him being there - and I hope you know I won’t let it happen again. It really scared me, if I’m honest. Just thinking about something happening to you, someone hurting you like that. Makes my blood boil and I think it’s because I’m pretty sure that I’m in love with you. Probably have been for a while, but I’m not good at all this emotional shit really.”

He paused after his monologue with his heart pounding in his chest as the threat of rejection loomed over him and his anxiety only got worse when Lia continued to offer him nothing but silence in response. However, when he glanced down at his chest and saw her eyes closed as her steady breath ruffled his shirt, he realized that she’d fallen asleep.

He felt a hint of relief as well as a slight disappointment that he’d have to work up the courage to tell her how he was feeling all over again another time, but he figured it was probably for the best. A big confession like that would probably be more welcome on a day that was slightly less hectic and upsetting for her and with how tightly she was gripping his shirt, he had a pretty good feeling that she already knew just how much he cared about her.