Chapter 3

CHAPTERTHREE

Ryder

My girl’s name is Olivia, and she’s a star in Canada.Honestly, I don’t give a fuck about it. I knew she was special from the moment I met her, so it doesn’t surprise me she’s more than what she’s let on. It stings a bit that she didn’t tell us, but I’m sure there’s a reason for it. Plus, she’ll tell me everything as soon as I have her back in my arms, right after I make her come so hard on my tongue that she passes out. That should be punishment enough for leaving me like this.

What bothers me is this Liam guy. River is showing us their channel, and Liam is in all the videos, which spans years of content. Is he her brother? A friend? Or worse, an ex? I can’t even fathom a scenario where he’s still in the picture. If she left us to go back to him, I might just die from a broken heart.

“When was the last video uploaded?” I ask River, and he scrolls back up to the most recent one.

“It’s from nearly a year ago,” he says, and I feel like I can breathe again. That’s a good sign, right?

River clicks on the video, and music begins to play. The video says it’s “FIGURES” by Jessie Reyez. I don’t know the song, but it gives off indie vibes. There she is on screen, looking much more like the woman I know. She’s still blonde and dolled up, but she’s more mature and her perfect curves are the same.

They’re standing in what seems like an empty warehouse. Liv is wearing black flowy shorts and a black bralette, while Liam… Fuck, Liam looks even better now that he’s all grown up and can grow a beard. Why does the fucker have to look that good?

We’ve all had our fair share of girls before Liv, and I know I’m not unattractive, but that guy there could be a fucking male model. No, I’m not jealously obsessing over him.

As they move, it’s clear that their dancing style has become more defined and mature as well, giving a sensuality that even someone like me, with no expertise in dancing, can appreciate. They’re even better than before.

He stands behind her and pulls her close to his chest, running his hands over her stomach and arms, kissing her shoulder. In the next moment, he abruptly pushes her away, causing her to fall to the ground. He turns his back to her, but she quickly rises to her feet and pulls him around by his shoulder. He steps towards her, while she walks backwards, matching the beat of the music. The dance feels both passionate and aggressive, like a dispute between lovers, and my stomach twists.

* * *

Jaxon

Liam pulls her from her feet horizontally to his chest, then flips her before he lets her fall. It seems like this is their signature move, and it’s impressive as hell. Softening her fall with one hand, he lays her on the ground. He pulls on her foot, but she kicks at him. They’re really good at portraying the lovers’ spat the song is talking about, and I can see the emotional pain in her face.

He lays down beside her, and they’re both on their backs, looking at each other. He reaches over to her, pulling her into a kiss. Fuck, I hate that pretty boy. He pulls her to her feet again before they do some fancy dancing shit I know nothing about, but what catches my attention is the tightness of his grip on her. His fingers leave crimson marks on her sun-kissed skin wherever he touches her.

She steps away from him, but he pulls her back into an embrace. As the camera zooms in on him, I see him planting open-mouthed kisses on her neck and shoulder, and it makes me want to punch his handsome face.

As the camera moves around them, Liv comes into view, looking over his shoulder, and I see a glimpse of fear in her eyes. What the hell? They end the dance with some more twists and turns, but I’m distracted. That was real fear I saw in those green eyes, wasn’t it?

River is minimizing the video when the first comment catches my eye.

Well, that didn’t age well.

I frown. What the fuck does that mean?

“River, can you open the comment section of the last video real quick?” I ask. He does, and it’s like he opened Pandora’s box.

It’s such a tragedy. They were perfect together.

I always knew he was a psychopath. He has the crazy eyes.

So she’s single now, right?

I don’t give a fuck what they say he did. He can get it anytime.

She asked for it. I mean, why would you leave someone like him? Stuck up bitch.

He didn’t do it, she framed him!

Is it even legal to be that good-looking while murdering people?

“What the…” River says, opening the search engine app on his tablet, and because it’s still connected, we all can see him type “Olivia Baker + Liam Harris” into the search bar and press enter. The headline of the first article that pops up does not bode well.

Judge Rules Canada’s Biggest Talents Star Liam Harris Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity in the Murder of the Baker Family.

The room falls quiet.

“Oh my god,” Ryder whispers.

River taps on the article, and a picture of Liam and Liv smiling at the camera opens at the top of the page.

“Well, that’s just tasteless,” Chase mutters.

* * *

TORONTO — Judge McGinty has ruled that accused killer Liam Harris, 20, is not guilty, by reason of insanity, for the murders of Michael Baker, 48, his wife, Samantha, 46, and their son, Theodore, 6, at their home on Forest Hill South in Toronto. Mr. Harris gained access to the Baker’s house under a false pretext after his co-star and longtime girlfriend, Olivia Baker, 20, ended the relationship with the dancer a few hours earlier.

Ms. Baker testified that the relationship had been abusive for some time, but she kept delaying a breakup because she feared for her safety and career. It wasn’t until Mr. Harris became violent toward her little brother, Theodore, that she finally ended things. Mr. Harris stabbed Michael and Samantha Baker to death on sight, then he held Theodore and Olivia captive before fatally stabbing Theodore too. Despite suffering multiple stab wounds, Ms. Baker managed to save herself by jumping out of the third-floor window of the house, but the fall from nearly ten meters shattered her right knee and ended her career.

Two psychologists, one brought in by the state and one hired by the defense, have concluded that during the murders, Mr. Harris was suffering an acute psychotic episode. The experts found he was unable to distinguish right from wrong, meaning he meets the criteria to be acquitted by reason of insanity. Ms. Baker insisted Mr. Harris was not insane when he committed the homicides. She called the findings of the mental health experts outright lies and believes that the handling of his case was an example of rich boy justice. Judge McGinty has ruled that Mr. Harris be involuntarily committed into the custody of the Toronto branch of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Forensic Psychiatry Program for placement in a secured mental health facility for six years, with subsequent re-evaluation.