Chapter 13

Sitting on her Harley to the left of the police station, Liv was anxiously hoping her plan had worked. She kept waiting for the door to open and to see his gorgeous face. Honestly, much to the dismay of her father, Olivia didn't believe one word of any involvement they were accusing Fitz of having in Bradely's murder. She was so sure, in her gut, that he had nothing to do with how Bradley died.

Was he responsible for beating the crap out of the guy, of course. Olivia did believe that, but the guy had it coming, especially after what he did to Abby. "Olivia, you never condoned violence before you began seeing Fitz," her father's words echoed in her brain.

"I am not condoning it, and I will be the first to admit Fitz has anger issues, but it doesn't change the fact that he is innocent of murder and being accused of it." She folded her arms and walked away from her father. That was four long days ago, before Fitz was given a bail hearing and able to make bail. Sucked he was arrested on a Friday night, that made the wait even longer. Finally, Liv would see him.

Liv was exhausted. She hadn't slept much at all, not since the cops came, cuffed him, and took him away. Thinking back now, while she was waiting outside the precinct, she thought of that night.

Even though it was four nights ago, it seemed like weeks. Lying down in his bed before she got dressed, she cried a bit. Her mind was everywhere. Taking in his smell one last time from the pillow they were sharing just an hour ago, Liv left.

She carried with her a change of clothes for Fitz and what she hoped would be evidence to get him off. She couldn't wait for Abby to be well enough to help with her private investigating.

The door to the station opened and Jordan looked at her. He knew she was waiting there for Fitz, he's the only one that knew, and he held up five fingers so Liv could know it would be about another five minutes.

She flicked her thumb up and pointed to him, signaling she owed him one. He waved his pointer finger at her indicating no, and she gave a soft smile under her helmet.

Jordan had been friends with Olivia since the eighth grade. He was raised by his single mother, and she fell on very difficult times. Much like Nathan, only at an older age, Jordan and his mom was forced to live in the shelter until they could get help.

There was no Fitz around at that time to save them like Nathan. Jordan had to work at 14 at any place that would hire him. Eli was friends with the police officers that patrolled the outside of the food bank and shelter. It was there he recommended Jordan be a delivery boy for the police department. He could run errands and get their in-house lunches, coffees, and donuts, just about anything to make a few bucks.

After several years of doing the job for the guys, getting significant tips, and earning the trust of law enforcement, Jordan was able to finally graduate high school and he entered the police academy right after. They had moved out of the shelter long before that, but Jordan never forgot how the Pope's had helped him, and his mom get back on their feet.

"Please Jordan," he was now the captain of the precinct located where Fitz had been taken, "I need you to just get him out the side entrance, I'll be there for him." Liv had pleaded with her childhood friend.

Jordan took a deep breath. He looked out his office window at the media circus that had been there for three days since Fitz had been arrested. He was being detained in the station.

He looked back at Liv. "I've seen the news, Liv, I know you're with him."

"I am with him. I love him, Jordan and I really need to help him."

"Murder, Liv."

"He didn't do it."

Jordan reluctantly bit his bottom lip. He looked at the friend that had not only been there for him, but for most of the neighborhood he grew up in. If anyone knew a criminal it would be Liv. If she didn't think he did it, Jordan believed Fitz didn't do it. "Ok, he'll be out in about a half hour. Liv, I hope your gut is right, because he's in big trouble if he did it. No leaving town either, he's on bail."

"I know, I know." She walked over to him and hugged him. "Thank you so much." She pointed. "That door, ok."

He shook his head. How did Liv even know where that door led to? He worked in the building for six months before he even realized there was a door there.

Liv pulled her phone out of her leather pouch she had secured around her waist. Since she had about five more minutes she checked her messages quickly.

"I changed the book signing until Saturday, that's three days I hope that gives you enough time for whatever you're doing, no more cancellations, your book is gaining traction, and it hasn't hit the shelves yet." It was a text from Destiny warning her not to screw this up.

"Promise, I'll be there, thank you so much Destiny. They won't be disappointed."

"I got something, call me when you're finished with Fitz, oops, I meant when you're finished picking up Fitz." A laughing emoji followed, and Liv smiled for the first time in a few days.

"Thanks Abs, hopefully it's something good you got. Glad you're home and feeling better. Kisses to my baby girl kicking you right now. I may not be finished with Fitz until tomorrow." A winking emoji with followed.

Finally, the last message, the one she dreaded. "Got a call from Destiny, you cancelled the book signing at Lenore's? Girl, you better have a good reason for it, and Fitz making bail better not be the reason. Still no sign of DC, call me ASAP."

"Dad can't call. I'll text you later. Getting some things for the new place. Please, just give me some privacy. FITZ MADE BAIL? I had no idea." She pushed the send key, and she saw the door to the precinct swing open.

"Where does this door lead to? Look if you're trying to get me into some interview with a friend of yours on the police press, forget it." Fitz looked at Jordan as he was leading him by the elbow to this door far from the main entrance.

"Quite the opposite, Grant, I'm avoiding the press for you. It's a media nut house out there and this entrance is private, it's on a private road, and well." Jordan paused. He turned to fully face Fitz.

"Look, I know the facts of the case, but I also know no one gets bail on a murder charge so easily, so something is off. Whether or not you did it, is not for me to judge, but you better not hurt Olivia. She's good people, and I will personally take you down."

The door swung open before Fitz could ask what the hell Olivia had to do with any of this and how Jordan even knew her, but he didn't have time. The engine on the cycle revved up and Liv was handing him a helmet.

"Get on handsome, I hear you need a ride this time."

Fitz jumped on the back, wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back just a bit to hold her tighter. His helmet covered head leaned on her back, and he just closed his eyes. She still believed in him, after everything, she still believed in him, and how he loved her so very much at that moment.

Fitz watched in unheard laughter as Liv sped through the crowd of the press outside the precinct, and Fitz waved to them. They watched the Harley as it rumbled passed them, having no idea the man of the hour was the passenger on the back.

"Well, if you ask me," Emmie handed Eli his cup of coffee and sat down with him to enjoy some cake, "I don't think that boy is capable of murder. This is just his rich privileged people jealous of his love with Olivia." Emmie put one shoulder up, knowing Eli didn't ask her opinion, but she gave it anyway.

"Right now, Liv's focus should be on her book, not this mess up of a thing going on with him from the hills." Eli shook his head in frustration and took a sip of coffee.

"Did Liv write the book?" Emmie asked, placing her cup down, looking sternly at Eli.

"What is that supposed to mean? Of course she wrote the book. It's being released on Monday, some copies, as you know are already out."

"Then let her be, she is a smart girl, she knows exactly what she is doing. The book is brilliant, it brings light to the struggles of the people in the neighborhood. She'll be just fine, let her be in love." Emmie rubbed her hand over the cover of the book, smiling like a proud grandma. Oliva was the closest she would ever come to having a grandchild.

Eli stood up and walked over to the window. "She doesn't sleep, Emmie, she's always worried. I'm concerned about her health." Eli crossed his arms looking at the view from Emmie's apartment.

"Look around Eli, I wouldn't be here had it not been for Fitz, you and I both know that. He comes from money, he's privileged, but he took time out to help me. There's something special about him. You see it, I see it, and Olivia sees it in a way that comforts her heart. You have to be supportive."

"I'm trying, Emmie, I am truly trying. Ever since she met him, though, he's been in trouble."

"Been in trouble or accused of being in trouble. What role has DC had in all of this?"

"Something is going on with that boy, I haven't pinpointed it yet."

"I think he's always had feelings for Olivia, now he's playing the jealousy card. It wouldn't surprise me if DC had a hand in all this nonsense going on."

"I know, I'm looking into that. I just don't like that she cancelled an appearance at Lenore's." Eli changed the subject.

"Cancelled, or postponed? There's a difference. It's not going to harm sales at all." Emmie assured him.

"Fitz makes bail, and Liv goes AWOL, no coincidence."

"Has she moved to her new place yet?"

"No, she's furnished it a bit, bought some groceries, but not officially moved in." Eli walked back to the table.

"Good." Emmie smiled. "I hope she brings him there and they have some together time. Poor boy has been in a jail cell for no reason for three days." She took a bit of cake, smirking, knowing Eli was brewing inside. "She's in love, accept it. Now eat the cake and let the two of them be, will you."

Emmie was right. Eli was trying and Olivia knew he was. Deep down he didn't believe Fitz was the one responsible for killing that reporter. He just hoped DC wasn't too far in to land himself in prison.

Eli thought back to the video he watched of Fitz and Liv at the lake house. He calmed down a bit thinking of it. Fitz did love Olivia, and he took good care of her. He took a deep breath, defeated for now, but for the right reasons. He took a bite of the pound cake, as instructed, and it didn't disappoint.

"The best pound cake I ever did taste, Emmie." Emmie turned up the television, as they saw reporters outside the precinct. "Must be waiting for Fitz to make his grand escape from the jail cell." They continued to watch together.

The last time Fitz saw Olivia, the hurt was in her eyes. It was a hurt he couldn't take away, and he just left without saying a word. As the police cruiser drove away with Fitz in the back, he just hung his head down.

He doesn't remember anything that was said to him. He couldn't even tell a judge, if asked, if his rights were read to him or not. He didn't care, he just wanted Olivia back in his arms. He leaned his head onto the window in the police cruiser and closed his eyes.

All he could think of was their love making, how she held no anger towards him for rescinding his promise of no violence and beating the hell out of Bradley. The feeling of the cloth on his cuts, her comforting touch, oh how he longed for her.

The car came to an abrupt stop, and Fitz's head hit the window as he was told it was time to get out and face the music.

Question upon question being thrown at him. Pictures of Bradley's lifeless body spread out on the table, but Fitz just let Leonard answer for him. After all that's why his father paid the attorney big bucks.

"That you can answer, Fitz." Leonard's voice broke Fitz out of his Olivia daydream.

"Answer what?"

"Did you see Bradley Barret tonight?" Detective Sharpe waited for an answer.

"I did, but when I left him, he didn't look like that." Fitz nodded to the picture.

"Where were you between 9pm and 1 am?" Sharpe waited.

"Home." That was all Fitz said.

"With?"

Fitz refused to answer.

"My client told you enough, gather your evidence, or let him go."

"We are not letting him go, he just admitted seeing the victim, he'll get his hearing."

"When?" Fitz whispered, just wanting to go back to Liv. The need to prove his innocence to her was consuming him.

"By Tuesday." Sharpe said. He stood up and left Fitz with Leonard.

"You'll make bail, but I need to know everything that happened Fitz. Your hand, your face, it's not looking good that you didn't kill the guy."

"How did he die?"

"Blunt force trauma to the head. Someone hit him so hard, he fractured his skull hitting the hard floor."

"Look, I hit him, but he was fine when I left."

"Ok, I believe you, but we'll need the alibi, you'll have to give her up, give her name."

"Just make sure I make bail." He wasn't ready to drag Olivia into this. Not yet.

Alone with his thoughts for three nights was driving him crazy. Would she even want to speak to him? Her book was due out, how could she be dragged into this without damage.

He looked at the cinder block wall. Being the only "prisoner" in the Hills Precinct he could only have his thoughts. "No way she forgives this. She's going to keep her distance, and can he blame her?"

The air hitting him now on the motorcycle, feeling the breeze sneak in under the helmet, all he could do was hold her while she brought them to wherever she wanted to take him.

They stopped at a row home, not far from her dad's place. Liv wheeled the cycle to the back, placed her helmet on the bars, and locked it all up. Walking towards him now, she saw taking his helmet off, as he held his with his arm folded around it, he smiled for the first time in four days. His hair was a gorgeous mess.

"Hi", she smiled. "Miss me?" She pecked him softly on the lips and took out her keys. "My new place, come on in."

In a darkened alley, not far from the park where Liv had taken Fitz for there picnic, you could hear sobbing. DC was sitting alone in that alley, arms folded on his knees, as he cried for what was going to happen to him.

He felt like he was 12 all over again, running out of his house. His parents always fighting, then leaving him to fend for himself, this was where he would always come. Olivia tried to convince him to hide in the park, but he liked the darkness of the alley.

This was his third night on the run, or was it the fourth, he began to lose count. Hiding from everyone in the neighborhood was tedious work. Getting food wasn't hard, he had a key to Eli's store, and once it was closed, he took as little as he could. Eli would know if large amounts of something went missing.

Calming down a bit, he took a long sip of his cold water, one he had taken a few minutes ago from the store. He swallowed it down in one gulp and tossed the bottle to the wall. Had it been glass, it would have shattered.

No Abby to go to, Eli was out for blood, Olivia wouldn't even look at him, and now he couldn't turn to his fake Hills friends. He fucked up and he knew it, now he had to hope he wasn't an accessory to murder.

He made an anonymous call to 911 like Raquel asked. He told them where Bradley's body would be found, and that he saw Fitz walking in before he made the discovery. Fitz didn't kill Bradley and DC knew it, he just wanted Fitz to go down for something, just to get him away from Olivia.

Seeing flashing lights, he slumped his body down, but the police cruiser kept going. It was just doing it's normal sweep of the neighborhood, nothing ever done like this in the hills. He didn't know how much longer he could stay out her. Suddenly, he got an idea.

Liv wasn't moved entirely in to her new place yet, he could go there, sleep in there for the night anyway. This way he wouldn't have to be like a child again, hiding from law enforcement.

Having to go the long way to avoid any contact and danger of being spotted by the cops, he would need to take several detours. A 15 minute walk would turn into at least an hour, but he would be inside soon enough, where he could take a nice shower and just freshen up again before thinking what his next move should be.

The door to Liv's place hadn't even closed fully yet, and his lips were attacking hers. She knew the door closed when her back was pushed against it, his hands cupping her face, and his body leaning so hard into hers, the door surely closed tightly.

Both her hands when to his where her thumbs rubbed the back of his, as the kiss went on for eternity. His tongue going deep inside her, her body reacting in pushing forward, then weakening back, moaning with each movement.

With deep breaths, they finally stopped. Fitz didn't move his hands, and neither did Liv, and they just danced with their eyes. Fitz's forehead went forward and rested on hers, there lips centimeters apart.

He began to rub her beautiful cheek bones with his strong thumbs which were so gentle on her skin. "God, I missed you Livvie."

Her hands finally left his as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. "I missed you too." Her head wiggled a bit to get deeper in to him. "So much Fitz." She began to tear up. "I just missed you so much." She bit her bottom lip to stop the sadness from coming out.

Pulling back, he took off his shirt. "I just need a quick shower ok. I need to take this jail feeling off me." He smirked. "Give me five minutes."

Liv nodded. "Five minutes more of missing you." She licked her lips. "I'll be waiting."

Watching him walk away, she hugged herself as her body had the chills. The want for him making her shiver. She pulled out her phone, walking to the bedroom, and called Abby.

"Holy shit, I wanted to call you so badly, but I didn't know if you were naked with Fitz yet." Abby rarely held anything back.

"Almost, so make it quick, what's going on?"

"I got into see Maxwell, he's still so creepy. It's like he was made to be a medical examiner. Like he was born and God said, you will cut open bodies and inspect them, and he ran with it."

Liv rolled her eyes. "Abby, get to the point."

"Well anyway, he says hello. Then he went on about his mother, you know his mother is a mortician."

"ABBY!" Liv cut her off.

"Sorry, geez, ok, boy you better get laid soon. Bradley had skin under his nails."

Liv squinted. "That could be a match for Fitz, no? Could that implement him more, is that why you're telling me?"

"No, not all. You see, the way you explained the fight with Bradley and Fitz, I explained it to Maxwell. No way would he have gotten skin cells under his nails. Did you see any scratches on Fitz?"

Liv thought back to that night. She shook her head. She was lying now, back up against the headboard, phone to her ear as she continued. "No, no scratches, just a bruised cheek bone and busted up knuckles." Liv smiled; this could be a break in the case that someone else had contact with Bradley.

"That's what I thought, so guess what I did."

"You.." Liv couldn't finish.

"Yup, I did, I gave it to him, and he'll call me by morning with the results, but only me, he's not going to tell anyone. If it's a match, guess what again."

"We have proof…"

"That it wasn't Fitz, or at least he wasn't the only one with Bradley that night." Abby paused. "Not that I think he killed him, because I don't."

"I know." Liv turned her head as her man, her fucking fine as hell man came out of the shower. Just a towel wrapped around his bottom, steam coming from his body, still slightly wet, and Liv felt her heart begin to pound out of her chest. She took a hard swallow and tried to say something to Abby to end the call.

Fitz didn't let that happen. He crawled up the bed, took the phone from her ear and smiled. "She'll call you back." His baritone voice went into Abby's ear as she heard the call disconnect, and Abby squealed with happiness. She rubbed her belly. "Your godmother is being naughty now, let's go get some ice cream."

"I was talking to Abby." That was all she got out, as his lips buried themselves again on hers, and her arms wrapped around his bare back.

"Tell me you have condoms here." His whisper was shaky as he pulled her shirt over her head and reconnected his lips. Liv nodded her head and pointed straight ahead. "Over there in the middle drawer."

He smirked and stood up, taking the towel off as he walked towards the drawer. He returned, opening one of the condoms and placing the other two on the nightstand next to the bed. Liv took a calming breath, noticing he grabbed three of them, and yes that was on purpose.

In one motion, she watched as he rolled the condom on, and she couldn't wait another damn minute for that rock hard covered cock to be in her. Her body thrusted in anticipation, but he was never one to rush. He preferred sexual pleasure first.

Liv's body was arched for but a second, then it went back flat down, as he creeped up with his lips, kissing her stomach, cupping and rubbing her right breast, then engulfed it in his mouth, as his finger went her mouth.

It was a distraction for the moment, and Liv gave a sample to his finger of what it would be like if it was his dick in her mouth, and she felt his mouth suck harder on her breast, his tongue circling her nipple, and that was the first loss of controld.

Her body stiffened, her head went to the side, her hand fisted some of his still damp hair, and she took a long breath. "Jeeesus, Fitz." He stopped her talking again with his lips.

"You have no idea how I missed you, how I longed for this again." Again, his forehead fell to hers. He stared at her, and just his look could send her into over drive again. Her hands now rested on his back, one of them leaving to caress his face.

"I missed you too, more than you could know." Her other hand rubbing his back, as he just fell into the touch of her hand on his face.

"Why, Liv, why do you love someone like me?"

"I just do." She held him tighter now and moved her hand down to his cock. "Put this in me already." She rubbed it up and down so he could feel how wet she was, and the next climax she wanted him inside her to feel.

Without moving his upper body, he gave a soft thrust, slipping right into her wet entrance, and he groaned. "Fuck. You feel so good." His grinded teeth, his eyes looking directly into hers, it was such a turn on.

Liv's hand went down his back to the bottom just above his fine ass, as she dared to push him deeper inside her. Her body arched up. Her head coming up also, as her face got lost in the crook of his neck.

Fitz pumped harder, closing his eyes to feeling her so close, while he was so deep in her. His head now fell into the crook of her neck, and his tongue licked her skin.

A long moan, stifled by her face buried in shoulder, and small pinch from the bite down on his shoulder and her body went numb again. Both her arms wrapped tightly around him now, holding on as her body shook in climax again.

Falling back, she whispered, "I hope you're close." Her body couldn't take much more, and Fitz knew it. He just wanted to be looking at her when he….

A final thrust, his hands under her bottom, as he pumped hard into her, and his climax hit him hard, and his head rested on her chest. "God, what you do to me." He felt her fingers running through his hair, as her weakened body was fighting to stay awake.

"Do not to go sleep yet." Fitz got up and bolted to the bathroom. He was back in a hot minute. "Sit up."

She did, and he put his body under hers, both her legs in between his, and she rested back. The back of her head on his shoulder, as his arms wrapped tightly around her.

His one hand began to caress her hair back, and Liv closed her eyes to the touch. Her head went towards him, as he kissed her temple. "I love you, Fitz."

"I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you, Livvie," His voice down to a deep, slow whisper.

Now, holding her chin up so they could see eye to eye he looked at her. "When was the last time you slept?"

Liv shrugged. "It hasn't been easy."

"Since the last time we were together?"

"Give or take an hour or two. I've been running on adrenaline." she admitted.

Her hand cupped his face. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I know you didn't do it."

His arms wrapped her into him. His head rested on hers. "I missed holding you. That's what got me through those nights alone in the precinct, the feeling of you in my arms. I just hoped I hadn't lost you."

Liv shifted her body, her head now on his shoulder, rubbing his chest. "You're not losing me."

"I know." His eyes were growing heavy. Liv looked at him.

"And when was the last time you slept Mister?" She poked his chest in demand of an answer.

"I can't remember that far back." His hand caressed her shoulder to her arm, back up again, a nice slow caress that was slowly putting him to sleep.

"We'll get to the bottom of what happened that night, I promise." Liv assured him, as her fight to sleep was lost also, and after three long nights, they were finally sleeping again in the comfort of each other.

Maxwell had always been fascinated with "the dead." It sounded weird, but he felt the need to be the voice for those who could no longer tell their story. He was damn good at it, eerily, and he wasn't sure if it was because he spent most of his childhood watching his mother dress the dead for their final resting.

All night he had been studying Bradley Barrett's body. The cause of death, blunt force trauma but consistent what? It wasn't the hit to the floor as he previously thought, then he found the skin cells under his nails.

He reenacted Bradley's death, something he's done with other deaths he was trying to find out. The wound on his head that caused the fatal blow was to the right, the hit from the concrete floor was on the back, that showed a contusion and a lump.

Maxwell closed his eyes, looking at Bradley in his final seconds of life. He saw exactly how the guy died, and the skin under the nails a direct match in DNA in what Abby had given him.

He lifted the Ziploc bag with the cigarette butt inside of it. He was able to use the DNA from the tip to match it to the DNA of the skin under Bradley's nails. Raquel Falcon. Her DNA came up in the system from a misdemeanor that was dismissed several years ago.

If he could get to Raquel, he would see about three scratch marks on her right wrist. He was certain Bradley reached out for leverage before falling and grabbed her wrist. He's seen this before.

"It is determined, through my autopsy findings." Maxwell spoke into the mini tape recorder, "Bradley Barrett was hit by someone with a heavy object on the right side of the head. This caused him to fall, and as Bradley was turning to see his assailant, he reached out for leverage of the fall, not knowing the hit was already fatal. He only lived about five seconds after the hit."

"Going down straight back," Maxwell continued, "Mr. Barrett reached out, grabbing a wrist, and going deep enough for skin cells to be present. The skin cells are a match to a one Raquel Falcon, having been given something with her DNA on it. Once, Bradley hit the floor, he was already dead, and this is consistent with the lump he has on his skull. More to come." Maxwell opened his top desk drawer and put the recorder in there.

He picked up the phone and dialed Abby's number that went right to voicemail. "You're going to have to see if Raquel Falcon has a scratch or maybe three on her right wrist. The DNA is a match. Call me."

He heard a knock on his door, and he looked confused. Who would come to his exam office this late at night?

DC finally made it to the block Liv's place was located on. He stopped and looked up and down the block, making sure he wasn't being followed. No one knew what he saw, but he saw it, and he didn't know who to turn to. He knew exactly what had happened that night, and although he didn't know it, Maxwell the medical examiner was spot on.

Jeremy was standing over Bradley's lifeless body with the metal bat in his hand. DC was just about to enter Bradley's room and give him hell for laying a finger on Abby, but he his behind the shelf.

Raquel was buttering him up, tending to the wounds Fitz had given to Bradley. The guy never saw the hit coming, and he was down in seconds, reaching for Raquel.

DC thought Raquel would go down with him, but she pried his hand from her wrist and they took off. Before DC went up the stairs to the door now, he saw tire tracks in the dirt off to the side.

Walking to the back of the house there was Liv's motorcycle, one helmet. She was alone, and it was the therapy DC would need. If he told Liv what he saw, she could get Fitz off the hook for the murder. He stopped, maybe he didn't want that.

Maybe he could tell her he saw Fitz do it, and that would keep her away from him. Whichever he decided, he would do it as they were talking, right now, he just needed someone who would understand him.

As the darkness entered the room, Fitz and Liv began to stir after their very long nap. Liv smiled against his chest, snuggling her nose to his skin. "I missed waking up in your arms."

"You really think I could have killed Bradley." Fitz asked nervously.

"No" Liv answered without hesitation. That was that. "I have a surprise for you."

"You do?"

"You hungry?"

"God, I'm starving. You going to give me something to eat?" He smiled eyebrows going up and down.

"You are shameless."

"I am, when it comes to you."

"I made my dad's mac and cheese, but."

"But what, that's enough to make my mouth water."

"It's my version, so it's Liv's mac and cheese."

"Mmmm, I'll lead the way to the kitchen." Liv grabbed his boxers, and her robe as he scooped her up and took her off to the kitchen.

They weren't aware at that moment, DC was just inches from the door, ready to let Liv know how much he truly needed her.