just rode a roller coaster of sorts. Now I need to get to the point.
“I think Shane Matthews and his brother are after you and Julian, and they’re using me as the fallout,” I start, making the nightmare before us so damn real. We both stare at each other for a minute. “Which means they did try to blow you up.”
“Yeah,” he says but looks away from me.
“What?” I almost yell. “You know?”
“Calm down, Mia,” he sighs. “I’m saying I had a suspicion.”
“How?”
“I saw you two talking that night.” He stares at me.
“It’s not what you think.” I sigh.
“It’s not me you need to convince about that.”
“Your brother hates my guts, Liam.”
“Yup, that’s true.” He sighs, then stares at the jug of water across the room.
“Just ask.”
“No, I want to get it myself,” he stubbornly says, determination in his eyes. I study him for a second, trying to figure him out.
“You do know you don’t have anything to prove, right?” I murmur and he snaps his head to look at me.
“Oh, sweet cupcake, there’s always something to prove,” he says, watching me. “You yourself have something to prove to the rest of the world. I bet it’s not all roses and shit living in the shadow of the awesome Nancy Montague.”
“You know my mother?” I gasp.
“I know everything about you.” He narrows his eyes at me. “Like how you sold Aiden to the tabloids.”
Oh my God.
“Liam—” I start but he cuts me off.
“Something happened that day. Julian’s probably never going to forgive you for that one, and honestly, I’m not sure if I will either.”
I guess I deserve that.
“Is that why he’s willing to agree with anything he hears about me? For God’s sake, he wants me arrested for what happened to you!”
“That’s where you’re fucking wrong,” he growls. “J doesn’t believe gossip and rumors. He finds answers for himself and you, cupcake, did something to aggravate him to a point where he sees red whenever you’re around.”
“That makes two of us,” I grumble.
“Still, in all my life, I’ve never seen him snap the way he did with you.” He eyes me with curiosity. “What did you do to each other?”
I kissed him. He said he felt nothing. It broke me. Then I snitched.
“Nothing,” I murmur.
“Sure.”
I can hear the skepticism in his voice but I’m not going to address that. Not today, not ever. Clearing my throat, I eye him.
“Either way, I just told you who’s after you.”
“So, you’re here to recruit me to help you make my brother see that, aren’t you?”
“Well…” I start. Damn, he’s freaking smarter than the streets give him credit for. “I just wanted to see if…”
“I’ll help you,” he agrees so quickly I feel dizzy for a second.
“Really?” I say, skeptical of him all of a sudden.
“What?” He smirks.
“Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?” I question.
“Are you always this skeptical and suspicious?”
“Pretty much.” I tuck a loose tendril of hair behind my ear, then make myself comfortable in the chair again.
“Daddy issues triggered your trust issues?” He smirks but it’s not funny to either of us.
“You might know all about that too,” I counter and we both grow sober. “Why, Liam? Saturday night you were making an example out of me, letting everyone knows what happens to anyone who dares to come for your brother’s freaking parking spot, dissing the hell out of my family, and now, all this? Did you hit your head that hard when you jumped out of the car?”
Liam watches me silently as emotion takes over my perfect exterior.
“You were in my face about shit I had no idea about. I didn’t even know about my aunt and your dad, but you called me a whore. My mom and my aunt… well, let’s just say my life’s been turned upside down from the moment you came for me and now we’re what, friends?”
My words are bitter, filled with hurt and they taste like a mental breakdown. I watch him, waiting for an answer.
“Why, Liam?” I stress. I need this. I need him to tell me why. I’m not good when it comes to genuine, authentic acceptance so this is unsettling the hell out of me.
“You saved my life.”
The answer is as simple as those four words. He holds my gaze, never looking away.
“I heard what you did. How you helped the paramedics and the way you bravely told Julian off when he wanted to pick me up like a sack of potatoes.”