Page 211 of Losing Faith

“Beloved?” Liam has his eyes set on his fiancée. “Do you want to step outside?” He keeps his voice soft, but when Sage shakes her head no, he looks down at Lisette.

“Go back inside.” He tries to grab the door, but she doesn’t let him.

“Get out of my way.”

Liam looks up at Sage and when she shakes her head, hepushesLisette into the apartment and slams the door on her face.

“Open the damn door!” She bangs on it so hard I think she’s going to break her hand. “LET ME OUT!” She keeps screaming, over and over again as she bangs on the door and pulls the handle, but it’s clear Liam is holding the other side because it doesn’t budge.

After maybe five minutes of screaming bloody murdering and throwing herself at the door, she must get tired because she leans her head against it before slouching and falling to the ground.

“Let me out,” she whispers and it fucking breaks me.

I take a step towards her, but she grabs Isabelle’s letter from her pocket and Navi puts her hand up to stop me.

We watch her carefully as she reads the letter and when she breaks into a sob and hugs the paper I push past Navi.

“Her spelling is getting so much better.” She wraps her arms around me before breaking into another sob. “Why did she add a cupcake recipe?”

I let out a soft laugh, but quickly bite my tongue as I feel a cry bubbling in my throat.

“JJ…” She pulls away before holding my face in her hands. “I want to be her mom. I want to be with you and be a family with you.”

“I want that too, Lissy.” I rest my forehead against hers.

“So let’s leave.” She voices softly… too softly.

When I pull away she keeps her eyes on me and all that rings in my head is Sire’s warning. She’s going to say every and anything she can to get out. That she was going to pick on everyone and manipulate me.

“Do you really want to raise Belle with me?”

“Yes.” She wipes her tears before planting a soft kiss on my lips.

I take hold of her hand as I pull away. “You need to get clean if you want to do that, Lis.”

“I will,” she quickly agrees and I let out a breath of relief. I look over at her siblings with a smile, but Sire’s glare doesn’t budge and Navi still watches her as if we need this to go on for longer.

What the hell am I missing?

“Let’s just go, JJ.” She turns my face back to her before grabbing my hand, almost in a rush.

“Let’s talk about that plan, Lisette.” Navi walks over.

I turn to look at her, but Lisette turns my face to hers again. “We don’t even know that lady, JJ. Please, let’s go and we can be a family. We don’t need anyone else.”

“You plan on running away with them?” Sire lets out a scoff. “If you want to get clean, why cut off your family?”

Her family. The people who are going to notice when she’s high… when she’s lying.

I pull away from her, but she grabs my hand again. “I meant what I said, I swear. I want to be in Belle’s life.”

I pull my hand away harder as I stand. “So you need to get clean. You need to get cleanfirst,” I emphasize.

She scans the room, but turns back to the door as Sire walks over.

“There’s a bed waiting for you at one of the best rehab facilities.”

She keeps her eyes on the door.

---