Page 161 of Liam

Liam’s fast asleep when I enter the bedroom, and so I press my lips to his cheek. “Morning.”

He groans, one eye opening first, then the other.

“I’m leaving.”

“What time is it?”

“Early. You can go back to sleep, but where are the keys?”

He sits up, forcing his eyes to open. “Didn’t you tear my jeans off in the bathroom last night?”

I smile. “Oh, yeah.”

All our “intimate” moments must be had in the bathroom now, since they’re the only rooms in the house with a lock—kind of like the cabin.

“We need to get the fuck out of this house,” he mumbles.

“Soon,” I say, pushing down on his shoulders until he’s flat on his back again. “Go back to sleep. I don’t like sleepy-grumpy Liam.”

“Mmm,” he groans, and a second later, he’s fast asleep.

I creep into the bathroom next door to the bedroom—Lucas’s old room—and grab his jeans off the floor, find the keys in the pocket.

A few months ago, Liam and Lincoln decided to move into the cabin permanently, which meant building an extension. I don’t think Liam thought about the consequences of it, because it meant him having to move back into the main house until it was completed. Thankfully, he didn’t have to share a room with Lincoln anymore, but the whole lack of privacy thing is really getting to him.

I quietly make my way downstairs and into the kitchen, halting momentarily when I see Tom and Alyssa sitting at the counter, drinking their coffees. “Morning, Addie,” Tom beams.

“Morning!”

“You’re up early,” Alyssa notes.

She moved into the house a few months ago, and it’s been quite the adjustment for the twins and Lachlan. It had been twelve years since Lucy moved out and into the cabin, so they’d gotten used toonly boysin the house.

Tom on the other hand—considering he raised seven kids under this roof—likes the extra company.

Apparently, the night I came over after visiting Pierson was Tom and Alyssa’s two-year anniversary. Fortwo whole years, they kept their relationship a secret, and now they look back on it and laugh. Neither of them knowswhythey hid it—fear of judgment, they guess, but clearly, they had nothing to worry about.

I open the fridge and pull out the containers of leftovers from the night before. We’ve gotten into somewhat of a routine in the Preston house. I spend most nights here and will occasionally offer to cook dinner—though it’s never expected. Liam always helps, and Lincoln pretends to, so… that part hasn’t changed. “I’m trying to catch the boys before they leave for work,” I say,checking the time. “And I’m running late. I’ll see you tonight!” I rush outside to the minivan and get behind the wheel. Yes, Idrivenow. Liam was the one to suggest I battle this particular fear, and since he’d fought off so many of his own—being in places he wasn’t accustomed to, traveling farther out of town, and actually getting on a plane—I kind of did it to make him proud, like I was of him. So, we started with the golf cart, then moved on to the ATV, then the minivan. My therapist says it wasn’t a dread of actually driving that held me back; it was not being able to control my surroundings. So, in a way, Liam and I had the same fears, just for different reasons.

My driving again came in handy for the summer road trip Liam and I took. We packed a backpack each, some snacks for the road, and took off. No destination in mind. Just a single song to start a playlist—“The Way” by Fastball. Thankfully, we didn’t meet the same fate as the couple the song was written about. Roman made sure to check over the van before we left, and Lincoln met up with us a few times just to “check in.” In other words, he missed his twin. I’m glad he was able to meet us, though, because Liam sure missed him, too.

Also, Liam allowed Logan access to our location so at least one person knew where we were at all times. Just in case. He said it was so Logan could ride “shotgun,” whatever that means.

Speaking of Logan…

I find it very coincidental thathewas the one in the car video when Lincoln revealed the story about my ribbons. And he wasalsothe one who put the filing cabinets in the cabin rather than the main office. Andhewas the one who set up that specific job for me…

I brought it up to him once, and he merely shrugged, said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But he had this little smirk on his lips, and I was positive he knew…

He knewexactlywhat he was doing.

And I couldn’t be more grateful to him.

Now, I don’t drive out onto the main road. Instead, I drive through the Preston property, past the cabin, beside the lake and up the hill, parking right beside the fence. A year ago, it was a chain-link fence with some wires cut so I could fit through the gap. Now, it’s a wooden fence with an actual gate. I hop out of the van and reach up, unlocking the gate so I can step through.

Our old trailer is gone now, and I was right here when the Preston Construction crew tore it down. I like to refer to the day as “Goodbye Hellhole.” Tom even let Roman and I control the bulldozer. To watch the walls crumble, along with the memories those walls contained, was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever witnessed, let alone be a part of. It was incredibly cathartic, and I laughed through my tears. And Roman—he was right there to hold me through it all.

So was Wyatt.

---