Page 2 of Liam

I stood in shock for a few minutes, then gathered my thoughts and looked around. It was obvious by the amount of junk food wrappers littered around that Adelaide Baker either loved sugary treats, or… it wasn’t the first time she’d been there.

I hate that I can’t look at a Starburst without thinking of her, or that night, or the days, months, years of hell that followed.

Now, I wait until it’s dark—like I do most nights—then take the familiar track toward the VW bus my family refers to as “Fillmore.” The first thing I do when I hop off the ATV is search the ground for any new wrappers. Some nights I find them. Most nights I don’t. Tonight, there’s nothing.

I haven’t caught her here again since that first time, and honestly, I don’t know what I’d do if I did. Maybe that’s why I switched to a dirt bike or ATV… so she would hear me coming. Give her a chance to flee. I don’t actuallywantto confront her. I just don’t want her here. Or anywhere near me.

With only the headlights of the ATV lighting the space and the rumble of its engine to keep me company, I clear a spot on the dirt ground next to Filmore and sit with my back against its aged metal frame. Then I crane my neck to look above. There’s not much to see from my spot—leaves mainly, with the night sky filtering through the gaps. But, it seems to be enough to settle the unease that had been pulsing through me the past few days. It’s strange… The only time I feel safe alone is within the boundaries of my home, even when it’s dark out. It seems fitting, I guess. I’ve always liked the world best when the sun has taken light with it. My dad says I got it from my mother. That she was the same way. I have no choice but to take his word for it, considering I never got the chance to know her.

I’ve barely settled in when a loudbanggets my attention, followed by yelling. I sit taller, already fully aware of my surroundings. The yelling gets louder, additional voices, and I stand quickly, straining to hear where it’s coming from. It’s definitely not from my house; I know that much. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I jump back on my ATV and head toward the commotion. It doesn’t take long to find the source. There are only a few properties that back up against our land, the nearest being a rundown trailer. Through the chain-link fence, I can see the flashing red and blue lights, and I make my way closer, but not too close, stopping the ATV a good thirty yards away. There are multiple squad cars parked, all lights, no sirens, and they’re all focused on the house at the rear of the block.

Movement at the fence line steals my attention, and I freeze the momentshecomes into view, squeezing through a gap in the chain link I hadn’t known was there.

Adelaide had always been an enigma to me, but never more so than at this moment. She runs toward me, her forever braid hitting her back with every step. It’s too dark to make out the color of the ribbon that weaves through the strands, but I know it’s there. It always is.

“Liam!” she calls out, her eyes wide as she nears.

It takes a moment for my sense to kick in, and I narrow my stare, let reality set ablaze the internal confusion. Not at the situation—at the two cops chasing after her, their silhouettes created by the flashing lights behind them. Not at the question of where she’s coming from or why she’s running at all. No. All of that takes a back seat to the way she just saidmy name.

Liam.

Not the usual names she refers to me by:Twimp, or everyone’s favorite,Twincest.

“Liam, help!” she huffs, out of breath. She’s so close now I can almost make out the fear in her eyes. “Take me with you!”

I almost give in to her.

Almost.

But then I remember…

She’sthe reason I get called those names.She’sthe reason for the perpetual anxiety of waking up and going to school every day.

“Please,” she begs, stopping only feet away from me.

She’sthe reason for the black eyes and bruised ribs and the constant fucking fear of being out alone.

“Liam…”

I rev the engine, shake my head. “Fuck you, Addie.” And then I leave her there.

Alone.

Like she once forced upon me.

1

Addie

“You’ve been back less than forty-eight hours, and you already got me breaking and entering,” Wyatt says.

I roll my eyes, even though my back’s turned and he can’t see my response. “What kind of idiot uses cable ties to secure a gate?”

“An idiot who doesn’t expect anyone to want to break into this hellhole,” he mumbles.

The “hellhole” he speaks of used to be my home, but he doesn’t need to know that. I grab the switchblade from the side pocket of my backpack and make quick work of slicing through the plastic, freeing the gates from their binds.

“You still carry that rusty old thing with you?”

---