Page 120 of Marry Lies
By the time Liam texts me that they’re about to drive away, I’m three sheets to the wind and nearly passed out on the cold leather couch.
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
THE PRESENT
Stella
I hardly register packing up my clothes as quickly as possible, or the way Liam lets me stew in silence the entire twenty-minute drive to his house. I vaguely take in the large cabin—only registering that everything inside looks like it belongs to a writer. There are no televisions or phones anywhere. There are papers with text scattered everywhere, and a typewriter on the dining room table. Despite being a bit messy, it’s very peaceful.
He leads us both up the stairs, stopping in front of a guest bedroom that’s decorated with white furniture, a lavender bedspread, and a bright pink neon sign on the wall that saysYou’ve Got This.
“You can stay as long as you need,” Liam says gruffly, leaning against the door frame.
“Thank you,” I answer, my voice quiet. My eyes flick up to the sign. “What does that even mean?”
He huffs a laugh. “Honestly, I don’t know. I bought a bunch of shit for Zoe—she’s coming back for Christmas break, and I wanted her room to feel cozy. It’s the first time she’ll be back for more than a couple of nights since everything happened.”
My chest aches at the thought of Liam and Zoe spending Christmas without her parents. Without Liam’s best friend.
“I appreciate you letting me stay in her room.”
Liam just nods once in response before pushing off the door frame and looking around.
“Listen, my brother is an idiot for what he did, but he means well.”
I sit down on Zoe’s bed and pull one of her pillows to my chest, hugging it tightly. I’d pulled on a bra and leggings, and as the chilly air works through the house, I wish I’d thought to pack a jumper.
“I know. But, how can I trust him now? He lied to me.”
Liam shrugs. “I think, in his mind, he thought he was doing the right thing. And…he was afraid of losing you. By the time he realized there would be no money, he couldn’t fathom the idea of letting you go.”
I swallow as I stare down at the carpeted floor. “I’m not even angry. I’m justhurt. And disappointed. After everything…” I trail off, pressing my lips together so that I don’t cry. “It all feels tainted now. Like he was just being nice to keep me there. Like he didn’t actually care about me. He just wanted to keep me there so I’d hold up my end of the deal. Otherwise, he would’ve been honest with me when he found out your father lost the money.”
Liam hangs his head and shoves his hands in the pockets of his pants. “Did Miles ever tell you why he’s the only one, besides Orion, who still talks to our father?”
I shake my head as I squeeze the pillow tighter.
“After Miles’s accident, the police came into the hospital room to ask about what happened. Miles was a minor, only thirteen, so of course they had questions. He was unconscious as Chase, Malakai, and I all lied to the authorities. Orion was too young to get involved.”
“Why did you lie?” I ask, my voice tight.
Liam shrugs. “Because our father thought that sending us all out to go camping for a week would teach us to become men. He was drinking a lot, and our mother was gone at the time. I was only sixteen. I had to take care of my brothers for five days. I made sure they were fed and hydrated and that Orion didn’t wet the blanket we all shared at night. And then the tent caught fire, and as you know, Miles made sure we all got out before him.”
A single tear slips down my cheek, but I don’t say anything as I continue listening.
“Anyway, it was gross negligence on my father’s part. None of us wanted to be left out in the woods for days on end. So when we were asked, we told the authorities it was our idea. I took the blame because I was the oldest. I had a mark on my record until I turned eighteen. And the entire time, my father just sat there and let us lie. His children. While one of his sons sat unconscious mere feet away, and the other one slept soundly on my lap because he wasbarelyout of fucking toddlerhood.”
Liam sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Anyway, after that, Chase, Malakai, and I all vowed to cut him out of our lives when we turned eighteen. And, in the end, we all did. Miles doesn’t know, because he wasn’t conscious for that conversation. I think he assumes we all cut him off because of the big money scandal. And Orion was too little to understand, and as his oldest brother, it’s not my place to tell him, though he has an inkling of what happened.”
I take a shaky breath as I digest all the information. It paints Charles Ravage in a whole new light.
“What do I tell my father?” I ask. “If Charles lost his investment…”
Liam winces. “The truth. You tell him the truth, Stella.”
I nod as I swallow again. “Thank you. For telling me. For letting me stay here.”
“It’s no problem. You’re family, after all,” he says, his voice warm. “Also, I’m afraid I don’t have black tea for you,” he says, holding his hands up.
