All the Little Secrets

CHAPTER 17. FINE ON THE OUTSIDE

Chapter 17. Fine on the Outside

Cage and I awake on the sunroom couches early into the morning, cuddled against each other. We stand and stretch out the cramps from our limbs, but say nothing about it.

"Stay home as much as you can," Cage says. "Don't go running." My heart begins to race. "If Liam fucks up in any way, they may not play nice with you." The look on my face must concern Cage because he hugs me tightly against him. "I will find out if this is my dad, I promise. But right now, you need to stay safe. Text me if anything seems off, ok?"

"Okay," I agree, my voice overcome with nerves.

"I need to go check on Liam, make sure he's still alive."

"Okay."

He lifts my chin to look into my eyes. "It's gonna be alright."

I attempt to smile at him which suffices because he leaves. I watch from the back doors as he goes into the pool-house for a moment, then emerges with a thumbs up.

Liam's alive, but that doesn't mean he's living. Something's hunting him, and now I'm in the crossfire. Is this what he's been hiding all along? Fear builds inside my chest.

I walk quickly to my room and crawl back into bed next to Marco. I want to call my mom, I want to tell the police, but Cage and I talked about it last night: if Liam's been keeping this a secret, it's to protect those he loves. So if we say anything to anyone, won't we expose him and put him in more danger? Which then, wouldn't it also put me in more danger? Cage and I promised each other to not say anything to anyone. This is the only solution until we can find out what's going on.

You need to stay safe, Cage's words repeat in my mind. Tears fall as I squeeze my eyes shut and try to breathe. Easier said than done.

My mom and William finally arrive back home, but their energy feels off. Marco and I stay in all day on his last day in Malibu: we watch movies and play games, but I keep checking my phone, afraid of the unknown. Marco notices my erratic behavior and asks me about it. I deflect well enough for him to stop asking. We don't see Liam the whole day.

It's getting late as we get ready to bring him to the airport for his late-night flight. I cry more than I thought I would as he packs the last of his things into his suitcase. William, Becca, and Byron say goodbye to Marco, and he asks Becca to say goodbye to Liam for him. She promises she will. We get into the backseat of my mom's new car and give Parker the front so we can cuddle the entire ride to the airport.

My mom pulls over into the Departures section next to the United Airlines sign. I climb out onto the curb as she and Parker hug Marco. Marco grabs his suitcase and takes my hand, leading me to the check-in area.

"I had a really great time -"

"I'm really going to miss -"

We laugh as we embrace each other. I bury my face into his wavy black hair, holding on to this moment for as long as I can.

"This isn't goodbye," he whispers to me, but I squeeze him tighter, not knowing if I'll ever see him again. He sighs as he kisses my head. "There will never be a goodbye between us."

I want to say something epic, something that will express how much he means to me. I mean, what do you say to someone, knowing this could very well be your last words ever said?

Tears fill my eyes as I pull away from my best friend.

"What if I don't ever see you again?"

"Don't be dramatic," Marco smiles sadly. "Mama C and I were talking about maybe this summer. You know, you come and stay with me," he adds nonchalantly.