All the Little Secrets

CHAPTER 23. FALL

Chapter 23. Fall

I must've dozed off because I'm woken by a knock on the bedroom door. I glance at my phone: 3:30 a.m. I groan as I roll out of bed and open the door.

Liam is there, looking down at me, his blue eyes puffy, his cheeks stained with tears. I lose my breath as Liam takes me into his arms and kisses me. My heart explodes as I ignore the voice inside that says to stop, that this will ruin everything. I can't stop. I don't want to stop.

He closes the door behind us as he carries me to the bed and lays me down. I run my hands under his shirt, around his back, and pull him down on me. He kisses me for what seems like hours, eternities, respecting my hesitation to go any further. We don't seem to mind as we get lost in one another's kiss. I could die in this moment with Liam and feel complete.

After a while, Liam pulls me against his body, cuddling me close to his chest. I listen to his heartbeat and etch its sound in my memory.

"You don't know how long I've been wanting this," he sighs lightly into the dark room.

"Yes, I do," I whisper back.

He raises my face up with his hand to kiss me again.

"I'm sorry for everything," he whispers. I wrap my arms tighter around him as I bury my face into his neck. "I know it's been messy between us. But I need you to know how badly it's sucked to not touch you," his fingers dance in circles along my spine, under my shirt, "or kiss you," his lips slowly kiss my neck, "or be with you." We kiss again, leaving me breathless. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," I whisper.

"Are you and Cage really together?"

My chest tightens. Do I lie to protect him, to protect Cage and Seth? Lying has only torn us apart, hurt all of us in ways that will never heal. I'm sick of the secrets.

"No, not really."

"I knew it. So what the hell are you two doing?"

I sit up on my elbows now to look at him in the dark. The moon sends enough light into the room that I can see his blue eyes staring back at me.

"Protecting you," I admit. "We know you're somehow involved..."

"Involved with what?"

"Involved with something that has to do with Henry and Anika."

"What are you talking about?" he asks, confusion coating his voice.

"Don't you know who's threatening you? Who's controlling you to do whatever it is you're doing?" Liam shakes his head slowly. "We think that Henry and Anika might be behind everything," I admit softly as Liam contemplates my theory. "And we think it has something to do with Ellen."

Liam's eyes widen. "What do you know?"

I take a deep breath. "Well, we know that Henry was having an affair with Ellen."

"How'd you find that out?"

"Seth."

"Seth?" Liam looks as if he was sucker-punched as he takes in this new revelation. "What else do you know?"

"Can I trust you?" Liam looks taken aback at my question, which irritates me. "I can't tell you everything, Liam, unless I know you can keep a secret. Cage and Seth are trusting me..."

"Cage and Seth?" I nod as Liam scoffs. "Wow. Don't tell me anything more. Whatever you don't tell me will keep you safe."

"But -"