Home is You

Chapter 23

Steffy

"Well, I guess that went better than what I expected. They were rightfully so upset, but they handled it more or less extremely well. They did better with the initial shock, better than I did." I exhale releasing all my built up sadness that I was holding back. "I just feel bad that they have to go through this. Cooper seems really angry," I acknowledge. "I've never seen him so angry."

"It's just the shock of it all," my dad says. "He will be okay, he will be okay," he reassures. "He just needs some time."

"Now, that the kids are out of the room, can I get the non- PG version. It clearly looks like everyone here knows what's going on and the real story besides me. I kind of wish that I hadn't found out about this when all the kids found out. I should've found out as soon as it happened so I could've been more prepared, especially where Beth is concerned." Hope whines. "This wasn't handled the best way at all," she sighs looking directly over at me.

"Hope, we just felt that it was best to wait. We wanted to see what we could come up with and find out about Liam, before telling you, before making you worry. We were hoping to find him or get a lead on him, before turning the kids' worlds upside down for no reason. We needed more information. We weren't going to wait too long to tell you or the kids, but thought it would just be better to let you find out with the kids since we knew we were going to have to tell the kids soon."

"All of you knew?" she asks glaring at all of us.

"Yeah, we did," Bill relays. "Time was critical, we needed to jump on it. There was no reason we needed to tell everyone in the world before we knew anything."

"But I'm the mother of one of his children. I should've been one of the first phone calls. It's so disrespectful to Beth. What did you do Steffy, to make Liam leave his family, his children?"

I widen my eyes. I have no time for her accusations, or crossing a line. Regardless, of what she may or may not think, she is crossing the line right now. I am so close to losing my crap on her. How dare her. She needs to stop making everything or seeing everything about her and Liam. Liam doesn't want her.

"Whoa," my father says glaring at Hope. "Hope, how dare you accuse Steffy like that? She's done nothing wrong here, and even if she did, it's none of your business. She is his wife, she loves him and she's doing what is best for all parties concerned. As much as you may think you do, you don't get a say in it."

"And Liam, loves her and only her," Bill adds. "She would never do anything to hurt Liam or push him away. Both Steffy and Liam have been very happy together and are as deeply in love as they've always been." Bill licks his lips, before continuing, "Furthermore Hope in regards to not telling you, it's not like we were telling everyone in the world," Bill says rolling his eyes. "It's not like I took an ad out in the newspaper saying MISSING, or I sent a notice to everyone at Spencer. It just wasn't a priority at the moment until we had more information to go on."

"It wasn't about you Hope. I didn't even tell your mother" my dad says. "You can't make this about you."

"I'm not at all. I'm just trying to understand everything and why Liam left especially if he loves you so much, what was so bad that he felt he needed to leave, as well as regardless of everything right now, I know what is best for my daughter, and I should've been given the courtesy of the information beforehand, so I could prepare her and myself."

"Duly noted," Bill replies sarcastically.

I can't help but inwardly smirk at his comment. I know Hope is concerned, but I think she's more annoyed with the fact she wasn't in the loop. It also gives her a reason to express her feelings subtly about Liam. My instincts tell me where Hope is concerned that her annoyance at this has more to do with her reemerging feelings for Liam. I shake my head and decide in this moment, no matter what our friendship has been like over the years, I now, can't trust her and her motive.