My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 30

My feet hardly get to the bottom step when I see Liam sitting huddled into himself on the floor of the hallway, screaming at the top of his lungs engulfed in fear as he tries to push himself along the tiles towards the front door with his heels. Jayce is trying to calm him but nothings working.

Shit.

He sees me, tears running down his face and his eyes completely bloodshot. He's fucking terrified.

I race over to his quivering body, pulling him up into my arms and trying to check him for injuries. It's hard as he keeps trying to scale me, like he's trying to escape from whatever's frightened him. There's not a mark, he's fine physically, but he can't stop shaking.

"Jayce! What the fuck happened?"

Jayce throws his one working arm up in surrender.

"I swear I don't know. Everything was fine, he was playing with Heather and then Steve came in through the backdoor and he started screaming. He's in the kitchen, every time he came closer to the kid he just kept howling. I swear nothing happened to him Josh."

Liam's face buries into my shoulder but no matter what I do, I can't calm him. His fingers are digging into my arm so hard it actually fucking hurts and I can already feel the wet patch in the fabric of my shirt from where he's been sobbing.

Walking to the couch as slowly as I can, I sit us both down gently and hold him tight. Whatever it is, he needs to tell me. His breathing calms as Heather walks over and gently rubs his back, not saying a word but just showing she's there. I hope he never has to be away from her, they have a connection he really needs.

"Liam," I whisper as softly as I possibly can. "Bro, I need you to tell me what happened okay? You're not going to get in trouble or anything, but I really need to know."

He doesn't lift his head, if it wasn't for the slight flutter in his lashes as he tries to blink away his tears I'd think he was sleeping.

"Mum s-said he's bad, she said h-he hates me, he's always hated me and he'll hurt me. I d-don't want him to hurt me." He sobs quietly.

What the fuck did Chrissy do now?

"Who did she say would hurt you?"

He lifts his head slightly to face me, the fear has exhausted his little body and I already know he's going to fall asleep on the ride home.

"S-Steve..."

I'm gonna kill that bitch.

"She s-said Brie would h-help him."

Brie steps back like she's just been shot in the chest, her hand on her heart but her other balled in a fist. I know Chrissy fucking hates them both but this is a new low, even for her, especially now they're actually bonding with Liam.

Rage rushes through me, not just because of the crap she's saying about my brother, but the fact she was willing to put this little boy into this state of fucking fear for her own sick gratification. Of course my rage pales in comparison to the next voice we hear.

"She said fucking what?!" Steve's thundering tone comes from behind the couch and Liam jerks almost completely out of my arms at the sound.

Brie immediately gives him the death glare and his anger drops from one hundred to zero instantly, she knows the last thing Liam needs is for Steve to lose his shit right now. It doesn't help that he's still supporting a nasty cut above his eyebrow from the fight last week, he probably looks even more intimidating to the kid.

The whole room is in silence, everyone just as fucking shocked as I am about what we just heard. Why would you fill your kids head with shit like this? Make them frightened of their own fucking family just so you can get one over on an ex... This kid means fucking nothing to her.

Brie walks slowly towards us, making sure to gage Liam's reaction with every step. Brie of all people understands true terror, the things she's experienced can't even be put into words.

Lowering herself slowly to the floor so Liam doesn't become intimidated by her towering height, she moves in next to us on her knees and looks up at the scared innocent in my arms.

"Liam, we would never hurt you. Never. You are the most precious little boy in my world and I'd die before I'd let any harm come to you. I promise you sweetheart, I would never and neither would Steve." She gently brushes the hair that's become stuck to his tears soaked face away behind his ear, making sure he can hear her. I don't think I've ever heard Brie sound so delicate.

"She's right little man, neither of them would ever hurt you. Your Mum, she's just a-"

"Confused." Brie cuts me off quickly before I can say what I really want to. Mouthing off about Chrissy isn't going to help him here, whether we like it or not, he trusts her a fuck-ton more than he does Steve or Brie. He hardly knows them, not that it's either of their fault. "She got confused, maybe she meant we'd hurt for you? Like, those pricks at your school who were being mean - Just say the word and I'll run the little fuckers down with the bug."

Aleah tries to hold in her laughter but even Liam let's out a small giggle at Brianna's murderous rant. She has an odd way of showing love but it always works. The worst thing is that I have no doubts she's telling the truth, she'd do anything to look after the people she cares about.

"As for that lump over there." She gestures towards Steve, who I can tell is still really pissed but is trying to keep it together and not scare the poor kid more than he already is. "I know he looks big and frightening, he is too tall and his skin is a bit like an over used colouring book, but I promise you he loves you just as much as Josh does... He's your brother and he's a total teddy bear I swear, he's practically human candy floss."

Steve's really hating this isn't he? "He acts hard but I've seen him fight, you could probably take him babe!"

Liam chuckles, and I can hear Steve doing the same thing behind me. Even their laugh is the same.

Brie strokes over Liam's trembling fingers, I wait for him to pull away but he doesn't. "He would never hurt you sweetheart, and I would never let him."

I know she doesn't want it or need it, but if she had decided it was the right path for her, she would have made an incredible mother.

"Do you want us to go back to our house sweetheart? We don't want to be here if it's going to scare you. We want you to be happy wherever you are my love."

Liam looks to me for advice but in this moment I really just need to know what's happening in his heart. If he needs them to go I know they will, I just hate that this is fucking happening because of one vindictive woman.

To my surprise Liam shakes his head, slowly turning his hand over and holding it with Brie's. The emotion is clear in her too, this woman doesn't show it often but she's got the gooiest centre I've ever seen.

She smiles at him, then glances back at the paused TV. "Is this Monsters Inc? I love this one!" Her eyes suddenly grow wide with a realisation she's never had before and she quickly whips her head to where Steve stands. "That's who you are! Oh my god, you're Sulley! You're all like 'look at me, I'm huge and scary' but really you're just a fluffy huggable monster!" 

Oh god, I'm not sure what Steve is going to do to her later to make up for saying that but the little giggle from Liam seems to be enough to make her happy she did.

"I am not Sulley." He pouts.

"Whatever you say Sulley."

"Fine." Steve approaches, checking with me first before he sits on the seat furthest from me and Liam but still close enough that he can see him. He's taking it as Liam's pace and I know he won't push it. "But if I'm Sulley, that makes you the weird little green alien dude with one eye."

Brie smacks his leg so hard from her position on the floor between us that I'm sure you could get her fingerprints checked off the mark on his thigh.

"Bitch please, if I'm anyone then I'm the hot pink chick with snakes for hair. I mean, look at me." She starts to flap her abundance of curls around and Liam giggles as they tickle his chin. "Liam, I need you to protect me okay? That creepy invisible lizard dude creeps me the fuck out."

The movie plays, Liam becoming so engrossed I don't think he even realises the moment he lets go of me and slips down from my lap onto Brie's. She doesn't make a fuss, quickly kissing the top of his head and breaking her Oreo in half to share with him instead. She usually swallows those things whole so he should realise what a big moment this is.

He keeps his hand on my knee or holds onto my pant leg the entire time to make sure I don't leave him, not that I would. Just as I predicted by the time the credits roll he's fast sleep, Jayce and Heather joining him from their seat on the armchair.

Chase has been screaming for a solid ten minutes but none of them have even stirred. Brie hasn't moved an inch either, just stroking Liam's hair and keeping him tucked in on her chest under the blanket.

How dare Chrissy try to rob him of this, of a family that will love, care and protect him this way.. Look at them, what more could he wish for than this?

"I'm sorry she said that about you guys, I don't know what the fuck she was thinking."

Brie waves me off. "It's not your fault Josh, I'm just glad he told us. I hate the thought of any kid being afraid, you know that. This better be the last of it though, I know people that would take that bitch out for a decent bottle of rum so she needs to rein it in."

Steve nods in agreement. "We should've seen something like this coming, Chrissy only wanted me in Liam's life so I was in hers too. Us bonding this week must have shown her that she can't control that part of him anymore, or me, pushed her over the edge or something."

Maybe, doesn't change the fact I'm gonna tear her a new one when I see her later.

Liam twists in his sleep, curling his body even further into Brie, her long arms holding him safe. He looks so small compared to her.

I glance over at Steve, but all he's looking at is Brie. The woman of his dreams, the woman that saw a scared little boy and had to fix him because that's exactly who she is. He doesn't need to say it, I know exactly what he thinking:

He's the luckiest man in the world to be marrying that woman.

And he's fucking right, he is.