Love, Lies, and Other Ties

Chapter Forty-Two

Carter's POV:

I'm gently shaken awake and realize that I fell asleep on the front porch swing. I'm wrapped in a warm blanket and my book has fallen on the ground. I rubbed my eyes and notice someone standing next to me. In my half-asleep state, I flinch and realize that it's Liam. Oh, so now he shows up after never calling or texting me to tell me where he was.

Without a word to him, I pick up my blanket, mug of cold tea and my book up off the ground and walk back into the house without saying anything to him. I put the book back up on the shelf where I got it from and fold the blanket to put it on the back of the couch. I walk into the kitchen with my mug and decide to wash what little dishes there are in the sink so I don't have to say anything to Liam.

After a few minutes of silence other than the water running in the sink, I feel his chest press against my back. His arms come around me and he covers my hands with his to keep my from washing my mug for the third time. He reaches over and turns off the water and I close my eyes while letting out a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry that I didn't text you and let you know that I couldn't make it. I should have and I realize that now but something big happened and everything happened so fast. I'm sorry," he said while placing small kisses on my neck.

I didn't move. I couldn't let him see that he was affecting me in any way. Nothing justifies him asking for a second chance and then not showing up.I couldn't keep my mind from going into overdrive at what he had to deal with that was so important. I can't quit thinking that he was just at a party or with some girl and he realized that I just didn't mean as much to him as he thought.

I even texted Kay last night asking where he was but got no reply from her either. The thoughts that people would be better without me slowly started to creep back in. 'He doesn't feel that way about you. He only wants you as a toy. Kay isn't really your friend. You have too much drama in your life for them. Tracy only took you in as a promise to your mom. You're a burden to everyone,' the voices all taunt.

All I can do is shove his arm out of the way and head upstairs to my bedroom. Liam follows me the whole way. I get to the bedroom and look over to the bathroom where the latest incident occurred and can't help but think that it's part of the reason people don't want anything to do with me. Liam sees me looking over at the bathroom and a look of sadness and fury take over his face.

"What are you thinking?" he asks

"Nothing," I whisper back. I walk over and sit on my bed and Liam drags my desk chair over to the side and sits down as close as he can get without touching me. I pull my knees up to my chest and look down while biting the inside of my cheek. I'm still trying to figure out why he's even here when he made it clear with hi absence that he doesn't want to be here.

"Baby, look at me," he whispers out. I try to avoid looking at him but he gently grabs my chin and turns my face in his direction but I can barely see him because the tears in my eyes, which I hadn't noticed till now, are making everything blurry.

"Why are you here?" I ask and rip my face out of his gentle grip and angrily wipe the tears from my face.

"I'm here to apologize for ghosting you. Believe me, I wanted to be here so bad and if something big hadn't have come up last night, I would have been here in a heartbeat. I promise."

"Oh, yeah? What came up? A party? Fucking Ginny? The whole Double Con squad? Huh? What was it?!" I'm yelling by the end of my sentence and standing on the other side of my bed.

"What the fuck, Car? None of that would be more important than you!" he yells back after standing in front of the chair.

"Well, what was so important to you?!"

"My fucking mother died!" Everything is silent after that. I was in shock. I couldn't move. His mother died. The woman who was like a second mother to me for most of my life was gone just like mine was. I felt like absolute shit for implying that he was fucking some girl. That also explains why Kay never responded to me last night. My self-deprecating thoughts took a real, horrible situation and made it all about me.

"Oh, Liam, I am so sorry," he didn't reply and just stared at the floor. "I know how it feels better than anyone to lose your mother. I mean, mine died while I was in the bed with her on my thirteenth birthday. I'm sorry that I jumped to conclusions." There was still no reply. I walked up to stand in front of him and realized, he was crying.

Once I got in front of him, he collapsed on the floor and pulled me into his arms. He just cried and cried. For the mother he lost, for the woman who who hold him when he needed held, the woman who always knew what to say and the woman who always kept him safe. I knew what it felt like to feel your world falling down and no way to catch the pieces without getting scarred. All I could do was hold him.

>>>>><<<<<

The next morning I woke up on my bed snuggled against something warm and hard. I blink open my eyes when I didn't remember falling asleep or how I got to my bed. I looked around and found that I was, in fact, in my bed and snuggled in bed with Liam. He looked so sweet and innocent. Although, even with his eyes closed, I could see the pain they hid. He was hurting and I was hurting for him. He stirred awake and looked down at me with a soft smile.

"Hey," hey rasped out in his morning voice.

"Hey, I thought you would have left last night after everything... I am so sorry, Liam," I said to him. He brought his thumb up to my face and wiped away a tear that had fallen and traced my bottom lip. Time seemed to slow when he leaned in but stopped just a hair away from my lips. I looked up to his eyes and gave a small nod. He leaned in and gently kissed me.

"I didn't want to be anywhere else than with you. I get it, I would have thought the worst of me, too if I was in your position. I got here as fast as I could after talking to Tracy and realizing how much time had past. Everything was a blur until she brought things into prospective. I'm sorry I didn't call or text you."

"That's okay. I understand how overwhelming everything could be," I leaned in and kissed him again, and again, and again but pulled away when the kiss started to get a little heated. "So what do we do now?"

"We find your father."

"Wh...Why do we need to find him exactly?" I questioned in fear of finding my abuser.

"...Because...He is the one who killed my mother."