Untamed Hearts

C h a p t e r 13

Caden's POV

"Liam?" I whispered, my voice trembling with shock and dread. The sound of his name hung in the air like a death knell threatening to shatter the fragile grip I had on my emotions. Liam's eyes narrowed, a hint of smile dancing on his lips sending a shiver down my spine. "Caden, along time no see" He said, his voice low and husky like a whispered secret.

My mind reeled as I stared at the boy I thought I've lost forever, the one person who had been my everything. Liam Thompson, my childhood best friend, my brother in every sense of the word. We'd grown up together, inseparable, sharing every laughter and every tear until....until he vanished from my life without a trace.

The sun was high overhead, casting a warm glow over the town of Willow Creek. Liam and I, both ten years old, trudged home from school. Our backpacks slung over our shoulders, our feet kicking up rocks and clouds of dust on the sidewalk.

"I'm so glad that's over" Liam said flopping down onto the grassy verge "I hate Mondays" I collapsed beside him, rolling onto my back to gaze up at the sky.

"Me too, I wish we could just play video games all day"

Liam chuckled, "Your mom would never let that happen"

I grinned, "Yeah, yeah. She's always on my case about something" We lay there in comfortable silence for a while, watching the clouds drift lazily by.

"Hey, Caden?" Liam said finally turning onto his side to face me.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we'll always be friends?"

I shrugged, "Of course, why wouldn't we be?" Liam's eyes were serious.

"I mean, no matter what happens? If we move away or if we get into different schools...or if something bad happens." I sat up. My heart beating a little faster.

"Nothing bad is gonna happen, Liam" But he just shook his head.

"You never know, Caden. Life is weird. But I want you to promise me something."

"Anything" I said, my voice firm.

"Promise me that no matter what happens we'll always be there for each other. We'll always be brothers." I nodded, my throat tightening with emotion.

"I promise, Liam. Brothers forever" His face lit up with a radiant smile.

"Brothers forever" He echoed. We clasped hands, our grip tight as if sealing our fate. And in that moment I knew that nothing could ever break the bond between us.

The memories came flooding back like a tidal wave crashing against the shores of my heart. I remembered the way we explored the woods behind our houses, the way we had shared our deepest secrets, the way we promised to be there for each other no matter what. And then, just like that he was gone. I had thought I'd never see him again, that he was lost to me forever. But here he was, standing in front of me, eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. His smile a reminder of the bond we once shared.

I stared at Liam, my mind racing with questions. "Where have you been? Why did you leave without saying anything?"

Liam's smile faltered as he looked away, his eyes clouding over. "I just needed to get out of here, Caden. I needed some space."

"Space?" I repeated, my voice incredulous. "You just vanished, Liam. No phone call, no text, no nothing. What was going on?"

Liam shrugged, his expression evasive. "I was just dealing with some stuff, okay? I didn't want to drag you down with me."

I narrowed my eyes, sensing a lie. "What kind of stuff?"

"Just stuff, Caden. Don't worry about it, okay?"

I felt a surge of frustration. Liam was shutting me out, just like he had all those years ago. "No, it's not okay," I said, my voice rising. "You just show up here after all these years and expect me to pretend like everything is fine? You owe me an explanation, Liam."

Liam's eyes flashed with a warning, but his voice remained calm. "I don't owe you anything, Caden. Let's just forget about the past and move on, okay?"

I shook my head, my mind reeling with questions and doubts. Something was off about Liam's story, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Yet.

"Fine, meet me tomorrow at Louis Café. 8pm sharp, okay?"

I nodded, still trying to process everything. "Okay"

Liam smiled enigmatically. "Just be there....alone." He said, looking awkwardly at someone behind me. I followed his eyes and saw a confused London. Ugh! I forgot about him, he's probably going to bomb me with questions after this.

"Fine, I'll be there. Alone" I finally said after a deep sigh. And with that, Liam turned and disappeared into the night, leaving me with more questions than answers.

London's gaze met mine, his eyes curious. "Who was that guy, Caden? He seemed pretty intense."

I shook my head, still trying to wrap my mind around everything. "That was Liam, my childhood best friend. He just showed up out of nowhere after all these years."

London's eyes widened. "Whoa, so you tryna tell me you just had a dead fight with your best friend? That's crazy. What did he want?"

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "He just wanted to catch up, I guess. But there's something off about him, something he's not telling me."

London's expression turned serious. "Be careful, Caden. If he's been gone that long there's probably a reason for it."

I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities. "I will, London. But I need answers. I need to know what happened to him all those years ago."

London nodded. "So, are you going to meet him tomorrow night?"

I took a deep breath, my resolve firming. "Yes, I am. I need to know the truth."

London clapped me on the back. "I'll be here, waiting to hear what happens. Be careful, okay?"

I nodded, my heart pounding with anticipation. Tomorrow night, I would finally get the answers I've been searching for.

A short chapter to keep y'all on your toes, hahaha!!! I've been busy with some stuff (just like Liam has) but I'll be sure to update soon, or not ;).

Xoxo!