The Risk Takers

Part 1 | Set Up

I'm too stunned to respond. My mouth is failing me. How can Teddy, the guy I have been with twenty-four seven for the past two months read minds? How did he keep it a secret from me for so long? And why?

He's still standing across from me with a smirk on his face and I'm completely panicking. My mother is behind closed doors interrogating Liam and Teddy just dropped a bombshell on me.

"I've wanted to tell you since I met you Ellie, I promise I did but I have other forces silencing me." Now my brain is on overload. I throw my hands up over my ears hoping to shield my thoughts but I know that won't do anything.

"Yeah Ellie, I was hoping Liam would have worked with you more to shield your thoughts. You really are an open book," Teddy says, still joking around and using a light tone but I can't handle it.

"Teddy, this isn't possible. You're supposed to be normal ol' Teddy. A frat brother who likes to drink beer, bang girls and watch Netflix with me. Can't I meet one normal person in Malibu?" I whine which causes Teddy to laugh.

"Mischa is normal...as far as I can tell," he jokes and I sulk back into the dining room and dump into my seat. Teddy follows behind me and sits where my mother was previously seated.

"I have a lot to fill you in on, but I'll wait until you sneak Liam into the house. He's going to want to know too and really don't wanna explain all this twice."

I shake my head, "All this time? But I have been openly reading your thoughts since I met you." Teddy lightly laughs again, nothing about him is ever serious.

"Yes and I've been extremely calculated with that. It would have been a dead give away if you realized I had silent thoughts." I feel like I have been lied to for months. Everyone is keeping something from me and I'm always unknowingly an open book. "Ellie, everything between us is real. I have never lied to you, I just haven't told you the whole truth. All my thoughts and intentions have been genuine. You are my best friend." Suddenly, Teddy and I both hear the French doors sliding back open and I snap up and out of my chair before running into the hallway.

Liam looks serious as he walks in front of my mom and she looks to me sternly. I'm about to combust with panic. I can't handle all of this at once.

"Are you leaving?" I ask Liam as he continues to walk toward the front door. He glances to me I'll be back later.

He stops dead in his tracks when he sees Teddy standing by the front door. I realize they have never met in person and my mom immediately panics.

"Oh Ellie, have these two been introduced yet?" She asks, hoping nothing horrific will happen between the two guys.

"Oh, Liam this is-" I start but Teddy cuts me off.

"I'm Teddy Stark. I've heard all about you Liam," he greets Liam with a smile and when he holds out his hand he silently says We'll be formally introduced later. Liam looks back to me but I'm at a loss for words.

"Yeah Teddy, I've heard a lot about you too." He shakes Teddy's hand but he still shoots me a bewildered look.

I had no idea Liam. Come by as soon as you can. Go to the patio door and I'll leave it open so you can slip inside. Wait for me in my room.

Liam nods to me and to my mother it looks like he is just saying goodbye. The three of us watch Liam disappear through the front door. When the door clicks shut my mom looks back to me, "I just had an interesting conversation with Liam."

I start biting the inside of my cheek while I shift my weight with my feet, "Oh? About what?"

"Let's go have a sit," she says and she doesn't wait for me to respond before she leaves back into the dining room. Teddy looks to me and says, "I'll wait for you upstairs. If Liam comes I'll keep him company." Teddy winks to me before bounding back upstairs. I stand alone in the empty foyer and contemplate bolting out my front door and never returning. This is all too much to handle. I feel like I've concocted so many identities and lies that I don't know what's reality anymore. How can I explain anything that's going on to my mom? What did Liam just tell her? I rub my temples with my finger tips and wonder if brains can explode from thinking too hard.

I glance in the direction of the dining room and know my mother will come drag me in there by my hair if I'm not in there in a few seconds. I walk slowly into the dining room and she's waiting for me patiently with her hands folded in front of her on the table. I ease myself into the chair and look to her hesitantly.

"I just had an interesting conversation with Liam," she says smugly and I'm going to let her lead the conversation so I don't accidentally dig myself into a deeper hole.

"Oh?" is all I respond with and she nods, "He filled me in on the back story of his parents. You didn't tell me that John and Lisa's relationship is...toxic. I didn't know that Liam's mom wants nothing to do with his dad."

"Well to be fair mom, I don't think you want me telling the Greysor's all of your and dad's dirty laundry right?"

She frowns at me and continues, "Liam also told me that John can be a bit emotionally abusive and that he didn't want you around his dad when they got reacquainted in August."

I nod my head, "He didn't want me to have anything to do with John because he's an asshole."

My mom's jaw drops and she snaps, "Don't you use that language around me missy. Now, regardless of your feelings toward him it sounds like the Greysor's could be unfairly pinning this whole mess on you. He also said there is something you needed to tell me, something that you've wanted to tell me for awhile now." She looks to me, waiting for some big revelation but I am completely gobsmacked. What would I want to tell my mom? He can't possibly mean the secret I've been harboring since elementary school. He would be out of his mind.

"Um, mom I really don't know what he's talking about. I'm kind of confused." I try and explain to her and she frowns, "Ellie, you know you can tell me anything."

Still confused I shake my head, "Mom, I know I can tell you anything. But I really don't have anything to tell. I don't know what he's talking about."

She releases a sigh and shakes her head. I can tell she's concerned and more than a bit frustrated with me. She shifts her manicured fingers so they lay flat on the table as she says, "Ellie, something has been going on with you. In August you left a carefree spirit who only cared about manicures, the anniversary sale at Nordstrom, getting into a sorority and easy electives. You came home a few days ago with no highlights in your hair, your nails are completely chewed down, you are carrying the same purse you had in July and you are now toting around a new boyfriend. I understand freshman year being a big change but I don't even recognize you anymore. I know the stuff with Liam has been hard but I really don't think you'd do several thousand dollars worth of damage to his parents house. I don't think you would but then again I don't know if I honestly know my daughter anymore." My jaw drops slightly and her words pack a punch.

"Just because I don't bleach my hair every six weeks and cake my face with makeup doesn't mean I'm not the same person mom," I argue and I feel my stomach turn.

"No, honey I know you are still smart and an ambitious young lady all I'm saying is, I don't know you like I once used to. You are doing your own thing now and living a life thousands of miles away from me so I feel like I'm getting to re-know my daughter. It's fine if you no longer care about the things you used to, you are growing up and change is a part of that but I still need to know what's going on with you. So if you have something you want to tell me now is the time. I can't help you out of this mess if I don't know the truth. What's been going on in Malibu?" She pleads again and the tears I've been sucking back spill over. One at a time they slide down my cheeks and I am confused why Liam set me up like this?

"Mom..." I start and I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. Too much has happened today that's completely thrown me but I know for damn sure that I am not telling her my secret. Not now and not ever, "It's just been different okay? Things I thought were once important aren't anymore. It's fine." My tears startle her and she quickly moves from her chair to come sit next to me. She pulls me into her and she's worried about me.

"If it's fine then why are you crying?" She softly asks me and I shake my head against her shoulder, "Because I'm being set up and I don't know what to do."