Counting Stars | ✔

Chapter Sixteen

Jessica

I keep telling myself I am only giddy because I am about to be in the water after being away from it for so long. But I know the real reason my heart is beating out of my chest as I get to Liam's front door. I am pleased to find it unlocked. I didn't think he would actually take me seriously when I suggested that.

I barge in and call out.

A figure appears from the living room, and I expect to see Liam. But instead, I come face to face with a tall blonde. Unlike the first time I saw her, she is fully clothed. She has on a tortilla brown coat draped over an off white pencil skirt paired with nude pointed-toe heels. She looks much older like this.

I see a carry on in her hand and wonder where she is going. When she sees me, she comes to an abrupt stop. She must not have heard me call.

"Oh, hello." She smiles and walks over. "I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was here." She gives me a quick hug.

You'd think she'd be a bitch considering she is married to a jackass. But she is actually very pleasant.

"Is Liam here?" I ask, even though I already know he is. I saw his bike parked outside.

She purses her lips and sighs heavily.

"Yeah, he is upstairs. Though I don't know if he'll be much of a company."

She tells me, and I frown.

"Why? Is he not okay?" I ask.

I watch her have an internal battle. She's probably deciding on whether to tell me or not. I feel my anxiety rise as I wait for her to say something. She finally sighs, giving in.

"I told Liam that I am pregnant, and he didn't take it so well."

She tells me, and I'm confident that my mouth is hanging open. I am not sure what I expected her to tell me, but this was definitely not it.

"Um,.. con... congratulations." I stutter.

"We didn't plan it. It just happened. I never expected him to be overjoyed, but I hoped he'd at least be fine with it."

I am positive I should say something. Tell her that he'll come around or something. But I don't know that for certain. So, I just stand awkwardly feeling like I just overstepped some sort of unmarked boundary. I don't know if Liam would want me to know this, but I can't unlearn it now.

Sabrina glances at her watch.

"I should get going. I'm going to catch a flight back to New York. He doesn't want me here. Talk to him if you can." She tells me, eyes full of worry. And I nod.

She gives me a small troubled smile before slipping out the door.

I stand there debating on going up or just leaving and pretending like I never showed up. Knowing him, I feel like he would want to be left alone right now. But I want to know if he is okay.

Deciding actually takes me a while. When I finally make up my mind and start going up, I see him at the top of the stairs. I stop in my tracks, a little startled. I have no idea how long he has been standing there watching me.

"I thought you were going to leave." He says, confirming that he was watching me the entire time.

"I didn't know if you'd want me here," I tell him, and I spot the bottle in his hand for the first time.

He sees me looking at it.

"I didn't have much." He tells me, coming down till we are face to face. "Today just so happens to be a special occasion." He says, and the smell of bourbon hits me full force.