I Choose You

Chapter 11: Horrible Past

          Liam walks out to his car about twenty minutes later, seeing Sloane leaning against the hood of his car, still in her ball gown.

          "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be in there with Mr. High Class himself?" Liam asks, a beer in his hand.

          "Shouldn't you keep liquor where it belongs?" Sloane smirks.

          Liam shrugs taking another long sip.

          "So finish what you were going to say," Sloane encourages, crossing her arms.

          "I've been to prison," he blurts. "I did two years," taking another sip of his beer. "So when you ask me if I'm afraid of your dad, that's a definite no."

          "What for..." Sloane says softly.

          Liam sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I went to prison for aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter."

          "On who?"

          "My dad," Liam says softly, looking down at his beer bottle.

          "Why," Sloane asks quietly.

         "He uh tried, umm raping my sister."

         "Then he deserved it," Sloane says.

         "I killed my dad," Liam breaks but not looking up.

         "Wait, what?" Sloane's head snaps back to look up at Liam.

         "His injuries were so bad that he died at the hospital."

         "Oh," Sloane says.

          They are both silent for a few minutes.

          "Do you want to go somewhere?" Sloane asks.

          "You're gonna leave your charmer of a boyfriend behind?"

          "He's talking to people," she stands up. "Come on," she says, opening his car door.

          Liam smiles getting in his car along with Sloane, "Where am I going?" he asks.

          "West Point in Crandon Park."

          They drive for a few more minutes before pulling up. "Do you live here?" Liam asks, looking at the building and putting the car in park.

          She shakes her head, getting out and leaving her shoes in the car then walking through the garden, past the building and through the gate in the back towards the small rocky beach. They walk down a pathway until they get to a sandy, secluded part of the rocky shore, a little cliff blocking it from the view above.

          "You know I've lived in Miami all my life and I've never seen this," Liam looks around.

          "My dad's a member of the golf and country club here," she says sitting down in the sand. "I used to come here after my mom died and my dad would just play golf all the time."

         "My mom died when I was younger too," Liam says.

          "I was five."

          "I was eleven."

         "I'm sorry," Sloane says quietly, putting her hand on his in the sand. "My mom had a heart condition and had a heart attack," Sloane reveals. "Why am I telling you all this?" she smiles.

          "I could ask the same question," Liam laughs. He leans over and kisses her temple before sliding his jacket off and around her body, it easily fitting around her small frame.

          "What is this?" Sloane asks quietly.

          "What's what?"

           "This," she laughs. "I ditched my boyfriend and father at a huge gala to come sit in the sand with you."

          Liam looks at her and then looking back out at the waves. "Sloane, I didn't want to say anything, but your dad threatened me," he says softly.

          "What?"

          "He saw me wink at you. He then called me into his office and told me to stay away from you because if I don't, he'll make sure I never work in Miami again. He cut my pay for the job that I did for him by $30,000 because he was the one who changed the plan mid-way through the week. That's why I didn't get done on time."

          "I'm sorry. I didn't know," Sloane says softly.

         "It's fine. I figured you didn't. I told him to write a check for my guys, but I didn't want his money."

          "Liam, how can you live without getting paid?"

           "I have money saved. Every paycheck I get I give half to my sister."

          Sloane smiles not saying anything for a sec but as she looks out into the moonlit water. "Do you want to go swimming?"

          "Now?" Liam smirks.

          She nods.

          "Yeah, let's do it," Liam says, nodding his head as he begins to loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt.

          Sloane watches him before standing up and sliding his jacket off. She undoes her zipper on her dress, letting the dress fall into a big pool of fabric around her feet, wearing no bra and some boy shorts. She notices his eyes running down her body as he stands up and pulls his shirt off and then his pants, just in his boxer briefs now.

           "Ready?" Sloane asks, walking toward the water.

          "Yeah," Liam laughs as they walk in the water, a little cold at first but then getting used to it.

          They both swim out, going under every so often. Sloane goes out as far as she can go before standing up, not seeing Liam anywhere. She suddenly feels a hand on her sides as Liam resurfaces, standing a few inches away from her. The attraction for each other in both of their eyes is like a magnet, wanting to draw each other closer. Sloane watches as he leans down, pressing his lips to hers. She returns, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her tiptoes against him and smiling into his lips, her fingers sliding along the back of his neck and up into the base of his hair a bit.

          Liam smiles, slipping them into the water a little and moving around in the ocean and holding onto her the whole time, lightly kissing her from time to time. He then pulls away.

          "I'm not like you, Sloane," Liam says, continuing to swim around.

         "Hmm?" resting her head against his.

         "I don't drive Bentley's. I don't live in a nice house, my sister does," Liam laughs, "but I don't. The only thing that is nice about me is my car, and then I drive a piece of shit truck for work. I wasn't raised like you were. As I said, my mom was a heroin addict and so was my dad. He got so messed up he tried to take advantage of my sister like I've said."

        Sloane pulls back, resting her hands on his cheeks. "I don't drive a Bentley. I don't live in a nice house," she says kissing at his lips a few times. "Just shut up," she smiles kissing him harder. "Come on," Sloane says shivering a little. 

          They swim to shore, Sloane immediately pulling Liam's jacket back on. They make their way to the car, drying off as they go.

           "Where are we going?" Liam asks, starting the car and turning the heat up.

          Sloane shrugs, holding her hands in front of the heat blowing.

          "Well, do you want to see Gunner?"

          "My handsome fella?" Sloane grins. "Of course."

          "Alright then."