In Between

Chapter 7 - Liam

Liam analyzed Eleanor features. "You look good Len! This time away is doing good to you!"

"Thank you! I really feel more relaxed these days!"

"So why you come back?"

"Because of you Liam!"

Liam face broke out in surprise. "Me? Why?"

"Well your face is a good answer to that question, don't you think?" Eleanor asked, caressing some bruises that he had near his eyes.

Uncomfortable, he walked away from her, turning his back. "Who told you?"

"Doesn't matter! Why are you doing this? Is it because of that girl?" She asked trying to get closer to him.

"No!" He returned rapidly. Then he cast his gaze downward. "Maybe... I don't think it's all about that but... well maybe it helped," He finished and sat on his bed next to his sister. She always managed to reach him, to make him talk and help him get through all the bad things that happened in his life. She read him in a way that no one could, and when she finally picked his hand up he felt one tear falling down his face. "I think the last couple of months all together lead here and you know I like to fight."

"The problem Liam is that you don't go there to fight, you go there to punish yourself!"

He answered her with silence. A silence that filled the room for longer than they both wanted, but they were both fighting their struggles and as much Eleanor wanted to help her brother, his reference to the last couple months made her think about all the mess that her life had been recently. But she wasn't here for her, she was here for her brother. "Liam you have to stop! This is unhealthy. And what is with you and uncle Cirus secret?"

"Don't worry about that! You're right I should stop the fights!" He says trying to avoid the subject of Uncle Cirus. Eleanor noticed his change and his refusal to answer but decided not to push it.

"Liam I came because I heard that most nights you barely can keep yourself up. Please take care of you! I can't be here now and I'll worry if I know you keep blowing off your problems and going to that stupid fights instead!"

"I'm not ignoring my problems, I'm just trying to deal with it!"

"Well, apparently you have not been very successful!"

"You didn't tell me who called you!" He redirected again, avoiding her inquisitor look.

"Jasper called me. He got worried with your state last night and as I hear he has a lot on his plate right now and keeping up with you, it hasn't been easy!"

"He really didn't need to follow me around and he for sure shouldn't have called you and worried you!" Liam voice was raspy, upset with the situation because he wasn't happy that Jasper had exposed him to Eleanor, but somehow he was thankful to him for doing it because he really missed his sister.

She smiled at him. "Do you want to talk about Robert?"

"Len there's nothing to talk about Robert, he is the King and that's it!"

"But Liam, he was supposed to be the King!"

"I know he was, and I fight this situation for a while when I was forced to assume that responsibility but then I got confident about my abilities and I know now that I would have been a good King and I would have made our father proud, and... I was supposed... never mind! You already said it! You don't understand what's happening with Robert!" He finished defeated.

"Well actually I have been thinking and maybe you could be right about Robert, he is changed and for sure is not our Robert anymore!"

He once again was surprised by her words. He was not expecting her agreement on this. "What made you change your mind?"