After Liam and I ate our ice cream we sat in the booth and talked. Time seemed to go by faster when I was with him.
"We should probably get going." He said staring out the window, seeing the sun starting to set.
"Yeah before they kick us out." I chuckle as I slide out of the booth.
We get in his car and he starts to drive. I don't know where we're about to go, but that didn't really bother me. I felt this safeness when I was with him. It was weird as I felt the exact opposite when I was with his father.
"Will anyone be home?" He asks keeping his eyes on the road.
"No, they'll probably be in the hospital." I say with my voice growing softer as I spoke. I didn't want to go back there. I don't want to have to look at my helpless brother who was fighting for consciousness. It was emotionally too hard. And reminded me of too much.
"You don't want me to drop you off at the hospital do you?" He then asks looking at me. I shake my head slightly in response. "Alright. Then I'll take you to my house. If that's ok with you," he offers.
"Yeah, that's fine." I try to say cooly. I see him smile out of the corner of my eye, but I feel the sweat start to form on my palms and my heart start to beat faster.
"You've met my dad before, right," Liam then asks.
I look at him sharply in alarm. It was as if he could see my thoughts. A pit formed in my stomach before I was able to speak.
"Yeah." I finally answer in a breathe. "But just small talk. It was that night at the cafe." I remind him.
"Oh yeah." He remembered. "I know he's not exactly a people person, so I don't want to worry about him."
I nod my head ever so slightly when the thought of asking about my mom occurred to me.
"Liam?" I ask.
He glances over at me before saying, "yes?"
I look at him and suddenly the fear came over me once again. "Do you have any dogs?"
"No, why? You allergic?"
"Yeah." I lie. Just like your mother. Liam's father rang in my voice, and I had no idea why he was bothering me so much. It was as if he had some power over me.
We pull up go Liam's house and I get out taking in the picture. It was on the smaller side, but there were only two of them.
The front lawn was cut and trimmed and everything was where it was suppose to be. Everything. There was a small porch with a black railing and three cleanly kept steps that lead to a white door with no window.
Liam opened the front door. Straight ahead was what seemed to be the family room and to the left of us was the kitchen. The kitchen where his father sat at that table reading the newspaper.
"Dad, this is Andi. You've met her before." Liam reintroduces. He puts his hand on my back and lightly pushes me fully into his view.
"Yes. We have met." He nearly golds his paper. "So are you two dating now?" He then asks in what sounded like a forced tone.
Liam looks at me hesitantly before I answer the question for him.
"No." I clear my throat and make myself clear. "No, we're just friends." My voice grew softer as I stared into his eyes.
Silence grew upon us and I felt my heart start to beat even faster. It was so quiet that I was self conscious that they could hear it.
"I'm sorry to hear about your brother, Andi," His father then states out of the blue.
"Oh." I exclaim. It caught me off guard and I wasn't sure that I could get back on. "Yeah, but he's fine. Thanks for asking Mr. Finely." I state politely. He was, after all, still Liam's Dad.
He nods his head down acknowledging my gesture.
"Well Andi's going to stay here for a couple hours so if you need us, we'll be in my room." Liam states awkwardly. It seemed as if he was more concerned with what I thought of his dad,rather than vice versa.
Liam starts for the hallway to his room when Mr. Finley spoke up.
"I would like a word with Andi."
Liam looks at him skeptically and hesitates before disappearing around the corner.
Mr. Finely turns his attention towards me and waves his hand for me to come closer. I do as he gestures.
"How do you know my mother?" I ask him quietly. It was a question that was burning inside of me.
"I believe I was the one that wanted to speak to you." He says. He slips the folded newspaper into the pocket of his jacket.
"You said she was a liar." I remind him of his words. "Why would you say something like that?"
"Grace was a creature of mystery." He said as if it were the answer to all the worlds problems. "She was a puzzle that needed to be pieced together. That's why it was so devastating to hear that she had passed. Especially in such a way."
I felt my chest rise and fall at an even faster rate. I had so many thoughts in my brain, it was as if I had none at all. It was a scary place to be.
"And I don't want you to end up like her." Mr. Finely continued. "You're so good with my son, and I would hate to see you walk the same steps she did."
"What are you-"
"So stop with all the lies, Andria." He cut my off mid sentence, but what he had said had shut me up. He looks away for a second before turning his focus back on me.
"Oh, and Liam's door is the first door on the right."
