No Filter

Chapter LXXIX (79)

Ally's POV

I trot down the stairs, having a somewhat good rest in bed. Last night, it wasn't the dark that let me up. Liam's actions last night got me worried. I couldn't get it out of my head. Just how he stood there in front of the front door. He came to my room last night but didn't tell me why he came. I got the feeling like he didn't want to be in his own room because it might've reminded him of the past. He slept in my room last night on the bed and is still asleep.

I walk into the kitchen, smelling Mrs. Payne's delicious food. She was by the stove, stirring the gravy as the sausages fry on the cast iron pan. The biscuits were in the oven. The sight of the smell made me even hungrier.

Mrs. Payne looks at me and smiles, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Mrs. Payne," I greet.

She scoffs and creases her brows, "Don't call me that. Just call me Karen."

I smile and nod my head. "Do you need any help in the kitchen?"

"No, breakfast is almost served," she says. "But you can set up the table. Set it for two because Geoff and Liam like to have their sleep."

I chuckle. Even though Liam has made it mandatory to wake up and eat breakfast in every morning, there has been a few times Liam didn't want to get up, and I had to drag him out of bed.

I walk to the cabinet and grab the plates and a bowl. Karen pours the gravy in the bowl. I grab the biscuits out of the oven and transfer them onto the plate. We set them down on the dining table. Once we got the plates, spoons and forks, cups filled with water, and the food set out, we sit across from one another and begin to dig in.

In the middle, Karen raises her voice, "So, how did you sleep?"

I finish swallowing. "Well," I answer.

"I'm sorry for my son," she says. "I don't think any less of you, considering you two are together now, right?"

I nod my head. "Yes," I respond.

She smiles. "Pat and I always knew you two were meant to be together," she explains, "I'm sorry for what your father did to your mom, and I'm so sorry about your mom passing."

"It's okay. That was in the past. Everything is good," I rebuttal. "I'm sorry I didn't inform you of the news. It was a difficult time for me. I couldn't bring myself to tell you or Liam. And my dad and I are fine now. He just got surgery a couple days ago."

"I'm glad everything went well between the two of you," she says before another thought came to her. It was written on her face. She asks, "How did you and Liam reconnect?"

I take in a breath and explain to her the story. It took the remainder of breakfast. I explain why I needed the job, the first moment that we met again, what we did together, and how our relationship started.

After I was done, I take a sip of my water, feeling my throat dry. In the corner of my eyes, I see Liam walking down. His hair was fix, and he put on a shirt.

Suddenly, I forgot what I was going to do. And Liam must've known. Of course, he knows. I'm going to be dead to him.

Our eyes meet, and it's like he peered through my soul. He walks up to me, and I grew cautious of him. He rests his right hand on the table and leans down to my ear. He whispers loudly, "Ally, the next time you sleep on the floor, I'm gonna drag you up on the bed, or I will come down with you."

I chuckle and cover my mouth.

"You slept on the floor?" Karen asks.

I turn to her, red cheeked and completely guilty. "Yes, ma'am," I reply.

I turn back to Liam, and he continues, "Just wait for tonight," he whispers. A smirk emerges on his lips, and I grew fearful yet curiously excited of what he could possibly do.

He grabs a plate, and I stand up with mine and place it in the sink. Geoff came down as well after I washed my hands. Geoff turns to look at me, surprised. "Allyson, so you are really here?"

"Yes, sir," I reply.

He looked a little pale and sweaty. His mustache was longer than I remember, and his face was more full. "Do you mind leaving the three of us alone for a minute? Karen and I need to discuss something with Liam."

I nod my head. I glance at Liam, who was mildly confused. He looked at me and begged for me to stay with his eyes. But I couldn't stay. I give him an apologetic look and exit the kitchen. I climb on the first step on the stairs, and instantly, I hear Geoff's lecturing his son.

"You finally came to visit?" He begins with a chuckle before his voice turned rough and hoarse. "Well, it's about time for you to stop being selfish for once. I know you probably have a lot of questions, and I'll just give it to you freely." Geoff takes a huge breath before spitting, "You don't even know what you've done to your mother. She was devastated when she found out about the stuff that you do. I can barely look at you. We couldn't be together, so after the fire you pulled, we moved away, leaving you with the farm because we believe you were still capable. We visit you every year, but you don't seem to care. You don't even visit us, so we decided to just stop coming. Actually, I stop, but your mother begged and begged for us to visit. I told her that you're happy without us. Now, you have the guts to come and visit us. You're more than just a disappointment."

My eyes puff, feeling my heart plummeting to my stomach. How can a father, or any parent, say that to their child?

"I will let you stay here, only because you have a guest, but please leave quick," he continues. "I don't want your dirt on my floor."

Karen raises her voice, "Geoff, that is not the way to be talking to our son like that."

I hear a chair screeching against the floor, causing me to cover my ears. I hear a couple grunts and struggles. I close my eyes, and tears stream down my cheek. My breath shakes.

"Karen, stop being stupid," Geoff said. "Your son doesn't love you. Why do you think he never visit?"

"That is not true," Karen rebuttals. "I know he loves us. You can't see anything past your pride."

I hear footsteps coming my way. I wipe my tears and run up the stairs. I enter the second door on the right and close it behind me. I pace back and forth in the room, trying to imagine what Liam would feel.

The door opens, and I flinch. I spin around and see Liam with tears in eyes. My heart shatters. I walk up to him, and he wraps his arms around me, squeezing me tight. He shuts the door with his feet, and I hug him back, rubbing his back soothingly.

"Liam, it's okay," I whisper.

He breathes hard on my shoulder, and chills run down my spine. I sniff along with him as tears flow down my cheeks as well. We cry in each other's arm for a while.

We move to my bed and sat down. After a moment, we pull apart, and I look at his puffy eyes and red nose. "Can I..." He begins with a stuffed nose, "...can I lay down?"

I nod my head. He rests his legs on the bed and his head on my lap. He holds my hand and stares at the wall. I can see his tears still streaming down. I brush his hair was my free hand. He closes his eyes, and soon, he fell asleep in my lap.