LOVING THE DEVIL [02]

Chapter 16.

CHAPTER 16: Summer View

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One afternoon when the sun shone over the apartment complex where Liam lived, he sat on the couch on his day off which happened rarely, but when it did, he took every advantage of it. Today, he was on one of his regular phone calls with Mr Smith, telling him when he would make it back to Summer View for a trip.

Mr Smith always called him the same day every week and at the exact same time. Punctual and precise he was and during every phone call, he always asked when Liam would come to visit him in Summer View and Liam always said the same thing.

He wasn't sure. His schedule was busy and even when he attempted to find free time, it was never enough to enjoy a truly fulfilling trip back to the town he studied at. However, an opportunity did come up. A 'two in one deal' as he said to himself.

Brielle and her friends were graduating and she wanted him to come along and celebrate with them. She didn't want him missing out whatsoever because that just wasn't right. He had endlessly helped her study on some evenings and it would only be impolite to not invite him back.

Liam knew that seeing Brielle would also mean seeing Mr Smith and so he told the older man of the plan and excitement was an understatement of how he was feeling. He had grown to treat Liam like he was his son, caring for him as well as providing him with everything he needed.

The pair felt like they hadn't missed years of not being around one another; they felt like they had known each other since Liam was born. Mr Smith's secretary also noticed how similar the two were, often displaying the same behaviour without even trying.

"We'll all be very excited when you come back. I hear you're coming here in a few months," Mr Smith spoke as Liam chuckled lightly. Four months to be exact, he thought, one month after the charity ball, "are you coming with anyone?"

"Yes, I think I'll be coming along with some of the others to celebrate graduates this year. It's been a while since I was there. Has anything changed?" he hasn't gone back in almost a year so he doubted much has changed, but Mr Smith was no longer mayor, retiring a year after Liam left to go to NYC.

Apparently—and he heard this from Brielle—but the new mayor had Summer View College fixed up after I left, repainted walls, new lockers and working air conditioning in nearly every classroom.

"That's good then and do stop working yourself too hard and keep out of trouble—don't think I don't know what you've been up to whilst you were there." Mr Smith's tone was sharp and scolding as he replayed in his mind the number of things Liam has got himself into and every reason as to why he was better off in SV, "this Mr Archer sounds like such a small minded arrogant prick—oh, don't look at me like that. I know for a fact you think the same thing as me."

Nothing could be truer. Liam did admit that Mr Archer was nothing but arrogant, but those weren't his exact words. Something worst and more insulting because to Liam, it was what Brett deserved. However, he was glad to know that Mr Smith and him had a similar outlook on the man.

No 'he could be misunderstood' or 'he was good once'. Otherwise, they'd never get anywhere. The two were as stubborn as stubborn could be and Liam only got that from him the more he got used to the new surroundings.

"He's a jerk, but someone has to keep him out of trouble," Liam told him, leaned back against the back of the couch as he watched the city bustle with life below him before averting his attention back to Mr Smith, "no one likes him anymore than you do, sir, but that's just what it's like here."