“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Well obviously, or I wouldn’t have asked.”
“Maybe I don’t want to tell you.”
“Maybe I'm gonna give you another black eye like I did at the bowling alley with Frankie and Noah.” She stands, raises an eyebrow, daring me to test her. She’s freaking crazy.
“Can you calm down? I don’t want you to upset her.” I whisper, staring over her shoulder at Macy’s worried expression.
Miranda follows my gaze, she pales, mouth falling open.
“Oh, Macy, I'm just kidding. I’d never hurt your brother.”
A laugh breaks free from me, surprising all of us. Miranda has been the source of my injuries more this year than any sport. She’s constantly hurting me.
“Well, not on purpose.” She grumbles under her breath.
I roll my eyes then hold out my hand to Macy.
“Come on, pickle, let’s get you home.”
She grabs my hand, leading us out to the parking lot.
“Do you think he’s gonna be home, Liam?”
“I'm not sure, but don’t worry about it. You know I’ll protect you.”
My stomach churns, I hate that she has to worry about shit like this. No one should ever have to worry about their father hurting their bother.
I don’t want to have this conversation in front of Miranda but I won’t ignore Macy’s fears, I’ll always calm any worries the second she has them.
“What about when you leave for college?”
Stopping in my spot, I squat down next to her. I stare into her beautiful green eyes; I need her to understand what I'm about to say.
“If I can't take you with me, I'm not going, pickle. We’ve talked about this.”
“But you have to go.”
“Sweetheart, you’re so much more important to me than college will ever be. I can find a college around here to go to, I don’t have to go far away.”
Her bottom lip trembles, just like every other time we talk about me going to college. The closer we get to the end of the school year, the more she brings it up. It’s hard to convince an eight-year-old you won’t leave them behind after their own mom walked out on her.
I pick her up, she wraps her arms around my neck, her legs around my waist. She tucks her face in the crook of my neck. I don’t hear her crying but tears start soaking through my shirt before I'm able to move from my spot.
I bend to pick up her cheer bag but a hand on my arm stops me. My gaze snaps to where our skin meets, a shot of electricity goes up my arm and through my body. No. No way in hell. This isn't me being attracted to Miranda. It’s gotta be exhaustion or some shit like that.
“I got it, Liam. You just worry about her.”
She picks up the bag, throwing it over her shoulder with her own cheer bag. She brushes hair out of Macy’s face, then stands on her tiptoes, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
We walk next to each other in comfortable silence all the way to the car. We put our bags in the back, and I get Macy buckled in. The second the door slams shut Miranda starts up with the twenty questions again.
“Talk to me, Liam.”
I groan, running my fingers through my hair, looking anywhere but at her.
“Liam!” Her hands are firmly on her hips, steely gaze locked on me. Damn, she’s hot as hell right now.
Wait... What?
“Can we not?”
“No, we have to. Spill the damn beans, Liam.”
“You don’t need to worry about us. I have everything handled.”
I step around her but she reaches out and grabs my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
“If everything was handled, your sister wouldn’t be afraid of going home.”
“I have it handled. She won't be touched.” I growl. I don’t want to hear it from her of all people. Miranda has the perfect life. Her family is rich, they give her everything she could ever want. She has both of her parents and an older brother; she doesn’t worry about a damn thing.
She wants to argue with me, she wants to poke and prod until I spill my guts to her, but that isn't happening tonight, or any night. I climb into the passenger seat, slamming the door on the conversation, she won't say a word in front of Macy.
The drive home is the quietest of my entire life. Macy’s about two minutes away from falling asleep for the night, I still need to get her showered and ready for bed.
We pull up outside of our house, a breath catches in my lungs. His car’s in the driveway, music blaring from inside. He’s been drinking. Shit.
“Liam...” Macy whispers from the back seat.
“I know, pickle. It’s gonna be ok, I promise. When we get inside, I want you to go straight to the bathroom and lock the door. Take a long shower, I put clothes under the sink and I’ll deal with him. Don’t come out no matter what you hear.” My eyes plead for her to understand. I can't handle the thought of him getting his hands on her. “I’ll do our secret knock, only open the door when you hear the knock.”
“Liam?”
“No, Miranda. Just stay out of it.”
“Please, tell me what’s going on.”
“I can't... I need to protect her, she’s all that matters.”
“Then protect her by reporting this.”
“Miranda, no. You can't tell anyone about this. If anyone finds out, they’ll take her from me. I’ll graduate soon, then I can try to get custody of her. If they take her now, she’ll be placed in a home until she’s eighteen. I can't let that happen.”
“Liam, you can't do this.”
“Stop. If you tell anyone, I’ll never forgive you. Please, Miranda. Don’t let her get taken from me.”
“I don’t want to live anywhere but with Liam.” Macy says softly. “Liam protects me.”
“But neither one of you should have to deal with this!”
“Not all of us can live in mansions with parents who love us and provide for us.” I say through gritted teeth. I'm out of the car before she can respond. I grab our bags and round the car to get Macy out.
Miranda’s already helping her out. Macy loves Miranda, I can tell already.
“Sweetie, you have my number, call me if you need anything. I don’t care what time it is; I’ll always answer.”
“I don’t have a phone... Liam doesn’t either.”
Miranda’s gaze snaps to mine, silently asking if that’s true. I shrug my shoulders; I have nothing to add. After she holds her arms open, Macy rushes into them, melting into her embrace immediately.
She misses having a woman around to play with, she misses that motherly touch. I hate how our lives have changed; I’d do anything to get her life back to how it used to be.
When Macy pulls back, Miranda stands, staring at me. I fidget, I hate when she stares at me like that.
“You have study hall first period, right?”
“You got my schedule memorized? You stalking me?” I smirk, trying my hardest to lighten the mood.
“Yup, that’s exactly what I'm doing. I'm gonna transfer to all of your classes so I can stare at you the entire day and dream about our wedding while picking out baby names.” She rolls her eyes like I'm the dumbest person she’s ever met. “I’ll pick you up in the morning, we can drop Macy off at school then get to second period.”
“You don’t need to do that; this isn't your problem.”
“Yeah, well... I'm making it my problem. She’s my little bestie, that means I’d do anything for her.”
I open my mouth to object, I don’t need her help, I don’t need anyone but Macy.
“Shut the fuck up and accept the help, Liam. The offer extends to you too, call me if you need anything. I can talk to Mrs. Valdo; she has a habit of taking in strays.”
“Please don’t, no one can know.”
“I won't unless you ask me to... just think about it. She’s a social worker, you know that, right?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“It might be worth talking to her, fi
gure out what your options are.”
“Thanks, Miranda.”
“I'm not the enemy, Liam. Don’t forget that.”
She climbs into her car, backs out of the driveway and is out of sight within seconds. A coldness sweeps through me when she’s gone. Why does she care so much about us? She has no reason to.
“Alright, pickle. Straight to the bathroom, lock the door, don’t open it until you hear the secret knock, got it?”
“Yes. Please be careful, Liam. I need you.”
“I'm not going anywhere, pickle. I'm never leaving you.”
Chapter Six
Miranda
I WANT TO GO STRAIGHT to Mrs. Valdo, explain everything that’s happening but Liam would kill me. I understand where he’s coming from but I don’t think he’s right. I know Mrs. Valdo could help him figure things out, even if he doesn’t tell her about the abuse.
I’ll help them anyway I can. I’ll drive them to and from school and practices. I’ll watch Macy, take her out shopping or to get manicures, whatever she needs to get her mind off of things. My parents give me more money than I could ever spend. They do it so they don’t feel guilty for ignoring me. If they throw money at me, they think I’ll believe they care. I don’t.
A thought has me throwing a U-turn, heading straight to the mall. I have half an hour to get what I need before they close.
I march into the cell phone store, straight to an associate.
“How can I help you today?”
A young guy with light brown hair and hazel eyes gives me a huge smile. He’s cute but I don’t have time to flirt with the hot guy.
“I need to get a cell phone for my little sister.”
“Ok, I can help you with that. Is the plan in your name?”
“Yes.”
“Awesome. Do you know what type of phone you want for her?”
“Give me the newest iPhone, actually I’ll take two of them with two new lines.”
Liam needs one just as much as Macy does. I'm betting when his mom left, he lost a whole lot more than his car.
“Great. I can ring you up for those. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“No. I think that’s it.”
A huge smile breaks out on my face when I think about their reactions when I give these to them. I'm sure they’re going to be excited. I'm hoping Macy will feel safer if she has a way to contact Liam at all times.
Chapter Seven
Liam
I KEEP MY BODY BETWEEN Macy and dad, guiding her towards the bathroom. I’ve just gotten her through the door when I hear the heavy footsteps coming down the hall. Her eyes widen, tears instantly springing forth. I click the lock; mouth I love you and hold a finger to my mouth for her to be quiet. I pull the door shut, locking her away from him.
“What the fuck you doing, boy?”
“I was getting Macy to take a shower. She just finished practice.”
There’s no point in lying. If he weren’t plastered, he’d remember she had cheerleading tonight. It’s sad really, he was a great dad until my mom left us. Then things went to hell in a hand basket within days. He doesn’t know how to live without her... no scratch that... he doesn’t want to live without her in his life. He’s just drinking himself into an early grave.
“You two and your damn practices. Is that all you two care about?”
“No.”
“I think it is. No one gives a shit about me. Not that bitch of a mother of yours, not you or your bratty sister.”
“Macy isn’t a brat. She’s a great kid.”
“I never wanted kids. That damn woman wanted you, then what does she do? She fucking runs away and leaves my ass with the two biggest mistakes of my life.”
“Then give me custody of Macy. We’ll move out right away.”
I’ve been dancing around the topic for a while, never having the balls to bring it up. But now that graduation is closing in, it’s worth it.
“What? You think you can do a better job raising that girl than I can?”
“I can raise her and take care of her.”
“Better than I can, you mean.”
“Yes.” I square my shoulders, keep my chin held high.
We’re eye to eye, which pisses him off even more. He doesn’t have any advantages over me. I have at least thirty pounds of muscle on him too.
“You’re such an ungrateful piece of shit, you know that?”
“What do you want me to be grateful for? For my life falling apart? For my mom walking away? Or for my abusive father?”
I know I shouldn’t provoke him but he came looking for a fight and he isn’t going to walk away until he gets one. This happens each and every time he drinks. He wants someone to blame mom’s actions on but he refuses to blame her or himself. It’s easier to blame Macy and I.
“You son of a bitch!”
“You’re damn straight, I am the son of a bitch who walked away from her own flesh and blood.”
“Don’t you dare talk about your mother that way.” His fists clench and unclench, his eyes narrow and jaw clenches.
“It’s not like she’s going to win any mother of the year awards. But don’t worry, you won’t be winning any father of the year awards either.”
I watch his arm pull back; I anticipate the punch coming, ducking just in time. His fist crashes into the drywall where my head just was.
A string of curses fall from his mouth but the pain doesn’t stop him. He’s too drunk to feel it. He winds back again but I sucker punch him in the stomach before he can throw another punch.
He stands in shock for a few seconds but not long enough. He surprises me with a right hook, connecting with my left eye. The pain is blinding but I won’t let him get me again. I tackle him to the ground, punching him in the face as many times as I can. He gets a few punches in my ribs before he finally gives up. He doesn’t keep fighting once he realizes he isn’t going to win.
He grabs a bottle of whiskey and stumbles down the hall to his room. He slams the door so hard the walls shake. The lock engages and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. He won’t be coming out again tonight, but it doesn’t mean I’ll drop my defenses.
I do our secret knock; the door flies open within seconds. Macy flings herself into my arms, burying her face in my chest, silent sobs shaking her tiny body. I gather her in my arms, carry her into my room and shut the door. I lock it before pushing the dresser in front of it. I’m not taking any chances. I don’t know if he has a key but he’s not getting in here, not a chance in hell.
“Do you need anything before we go to bed, sweetie?”
She shakes her head, snuggling under the blankets. I strip down to a pair of sweatpants then climb into bed next to her. I need to replace the clothes under the bathroom sink for Macy, so nights like this she can get dressed while I deal with dad.
Holding out my arm for her, she snuggles into my side, curling up like a baby. She’s so tiny. I can only imagine what he’d do to her if he got his hands on her.
As soon as I hear her breathing even out, I pass out for the night. I’m exhausted.
Chapter Eight
Miranda
I PULL INTO LIAM’S driveway, happy to see his dad’s car isn't there. I can only imagine what type of home life Liam and Macy are living in. I want to help them; I want to save them but I can barely even save myself.
I should be happy. My parents don’t get drunk and beat me, but they pretend I never existed. Some days I think any attention at all would be better than being ignored. But then I see Macy and Liam, and what they’re going through. I feel guilty as hell, here I am wishing for more when Liam’s trying to hide from his dad, doing his best to remain undetected.
I hop out of my car, bouncing to the door. I ring the bell and wait for someone to answer. When the door swings open, Macy’s standing in her pajamas, hair a crazy mess, a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.
“Mimanda!” She mumbles around the toothbrush. “I'm ewcited
wo wee wou.”
I can't help the laugh bubbling up. She’s so cute.
“I'm excited to see you too, Macy. Can I help you get ready? We don’t have long until we have to leave.”
She nods eagerly, stepping back to let me in. I glance around the house. It’s very clean and tidy. I'm not sure if it’s naturally like that or if Liam cleaned before I got here. A small family photo sits on the mantel, a baby photo on either side. I pick up the picture of a chubby baby Liam, my fingers tracing his face, a smile spreading across my own. He was an adorable baby.
A throat clears from behind me, I jump, quickly putting down the photo and turning around. A gasp leaves my mouth when my eyes lock on Liam.
His hair is a tousled mess, sticking up in every direction. A light bruise is just below his left eye. I'm pretty sure he just rolled out of bed. A pair of gray sweatpants hang dangerously low on his hips but it’s his bare chest that leaves me breathless. He’s absolutely gorgeous. Muscles sculpted to perfection on a broad chest and shoulders. Abs that tapper down into those delicious V-shaped muscles. Light brown hair covers his chest and a little trail from his belly button down to the top of his sweats, disappearing beneath them. There are dark bruises on the right side of his abdomen, they look new. It takes me a few moments to pull my gaze away from the most magnificent body I’ve ever seen.
His arm is above his head, hand gripping the back of his neck. He’s uncomfortable but I swear he could be on the cover of any magazine. Women would pay to see a guy who looks like him. I never thought all of this would be hiding under his tees.
“Hey, my alarm never went off. I always used my phone’s alarm... but now...” His voice has a gravely tone to it, it’s sexy as hell. I want to melt my body against his, wrap my arms around his neck and beg him to kiss me.
Wait... what? There’s no way I want to kiss Liam. He’s a total jerk to me. I could never like someone like him.
“Umm... If you need to go, that’s cool. I can get Macy to school and be a little late for second period.”
Never Giving Up (The Never Series Book 2) Page 3
