Never Giving Up (The Never Series Book 2)

by Kristin MacQueen

  “Miranda... I need you. Someone needs to save Liam. He isn't talking. He’s really hurt.”

  “Ok, sweetie. I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm bringing Noah with me. Is Liam with you?”

  “No. I'm in his room. He told me to stay here. I can hear someone being hit a lot and Liam hasn’t said anything in so long, Miranda. Please, save him.”

  “I'm coming, Macy. You know I’ll do whatever I can for you and Liam.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Miranda

  MY HEART BEATS WILDLY in my chest as I race down the hall to Frankie’s room. I throw open the door not caring what they're doing.

  “Noah, get in the car right now.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Liam needs help. His dad’s beating him and Macy can't hear him anymore. I need you to come with me.”

  He jumps off the bed, shoving his feet in a pair of sneakers, following me to the car within seconds. He takes my keys from me, sliding behind the wheel. My hands are trembling so badly I know it wouldn’t be smart for me to drive.

  “Macy? Are you still there?”

  “Yes... Please hurry.” Her quiet sobs break my heart. I want to tell Noah to speed, get there faster but if we get into an accident, we won't be any help.

  “We’ll be there as fast as we can. I promise.”

  “Hello?” Noah answers his ringing phone, he glances my way before turning back to the road. “Miranda? Should we call the cops?”

  “He doesn’t want the police involved. He’ll lose Macy.”

  “Call the police! I don’t care if I get taken away. I need Liam to be ok.” Macy sobs in my ear. My eyes squeeze shut; he’s going to hate me for this.

  “Miranda! Do you think he’s going to need the police?”

  “Yes.” I whisper softly. Noah nods his head once, then turns his attention back to whoever is on the phone.

  “Yes, Mrs. V... I think that would be a good idea... No, I’ll make sure Miranda goes and takes care of Macy, I’ll handle him until the police show up.”

  The car jerks to a stop in front of the house. I'm jumping out before he can even put it in park. I race to the door but Noah’s faster. He throws it open; the door bounces off the wall, a loud bang filling the air.

  Liam’s dad stares at us, eyes narrow in our direction. He’s kneeling over Liam, hands clenched waiting to throw another punch.

  “Noah...” I choke out. I can't rip my eyes away from Liam’s bloody face. My heart squeezes so hard I swear it’s going to physically break into millions of pieces. I can't lose him. I need him in my life. I... I love him.

  “Go get Macy and take her outside, I’ll handle him and get to Liam.”

  “Is he going to be ok?”

  His eyes search mine, pain and fear filling them. I know what he’s going to say, further breaking my heart.

  “I don’t know.” He whispers.

  I stand there, completely frozen in place. Noah grabs Mr. Hayes, pulling him away from Liam. I stare at Liam’s chest, waiting for it to raise and lower with his breath.

  Noah’s voice floats through the air, surrounding me but I can't make sense of his words. I hear a grunt when a punch is thrown. I glance over my shoulder to confirm Noah isn't getting hurt. I’d never forgive myself if he got hurt by helping me. Once I know he’s ok, I turn back to Liam. I can't get my feet to move though.

  “Macy, come out here.” I yell, never letting my gaze leave Liam.

  “Oh my gosh! Liam!” Frankie’s voice breaks my trance. Her hand’s covering her mouth, her horrified gaze locked on Liam’s still body.

  “Miranda, where’s Macy?”

  “I'm right here.” Her soft voice draws my attention away. Tears stream down her face, her body shaking as she sobs.

  “Come here, sweetie.” I squat down, holding her in my arms.

  “You need to take care of him. I'm fine. Save him, zucchini. He needs you.” She pushes away from me, taking Mrs. Valdo’s hand, following her and Frankie outside.

  I take slow steps towards Liam, terrified of him being injured beyond repair. I knew I shouldn’t have left tonight; I had a twisted feeling in the bottom of my stomach when I drove away, leaving them behind.

  I crouch down next to his still body, placing two fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse. It beats steady beneath my touch. I let out a deep breath I didn’t realize I was holding, falling to the ground beside him. I brush some stray hairs off his forehead, cupping the side of his face. There’s so much blood, his nose might be broken, most of it is probably coming from there but I can't tell if he’s hurt anywhere else.

  I glance over my shoulder at Mr. Hayes, his wide eyes are trained on his son. He looks... scared, regretful and a little terrified.

  “Is...Is he going to be ok?” His voice is shaky, concern fills his expression.

  “What the fuck do you care? You’re the one who did this!” I roar in anger. How dare he ask something like that! He has no right to care.

  “I-I didn’t mean to.” He mutters under his breath.

  I lift the bottom edge of his t-shirt, checking his torso for any injuries. I let out a gasp when I find a dozen large bruises, all in different stages of healing, covering most of his skin. There’s more than the last time I saw him shirtless, a lot more. I gently run my fingers over them, bile threatens to rise, I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves as much as I can.

  “You’re a fucking monster!” I hiss at Mr. Hayes. “What kind of father does something like this to his own son? I hope you rot in prison.”

  “Calm down, sweetheart. He’s gonna be ok, we got to him in time.” Noah’s arms wrap around me, pulling me into his chest. He rubs my back as he whispers in my ear. “They’re gonna take care of him, Randy... It’s over, he can't hurt them anymore... You did a great job, sweetheart... It’s ok, cry for as long as you need to.”

  I don’t realize I'm crying until Noah tells me it’s ok to. My body shakes in his tight embrace no matter how much I try to stop it.

  “I... I... I...”

  “You love him. I know.”

  “H-how do you k-know?”

  “I can see it, feel it. You love him with your whole heart.”

  I nod my head because there’s nothing else for me to add. I can't form my thoughts into words. I feel frozen, needing to know Liam’s going to be alright.

  One police officer is dragging Mr. Hayes out to the squad car, another pulls Noah and I away from Liam. He asks what happened and we give him our statements but I keep my eyes on Liam, watching the paramedics evaluate him and take vitals. They load him on the stretcher and begin walking out.

  “Where are you taking him?” Noah calls.

  “The county hospital.”

  “Can I come with him?” I blurt out.

  “Are you family?”

  I glance at Noah; a smirk pulls on the corner of his lips.

  “She’s his step-sister.”

  “Oh my Lanta, Noah.” I mutter under my breath so only he can hear me. I can't believe he just told them I'm his freaking sister. “I'm gonna kill you for that... but maybe when police aren’t present.”

  I follow the paramedic out of the house and into the ambulance. My hands shake so bad I tuck them under my butt. I stare at Liam the entire way, praying he’s going to be ok.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Liam

  I GROAN IN PAIN; EVERYTHING hurts and I don’t know why. I try to roll onto my side but pain radiates through my body making me wince.

  I slowly blink my eyes open, the bright lights making me squint. There’s a body on my left, I think it’s Macy at first but I realize it’s too big to be Macy.

  I glance down, Miranda’s curled into my side, her head’s lying next to me but not on top of me. Why is Miranda here?

  Reality crashes into me like a brick wall.

  “Where’s Macy?” I try to sit up but the pain is too much. My voice makes Miranda stir, but my movement wakes her up completely.

  “
Hey...” She whispers in a raspy sleepy voice. She sounds sexy as hell; I’d kill to hear that voice every morning.

  “Where’s Macy? Is she ok?”

  “She’s ok, Liam. She’s with the Valdo’s.”

  “Why is she with them? Why am I here?”

  My mind spins out of control, trying to remember what happened last. A few foggy memories float through my head but nothing clear enough to piece together why Macy isn't with me.

  “Macy called me sobbing, your dad hurt you so bad, Liam. I got Noah to come with me, we had to call the cops. You weren’t responding. I was so scared.”

  The cops? She called the damn cops? Shit! They’re going to take Macy away from me, I'm going to lose the only thing I’ve been sticking around for.

  “You called the cops? How could you do that to me? You know what that means? They’re gonna take her away!” I growl.

  She pulls back in surprise. Her eyes widen and well with tears. Her bottom lip trembles, if I weren’t so angry, I’d feel bad but I can't right now. My sole focus needs to be on Macy, not upsetting Miranda.

  “He would have killed you if Macy hadn’t called us and we hadn’t called the cops. Noah had to pull him away from you and keep him from going back for more. What did you want us to do, Liam? We didn’t have a choice! Macy told us to call the cops!”

  “She’s eight, she doesn’t know what needs to be done. You knew I didn’t want the cops involved, but you still called them.”

  A sob breaks free from her, tears falling down her face, eyes red and swollen from the emotions of tonight.

  “I'm sorry! I didn’t know what else to do! We couldn’t lose you... I can't lose you... I love you, Liam.”

  Her words are like a sucker punch to my already battered body. All I’ve ever wanted was to hear those words from someone who actually meant them. My heart aches over what I’m going to do next. It will destroy her but I need to do it anyway.

  “Get out.” I say through gritted teeth. My jaw clenches, trying to keep my emotions at bay.

  “Liam... please...” Pain and heartbreak flood her features, killing a little part of me, but I need to stay strong. Macy is what’s important here and Miranda let me down.

  “I said get out. We’re over. I don’t want to see you and since I can't leave, you need to.”

  The first tear slips down her cheek, taking my heart with it. I don’t want to upset her but I also can't date someone I can't trust.

  “Hey, Liam! I'm Dr Jesse Chipkin... wait, don’t I know you?” His cheery voice makes me want to punch a hole in the wall. I narrow my eyes, glaring at him. His brows furrow in confusion.

  I don’t want this asshole around me but I definitely don’t want him around Miranda.

  Miranda’s eyes squeeze shut; she swipes at her face a few times. I watch her entire face change right in front of me. She goes from heartbroken to the peppy cheerleader she presents to the world. Her eyes slowly open, she lets out a deep breath, the biggest smile I’ve ever seen gets plastered on her face.

  If I hadn’t just seen how destroyed she was, I would’ve thought this was the happiest day of her life. She’s so skilled at hiding her emotions it’s scary.

  She turns to Jesse, flips her golden-brown hair over her shoulder and I swear she pops out her chest a little more.

  “Hey, Miranda.” A flirty smile spreads over Jesse’s stupid face. My fist clench at my sides, my gaze bouncing back and forth between them. He snaps his fingers, glancing back at me. “That’s how I know you! You were here with Noah.”

  “How’s my favorite Doctor?” Miranda bites her bottom lip, winking at him.

  What the actual fuck? She just told me she loved me and was crying when I said to leave, yet now she’s flirting with Jesse in front of me?

  “Well, my night just took a turn for the better now that you’re here.”

  “Get out!” I roar. Jesse’s shocked gaze falls on me. “I want a different doctor and I want you out of my damn room.” I turn my attention to Miranda. “Both of you.” I growl.

  Her mask falls for a split second before she throws back her shoulders and lifts her chin, acting like my rage doesn’t affect her in the slightest. But I know better, I'm breaking her heart. I'm pushing her away and saying I don’t want her. I'm doing exactly what her parents did.

  “Well since Oscar the grouch doesn’t want you here, do you want to go get a coffee with me?”

  He checks his watch, his smile growing impossibly larger.

  “I have fifteen minutes until the next doctor comes on but if you don’t mind waiting, I’d love to hang out.”

  He holds out his hand for her, she takes it without a second thought, intertwining their fingers like they’ve been together forever. Pain erupts in my chest, spreading through my entire body.

  Right before she walks out the door, she glances over her shoulder, the saddest smile I’ve ever seen graces her features.

  “I hope you feel better soon, I was really worried about you. I’ll ask Mrs. Valdo to bring Macy tomorrow.”

  Her throat bobs as she swallows the emotions threatening to show through her carefully placed mask. She lets out a deep breath and walks out of my room. Out of my life.

  A sharp pain spreads through my chest, I'm pretty sure a dagger to the heart would hurt less.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Miranda

  I’VE NEVER BEEN IN so much pain in my entire life. My chest hurts so bad I'm beginning to wonder if I should make a stop in the emergency room before I grab coffee with Jesse.

  It was a bitch move to flirt with Jesse in front of Liam. Even more of a bitchy decision because as nice as Jesse is, I'm not interested in him. I'm in love with the man who just pushed me away and left no room for arguments.

  I'm in love with the man who just destroyed me more than anyone else has ever had the power to do.

  People wonder why I’ve had so many boyfriends, it’s not for the reasons you think. I'm not boy obsessed, I don’t like breaking hearts and I'm not looking for flings. I can't let them get attached because when they eventually push me away, I know it would crush me. My own parents have made it clear they don’t want me, they cheerfully shipped me off to the Valdo’s without a second thought.

  I never wanted to feel the crushing pain of rejection by someone I loved ever again. I always break up with guys before things can get too serious. They try to get back together because things were great, I broke it off when it was good, long before it had the chance to turn bad. I’ve stayed friends with each guy I’ve dated. I broke their hearts so they couldn’t break mine.

  Liam’s the only guy I’ve ever let in. The first one I’ve fallen head over heels for. And he just destroyed my heart in less than a minute.

  “You gonna tell me what’s actually going on?” Jesse’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.

  “Do I have to?” I give him a sad smile. The last thing I want to do is lay my heart out for a guy I barely know.

  “No, you don’t have to. But I'm a good listener. I know you don’t actually want to go get coffee.”

  I open my mouth to argue with him but he holds up a hand to stop me.

  “Please don’t insult me by arguing. You were trying to hurt Liam.”

  I look down at my feet, unwilling to let the tears fall. I slowly nod my head, refusing to meet his gaze.

  “Miranda, look at me.” His gentle pleading voice convinces me to peer up at him. He’s seriously one of the greatest guys I’ve ever met. Being with someone like him would be wonderful. “Are you going to be ok?”

  “I don’t know.” I whisper the truest statement I’ve ever uttered in my life. “Is it supposed to feel like my heart exploded in my chest?”

  “A broken heart?” He cups my cheek, gently caressing my skin.

  “It’s more than a broken heart, it’s shattered.” I whisper.

  “Yeah, it will feel just like that.”

  “It hurts so bad. Everything’s throbbing.”

  “I know, sw
eetheart, but I promise it will get better with time.”

  “Oh my Lanta! Are you gonna say ‘there’s other fish in the sea’ and ‘get under someone new to get over someone else’?”

  I roll my eyes and he burst out laughing. He wraps me in the biggest bear hug ever, his chest bouncing with the rumble of his laughter.

  “First off, there’s tons of other guys, some even better than he was. Second, who the hell do you hang out with? You’re in high school, why are you sleeping around to get over someone?”

  “I didn’t say I was, dad. I just meant that’s a saying.”

  “Well, please don’t take that advice from anyone. That’s a horrible idea. You’re liable to get an STD if you do that.”

  “How do I make it stop hurting?”

  “I'm not sure, I’ve never had my heart broken.”

  “Ahh, so you’re the dumper not the dumpee?”

  “Nah, nothing like that. I never get more than a few dates, it’s hard to have your heart broken if you’ve never given it to someone.”

  “Seriously? How can you not get a girl? You’re hot as hell, super nice and caring. Any girl would be lucky to have you!”

  He chuckles, gripping the back of his neck and softly shaking his head.

  “I appreciate you saying that, but it seems I always go after the girl whose heart is already taken.”

  “That sucks.”

  “It does, but when I find the right girl, it will make what we have that much sweeter. I’ll be glad things didn’t work out with the previous women.”

  “That’s a sweet way to look at it.”

  “He’s gonna regret pushing you away. He’s hopped up on pain meds, he’s not thinking clearly. But when he is, he’s gonna see how stupid he was. He’s gonna understand the severity of what happened, then he’ll understand your decisions.”

  He shrugs his shoulders, a shy smile spreading across his face along with a light blush.

  “Let me give report to the next doctor then I’ll buy you a coffee and you can tell me all about what happened.”