by Theresa Jane
“Who’s Freya?” Jarred asked, obviously not following the conversation. If I was honest, Liam had lost me at ‘slug-boy.’
“She is, Dad,” Davis answered proudly from my hip, obviously excited to be contributing to the adult conversation.
“I’m sorry we haven’t met, I’m Jarred,” he introduced, walking over and extending his hand to me.
“Freya,” I smiled.
“I think my son may have mentioned you once or twice, something about cookies.”
“Yeah, that was me,” I laughed, shifting Davis, who was starting to get really heavy. “Slug-boy?”
“I’m a Science teacher. There was an unfortunate slug jailbreak in Liam’s apartment. Fifty slugs escaped and we only ever found forty-five.”
"I bet he handled that well," I scoffed, picturing exactly how well the neat freak would have handled the mess.
"Well, it’s nice to meet you, but if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get messed up with pretty boy over here?"
"I would like to know that, too," Ant spoke, almost threateningly, as he set a wriggling Charlie back on the floor. "Last I heard you couldn't stand him, and yet here we are."
"I think what we should all be focusing on is Lucinda's announcement,” Ryan interjected. “We’re about to have another little one crawling around. We should break out the champagne."
"Another one of those is definitely cause to break out the booze," Liam sneered, not even bothering to hide his disgust. "Especially if slug-boy had anything to do with it."
"Liam," I hissed, and he just shrugged unapologetically.
"You’re a mean poo poo head," Davis said, sticking his tongue out at Liam.
"Oh, you hurt me," he taunted, feigning offense as the little boy scowled at him.
"Enough," Jarred ordered as Davis got in one last tongue poke. "Davis, go play with your sister."
"Okay Daddy," he replied, jumping down from my arms and trotting over to Charlie, who was happily sucking away on one of Liam's TV remotes.
"This is insane," I muttered.
"Oh sweetheart, you haven’t seen insane yet," Ryan smiled sympathetically. "The world wants to know your name, and if Liam has his way, you’ll never escape the spotlight."
"What?" I asked, my eyes widening. The last place I wanted to stay was in the spotlight.
"We need to go shopping," Ryan mused, tapping his chin as Ant came to join us. His gaze immediately made me feel cold.
"I am never going shopping again, that dress-"
"Was divine," Ryan finished.
"You are never dressing her again," Liam warned, moving to my side and glaring down at a beaming Ryan.
"From what I’ve read, I did a magnificent job dressing her," Ryan retorted smugly.
"Read?" I asked worriedly.
"Oh, darling, you didn’t think you could go out with wonder boy here and go unnoticed? Didn’t you see all the photographers last night?"
"Yes," I grumbled, looking down at the bruise that had grown overnight from where the photographer had tripped me.
"Well, you’re everywhere," Ryan announced, with far too much glee for my liking.
"What?" I squeaked, looking over at an unfazed Liam.
"You knew this was going to happen," I accused. He simply shrugged his shoulders, but that did nothing to soothe my temper.
"What are they saying?"
"Best you don’t know, darling," Ryan consoled, reaching out and patting me on the arm. I, suddenly, felt a rock settle in my stomach, both wanting and dreading to read what the world had to say about me.
"They don’t believe a girl like you could ever be with a guy like Liam," Ant chimed in almost gleefully, setting my nerves on edge.
"Then I’ll prove them wrong," Liam announced, grabbing my arm and pulling me into his chest.
"Hey," I protested, but he ignored me as he glared over my head at a smug Ant.
"Why don’t we ask Freya what she wants?" Jarred asked, scowling at Liam. He was still holding my arm tightly to keep me from moving away.
"Thank you, Jarred," I smiled, pulling my arm from Liam's and glowering up at him.
"Freya?" a small voice asked, and I looked down to see Davis’s eyes scrunched up in confusion. "Do you like Liam now?"
"No, no," I answered quickly without thinking.
"That’s not the impression I got last night," Liam murmured, snaking an arm around my waist and pulling me close. The room suddenly felt like a sauna. Had someone turned up the heat?
"Hey," Davis shouted, outraged. "Let Freya go, you meanie." He quickly ran over and started pushing at Liam, who only rolled his eyes in frustration.
"See, this is why slug-boy should have been prohibited from reproducing."
"I don’t like you," Davis grunted, still pushing at Liam's legs without success.
"I can live with that," Liam shot back sarcastically, not removing his arm from my waist.
"Davis buddy, why don’t you let me handle this one?" Jarred suggested, bending down so he was level with his son. Davis paused momentarily from trying to protect me from his most hated villain and turned to look at his dad.
"Okay," Davis relented. "But, you’ll make sure he won’t hurt Freya?"
"Of course," Jarred assured him and Davis, seemingly satisfied, shot Liam one more angry glare before walking back over to his sister, who had moved on to pulling all of Liam's DVDs from the shelves. I smirked, knowing they had all been in alphabetical order before the tiny terror had descended on them. I wondered if Lucinda would lend her to me for an afternoon. The trouble we could cause…
I was running all the possibilities through my mind when I was brought back to the present by Lucinda's voice. I had almost forgotten she was there.
"I have an idea," she announced, turning from where she sat at the bench, scrolling on her laptop.
"Great," Liam mumbled, taking my hand and dragging me over to Lucinda. The others were following closely behind us.
"I think you might like this one," Lucinda smiled, and I felt the suspicion and dread begin to grow in the pit of my stomach.
"I doubt it," Liam replied, looking at her apprehensively.
"You have to continue this charade with Freya. It could be genius," she announced excitedly, and I felt my jaw drop through the floor. I’d be surprised if they didn’t find it somewhere on the street.
"Close your mouth, Freya. That’s not very ladylike," Ryan scolded as Lucinda prepared to explain her plan.
"Everyone thinks you’re this dirty player and well…they aren’t wrong, but this could change that. If they believe you could fall for a girl like Freya, then you instantly become more accessible to them. Ticket sales could go through the roof, even if you break up within the month. Amicably, of course." She rambled excitedly, poring over the gossip sites as I tried to gather myself.
I could feel my temper begin to rise, but strangely, I felt a giggle begin to build in my throat. Before I knew it, I had burst into similar laughter to the night before when Liam had kissed me.
"Freya?" Liam asked worriedly, stepping back and lowering himself so his eyes were level with mine.
"This is ridiculous," I gasped, clutching my side as a stitch started to form. "I can’t…we can’t be together."
"Oh dear," I heard Ryan mutter as a frown wrinkled Liam's brow.
"I don’t even like you that much," I howled, doubling over.
"I have video that proves otherwise," Liam shot back, and I stilled. Slowly, I straightened until I was upright again.
"They recorded that?" I asked in alarm, my laughter quickly chased away by the truth in Liam's eyes.
"It didn’t look like you were fighting me very hard," Liam smirked, and I felt the panic begin to rise, my head feeling light.
"This is…no, it can’t happen…I need air, I-I’ll be back," I announced, ducking around the concerned looks and Ant's glare before heading straight for the front door.
&n
bsp; I vaguely heard Liam call for me, but I didn’t stop until I was fumbling with the front door, completely oblivious to how underdressed I was. I was still only wearing one of my brother’s old tees, but I only had one goal in mind.
Finally, I got the door open, but I instantly stopped in my tracks. My eyes grew wide as I took in his angry face, and my panic doubled.
"Mase?"
Chapter 21: Oh Brother!
"Mase?" I asked in confusion.
"What were you thinking?" he hissed, running his eyes over me disapprovingly.
"What?"
"You know, I’m actually surprised you took so long to screw this up," he spat, disgust swirling like sludge in his dark eyes. "God Freya, you couldn’t keep your clothes on, could you?"
"Excuse me?" I recoiled from him but instead of answering, he just stared poignantly at my clothes. I looked down, remembering that I was only wearing a shirt.
"This is your shirt, Mase," I deadpanned, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. What did he think had happened?
"What is wrong with you, Freya?” he demanded, ignoring his mistake.
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
"How could you do this? What if someone recognizes you?"
"Who will recognize me?"
"You’re so careless. Why would you put yourself in danger like this? Why can’t you just do one thing right?" he demanded, and I felt my limbs fill with lead, the familiar numbness spreading through me. The guilt was pumping relentlessly through my body.
"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?"
"I-I…" I floundered as he ran his hand through his light hair in frustration.
"What if they find out about you?"
"Who?" I asked, my mind sluggish but not missing the fear in his voice.
"What?" he asked, seemingly confused by my question as he came up for air.
"You said 'they'. Who are ‘they,’ Mase?"
"No one," he answered quickly, his eyes widening in alarm.
"It’s not no one," I said, narrowing my eyes.
"I meant Dad, what if he finds you now?" he corrected. I immediately bristle at the mention of our father, feeling something uncertain bubble inside of me.
"He’s on the other side of the country," I answered anxiously. I hadn’t spoken to him since we left and as far as I knew, neither had Mase. He made me promise not to tell him where we had gone.
I wasn’t sure I was afraid of my father. I knew beneath it all that he loved me, but every time I thought of him, I felt my skin begin to tingle and my nostrils start to burn with the stinging smell of alcohol.
"God Freya, you never think, do you?" His disappointment filled the air between us, and I felt like I was five years old again, wondering how my brother could remove twenty years from my life with just a look.
"How do you think this is going to look?" he continued, but all I could do was stare at him, open-mouthed, as he breathed heavily, not through with ranting about my inadequacies.
"My sister, the golden boy’s new toy," he spat viciously, and I stumbled back from the force of his words, but he still wasn’t done. "Your picture is everywhere. What were you thinking? You look like something he picked up off the street."
"It’s not like that," I shot back.
"I can’t believe you let him do this to you, Freya. To me!"
"I-I…" I felt myself begin to crumble under his accusations and barely even registered the silence behind me as my brother continued to shout down at me.
"You can’t do anything right, can you? I’ll be a laughingstock. Do you know what they’re going to say?" he demanded, puffing his chest out challengingly, and I shrank back even further.
"No," I mumbled.
"My boss will think I used you to get him as my client. They won’t respect me because of you."
"Well, would they be so wrong?" I answered weakly, twisting my hands together as an anxious knot started to form in my chest.
"Don’t blame me for this, Freya. No one forced you to go out with him, no one forced you to dress that way and allow him to treat you like that for the world to see.” He laughed bitterly, and I felt bile rise in my throat at my brother’s suggestions.
"Please Mase, it isn’t what you think, I promise," I pleaded, wanting to have him on my side. Why couldn’t he understand? I was only here because of him. For once, I didn’t want to be his problem, for once I didn’t want to be the reason for trouble in his life.
"No, I just…I just can’t deal with you right now," he said dismissively, turning from me and heading for the elevator.
"Please, Mase, I can fix this, just don’t leave me."
"Don’t even bother. You’ve done enough damage, Frey," and I flinched at the name but he wasn’t finished. "I’m really disappointed in you." He sighed before the doors of the elevator slid closed, leaving his disappointment hanging in the air.
His accusations and disgust were pressing on me until I felt like I couldn’t take another breath. I stood frozen in the doorway as my throat and eyes burned with the threat of tears. What was I going to do? Mase was all I had.
Taking several breaths to try and calm myself, I knew I had to go back into the apartment. I knew they had heard every word my brother said, and I felt the shame heat my face. How was I ever going to face them?
Sighing, I turned from the door in resignation and begrudgingly made my way down the hallway, wishing there was somewhere else I could be.
When I entered the living room, my eyes lifted reflexively, taking in everyone’s shocked expressions before they rested on Liam. I noticed Ant's hands wrapped tightly around his arm as if holding him back. Reluctantly, I looked in Liam's eyes to find fury before I quickly ducked out of the room, embarrassment flooding my body.
I walked, numbly, back to my room, shutting the door softly before turning to look around the empty space. I didn’t know what to do, and my mind was too shocked to think. I found myself walking to my bathroom and staring unseeingly at my reflection in the mirror, clenching my fingers around the basin until my knuckles turned white and the panic began to grow.
I didn’t notice until it was too late and my breaths were short, my heart fluttering painfully fast against my chest.
I couldn’t take it; my legs couldn’t hold me anymore, and I slumped to the floor, pulling my knees close until they pressed firmly against my struggling chest. I clenched my eyes tightly as the sensation of falling apart pulled at me until I was sure there was nothing left but shattered pieces.
I sat there in a panic until I heard feet shuffling against my floor, and my body tensed further in anticipation.
"Freya, I can fix this," Liam said resolutely, and I looked up to find him filling the doorway with a determined but pained look on his face. "I promise I can."
"It doesn’t matter," I breathed, burying my head back in my knees.
"No, it does, it’s my fault. If I hadn’t been so desperate to shake Jazelle last night, you would not be in this situation."
"Someone was always going to question why I was at your apartment, it was just a matter of time," I shrugged, my words muffled as I pressed my knees tighter, feeling my body begin to slow its rapid pace.
"Your brother shouldn’t have said those things," Liam accused, and I could hear the furious edge to his words, but I refused to look at him as the burn started to return to my eyes.
"He’s right," I struggled to say, "I only cause trouble."
"Freya, it’s not your fault," he answered angrily, and I heard his footsteps cross the room until I knew he was crouched beside me.
"You don’t get it," I replied harshly before looking up to level him with a deadly glare. Why couldn’t he just leave me alone?
"No, I don’t," he answered, his voice rising in annoyance. "So explain it to me."
"You wouldn’t understand."
"Make me understand, I want to understand," he implored, and I felt something snap inside of me,
his push for answers seemingly tipping me over the brink. I wanted the past to stay where it should always be kept, behind me and forgotten, but I was confused, and he just kept pressing me. My mind felt like it was going to burst from the pressure of everyone else’s words. I couldn’t even hear my own voice over the noise.
"It’s my fault," I shouted, pushing up so I was on my knees and level with his frustrated eyes. "It’s all my fault. I ruined everything. I always screw up. I couldn’t just be what my father wanted me to be. Instead, I fought with him and stormed out that night, and my mother died because of me. I can’t help but be the human wrecking ball." My chest heaved as I watched Liam glare back at me, shaking his head slowly, my heavy breathing filling the silence between us after my outburst. His muteness only confirmed what I had always known; I was the curse.
"You’re wrong," his voice was low, and I stilled, hearing it break through the soundlessness that had engulfed the room. My eyes instantly found his darkened ones, anger and something else dulling their usual golden light.
"What?"
"You didn’t do anything wrong. It wasn’t your fault," he said, his voice barely controlled as he kept his eyes trained on mine.
"It is," I insisted. "If I had just listened, I would have never run out that night, my mother would have never followed, and she would still be alive and my father…" I caught myself before I continued brushing over what I almost let slip. "We would have never had to leave. I forced Mase to give up everything, and now I’m ruining it for him again."
"His problems are his own. You did nothing wrong. Hell, he put you in this situation in the first place," Liam replied, his voice rising again.
"I just had to do one thing, and I couldn’t even do that for him. Mase's right," I insisted, shaking my head at Liam's false accusations.
"Stop," Liam shouted, and I flinched at his harsh voice. I watched with wide eyes as his hands reached out and gripped my shoulders tightly, but I didn’t shrink away. "You can’t blame yourself for these things, and Mase shouldn’t blame you either."
"He should," I whispered, feeling a single tear trail down my cheek and splash to the white tiled floor.
