Beastly Lights

by Theresa Jane

  “What?” he asked in confusion, looking between me and the cup.

  “You never even ask, you just assume. I have my own voice, and I’m not incompetent. You don’t tell me what I can do and who I can socialize with.”

  "This isn’t about the coffee, is it?” he asked cautiously, setting his own mug down and watching me warily as I began to pace.

  “What is wrong with you?” I demanded.

  “I’m not really sure,” he replied quietly, as if trying to compensate for my overly loud voice. “But I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

  "The way you acted at the studio,” I explained, covering the distance between us until I was glaring up at him from only inches away. “I’m my own person, Liam. I don’t appreciate the way you treated me in front of your sleaze of a manager or when I was helping Raven.” His eyes darkened at the mention of Raven, and it seemed as if he somehow got taller as he loomed over me.

  “You’re my girlfriend, Freya-”

  “No, I’m not,” I yelled in exasperation. “It’s just a show, a ruse. I’m not anything to you.”

  “I…I know that,” he stuttered, taking a step back from me and rubbing his hand uncomfortably on the back of his neck as the anger in his eyes quickly receded.

  “It’s all an illusion for the cameras,” I reiterated, narrowing my eyes at him as he seemed to be suffering conflicting thoughts.

  “Liam?” I prompted when he said nothing.

  "Right,” he agreed a little too enthusiastically, and I felt my eyes narrow even more as he turned and picked his coffee cup off the bench.

  “I’m sorry, I guess I just got a little caught up, but you were on another man’s lap,” he frowned, looking back at me. “Fake or not, I would have reacted the same.”

  “Oh,” I answered as confusion swept through me.

  “Is this our first fight as a couple?” He smirked, and I looked up to find the uncertain Liam from before completely gone.

  “What, no,” I scoffed.

  “Because I’ve got to say, it’s not nearly as hot as some of the others I’ve had.”

  “Shut up,” I hissed.

  “Whatever you say, dear,” he teased, sauntering away from me, a smirk planted firmly on his face.

  “You’re insufferable,” I shouted at his back, and I heard him chuckle as he disappeared down the hallway. Then, I was alone in the cold kitchen with only my conflicting and uncertain thoughts to fill the silence.

  Chapter 24: Payback

  The next morning, Liam came into my room stomping around and demanding I get up. His voice was panicked and frantic, but I was too hazy from sleep to really register anything.

  I mumbled incoherently in reply to his unwelcome wake-up call then rolled over, hoping to drift back to sleep.

  When I heard the cry of a baby from another room, I smirked into my pillow, knowing exactly why Liam was so panicked.

  “Freya, she just left them here,” he said worriedly.

  I could hear his footsteps coming around the bed, and even their pace sounded panicked. I didn’t think I had ever heard him so flustered. “You have to get up. She’s been crying for the last half an hour.” And yet I had heard nothing.

  “Go away,” I grumbled, still hiding my triumphant smile with my pillow.

  “No, you have to get up. I don’t know what to do with them. I hate kids,” he hissed. “Luce knows that. Why would she dump them with me?” I had a few ideas.

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” I consoled, burrowing further into my blankets. He was a big boy.

  He was silent for a minute, and I wondered if he had left my room. However, when I looked up, I found him staring down at me with wide eyes.

  “Please, Freya,” he begged, and I raised my eyebrows at him. I wasn’t about to give in that easily. I wanted him to suffer. Although, judging from the weary look on his face and the mismatched buttons on his shirt, I’d say he’d been suffering quite nicely. Perfect.

  “Why would I help you?” I challenged, and I could have sworn I saw him visibly pale. Last night’s conversation must have come rushing back with a vengeance. He may have gone to bed after that, but I was too busy concocting a plan for payback. Lucinda was all too happy to help after I assured her that I wouldn’t let it get too out of hand. However, I never did get her to define what she thought was ‘out of hand.’

  “Freya, I’m sorry, okay,” he answered sincerely, but I wasn’t done yet. I wanted to see him squirm, and watching the fear spread across his face as Charlie wailed again only made my revenge that much sweeter.

  “For what?” I prompted, lying back against my pillows with my arms resting under my head lazily.

  “What do you mean?” he asked impatiently. Charlie wailed again, and the expression on his face was a replica of the girls that were about to meet their end in horror movies. Blind terror.

  “Why are you apologizing to me?”

  “Are you kidding?” he scoffed, running a hand through his hair. I think I saw it shake as it did, but I couldn’t be certain.

  “Why are you sorry, Liam?” I repeated, and he let out a frustrated sigh before looking back down at me. He hesitated for a moment before finally conceding, reluctantly.

  “I’m sorry for acting the way I did when Wyatt met you,” he ground out, and I felt one side of my mouth curl. This totally beat grocery shopping.

  “And?”

  “And...for being an ass to you in front of everyone.”

  “And?”

  “There’s more?” He frowned, obviously trying to figure out what kind of apology I was asking for.

  “Why are we in this mess, Liam?”

  “Because I took you out to dinner?” he offered.

  “And what happened after that?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

  “Lucinda forced you to be my fake girlfriend,” he answered sourly.

  I coughed, and he rolled his eyes before correcting himself in a growl. “I forced you to be my fake girlfriend.”

  “There you go,” I announced smugly, shooting up from under the covers and walking slowly from my room. Liam was right on my heels.

  “Hurry,” Liam said impatiently.

  I may have slowed my pace fractionally.

  “Freya,” Davis exclaimed as we came into view. I heard Liam curse behind me when Davis launched himself at us.

  “Hey big guy," I laughed, wrapping him up in my arms. He moved to fix his glasses, which had started to fall off his nose as he gave me a big grin.

  “Freya,” Liam said from behind me, and I looked back to see him looking worriedly at a still screaming Charlie. She was beside the TV, surrounded by Liam’s DVDs and screaming her little lungs out.

  “Yes, Liam?” I asked calmly as Davis eyed him suspiciously.

  “You have to do something,” he informed me as he was pointing at Charlie.

  “You’re a big boy, Liam. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of girls,” I teased, putting Davis on the floor as I headed for the kitchen where I saw Charlie’s baby bag.

  I picked it up and turned back to find Liam staring at Charlie fearfully as she started to crawl over to him, finally growing tired of screaming her lungs out.

  I thought Liam might pass out when she reached for his dark jeans and started to tug forcefully.

  “Has Lucinda never left the kids with you before?” Watching his expression now, I could see why she wouldn’t. The man struggled to keep himself fed. No one would give him the responsibility of remembering to feed another human being.

  “I hate kids,” he grumbled, not daring to move a muscle as Charlie continued to tug on his jeans.

  “I think she likes you,” I smirked, watching as a look resembling disgust spread across his face.

  “Can you do something about this?” he asked, and I scrunched my face up in thought. Shaking my head, I moved over to the sofa and sat down, dropping the bag beside me. Davis quickly ran up and claimed the seat
beside me, never once taking his eyes from Liam.

  “I think I’ll let you sweat,” I answered smugly.

  “What?”

  “Don’t hurt my sister, Liam,” Davis warned.

  “What are you going to do about it?” Liam challenged as Davis climbed over my lap to stand on the arm of the sofa.

  “I’ll tell Mommy on you,” he threatened, and I stifled the laugh trying to escape.

  “Oh, I’m terrified,” Liam mocked.

  “Okay boys, that’s enough,” I intervened, getting up and pulling Charlie away from Liam’s leg, her hands quickly finding purchase in my hair.

  “Hey Charlie,” I cooed, earning me a joyful chuckle from the dark-haired baby beauty. “Did you have fun with Liam?” She giggled again as Liam mumbled something before turning away from us and heading down the hallway.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Anywhere but here," he grumbled before he disappeared inside his room.

  “It’s okay, Freya," Davis consoled, getting down from his perch and taking my hand in his. “We don’t want him around anyway.”

  “That’s right, little guy,” I agreed. “He’d get angry at all the mess we’re going to make.” I smiled mischievously, tickling Charlie and causing her wicked laughter to ring out around the apartment.

  * * *

  “Freya?” I heard someone call out, but I stayed where I was hiding in the kitchen.

  “Who’s there?” I asked, not daring to move.

  “It’s Jarred,” the voice responded, and I heard Davis’s little feet run across the floor. Hearing her dad’s voice, Charlie started to fuss beside me. “Where are you?”

  “In hiding,” I replied as Charlie squirmed out of my hold and made her way around the bench for her dad.

  “Hey big girl,” I heard Jarred greet her. “What have you been up to today?”

  “Found you, Freya,” Davis shouted, popping out from the corner of the bench.

  “You’re just too good,” I smiled, getting to my feet and walking to where Jarred was holding Charlie.

  “I see you’ve trashed the place,” Jarred smirked, looking around the apartment.

  “Liam’s apartment isn’t exactly kid friendly,” I smiled, admiring my work. “I believe we have rectified the problem.”

  “Where’s Liam?”

  “His room. Hasn’t come out in hours.” Ever since he left, we had been working on our masterpiece. Furniture was scatted around the room to make forts and places to hide. DVDs were used to make towers so we could be Godzilla. Not to mention the mess we made of the kitchen.

  “Figures,” Jarred huffed, bouncing Charlie on his hip. “He never has liked mine and Lucy’s kids, nor me for that matter.”

  "Why, what did you do?" I tried to dust some of the flour from my pants, but I think they were a lost cause.

  “Do I need a reason?” he asked teasingly as I laughed.

  “No, he seems to be a man set of hating the world rather than finding something to love in it,” I smirked.

  “He may be incapable of love, but he is loyal, I’ll give him that,” he mused, digging beneath a pile of pillows Davis and I had been launching ourselves into. Moments later, he pulled out Charlie’s baby bag and suddenly, Davis appeared at his side. Where had he come from?

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s the reason he doesn’t like me,” he shrugged, placing the bag higher on his shoulder.

  “That doesn’t make sense.” I frowned.

  “Liam and the Watsons are old friends. He’s highly protective of them, even if he refuses to admit it. I wasn’t good enough for Lucinda, and he makes sure I remember that." He laughed bitterly, but I kept quiet as I mulled over the new information until suddenly, we were interrupted by Davis.

  “Can we stop at the comic book store on the way home? There’s a new one out today, please, Daddy?”

  “Not today bud, your mom has a special request for us.”

  “Another one,” Davis groaned.

  “Come on, your mom is carrying your little brother or sister inside of her,” Jarred reasoned, bending down so he was level with his son.

  “That’s not my fault,” Davis grumbled, crossing his arms petulantly over his chest.

  “We’ll get your comic tomorrow, how about that? Right after you get home from school,” Jarred bargained.

  “Promise?”

  “Promise,” Jarred agreed as Charlie finally succeeded in relieving him of his glasses. “Hey, big girl, what are you doing with Daddy’s glasses?” Charlie giggled brightly as Jarred tried to untangle her tiny fingers from his black frames. “Do you want to look like Davis and me?” Charlie laughed even more gleefully as Jarred placed the frames on her nose.

  “What do you think, Davis? Does your sister look good in Daddy’s glasses?”

  “Charlie looks like Mommy. Mommy doesn’t need glasses.”

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Jarred smiled, taking the too big glasses from his daughter and sliding them back up his nose. “Well, we better get going. Lucy won’t last long without the means to satisfy her cravings.”

  “Lucinda is lucky to have a husband like you, Jarred,” I smiled, reaching up and ruffling the dark hair on Charlie’s head.

  “No, I’m the lucky one,” he answered, getting a far off look in his eyes as he gazed at Charlie.

  “Daddy, let’s go,” Davis whined.

  “Alright bud, but you need to find your shoes first.” Davis quickly ran off, burrowing through the mayhem we created in search on his shoes.

  “Freya?” Jarred prompted, pulling my attention back to him.

  “Hmm?”

  “I’ve wondered…I mean this may seem odd, but I was curious…you know, since you’re here…”

  “What do you want to say, Jarred?” I laughed. I was noticing he tended to stumble over his words when he was nervous. A trait I’m sure his wife found both endearing and endlessly frustrating.

  “Why do you stay here?” He blurted, and I stepped back, startled by his question.

  “I-I don’t have a choice,” I stuttered.

  "What could he possibly have on you? It makes no sense." Jarred frowned, absently shifting Charlie to his other hip.

  “He won a bet,” I answered cryptically.

  “With your brother,” he said as if confirming the story in his own mind. “Lucy said that, but I didn’t really believe her.”

  “Liam threatened to ruin my brother’s career if I didn’t honor the bet.”

  “And you really think he could do that?” he asked skeptically. I stayed silent as I thought it over, and Jarred must have taken it as confirmation of my belief.

  “Why would you protect your brother after what he did to you?”

  “He’s my brother. Of course I would do this for him,” I answered fiercely. Just because we had a fight didn’t mean he stopped being my brother. It didn’t mean that I stopped caring for him. “Besides, Liam moved me out of my apartment and I had nowhere else to go.”

  “So he really did cover all his bases,” Jarred chuckled.

  “Freya, can you help me tie my laces?" Davis interrupted, dropping to the floor and thrusting his feet out for me to begin my work.

  “Of course,” I smiled, quickly bending down and tying up the tiny laces.

  “Ready,” Davis beamed, grabbing hold of Jarred's free hand and looking up at him expectantly.

  “Alright, let’s get a move on then,” Jarred smiled before turning back to look at me.

  “You’re not alone, Freya. No matter what you think. And you don’t deserve to be treated the way you are by your brother or by Liam. Especially Liam," he emphasized.

  “I can handle myself,” I answered defiantly, crossing my arms over my chest for effect. Even if we had developed a tentative friendship, he knew nothing about me. Liam may have his faults, but he knew about me than my own brother did. I trusted him, mostl
y.

  “Yes, I suppose you can,” he sighed before turning and walking down the corridor.

  “Bye, Freya," Davis called before the three disappeared. Then it was just me, alone in the disaster zone.

  Feeling numb, I took a seat at the stool in the kitchen. It was one of the only pieces of furniture still the right way up.

  I don’t know how long I sat there before I realized Liam was standing in the mouth of the hallway watching me. This was going to be fun.

  “Big day?” he asked and I shrugged noncommittally before sliding off the stool. I busied my hands with clearing master chef’s mess from the kitchen. He stayed silent where he was, so I resolved to ignore him until he made the first move.

  I was loading dishes in the dishwasher when I felt a warm hand gently take my wrist. I looked up to find Liam’s eyes watching me.

  “Why don’t we leave the apartment. We can clean it up later?” he suggested gently. I straightened, looking around at the mess, knowing the last thing I wanted to do right now was clean.

  “Okay,” I answered, not even bothering to think about how a neat freak like Liam could possibly leave such a mess behind. I figured it would bother him until everything was exactly where he wanted it.

  “Let’s go get a coffee,” he offered, pulling me toward the front door, dodging the small city we had made.

  * * *

  Liam found us a seat in the back of the crowded café, making sure to keep his cap low despite us being inside. I could only imagine the reaction his golden eyes would stir in a café as crowded as this.

  “Maybe you should get a fake mustache and a trench coat to complete that look you have going on there,” I teased, and I could almost imagine the look he was giving me from behind his terrible disguise attempt.

  “Just drink your coffee,” he mumbled, clutching his own tightly and keeping his head bowed.

  We sat in a comfortable silence for a long time. My mind was preoccupied with everything that had happened with Jarred, as well as everything that had happened over the past few days.

  Ever since meeting Liam over two weeks ago, my life had stopped feeling like reality. None of it seemed real, but the turmoil in my mind reminded me that it was. One thing was louder than the rest in my mind, and when I couldn’t take it anymore, I looked up at Liam determinedly.