by AJ Alexander
“Thank you,” I respond before taking off for the front door.
I have no idea how this leaves things with us, or what her coming to see me meant, but I need to get to her. See with my own eyes that she is okay and in one piece. We can worry about the rest later.
26
Rachael
I can hear a steady beeping sound to my right. “Damn it, that’s fucking annoying.” I attempt to sit up, but it feels like I have a twenty-pound weight laying on top of me.
“Don’t move.” My dad’s gruff voice sounds from somewhere to my right.
Opening my eyes, I notice I’m in a hospital room. “What the hell happened to me?” I raise my arms, examining all the wires and tubes coming from different parts of my body.
“Do you remember anything that happened?” He seems anxious, that’s never a good sign.
“I was on my bike on the way back from visiting Morgan, but I would stop at Noble first.” No sense in telling him about heading to see Liam, I have no desire to have that fight right now.
“Good. That’s good, on your way to Noble the tail end of your bike was clipped by a truck switching lanes. The bike went down, you smacked your head hard on the ground. That’s what knocked you out. You have some road rash and a broken wrist but nothing too insane.”
“How’s my baby?” I panic. I worked hard on restoring that bike, if they junk it, I’ll never be able to find another one.
“I sent a tow truck to get it. No major damage. We will have to find a new rear fender, and I think we can salvage the tank. A new paint job for sure, but it could have been worse.”
My dad smiles, pushing my hair back off my face. “You could have led with that you know.”
“I’m sorry. I was more concerned about your wellbeing. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“You better not,” I return his smile, just as the door flies open and Liam comes barreling inside.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t wait to make sure you were alright. Heather and Wyatt were at Noble when she got the call.” He comes toward me placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.
“What the fuck are you doing here? I thought I told you to keep your ass away from my daughter.” My father reaches back and punches Liam square in the jaw, Liam stumbles back slightly.
“Dad, stop! He was just checking to see if I was alright.”
“I warned you and your piece of shit brother to keep away from us. You Murphy’s didn’t take enough from us.”
Liam balls his fist, just standing there. “Liam, what is he talking about?”
“Your pretty boy didn’t tell you? You were too busy letting him get back into your pants to figure out what the fuck was going on.” I gasp.
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but I will not stand here and let you speak to her like that. You can be angry at me, but you will not degrade her like that.”
“Liam, shut the fuck up and explain to me what’s going on.” The monitors I’m attached to being to beep rapidly.
“Yeah, tell her lover boy. Tell her how you killed her brother.”
A sound rips from my mouth, I can’t describe it. It’s as if my soul shatters in that moment.
“Tell him he’s wrong! You wouldn’t do that to me, to us,” I beg and plead, but Liam says nothing.
“Get out! I don’t want to see you for the rest of my life!” I shout, as uncontrollable sobs rack my body.
Liam attempts to take a step closer, but someone stops him.
“I think you should head home. I have it from here. I’ll take care of her.” Wyatt gives his shoulder a squeeze before heading into the room, followed by a nurse.
My dad grips my hand. “It’s alright now. Everything will go back to normal now.”
I pull my hand away. “Normal! You’ve been lying to me for three fucking years! You always told me it was a hit-and-run and they never discovered who killed Jeremiah. It was Liam all along,”
“It was not,” Wyatt interrupts before having a seat on my bed.
“You stay out of this; it doesn’t concern you.”
“Bruce, out of respect I won’t knock your fucking teeth in. However, I love Rachael like my sister. Get the fuck out of this room before I have you removed,” Wyatt stands between my dad and me, ensuring that he contemplates his next action.
“I’ll be back soon, sweetie.” My father attempts to step around him to give me a kiss, but Wyatt blocks his path.
“No, you won’t.” Wyatt turns in my direction and continues speaking. “Now this lovely nurse right here will give you something to help you calm down, maybe you can get some sleep. I’ll explain everything when you wake up.”
“What’s there to explain? The man I thought I was ready to give another chance killed my brother, and my father is a liar.” Wyatt takes a step out of the way, so the nurse has room to work.
“I can’t make any excuses for your father, but I can promise you that Liam did not kill Jeremiah. Trust me Rachael.”
I’m beginning to calm down as my eyes become heavy. “I’ve always been able to trust you, Wyatt.”
“Trust me now. When you wake up, everything will make more sense.”
I’m not too sure about that, but right now anything is better than what is going through my head in this moment. Sleep seems like the safest of all my potential options.
27
Liam
I throw my bike helmet onto the couch, slamming the door behind me. I pace the floor, unable to calm down from the altercation with Rachael’s dad. I knew he would have some animosity toward me for breaking her heart, but he blames my entire family for Jeremiah’s death — how do we get past that?
“The odds are being stacked against us, Roo,” I mumble out loud. I want to make things right, to stand in front of Rachael and tell her I’m not the man her father says I am. My family has done some horrible things, it’s one of the reasons I’m no longer in contact with, but that ends today.
Having a new sense of purpose, I grab my cell. “Hey, Tim. I need to cash in some of my vacation time. I figure that Wyatt told you what was going on with Rachael, I want to be there for her as she gets better.” Thankfully, I’m a full-time employee so getting some time off won’t be a problem.
“Sure thing, Liam. The new bartender I hired to replace Wyatt was planning to start this week anyway. I’m sure Justin will be happy for the extra hours. You let Rachael know that we all hope she gets better soon.”
“Thank man, I appreciate it.” I don’t wait for a response before hanging up. I stuff my phone back into my pocket and head toward my room. Grabbing a backpack off the floor, I grab pants and a few shirts. Pretty much anything I can get my hands on, hoping it makes complete outfits. Heading into the bathroom, I grab deodorant and my toothbrush.
I take a final look around to ensure I’m not missing anything and head for the door. Ignoring the elevator, I head down the stairs to my bike.
“I have no desire to ride all the way to Kansas on my Harley, besides I don’t have the time for that,” I speak to no one in particular. Pulling out my phone, I dial a number I know by heart. Hopefully, she hasn’t changed it. Although I swore I would never use it again, I need her help now more than ever.
She answers after a few rings. “Hello?”
My mother sounds exactly how she did the last time we spoke, hopefully she will help her long lost son come home.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Liam? Baby, is that you?” My mother’s tearful voice comes through the speakers, but I don’t have time for the happy reunion. I need to get home and fast.
“Yes, it’s me, Mom. I’m in San Diego. Can you get me a ticket home, please,” I state.
My mother’s shocked voice responds. “San Diego? What in God’s name are you doing there?”
“Does it matter? Can you please purchase me the next available ticket home, please?”
She must pick up the anger in my voice because she immediately replies, “Of course, dear. Can I cal
l you back on this number?”
“Just send me a text. I will head to the airport now,” I respond as I throw my leg over my bike.
“Okay,” my mom hesitates before continuing, “do you plan on staying long?”
“That depends on what happens when I get there. I gotta go, Mom, it’s rush hour and I don’t want to wait too long or miss the flight you book for me.”
“See you soon, Liam.”
I could always count on my mom to be there for me, no questions asked, and right now I don’t have time for questions. I start my bike, push my arms through the backpack straps, and head toward the airport. I have no clue when the next flight is, but my mom will make sure I’m on it.
Lucky for me there is no traffic, and it only takes about fifteen minutes to make it to the airport. Pulling my bike into short term parking, I lock it and then check my phone for a message. Sure enough, there is a message on my phone from my mom. My flight leaves in a little less than an hour, and hopefully since I have no real luggage, I can make it through security and check-in with no issues.
I take off in a sprint for the check-in counter, hoping I can make it on time. It’s time for me to stop running from my past and face it head-on. I ran and never looked back after making sure Carter was taken care of, but now it’s time to face him and the rest of my family. Time to give this burden back to its rightful owner — my father.
28
Rachael
Nothing makes sense anymore. This is one of those times when someone has spent most of their life believing one thing, but in reality, everything was something else. My life for the last three years has been a lie. How many people have been lying to me, even if by omission, to spare my feelings or whatever other bullshit helps them sleep at night?
“I can hear the wheels turning over here.” Wyatt’s voice startles me from my thoughts.
“Has anyone ever told you to mind your own business?” I turn over in the bed, facing the opposite wall. I hurt everywhere, although it could have been worse. I was in such a rush to get to Liam that I wasn’t being as careful as I should have been. A box truck clipped my back tire and sent me skidding across the pavement. A broken wrist and some road rash, but it could have been worse.
“I will let that slide, but only this once. I know you’re angry, but you’re taking that anger out on the wrong person.” He takes a seat on the edge of my bed and gently places his hand on my knee. “I asked Paul and Michael to go check on Liam. I know he has a track record of bolting when things get difficult.”
“Who gives a shit if he leaves, he killed my brother.” Sorrow seeps into my voice. “I can’t believe that he would have his parents help him run from being punished for something like that. Jeremiah was like a brother to him…”
A loud smack resonates through the room, I jump in surprise as my hospital tray vibrates from the impact. “What the fuck did you do that for?”
“You were speaking nonsense, and I needed you to stop.” Wyatt stands and paces at the end of my bed. “I know he is an ass for not telling you himself, but I will not let you ruin what could be something amazing.”
“You do not understand what you’re talking about, Wyatt. I love you; I really do but there is no way you can understand what happened.”
“I know because Liam told me everything that happened that night, from being late picking you up, to getting a flat tire, to making the choice to leave the love of his life because he didn’t want to cause her pain.”
“Liam wanted to not cause me pain! How about is that possible now?” I scream into Wyatt’s face.
“This conversation we’re having right now is why Liam left. He was afraid of what you would say when you found out what happened, although it seems you were never told the truth in the first place.”
“Whatever you say. There is nothing you could say that would change what happened. He still killed my brother.”
“Rachael, Liam did not kill your brother. He wasn’t even there when your brother died. Honestly, he didn’t find out your brother was dead until he was on his way to Palm Springs with his brother.”
I stare at Wyatt, waiting for a punch line to this joke. “What do you mean he didn’t know. My dad said—”
“Your dad is an old man that wants someone to blame for your brother’s death. Trust me, he deserves to have someone to blame, but Liam is not that person. It’s not okay to hate someone because of their last name.”
“I’m listening.” I turn so I can sit up in the bed. I didn’t want to hear his story, but now I need to know. There seems to be a lot of things my father has been hiding from me about Jeremiah’s death.
“To make a long story short, the drunk driver that killed Jeremiah was Carter, Liam’s brother. Liam had called Carter to help him. He got a flat on the way to pick you up. When Carter got there, Liam knew he was drunk but noticed there was some serious damage to his car,” Wyatt pauses to make sure I’m okay.
“I’m fine, keep going.”
“Liam took Carter home, assuming he hit a sign or something. Once they arrived at home, their dad was losing his mind! He had packed them both a bag and said they are going to Palm Springs. He checked Carter into some fancy rehab center, but he needed Liam to go with him.”
I try to process everything he is telling me, and everything is becoming clear to me. Their dad was the mayor, he wouldn’t want anyone to know about Carter killing anyone, but how did I not hear about this?
“Liam called and called you to tell you what had happened, but there was no answer.”
“Almost right after I got off the phone with Liam, when he called to tell me he was running late, my dad called to tell me about Jeremiah. I left the house right after hanging up the phone. I was trying to call him and his brother back to back for most of the night.”
“Liam figured out what his brother had done as soon as he talked to Morgan. Apparently, his dad was working on getting it all swept under the rug. Once he got his brother situated, his mom sent him a newspaper article about the accident. He found out that they would file no charges against Carter if he completed a 30-day inpatient rehab program.”
I cover my face with my hands, sobs racking my body. “Do you want me to stop?” I shake my head no, hoping Wyatt will continue. “Liam made sure his brother finished the program. On the last day, he handed his brother a letter for you, a letter for his mom, and all of his credit cards. They went to the bank and withdrew all the money they had in both of their bank accounts and Liam took off.”
I need to get my emotions under control, since a million questions fill my mind.
Why didn’t he call me?
Where has he been for the last three years?
What fucking letter?
The last question is the most jarring. Liam tried to say goodbye, he tried to let me know what was going on, “He sent me a text.”
“What?” Wyatt has a seat beside me on the bed.
“I don’t know anything about a letter, but he sent me a text. I didn’t get it ‘til a few days later.” I point to the bag containing my clothes, “Can you see if my phone is still in there.”
Wyatt gets off the bed and heads over to my bag of clothes before he goes through it. “Here it is. Its cracked, but it might still turn on.” He grabs a pair of gloves before attempting to power it on.
The screen comes to life, “Here you go.” He hands the phone and gloves to me. I use the gloves to rub my finger over the screen to get to my saved text messages. Turning my phone toward Wyatt, he reads the text out loud.
Carter: I love you to the moon and back. Liam
“I always thought it was strange that he sent it from his brother’s phone, but now I understand.” Tears pool in my eyes, “You said he wrote a letter?”
Wyatt nods his head ‘yes’ before speaking, “He gave it to his brother to bring home, his brother promised to give it to you. He was planning on coming home to make amends for all the horrible things he had done.”
I remember
his brother coming back to town after Liam had been gone for almost a year. He was doing so much community service around town, and even worked at the community center.
“All of these years I’ve been angry with him for leaving without a word when that wasn’t the case at all.” Wyatt has a seat next to me on the bed before wrapping me in his arms.
Someone kept me from having the closure I yearned for all those years ago. I have a good idea who it was. Taking a deep breath, I wipe the tears from my eyes. “I need to speak to my father, and then I need your help tracking Liam down.”
“Your dad said he was going to the shop to cancel some appointments, but he should be back soon. I heard the nurses saying since you’re awake you may be able to blow this popsicle stand soon.”
“Thank fuck!” I mumble. “Thanks for being there for me, for both of us.”
“Anytime, Rachael. Anytime.”
There is no telling what the future will hold, but I will sort this out. I hate secrets, everyone knows that, but I need to know why they kept this secret from me.
29
Liam
Being back in Shawnee wasn’t something I planned on doing, ever. It’s funny how living in a small town, some people can’t wait to get out, but there are some who want to stay there forever. I was one of those people. I wanted to make a life here for Rachael and me. However, as soon as those dreams came crashing down, this was the last place I wanted to be.
I pull up to my childhood home, and it looks just the same, just a little older. There are a ton of new developments around, but my parents’ 1969 two thousand square foot house still looks like a mansion compared to everyone else’s. I park the rental car my mom reserved for me in the long driveway before heading up to the front door. I knock a few times, hoping that neither of my parents answer the door.
