Chapter 39 #2
We got through breakfast without too much awkwardness, and I was sad to say goodbye to Patty and Mike at the end of it.
Mike gave me a quick hug—after asking for permission—and invited me to visit soon.
Patty squeezed me tight and said, “You call me anytime, you hear? Whether it’s just to chat, or a shoulder to cry on, or if you need to vent about my son to someone who loves him as much as you do, you call me. ”
Then we sat around the table again, and I watched my dad put his CEO face on. Clearly, they’d been politely waiting for Liam’s parents to leave, and now they weren’t holding back anymore.
“How did this happen? Who’s responsible for letting a recidivist rapist work in a library? We’ll go after them all. The library, the police, the construction company, the city. Everyone will pay for letting this happen to you.”
“No, Dad. The blame’s on me as much as anyone else. I ignored so many warning signs.”
“That doesn’t matter,” he insisted. “Everyone responsible needs to pay for this.”
“Dad! Please stop blaming anyone other than him. If you’re going to do that, you need to include me in your list!”
“And me,” Liam said, his voice gruff.
“No, don’t say that,” I pleaded. “It’s not your fault.”
I tried to convey my love and gratitude through my expression, but he stared back, unwavering in his rejection of my absolution.
“Look what you’re doing!” I yelled to my dad. “It’s Snake Eye’s fault. He needs to go to jail. Stop blaming everyone else.”
“Snake Eyes?” my mom asked.
“That’s what I call him. He has creepy black eyes.” I couldn’t stop the shiver that ran through my body.
“Jenna, love, if you knew he was suspicious, and you were still forced to be around him, putting yourself at risk, then that’s exactly why there needs to be consequences for everyone involved.
” My mom said it kindly. Like she wasn’t twisting it to blame me for ignoring my suspicions.
Like she truly believed that was the kind of protection one should expect without question.
I choked out a laugh that sounded more like a snort, but it dissolved into uncontrolled hysterical laughter. Not funny hysterical, but crazy. Maybe I was finally actually losing my mind.
“What’s so funny about this?” my dad asked, bewildered, making me laugh harder.
I laughed so hard, tears streamed down my cheeks.
With a muttered, “Excuse us,” Liam took my arm and pulled me up and through the house to his bedroom. He sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard, and dragged me onto his lap, yanking me against his chest. “This okay?”
I nodded. Then came the gut-wrenching sobs. I hated it.
“Firefly,” he groaned. “It’s killing me to see you like this. What can I do?”
“Just hold me.”
“Always. I’ll always hold you.” He tightened his arms around me.
I eventually got myself back under control and sighed. “We need to go back down.”
“I don’t want to.” He pouted like a big, petulant child, and I chuckled despite everything.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not. They’re so oblivious, and it’s hurting you.” He smoothed a strand of hair behind my ear. “They don’t deserve your truth, but for your own good, maybe you need to tell them.”
I shook my head. “I know, but not now. It’s too much.”
“Okay. It’s your choice. You’re in control of if you tell them, and how and when. No one’s going to make you do anything ever again, Firefly.”
“I love you,” I said simply. It was all too much, but that said what was most important.
“I love you, too. I think your parents hate me, though.”
“Maybe, but they like Brian, so their opinions are worthless.”
He scowled. “Do we really have to go back?”
I smiled, a little unsteady, but real. “Yes, and thank you for dragging me away.”
“Anytime.” He kissed the tip of my nose.
“Thanks for being nice to my parents, too.”
“I think I deserve a medal for that.”
“I’ll reward you later.” I flashed him a smile, and this one was steadier—and hopefully sexier, too.
“So Kathryn, Jenna tells me you’re an environmental lobbyist. What specifically do you do?”
“Our organization focuses on sustainable development, and my primary role is fundraising. Did you know that paved land increases run-off of pollutants into the waterways, while having adequate green space…”
I tuned out the rest. I’d heard it all before. Liam responded appropriately, keeping them talking and the focus off me.
A while later, he interrupted to say he was going to go make lunch. “Come help me, Jenna.”
“Jenna, stay and talk to us. You can handle it yourself, can’t you, Liam?” my mom said.
“Sorry, but I do need your help, Firefly.”
“I’ll be right back,” I said to my parents as I followed him to the kitchen. As soon as we were out of sight, he pulled me into his arms.
“Since when do you need my help to cook?”
“I’m not leaving you alone with them.”
I nodded my appreciation against his chest. “What’s for lunch?”
“I was going to make sandwiches, but I’m trying to come up with something that will take us longer.”
I laughed. We made sandwiches anyway, and while we ate, I brought up the question that had been on my mind “Did Ty try to come, or…?”
“It would be hard for him to miss classes, especially so close to finals.”
I knew that. I guess I just wanted to hear them say that he tried to, or he was upset he couldn’t come, or something. “Yeah, I know.”
“He’d really like you to go to graduation. We’d all love to have you home, Jenna. It’s been so long since we were all together.”
My skin crawled and I worked hard to swallow the bite that suddenly swelled in my mouth.
Liam rubbed my back. “Easy, Firefly,” he murmured.
“He came out for your graduation,” my dad added.
I latched onto that, trying to ignore the all my mom referred to, which I’m sure included the Belkes. She always included them.
“He had no choice for mine. You weren’t going to leave him home alone. I don’t think I can take off from work.”
Work. God, I couldn’t handle work and Brian in the same conversation, not today. Was I really going to go to work to avoid Brian? It’s not like I was safer there. After all this, I might as well go to the graduation and see Brian.
“Sorry to rush lunch,” Liam said firmly, even though we were barely halfway through. “We need to get ready for Jenna’s doctor appointment.”
My appointment wasn’t for a few hours, but we hadn’t told them the time, luckily. I was totally on the same page as Liam.
“Oh, of course, we’ll let you get dressed and go. We’ll head back to the hotel and maybe explore a bit, and then, Jenna, do you want us to come to your apartment later or would you like to meet us out for dinner?”
Fury flared, red-hot hate burning through my veins.
How dare she suggest she wants to see only me after Liam was more than welcoming to them?
I gritted my teeth and calmly talked us out of that.
No way in hell would I exclude Liam, or go back to my apartment, or force Liam to spend more time with them.
“I’m tired, Mom. The doctor might be a long wait, and I’d like to just relax alone after that. You can come back here tomorrow, okay?”
My mom’s eyes filled with tears, and a pang hit my chest. I was proud for sticking to my guns, even if a part of me also felt bad for making her sad. Although, did making up an excuse really count as sticking to anything?
“Are you sure? We’re here to help you, to be with you.”
“I know, and I appreciate it. I’m just exhausted.”
“It’s okay, Kathryn,” my dad said. “We’ll have tomorrow with her, too.”
“Yes, I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow,” I said, then it hit me what he implied. “Are you leaving tomorrow?”
“In the evening,” he said, like that made it better. “I have a meeting on Friday.”
Heaven forbid he miss a meeting. Well, at least I didn’t feel bad anymore.
“I should get ready now. Thanks for coming, guys. It was great to see you.” I pushed up from the table and stepped around Thor.
He hadn’t growled at them since they first came, but he hadn’t left my side or warmed up to them either.
Liam, Thor, and I walked to the door, leaving them no polite option but to leave.
Then we collapsed on the couch, snuggling and barely moving or saying a word for the next few hours until it was actually time to go to the pulmonologist. Even the appointment felt easier than the morning had, especially when he said everything looked good and to just continue with the antibiotics and recheck in a week, or if anything changed.
We ordered in pizza and went to bed early, but I woke up with a nightmare. Liam was up with me, of course.
After a while, he asked if I’d be able to fall asleep again. “No, sorry,” I said, knowing he’d stay up, too.
“Good, let’s watch the sunrise.” He helped me dress in a pair of his sweatpants and a huge, warm sweatshirt, grabbed a few blankets, and bundled me into the car.
I guess I fell asleep, because next thing I knew, he gently woke me up. I opened my eyes to a soft orange glow surrounding a tiny crescent of sun on the horizon.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“Beautiful like you.” He pressed a kiss to my temple and held my hand. We didn’t say anything else as we watched the sunrise paint the sky, but the symbolism of the new day wasn’t lost on me.