Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
E lisabetta
My father always has the worst timing, but I knew I had to take it, especially seeing as I was out of the country.
“Hey, Dad. What’s going on?” I say as I answer the phone, still staring at Liam, who looks slightly somber. I’m still confused as hell. I don’t understand what’s going on.
Lucinda is his assistant? Then why did he need a new one? Why did he say they all quit? Something isn’t adding up.
“Darling, I’m so glad that you answered. I have some news.”
“Yeah? What’s the news?”
“Are you sitting?”
“No, I’m not sitting. I’m standing because I’m on a business trip with my boss and…”
“You mean with that Liam Gallagher?” my father says.
“Yeah, we’re in Trinidad and Tobago. He’s trying to buy some hotels or something in the Caribbean. I’m not really sure, but what is it, Dad?”
“I have good news for you.”
“Okay, what’s the good news?” I give Liam a hopeful smile. Maybe everything’s off. Maybe my dad’s found the money.
“I have found a fiancé for you.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“There’s a man that I’ve been able to come to an agreement with, and let’s just say, he wants to marry you, and I am setting up the wedding as we speak.”
My face goes white, and all the blood leaves my body.
“Dad, who is this? I just don’t understand. I…”
“All will be revealed in due time. Unfortunately, I cannot say more at this time. Just know that this is for your benefit.”
“How is this for my benefit, Dad? It’s you who’s broke, not me. I don’t even…” I pause. I don’t want to shout at my father, and I notice that the people in the airport are staring at me.
Liam touches my shoulder, and I look up at him with sad eyes. He’s so gorgeous and so understanding, yet he doesn’t know what it’s like to be in this situation. To have to want to protect your family and do what’s right for them when it means losing your whole self.
“Darling, trust me when I say if I had any other options, I would take them, but…”
“It’s fine, Dad. I understand. You’ve been there for me my entire life, you know. I know it was hard for you as a single dad, and I just want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
I can hear Liam gasping, and I frown. He looks pissed off, and I don’t know why.
“I know, darling. It’s been hard for both of us, but we’ll get by; we always do.”
“Dad, we’re about to speak to immigration. Can I call you back? They’re giving me a dirty look.”
“Of course, darling. Just make sure the next time you call me, you’re by yourself, okay?”
“All right, bye.”
I hang up and look over at Liam.
“Did you hear my conversation or something?”
“No, why would you ask that?”
“You just looked pissed about something, and I wasn’t sure if you heard my dad say that he has actually found a fiancé for me already. Yay me!”
“He has?” Liam glowers. “Did he say who?”
“No, I guess the information is secret for now. I should…I guess I should have asked how old he is, but I don’t really want to know.” I shudder. “He wouldn’t really force me to marry to someone older, would he? Fuck! That would be horrible.”
“You don’t have to do it,” he says. “I mean, if you don’t want to.”
“I don’t want to keep having this conversation with you, Liam. I don’t want to think about it. But maybe we can go back to our previous conversation. Why did you need an assistant if you have this Lucinda? Why didn’t Lucinda come with you to the States?”
He looks at me for a couple of seconds and shakes his head. “Have you ever been in a position where everything you say and do will be the wrong thing?
“No, not that I can think of. Why?”
“Because I think I’m in a position right now where anything I say or do is going to get me in trouble. And I can’t afford that right now.”
“In trouble with who?” I ask him, looking surprised.
“With a lot of people,” he says softly. “And right now, all I can think is, let’s forget the real world while we’re here. Let’s just concentrate on us and being in the Caribbean and enjoying the beautiful weather, the white sand, and the turquoise beaches, eating good food, drinking coconut water, and…”
“Making love,” I say softly, leaning into him.
“Yeah,” he says. “I think that would be nice.”
“This feels like a fucking movie,” I say. “Like it doesn’t feel real. None of this feels real, you know? My life was so normal; now, everything is spinning out of control, and I can’t do anything about it. What has happened to the world?”
“I think you’re an adult when you start to realize that nothing in the world goes like you think it should.” He makes a face. “When we’re young, we’re brainwashed into thinking that when we grow up, if we just go to school, we’ll get a good job and make a lot of money, and we’ll meet the love of our life, and we’ll get married, have kids, and live happily ever after, but how many people does that really happen for?” he says.
“I guess not many. I mean, aside from Skye, Lila, and Juniper.” I laugh. “They all seem to be getting their happily ever afters.”
“True, but they are three women out of billions in the world, right?”
“Are there millions or billions of people in the world?” I ask him.
“I don’t really know,” he says. “We’ll have to check later.”
“Yeah.” I stare at him for a couple of seconds. “I understand what you’re saying, though. I think the sad part of my life is that I never truly believed in that happily ever after. I think when you grow up without a parent, you’re already kind of behind; you’ve already got that hole in your heart. You’re bereft, missing something. You know, sometimes I feel guilty for being mad that my mom died. It’s not like she wanted to die. It’s not like she didn’t want to be with me, but sometimes it just hurts so much, and I just don’t understand how to fill that hole, you know?”
He nods slowly. “Losing a parent is hard. I think about that when I think about my niece. Her dad’s not in her life, and she’s still young enough that it hasn’t exactly hit her, you know? She’ll ask for him every now and again, but for the most part, she doesn’t let on, and I worry about that.”
“Is that why you’re in her life as much as you are?” I ask him, touched that he would care so much about his niece.
“I mean, I’m in her life because I love her, and I love my sister. And truly, I think they’re the only two people in my life who love every part of me for who I am. That I can trust to always do the right thing for me, you know? It’s weird not knowing who you can trust.”
“You don’t think you can trust Lucinda, your assistant?” I stare at him, and his eyebrows bunch together.
“She’s a good assistant, and I do trust her with the work that she does and to organize and schedule and get everything done that I ask. But would I trust her with my deepest, darkest secrets? Do I trust that she wouldn’t judge me? Do I trust that she would have my back in any and all things?” He shakes his head. “No, and maybe that’s okay because, at the end of the day, she’s a colleague. She’s not a lover, she’s not the love of my life, and she’s not family.”
“Yeah,” I say. “And it doesn’t always take blood to be family, you know? Skye’s not my blood, but she’s more real and capable and loving than even my own father. I would trust her with everything in my life. And Romeo, my step-brother, I know he has my back forever. But I get what you mean. Sometimes, you can have people who are close to you, yet it doesn’t really mean anything when it comes down to it. It doesn’t mean that they’d stand in front of a bullet for you.”
“Would you stand in front of a bullet for anyone?” he asks me.
“I’d stand in front of a bullet for Skye,” I say, “and for Romeo and for all three of my aunts. They were strict, but I knew they loved me and kind of gave up their lives to take care of me.”
“Do you think they regret it?” he says.
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so, but then, do we ever really know what someone really feels inside?”
“True. I don’t know that we do. You know, my sister always tells me that she doesn’t mind being a single mother and that her daughter is the most important thing in her life, but…” He looks away,
“What?”
“I shouldn’t really tell you this. I don’t want to be disloyal.”
“Okay,” I say, touching his arm gently. “You don’t have to tell me, but I promise I would never say anything to anyone.”
“I know,” he says. “I trust you.” He gives me a warm smile.
“Well, one night, I found her sobbing while she was watching a movie, so I said, ‘Sis, you need to stop watching these sappy movies,’ and she said, ‘Well, it's just so sad. She’s all alone, and she didn’t think it would be like this.’ Let’s just say we delved into it, and I realized that she wasn’t sad about the character; she was sad for herself.”
“Aww, so what happened with the father, if I can ask.”
Liam let out a deep sigh. “They were casually getting to know each other, I don’t even want to say friends with benefits because that’s giving it too much of a standing.”
“Was it a one-night stand?” I ask.
“You could say something like that: a three-night stand.” He blinks and shrugs. “I think that my sister fell for him, though she’s never really admitted it. He was a good old lad. Wanted to get his leg up and over, if you know what I mean. He wasn’t looking for anything, and when he found out she was pregnant, he gave her twenty grand and said, ‘Don’t ever contact me again.’”
He looks angry. “She deserved better than that.”
I nod. “I’m sorry. That has to be really hurtful.”
“I’m sure it was. I know it was,” he says, correcting himself. “That’s why I never let a woman think that I want anything more than I do, and that’s why I don’t date or…well, you know.” He shrugs.
“No, I don’t,” I tell him seriously. Then ask, “What?”
“I mean, I don’t tend to see a woman more than a couple of times. I don’t want them to feel like it’s going anywhere if it’s not.”
“So, you just truly never want a girlfriend, and you never want to get married, and…”
“I mean, I’m open to it if there’s a spark in there, something, but”—he stares at me—“I can’t say I’ve felt that spark with many people.”
“Oh, okay. Wow, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I mean, if I ever did feel that spark, I guess I’d have to marry them. Whether it be for life or not, who knows?” He shrugs.
“I guess so.” I swallow hard.
“Maybe I would marry for love, or maybe I would marry to help them out.”
“Okay. What do you mean by ‘help them out?’ You mean if you knock them up?”
“If I were to get a woman pregnant, I would like to think I would marry her. I would like to think that I would think about my unborn child first.”
“Okay. How very noble of you. I suppose it’s the British in you.”
“I don’t know about that,” he says. “But, you know, sometimes we men make rash decisions; sometimes we want to be a savior even in situations where we can’t be.”
“Okay. I mean, isn’t that like everyone in life? We all want to be able to help everyone, but we can’t always do that.”
“That is true. You know, I never thought I would get married,” he says slowly, his eyes staring into mine.
“Okay, well, you said that.”
“But…”
“But what?” I ask him.
“But maybe things change.”
“Are you telling me that you and Lucinda are getting married? Like, I’m confused here.”
“Maybe your dilemma made me…”
My heart grows cold as I stare at him. I pull my hands back from him.
“What are you trying to say, Liam?”
“I have a lot to tell you,” he says. “And I don’t want you to be mad at me.”
“Liam, you’re scaring me. What is going on here? ActualIy, I have a question for you.”
“Yes?” he says.
“How did my dad know you were British?”
“What?” He looks confused. “I’m not really sure what you’re talking about.”
“When I told my dad I got a job, he asked me if I could understand your accent. But I didn’t tell him you were English. So, I’m just curious, now that you’re acting all weird, how did he know?”
He lets out a deep sigh. “I don’t want you to hate me.”
“Liam, what is going on?”
“Your father and I are in the middle of a business deal.” He looks nervous. “And he had some requirements before the business deal could go through.”
“And that would be?” I say.
“Let’s just say that I’ve been trying to fulfill those requirements, but it looks like there have been some complications in his life. Like, you know, he needs to get you married.”
“Okay, and…”
“I’m going to be your husband, Elisabetta. I’m going to be the man you’re fucking on your wedding night.”