Chapter 22
22
Liam
N ot for the first time did Liam appreciate that he didn’t have to work with his brothers. Right about now, no one seemed to like him very much. The way Caleb told the story, Liam had jumped him unprovoked.
The only one who seemed to believe Liam was Daniel. Then again, his older brother might simply like to sit in silence and Caleb had taken to talking too much.
Daniel sat in a rocking chair on the back porch beside Liam. He hadn’t said a word since he’d come outside. The only sound that could be heard besides the crickets that played their evening symphony was the creaking of the rocker against the wooden floorboards.
Liam winced as he shifted in his seat. He was still bruised from his fight with Caleb, and it had taken every ounce of self-control not to call Margot and beg her to meet up. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and feel the connection between them.
At this point, that would be a very bad idea. He had a nasty shiner and a split lip that matched his brother’s. Margot wasn’t going to be thrilled to find out that she’d come between him and Caleb, even though she was fully aware of how annoying Caleb had become.
Liam was officially stuck. The guys at work got a laugh out of it, though. None of them believed that Liam had started the fight. According to all of them, including Dax, Liam must have been jumped—and by an angry horse, no less.
The whole situation was frustrating, to say the least.
“He’s an idiot,” Liam muttered to himself more than anyone else.
“Yeah, but he’s your brother, so you have to love him anyway,” Daniel mumbled.
Liam glanced at Daniel, then scowled out in the distance. “Says who?”
“It’s the rules. When our folks left, and Wade got to be in charge, it was the rule we all agreed to.”
Liam snorted. “That wasn’t the rule. The rule was family first or some other nonsense.”
“Exactly. Family first. You have to love them and support them?—”
“Where was my support? What happened to telling me that we needed to agree to disagree? I don’t care what Wade or anyone else says, for that matter. I don’t have to care one lick about Caleb. Not after what he said.”
“It’s not just Wade, you know.”
“Oh yeah? Who else is there?”
Daniel shrugged. “God, I guess.”
Liam huffed. “Maybe I don’t want to believe in God anymore.”
“I could say that I don’t believe in the rain due to the last few days being dry as all get out. But that doesn’t make it true. Eventually, the rain will come. And eventually, you’re going to see that God has a plan for all of us.”
Liam squirmed in his seat, suddenly very uncomfortable. Then he shot up and onto his feet. “If God has a plan, then why would he let me go through the last few months trying to win over a girl that my brother despises? I thought that family was supposed to be important. If I married that girl, then what? How could I expect any sort of harmony? And another thing! I’m head over heels in love with that girl, and yet I feel like the foundation our relationship is built on has only been crumbling since the start.”
Daniel watched him pace as he ranted. When Liam stopped to give his brother a look that clearly said he wanted some input, all Daniel did was rock back in his chair again and shrug. “Have you considered that maybe this isn’t the path you’re supposed to take?”
“Don’t give me that. There are no hard and fast rules on falling in love. Two people who are different can make things work if they want it bad enough. And I do. I’ve wanted to be with Margot since I was eight years old.”
Daniel didn’t seem the least bit surprised, and Liam couldn’t decide if that relieved him or irritated him more.
Liam threw his hands in the air with exasperation. “Why can’t I get a break? Why does this have to be so doggoned hard?”
“Did you know that the tallest towers in the biggest cities have been designed so they can sway?”
Liam stopped his ranting and stared, dumbfounded, at his brother. “What?”
“It’s true. The architects have to account for height, wind, weather, all sorts of stuff when they put together their plans so that when something really bad hits it, the building doesn’t collapse.”
Still, Liam didn’t understand what Daniel was trying to say. “You’re not making any sense. You know that, right?”
Daniel got to his feet, now towering over Liam. Being the tallest, he had the most intimidating stance out of all of them. He was the one no one dared cross, and it was lucky that he was such an easy guy to get along with. “Think about your relationship like one of those skyscrapers. You need a strong foundation. That’s the most important part. But then you need to include some flexibility. You’re going to have to learn to compromise—give and take. You’re going to have to learn how to read your partner and know what they want. You’re going to have to batten down the hatches when a storm hits and let your building sway a little. But in the end, you’re going to remain standing. You get it now?”
Liam gaped at his brother. Daniel was being absolutely ridiculous, but there was no way Liam was going to tell him that. The last thing he wanted was to add another shiner to the one he already had. “Yeah, okay.”
Daniel nodded at something behind Liam. “You have a visitor.”
Liam whirled around. There was only one person who would be willing to come visit him at his family’s property in the evening.
Still, seeing Margot standing off to the side like she was a lost soul did something to him. What he wouldn’t give to fly toward her and pull her into his arms. He wanted to remind her of his love for her and that he understood why they’d argued. And to promise he wasn’t going to let anything come between them.
And he nearly did. But then something caught his attention. Whether it was in her stance or the way she looked at him, he couldn’t be certain, but somehow, he knew this visit wasn’t going to end well and he needed to steel himself for the worst possible outcome.
Slowly, hesitantly, he moved toward her. There was a vague part of his mind that registered the back door closing. Daniel had left him alone with Margot—a fact that now scared him more than he was willing to admit.
“Hey,” he said once he was within hearing range. “What are you doing here? Did I miss a call from you?”
Her eyes widened and her brows came together as she reached out and gingerly touched his lip. “What happened?” she demanded.
He winced, pulling back.
Margot flinched as she withdrew her hand. “Sorry.”
“It’s nothing,” he insisted. “You should see the other guy.”
She wasn’t amused. In fact, she looked more perturbed than worried now. “Please tell me you didn’t fight with one of your brothers.”
He gave her a deadpan look. “Okay, I won’t.”
“Liam! What were you thinking? You can’t do that.” She shook her head. “You know what? Forget I said anything.”
That didn’t sound good. His heart clenched, and his hands started to shake. If she wasn’t going to argue about the fight he’d had with Caleb, that could only mean one thing.
She’d given up on him.
Margot shoved her hands into the pockets of an oversized hoodie. “I need to talk to you about something and it’s really important, so I need you to hear me out fully before you say anything.”
That sounded even worse, and now Liam felt sick to his stomach. “Okay,” he said.
She took a deep breath and then exhaled through pursed lips. Her eyes were red, and he could have sworn she looked as though she’d been crying—even more signs that she wasn’t here to share anything good with him.
Liam would have given anything to have the ability to revert to his eight-year-old self just so he could shove his fingers into his ears and pretend what was about to happen simply wouldn’t.
But this was real life, and he couldn’t turn back time no matter how much he wanted to.
“It’s not about you. I want you to know that.”
“Of course not,” he said dryly.
“It’s not even really about us. I just had a long talk with my dad?—”
Liam gave her a sharp look. “Oh.”
“It’s not like that,” she insisted, no longer meeting his gaze. Margot focused on twisting her hands together, wringing them out like they were old dishrags. “The fact is, I grew up with certain… amenities. I went to an Ivy League university, for heaven’s sake. And I’m seriously considering going back.”
“You are?” He pressed his fingertips to his temple. “But I thought you hated your classes.”
“Hate is a strong word. I wouldn’t say I hate it.”
He shook his head. “What you’re saying isn’t making sense.”
“You said you would hear me out.” Her voice broke. “Please, just let me finish.” She took in another shuddering breath, her face turning pink as she finally lifted her eyes to meet his. “It’s been really fun, but I have to think about my future. I can’t expect to stay here for the rest of my life. There isn’t anything here for me.”
“What about me? What about us?” He blurted the questions, then immediately regretted it when he saw the pain in her eyes. He was only making this break-up that much harder on them both. Didn’t he love her? Didn’t he want her to be happy?
The answer to both of those questions was a resounding yes.
That meant he only had one option at his fingertips. He couldn’t stand in her way.
“If you want to go back to college somewhere else…”
“I do,” she whispered.
“Then who am I to stand in your way?”
She stared at him with wide, wet eyes. “Really?”
He couldn’t bring himself to say what was in his heart. It would only make things worse. Liam wasn’t the kind of guy to guilt someone into staying. Every single relationship he’d had over the years had ended on a high note. He’d always been upfront with the girls he went on dates with, so they knew what to expect. Margot was offering him the same thing.
Her life had changed. Her plans had changed. And he had no right to dictate what she chose to do. “I just want you to be happy,” he said, even as his heart died a little more inside. Liam took her hand, preventing her from rubbing it raw, and he brought it to his lips. Her skin was abnormally cool to the touch, especially considering the clothing she chose to wear on this warm evening. He kissed the back of her hand, then released it to her. “I wish you the best.”
She blinked several times and then nodded. No more words were spoken between the two of them and she turned back the way she’d come, disappearing around the side of the house.
Liam turned toward the back door, only to find Caleb standing out beneath the porch lights. He scowled at his brother as he stomped up the steps toward the house. “Shut up,” he muttered.
Caleb lifted placating hands. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. You’re practically glowing,” Liam said before disappearing inside.