Chapter 24
Chapter 24?
POV: Maeve
I found my way to the stool closest to him and plopped down, smiling.
He strode over with a beaming smile. And god, it looked good.
I kept my eyes from exploring his body, though I was still dreaming of the way he felt inside me.
“What can I get you?” he smirked, his jawline ticked as he spoke.
“Hmm, I don’t know,” I pretended to be indecisive.
Liam sent me a playful wink.
“Something tall. Something cold. Surprise me.” I winked back.
Liam leaned over the countertop, eyes on me, not caring who noticed. And I almost stopped breathing. “I think I know just the thing but we might want to go somewhere private.”
I laughed, blushing and turning away from him for a second to hide the hold he had on me.
“Or a Guinness,” he shrugged, slapping the wooden counter and straightening his shoulders to stand tall and proud.
“I guess a Guinness will do,” I agreed.
He walked towards the end of the bar, poured the Guinness and shortly returned and set it down in front of me. “I’ve got a quick errand to run for some kitchen supplies. I’ll be right back, love.”
There he was calling me love again and making me swoon. “Don’t be too long.”
“I’d never think of it,” he shot me another grin then walked off.
I stared at the back of the bar—preoccupied with the thought of him, even though he had left.
My heart was battering with anticipation—of telling him the truth—telling him that I loved him and that I wanted to try to make this…work. And wondering how he’d respond.
But by the way he looked at me, I thought or hoped that he felt the same.
A voice sounded from the stool next to me, “That one’s a hard lad to catch.”
I turned to face an old woman, probably mid-60’s who was staring at me with weary eyes.
“Excuse me?”
“Liam O’Rourke.”
“Um—” I began, confused.
“I see that you’re smitten with him.”
I didn’t respond.
But she continued, “Handsome lad with a good family, but…”
“But?” I interrupted.
“But he’s a hard lad to tie down. Cara learned that.”
“What did she learn?” I asked, without thinking.
“Oh dear. Has he not told you?”
“I know about the accident,” I replied.
Her gaze muddied.
And that made my heart stop beating.
Was there more?
“Not just the accident, dearie. Before the accident. I think I’ve said too much—”
I cut her off. “No, please. Tell me.”
She paused, thinking before finally saying, “Cara cheated on him with a tourist a week before they were to be married. He was going to forgive her but changed his mind. Liam left her at the altar the day of their wedding. He called off the engagement then a week later she died in a car accident. Liam hasn’t been the same since.”
The words replayed in my head on a loop.
He hadn’t told me about the cheating. He hadn’t told me the details. He hadn’t told me the truth.
And three words stuck inside my head—-He hasn’t been the same.
I knew that she was right and that fucking hurt.
I shook my head in disbelief.
The woman started, “Sorry, dear. I just thought you knew.”
“No, no, thank you for telling me.” My heart cracked as I said the words.
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even know what to say.
So, I did what I thought I needed to do—in order to breathe and think properly again—I got up and left.
As soon as I stepped outside, I saw him exiting his truck.
Our gazes immediately connected and I turned the opposite away, desperate to get away from him and completely overwhelmed by the new information I had just learned.
“Hey Maeve!” he called out.
I could hear him running behind me but I kept going.
“Maeve—wait!” he called out again but I didn’t stop.
Then his hand was on my wrist, stopping me in place.
“Maeve,” he breathed heavily.
I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t look at him.
Tears welled in my eyes.
His tone softened. “Maeve, what’s wrong?”
“Let me go, Liam,” I replied quietly, without looking up at him.
“Maeve, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” he pleaded, tightening his grip around my wrist and lifting my chin up to look at him.
“Stop,” I replied, tugging away but not freeing myself from his grasp.
“Look at me Maeve,” he lifted my chin higher.
And I finally looked at him with eyes full of water. “You lied to me, Liam.”
The words hit him hard.
“What? I haven’t done anything, Maeve, I promise.”
“About her….about Cara.”
That made his jaw tick.
“An old local woman told me, just now in the bar, about her cheating on you and how you left her at the altar then called off the engagement. It wasn’t the same story you told me, Liam.”
“I can explain, Maeve,” he paused, taking in a deep breath. “I wasn’t hiding anything from you. I just didn’t want to talk about it. It wasn’t important.”
“But it is fucking important, Liam!” I yelled. “You didn’t want to tell me the truth—about why you behave like this, why you’re hot and cold—on and off and afraid of commitment. I mean it all makes sense now why you act like this—why you won’t define us, and why you’re afraid. But I’m not a cheater, Liam. And I’m definitely not a liar and it hurts that you are.”
His eyes clouded with pain, as if my words injured him. “I wasn’t lying to you, Maeve.”
“Omitting facts is lying!”
“I didn’t want to hurt you…I just didn’t…I don’t know,” he said, as he squeezed my hand then intertwined my fingers with his.
I wanted to break free of him and run. But running never solved anything.
I was done running from my feelings.
And I was done letting him run from his.