Chapter 36 Bailey
BAILEY
Did I really want to go to work today?
Not at all, but there was no point in even considering wallowing around my apartment for a second longer.
“Liam was released from the hospital the other day,” Cheyenne said, slipping her earrings in as she pretended to mind her own business in that not-very-casual way of hers.
“Good. I’m sure he’ll get better in no time.”
“Aren’t you at all curious why he came by that night?”
“We already know why. Austin was threatening everyone, including me, because of that stupid accident.”
“Yeah, but if he broke things off with you, why was he so desperate to get to you when he’d already ended things in such a callous way?” Sitting on the bed, she leaned in closer. “Don’t you think that’s just a little odd?”
Yes, I did, but I wasn’t about to wrack my brain for answers when, in the end, it didn’t really matter.
“He wanted to make sure I was okay.”
“Girl, he raced over here when he was on the verge of death to make sure you were okay. He passed out in the hallway!”
“I’ll write him a note or something.”
Flinging the covers off, I got out of bed, ignoring the way she gaped at me.
“You’ll write him a note? What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Absolutely nothing,” I said, spinning around to face her. “Nothing has changed. He still slept with another woman. He still broke things off with me because he freaked out.”
“Yes, but what if there’s more to it?”
“Like what?” I laughed sarcastically.
In truth, I had wished and prayed over the last week that there was a reason, that he hadn’t broken my heart over something so ridiculous, but I couldn’t allow myself to get my hopes up. Whatever happened, it was over.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need a shower.”
“You’re going to the garage,” she countered. “You’re just running away.”
“I’m smelly,” I argued.
“You never take your shower in the morning.”
“Well, I am today. I’m starting a new trend.”
“Great, so I can expect our water bill to go up by fifty percent as you take a shower every night and every morning.”
Pursing my lips, I nodded.
“I have to get to work early today, but I expect you to think about this more, Missy. There’s something weird going on here, and I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of it.”
With that final parting, I slammed the bathroom door and quickly undressed, though I really didn’t need a shower, other than to stand under the hot water and have a good cry where no one could hear me.
And that’s just what I did.
I hadn’t broken when he kicked me out of his life.
Other than getting drunk a few times and crying once on my mother’s shoulder, I had held it together quite well, but seeing him in the hospital…
There hadn’t been a single day that I hadn’t stepped into the shower and used the fifteen minutes of solace to feel the pain of almost losing him for good.
Even then, it only tided me over until I was alone at night.
“Get over it, Bailey,” I whispered as the water skimmed over my body. “He’s fine, and he’s not your concern.”
Slamming my hand down on the shower handle, I killed the water and the pity party I was throwing. I quickly wrapped my hair before tying a towel between my breasts. As I stared at myself in the foggy mirror, I willed myself to be strong enough to get through the day.
But that hope was killed the moment I opened the door to the bathroom and heard his voice in the other room.
Sure I was hearing things, I tiptoed down the hall and peered around the corner.
Gasping, I slammed myself back against the wall, cursing myself for being so loud.
“Oh, look. There she is now. I’ll just be going,” Cheyenne said, annoyingly loud as she walked out, slamming the door behind her.
“Fuck,” I hissed.
What the hell was I supposed to do now? He was sitting in my living room, just waiting for me to make myself known. I couldn’t hide from him, and as much as I wanted to pretend he wasn’t there, I also wasn’t five.
Rolling my eyes, I gathered my courage and stepped out from my hiding spot, refusing to show any weakness.
The indifferent retort died on my lips the moment I laid eyes on him. While he was no longer breathing through a tube, he also wasn’t completely healed. There were still parts of him that were clearly banged up, but it was everything under his clothes that concerned me most.
“Your brother told me a beam had fallen on you,” I started, unsure why I was even bringing it up. “Were you burned badly?”
“It’s healing,” he answered in a roundabout way.
Just the sight of him was going to make me cry, though I wasn’t sure if it was because he was alive or because he had broken my damn heart. But either way, I couldn’t seem to hold the waterworks back anymore.
Tearing my gaze from him, I headed into the kitchen to hide the fact that I was close to a total meltdown. “Is there a reason you’re here?”
“I just wanted to explain things.”
“Oh?” I said, distracting myself by reaching for a mug that was high up on the top shelf.
“Bailey, there were things I didn’t tell you…”
I huffed in amusement at that, but pushed my anger into pouring myself coffee instead of turning around and yelling at him.
“Bailey, will you sit down?”
“I have to get ready to leave,” I said, spinning around with my mug in hand.
Hot liquid splashed over the side of the cup, scalding my hand. In the next second, I dropped the mug, sending it crashing to the floor. Coffee sprayed over my legs, burning my flesh.
“Son of a bitch!” I shouted, dancing out of the way of the mess I’d created.
Liam was already there, snagging me around the waist and hauling me out of the way. Setting me on the small island, he rushed over to the sink and ran a cloth under the cool water before pressing it to my hand.
“Are you alright?”
“Fine,” I snapped in irritation. “Just annoyed that you’re ruining my morning.”
His lips twitched as he started gathering pieces of my broken mug. His movements were slow as he struggled to bend over, which only made me feel bad for being so mean to him.
Sighing, I hopped down and grabbed the broom out of the closet. “Here, let me.”
“I’ve got it.”
“You can barely bend over.”
“I said I’ve got it,” he snapped.
“You’re such a stubborn asshole!”
“I’ve been told!” he shouted, getting to his feet.
Pain creased his brow as he sucked in a shattered breath. Annoyed with him, I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away from the mess before sweeping up the rest of the shattered pieces.
I may hate the man, but I didn’t enjoy seeing anyone in pain.
When that was done, I grabbed paper towels and mopped up what was left of the spilled coffee, taking extra time to wipe down the cabinets just so I didn’t have to look at him.
“Are you going to talk to me?”
“About what?” I asked, pretending to be too busy to actually give him my attention.
“Bailey, there are things I need to tell you.”
“Can’t it wait? I have to get to work.”
“No, it can’t. I’ve waited long enough.”
“Fine,” I snapped, throwing the soaked paper towels in the sink. “Go ahead. Say whatever it is you need to say and then get out.”
“Can we at least sit down?”
I would have told him to fuck off, but the creases of pain that still lined his eyes had me rethinking my stance.
“Fine.”
All too aware that I was still in my towel, I made sure to keep my legs together and my breasts fully covered.
But then I was stuck waiting as he struggled to form the words he said he so desperately needed to tell me. Irritation spiked hard and it took everything in me not to yell at him. But just as I was about to get up and walk out of the room, he finally opened his mouth.
And shocked the hell out of me.
“I lied about everything.”
With my mouth gaping, I didn’t know exactly how to respond. “Everything, huh? Why so little?”
“Breaking up with you, telling you I didn’t want to be with you, the whole thing about your mother planning the wedding…it was all a lie.”
It was everything I had wanted to hear, and yet, I didn’t feel moved in the slightest by his words.
Not even when he stared at me with all the sincerity in the world, his dark eyes pleading with me to understand.
“Is that everything?” I asked, getting to my feet.
“Bailey, I had to do it.” His tone turned urgent as he got to his feet and reached for me. The moment his hand touched mine, I melted into his touch, but it only took a few seconds for the pain of his actions to ricochet through my mind.
“Okay,” I said, yanking my hand from his. “You had to do it. Good for you. Can I get ready for work now?”
I didn’t wait for him to answer before I turned away.
“Bailey, he tried to kill you!” His breath sawed out of his chest like he was back in that fire.
All it took was me closing my eyes to remember how he looked when he showed up at my apartment. But that was then, and this was now.
I kept walking.
“He cut the brakes on your car. If I hadn’t been driving, that would have been you. You would have been dead!”
Spinning around, I got in his face. “And so instead, you decided to kill me in another way.”
“I was trying to protect you. You have to believe me!”
“I have to?” I laughed. “I love it when people say that. Guess what? I don’t have to do anything. You fucked up.”
“He was trying to take you from me. In the hospital…he was there. He threatened you, and there was nothing I could do about it. He didn’t give a shit that you were innocent. He wanted to hurt me and my family, and he would do anything to achieve that!”
Fear burned bright in his eyes, just as it had in mine when I saw him lying in that hospital bed, thinking it was all my fault.
“I don’t deny that you were scared,” I answered softly. “In a way, it makes it easier to think that you only broke things off with me because of that psychopath, and not because you were afraid of being with me.”
“Then let me make this up to you. I can make this right. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you see that I love you.”