Chapter 34 #2
What the hell? How is she not excited that I’m walking again? I thought she would be jumping for joy for me, not surly about the entire situation.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, taking a few steps to follow her.
“Nothing. Long day.” She’s lying. I know it. “I don’t feel good. I think I’m just going to take a shower and go to bed, if that’s okay.”
She’s definitely lying. She was fine when she walked in—more than fine, she was happy to be home and was excited to eat. What made her mood change so quickly?
“Okay, let me know if you need anything,” I tell her, letting her go.
I hear the shower start as I start putting away dinner, making sure to pack her a lunch for tomorrow.
Quickly, I start the kettle and get her favorite tea out.
I know she’s lying, but clearly something is bothering her, and tea always seems to calm her down.
Within minutes, the kettle is boiling. I pour her a mug, and grab the Advil bottle and her pack of favorite cookies I ordered earlier and go drop them off on her bedside table before returning to the kitchen to eat my dinner .
. . alone. It doesn’t taste as good I was expecting.
She doesn’t come out of her room all night and I leave her alone, giving her the space she wanted.
I’m calling Summer again.
The phone rings twice before another man answers her phone. “Hello,” he says.
“Is Summer there?” I ask, a little irritated by these random men I don’t know picking up my sister’s phone.
“She’s in the shower, can I take a message?” In the shower, can I take a message? She has some explaining to do.
“Who is this?” I ask, dumbfounded, because I know it’s not the Chase guy I spoke to earlier.
“Toby. Who’s this?” Do they not look at the caller ID before answering her phone? I know she has me as Liam - The Oldest Asshole in her phone.
“Her older brother Liam,” I tell him.
“Shit,” I hear him murmur.
That’s when I hear Chase ask him, “What’s up?”
“I answered her phone. It’s her older brother, again.”
“Damn, now you’re gonna get in trouble.”
What in the world is going on over there?
“She just came out. I’ll pass her the phone,” he finally says.
“Okay, thanks,” I say, confused and looking down at my phone to confirm that I selected the right contact.
“Liam?” Summer asks, answering her phone.
“Yeah—” Before I can say anything else she cuts me off.
“Chase and Toby . . . they were—”
“Helping you with your groceries,” I cut her off.
“Summer, you’re a grown-ass adult who’s worked around the world.
You could be sleeping with both of them and I wouldn’t care.
” I hear her choke at my comment. I know I’m letting my usual assholery slip out right now, but I don’t care. Sloane has me on the edge.
“I need your help,” I tell her, hearing the desperation in my own voice.
“This is starting to become a habit, Liam.” I can hear the sarcasm in her voice.
“I know, and I’ll owe you one, big time,” I promise her.
“I’ll keep you to that. What happened? I thought you were making her supper—celebrating your cane-less life?” she asks.
“I did. I made her dinner, she came in all excited, then her mood did a one-eighty when she realized I wasn’t using my cane anymore.
She said she didn’t feel good, had a headache, and that she wanted to go to bed, so I let her.
That was four hours ago. She hasn’t come back out.
I’m pretty sure she’s avoiding me, but I don’t know why,” I tell her.
“Weird,” she agrees. “Did she say anything else?”
“Nothing, just asked when I was going to be done with my rehab program. I told her in two or three weeks.”
“Oh, Liam . . .” she starts. “Why did you move in with Sloane?”
“Because of rehab,” I answer her, not understanding where she’s going with this.
She doesn’t say anything for a few moments.
“And?” she finally says.
“And what?” I ask.
“Liam, you moved in for rehab. Now rehab is done,” she says in a duh manner.
Now it’s my turn to ask. “And?”
“Oh my God, you’re really going to make me spell it out for you, aren’t you?” she asks. She doesn’t give me the chance to reply before continuing. “She thinks you’re moving out.”
“Why would she think that?” I ask out loud. That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.
“Did you tell her you were staying?” Summer sasses back.
“No, but—” I start but she cuts me off.
“Have you told her you love her? That you never want to let her go?”
“No, but—” I go to start again, only to be cut off by my lovely little sister again.
“So, she’s supposed to read your mind, too?” she asks, sarcasm and sass dripping from her voice.
“No. But—” Again, I’m cut off.
“Stop being an idiot and ask her if you can stay with her even when you’re done with your program,” she tells me, in her no nonsense voice. “Now, I have to go, but call me if you need anything else. Love you.”
She doesn’t wait for my response, just hangs up.
All right. So, I just need to tell Sloane I love her and that I want to permanently move in with her. It’s the truth, so it shouldn’t be hard to tell her.
I was wrong. It was very hard.