Chapter 9 #2
Liam and Sophia drove in silence. After leaving the fire station, he’d gone back to the office to do the paperwork associated with today’s events. Sophia had sulked in the office chair next to his desk. Now they were on their way home.
He didn’t relish leaving Sam and Bella. But they were with friends who would keep an eye on them. Not to mention the people at the church, who would take care of their physical needs. He needed to leave their safety in the Lord’s hands.
“Sophia.”
“Huh,” she mumbled.
“We need to talk some more about you sneaking out of the house.”
“Do we have to?”
“Yes. Not only was it against the rules, but it’s dangerous.” He’d seen a lot of things in his career.
“Whatever.” She laid her head on the window.
“You’re new in town. You don’t know these kids from school. What if they’re into something dangerous?”
“Seriously, they’re just teenagers like me.”
“Yeah, teenagers who were vaping in the bathroom, talked you into pulling a fire alarm, and were sneaking out. If they told you to jump off a building, would you do that too?”
Was he seriously using something he’d heard from adults when he was her age?
She sighed. “No.”
“You don’t have to give in to peer pressure. You can say no. It doesn’t make you a loser or dumb.”
“Are we really having this conversation right now?” She turned in her seat to look at him.
“Yes. What exactly were you guys out doing?” His knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel.
“For the last time, we were just hanging out.”
“And why weren’t they in school?”
“What do I look like, their parents?” She huffed.
There was more to this story than she was saying. They hadn’t just skipped school to hang out.
“What is it going to take to make you realize you’re going down the wrong path?” How could he get it through her head that the road she was on would only lead to more trouble?
“How many times are we going to have this conversation?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“As many times as it takes for you to start making better choices.”
He pulled into their driveway.
“I wish Mom was still here. She wouldn’t be so uptight.”
Pain shot through his chest. That’s because his sister had been too busy making her own bad decisions to worry about what Sophia was doing.
“I’m only doing what I think is best for you. I don’t want to see you end up hurt or in jail.”
“Whatever.” She jumped out of the vehicle and ran inside.
Liam leaned his head against the steering wheel. Lord, help me. I don’t know what I’m doing. Give me knowledge and discernment. Help me reach her. In Jesus’s name.
He sat up and noticed Sophia’s backpack was still on the floorboard. Should he search it? She was a minor, and he was her guardian. She didn’t really have any expectation of privacy. Except, searching her bag could make everything worse. But what if she was hiding something?
No. He wouldn’t snoop just yet. He leaned over and grabbed the bag, knocking it against the steering wheel as he got out of the car. Metal cans clanged inside.
Now he had cause to be suspicious. He unzipped the bag and found several cans of spray paint.
His stomach sank. Just like he suspected. They had been doing more than hanging out at the skate park. He zipped the bag back up and carried it into the house.
He tossed it on the table. “Sophia, get in here.”
Sophia slogged in. “What now?”
“Tell me about these.” He unzipped the bag and dumped the contents on the table.
Sophia’s face paled.
“Why do you have spray paint? In most states, you have to be eighteen to purchase this.”
“Why are you snooping in my stuff!”
Sophia had the audacity to be angry? Really?
“I wasn’t snooping. You left your bag in the car, and I picked it up.
It made noises it shouldn’t have, so I looked in it.
” He grabbed a plastic sack and started picking up the cans.
“Believe it or not, I am responsible for you. Not just making sure you’re fed and clothed but also making sure you behave and learn right from wrong.
I don’t want to see you get hurt or in trouble. ”
She rolled her eyes.
“Sit down. Now.” He pointed at the kitchen chair. “You are not going anywhere until you tell me the truth.”
He pulled a chair out, sat down, leaned back, and crossed his ankle over his knee.
This wasn’t just about spray paint or rules.
It was about keeping Sophia safe—the way he wished someone had kept his sister protected when she’d needed it most. His faith grounded him here, reminding him that God’s hand was in the messiness, but that didn’t mean he could step back and do nothing.
She plopped into the chair, slouched down, and crossed her arms over her chest. And remained silent.
The only sound filling the kitchen was the ticking of the old clock above the pantry.
Liam remained perfectly still. Sophia, on the other hand, squirmed in her seat and fidgeted with a string on her jeans.
“I have all night.” He stared at her. “You forget what I do for a living. I’ve sat a lot longer and in less comfortable spots. This is like a vacation.”
She gritted her teeth.
Minutes ticked by. It was a battle of wills. Sophia was sorely mistaken if she thought he would give up the will to keep her safe.
She sighed. “Fine.”
He tilted his head and waited for her to talk.
“We met at the skate park, and the others did some graffiti. But nothing bad or serious. Only on the metal trash cans and picnic tables.”
“It was not your property to do anything to, so it is kinda serious. It’s a crime, Soph.”
Sophia let her head drop to her chest. “I know. That’s why when they said they wanted to move on to an abandoned warehouse, I scooped up the cans and we ran.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. Was she telling the truth? “And I should believe you because…”
“Ask Bella, she’ll tell you.” Sophia looked at him wide-eyed, begging him to believe her.
“I will. But first, tell me everything, starting from the vaping incident.” He leaned forward and placed his forearms on his knees, willing to use every bit of his training. But not on one of the Marshals’ most wanted. No, he was going to use it on a fourteen-year-old.
Because it might be the only way to get through to her.
“I’ve already told you all of that. We weren’t vaping. We pulled the alarm. There’s nothing else to add.” She bit her bottom lip.
“You know you’ll get into more trouble if you keep lying. Just tell the truth and get it over with.” Could she not see that she was only making this worse for herself later?
“I did tell the truth. We weren’t involved in the vandalism.” She huffed.
This was impossible. They were just going to sit here and go round and round and only frustrate each other more.
“Go to your room. You can add another two weeks of grounding for sneaking out.”
She stood up and turned to walk out the door.
“Soph.” He stood, and when she turned around, he hugged her tightly. “I love you. Please know that you can talk to me about anything.”
“Okay.” She turned and went to her room.
Liam took the time to photograph the spray-paint cans and made notes. He needed to document everything related to them in case this turned into more than just teenagers being teenagers.
When he was finished, he paced the kitchen as thoughts swirled in his mind. Was he making the right decisions when it came to Sophia? What about when it came to the Williams sisters?
Liam had no idea what he was going to do.