The Perfect Son

by Freida McFadden

  I suppress the urge to roll my eyes. “Crazy like what?”

  “I don’t know exactly,” Madison admits. “But apparently, it was some really bad stuff. Like, Tyler was actually afraid of him. He said Liam is really messed up and any girl who gets involved with him will be sorry.”

  Now I really do roll my eyes. “Come on. You believe that?”

  “Yes, I do! Liv, I told you I got a bad vibe about the guy. There’s just something about him…”

  “Well, I don’t see it.”

  “Then you’re blind.”

  I stare at my best friend and feel a burst of anger in my chest. Why is she doing this to me? She knows how much I like Liam. She’s dated two complete jerks and I never said one bad word about either of them. Well, that’s about to change right this minute.

  “Well,” I say, “at least he’s better than Aidan.”

  Madison’s mouth falls open. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with Aidan?”

  “Are you joking? Aidan is a total asshole. He treats you like crap and he’s practically flunking out of school. He bullies underclassmen. And he probably shoots up steroids.”

  Two little pink spots appear on either one of Madison’s cheeks. “He doesn’t shoot up steroids.”

  “Fine. But all the other stuff is true.” I look her in the eyes, daring her to contradict me. She doesn’t, because I’m totally right. “But Liam is the awful one. Because he gives you a bad vibe. Oh my God, how awful.”

  The pink spots on Madison’s cheeks widen. “Fine. You want to go on a date with a psychopath? Be my guest.”

  With those words, Madison spins on her heels and stalks off, probably to find Aidan. Her dirty blond ponytail swings aggressively behind her as she walks away. We’ve had fights before, but this feels like the biggest fight we’ve ever had. It makes me uneasy.

  But I miraculously forget all that when Liam materializes in front of me.

  He looks devastatingly handsome in his track team T-shirt, baggy jeans, and a lightweight jacket with his hair slightly damp from the shower. He smiles at me and my heart does a little dance in my chest. So what if Madison and I are fighting? I can’t even think about that right now.

  “You came,” Liam says, as if he’s slightly surprised and pleased.

  I return his smile. “Of course I came. I said I would.”

  “Yeah, but…” He ducks his head down. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re here.”

  This guy is not crazy. No way. I don’t know what Madison was talking about. It’s clear Aidan and Tyler are jealous of Liam, because he does so well in school and all the girls think he’s cute.

  “You look cold,” he observes.

  I’m not going to lie. I’m pretty freaking cold right now. My teeth are actually chattering a little bit, and my lips feel like they’re turning blue. But I don’t want to seem like I’m complaining. “Maybe just a little.”

  And then Liam does something that totally melts me. He takes off his jacket and he holds it out to me. “Here. Take it.”

  “But then you’ll be cold.”

  “Nah. I’m okay. I’m still hot from running.”

  I’ve never kissed a boy before, but somehow it seems more significant that a boy has never made a gallant, romantic gesture for me before. I’ve had a crush on Liam for several months now, but in this moment, I fall head over heels.

  I’m totally in love.

  Chapter 13

  Transcript of Police Interview with Olivia Reynolds:

  “Olivia, can you please describe your interactions with Liam Cass?”

  “We’re on the debate team together. We have been for the last two years.”

  “Are you friends with him?”

  “Yes. I mean, we’ve been on the team together a while. So we talk a lot. I mean, not just when we’re debating.”

  “Would you describe your relationship with Liam as more than friendship?”

  “Um. Well, no. Not exactly, but... look, I feel weird talking about this with, like, the police… it’s, like, embarrassing…”

  “But you understand why this is important.”

  “Yes. Of course. I mean, that’s why I called you. I thought… maybe if I told you what happened to me, it would help.”

  “And we appreciate you contacting us.”

  “Yes…”

  “So going back to the original question: did you have any sort of romantic relationship with Liam Cass?”

  “Well, no. Not officially. But… I sort of…”

  “What?”

  “I… I liked him. A lot. I thought he was cute. And he’s really good at debate, you know?”

  “Did he express romantic intentions towards you?”

  “Honestly? I mean, sometimes I thought he did. One time he walked me home, but nothing happened. Obviously he liked somebody else better.”

  “And then what happened?”

  “…”

  “Olivia, if you could tell us what you told me earlier about what happened next…”

  “You mean about that guy?”

  “Right. You said that a man approached you on the street.”

  “Yeah. I was out walking my dog and this old guy—he was, like, maybe fifty—he came up to me and asked me if I was Olivia Reynolds. And it totally freaked me out because, you know, you hear all these stories about some girl going out to walk her dog and she never comes home. And he looked kind of creepy too.”

  “How did he look creepy?”

  “I don’t know. He smelled like cigarettes and his teeth were kind of yellow. Probably because of cigarettes, right? That’s why I am not going to smoke ever. Or vape. Vaping is even worse. My health teacher says you can get popcorn lung from vaping, where your lungs look like microwave popcorn.”

  “Uh, right. So what happened next, Olivia?”

  “So I didn’t really say anything. I just looked at the guy, but he seemed to know who I was. And then he asked me if I knew Liam, and that was really weird.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I said yes.”

  “And what did he say then?”

  “Well, he started telling me all the stuff he knew about me. Like, bad stuff. I mean, not really bad. I haven’t done anything that bad. But, like, he had screenshots of all these text messages on my phone that I wouldn’t want my parents or my teachers to see. And some other stuff.”

  “What sort of stuff?”

  “Um, do I have to tell you that?”

  “We’d like to have all the information.”

  “It wasn’t illegal. I swear.”

  “You’re not in trouble, Olivia. I promise. Just tell us the truth.”

  “Okay… well, I was dating this guy last year and I sent him some pictures of myself that I shouldn’t have. It was really stupid. And I don’t know how that creepy guy ended up getting those photos. God, it’s so embarrassing…”

  “So what happened next?”

  “The guy said if I kept hanging around with Liam, he was going to show everyone.”

  “So what did you say?”

  “What do you think? I mean, I liked Liam, but not enough to get in trouble. So I said I wouldn’t hang out with him anymore.”

  “And did you?”

  “Yeah. But honestly, it didn’t really matter, because the next day… Well, you know.”

  “Did you have any thoughts on why that man told you not to hang out with Liam?”

  “No. I was just so freaked out about the whole thing. I thought… I don’t know. It was the weirdest thing ever, honestly.”

  “Well, thank you, Olivia. This has been very helpful.”

  “Detective?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you really think Liam did it?”

  “I can’t share any details of our investigation with you, unfortunately.”

  “I just want to say… I don’t think he did. I’ve known him for over two years, and he’s a really nice guy. I’m not just saying that because he’s cute. He’s really seri
ous about competing and he’s very smart and he just wouldn’t. I don’t think he could. I mean, what kind of person does something like that? I just can’t imagine it.”

  “Then why did you contact us?”

  “Because… I don’t know. I don’t think Liam did it. But I guess I’m not absolutely sure. You never know.”

  Chapter 14

  Olivia

  It’s about a mile to the diner, and Liam and I walk together. Well, we’re with half the track team and also some of their girlfriends, but Liam and I hang back behind them. His jacket is warm and smells like he does—Dial soap. The sleeves are long enough on me that my fingertips barely poke through.

  We talk about math class mostly. Liam says Mr. Gregor smells like old cheese, which is actually pretty accurate. He doesn’t seem to like Mr. Gregor much, which surprises me, because a lot of kids act like smartasses in that class, but Liam doesn’t. He’s really polite to Mr. Gregor—to his face. I get the feeling he’s one of Mr. Gregor’s favorite students, and not just because he’s acing the class.

  Liam stands very close to me when we walk. A few times, his hand brushes against my fingertips and I think he’s going to try to hold my hand, but he doesn’t.

  When we get to the diner, there are a lot of kids from our school already there. Even though it’s a long walk, Charlie’s has the best milkshakes. They are so good, I swear. It’s like the best ice cream you’ve ever tasted in shake form. I notice Tyler Martinson is sitting in one of the booths, and I remember what Madison said earlier. That Tyler said Liam is crazy. That Tyler is afraid of him.

  Could that really be true? Tyler doesn’t seem like a guy who would be afraid of anything. And when we walk past him, he and Liam don’t make eye contact. He doesn’t look at me either, and I wonder if he’s still mad at me for not going out with him. I saw him with a different girl a week later though, so it looks like he got over it quick.

  We all squeeze into an extra-large booth. There are six of us, and my body is pressed up tightly against Liam. I feel the warmth of his thigh against mine. And I don’t mind one bit.

  “Are you squished?” He looks at me with concern in his brown eyes. He has such nice eyes. I always was partial to blue eyes, but God, his are nice. And his breath smells like peppermint. I wonder if he swallowed a breath mint before coming. Because I did. I mean, I didn’t want to have tuna breath.

  “I’m okay,” I breathe.

  “Good.” He grins at me. “Because if I move over one inch, I’m gonna fall out of the booth.”

  I return his smile. “Don’t fall out.”

  “I’ll try.” He flips open the menu. “Do you know what you want to get?”

  “Vanilla milkshake,” I say without hesitation.

  “Hey, that’s my favorite too. You stole my idea.”

  I laugh. “Sorry.”

  “Do you want to split it?”

  Splitting a milkshake with Liam? Yes, please. “Sure.”

  My doubts about this being a date are starting to fade. He walked me here, we’re splitting a milkshake, and I couldn’t be closer to him unless I was sitting on his lap. Also, when he orders it for us, he mumbles in my ear, “It’s my treat.” And even when the other people at the table are talking, he only seems interested in talking to me. His attention is completely focused on me.

  Until something happens that spoils everything.

  Our booth is fairly close to the bathroom, and when Tyler and his buddies get up to use it, they have to pass by us. Even though Liam and Tyler had studiously avoided looking at each other when he came in, Tyler jostles Liam’s shoulder hard as he walks by. It was clearly done intentionally. I know it, and it’s obvious that Liam knows it.

  When Tyler comes back out of the bathroom, I’m worried he’s going to do it again. But instead, as he passes by our table, he stumbles and falls to the ground with a loud thunk. For a moment, everything is quiet as Tyler gets back to his feet.

  “You just tripped me, asshole!” Tyler is staring at Liam. There’s a scary-looking vein bulging out on his thick football player’s neck. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Liam turns to look at Tyler, blinking his eyes in a picture of mock innocence. “Oh, I’m sorry. That was an accident.”

  “Like hell it was!”

  “You’re mistaken, Tyler.”

  “Say that to my face.”

  My heart speeds up in my chest. Tyler looks really mad. He’s still got that vein in his neck, but now his face is starting to turn bright red. Liam stands up, and I notice that while the two boys are about the same height, Tyler is more broad like the football player he is. Liam has more of a runner’s physique. I’m scared that in a fight, Tyler would have the edge.

  But Liam doesn’t look the slightest bit intimidated. He looks Tyler right in the eyes. “I didn’t trip you. You’re just clumsy.”

  Tyler snorts. “What—are you trying to show off in front of your girl? Not that you need to do much to impress her.”

  My cheeks burn. The last thing I want is Tyler talking smack about me in front of Liam. But Tyler’s words hit home. What he said seems to upset Liam more than anything so far. “Mind your own business,” Liam says in a low voice.

  Tyler takes a menacing step towards Liam. Their confrontation has got the whole restaurant watching—everyone is probably hoping there will be a fight. Everybody but me. I just want Tyler to leave us alone. “Does your girlfriend know you’re a psychopath?”

  Liam rolls his eyes. “Is that all you’ve got to say?”

  “It’s true.”

  “Yeah?” Liam lifts an eyebrow. “Well, if I am a psychopath, maybe you should be careful. Because I know pretty much everything there is to know about your family. I know where your mom goes to yoga class. I know your dad parks his car outside the garage at night. And I know what window is your sister’s bedroom.”

  Tyler’s eyes widen.

  “Also,” Liam adds, “you’ve got a new cat, don’t you?”

  All the color drains out of Tyler’s face. I’ve never seen anyone look so freaked out. I’m not even sure why. What is Liam talking about? Why is he talking about Tyler’s cat? This makes no sense.

  But apparently, what Liam said did the trick. Tyler takes a step back, his brow furrowed.

  “It wouldn’t even be a challenge to kick your ass,” he mutters. He moves past Liam to get back to his seat, but I notice this time he makes an effort to avoid touching him.

  Liam drops back into the seat next to mine. There’s a satisfied look on his face. A secret smile plays on his lips.

  “I think you just scared the shit out of Tyler,” I comment.

  Liam shrugs. “Yeah, well. He’s a jerk.”

  “Didn’t you guys used to be friends?”

  “No. Not really.”

  But that’s a lie. Everyone knows that Tyler and Liam used to be tight. Still, he doesn’t seem to want to talk about it anymore, and that’s fine with me. I didn’t come here to talk about Tyler Martinson. I came here to spend time with Liam.

  The waitress brings two straws for our milkshake. I wish we only had one straw, so Liam and I could have shared. But two straws is nice too. I try to time it so that I am taking a sip at the same time he is so our faces are inches apart.

  “I love the milkshakes here,” Liam says.

  His leg is pressed against mine and so is his upper arm. If we weren’t surrounded by other kids from track team, I wonder if he’d try for a kiss. The thought of it makes my heart nearly beat out of my chest.

  But before I can get too excited, my phone starts ringing in my pocket. I recognize the ringtone. It’s my mother.

  Great.

  “Hang on.” I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, which was a present for my birthday last year. But my mom put all these restrictions on it, so I can’t play too many games or watch YouTube. Oh, and there’s GPS tracking. So that she can know where I am at every single moment of the day. Seriously, why doesn’t she just put a microchip
in my head? “Hi, Mom.”

  “Olivia,” Mom says. “Are you still at that diner? It’s getting late.”

  Sheesh, she knows I’m still at the diner. She’s got that GPS thing on my phone.

  “It’s not that late.” I look down at my watch and then out the window. “It’s not even dark yet.”

  “How are you planning to get home?”

  “Um.” I glance at Liam, who has his eyebrows raised. “I’ll just walk.”

  He’ll walk me home. I’m sure of it.

  “Walk!” Mom says it like I suggested zip lining home. “Out of the question! I’ll drive over and pick you up.”

  “Mom!” I try not to sound too whiny, but I really don’t want her to pick me up. Not now. Not when things are going so well. “It’s still really early. Can’t I stay? Please?”

  “Don’t you have homework to do?”

  “I did it at school.” (That’s a lie. There was no way I could concentrate on my homework when I knew Liam and I were about to have our first almost-date.)

  Mom is quiet for a moment, thinking it over. I keep my fingers and my toes crossed that she says I can stay.

  “No,” she finally says. “I’m going to come get you now. I want you home before it gets dark.”

  “But Mom—”

  “Not negotiable, Olivia.”

  “Fine,” I grumble.

  If Liam weren’t right next to me, I probably would have fought harder to stay, but I don’t want him to hear me fighting with my mother. You know—one of those fights where I explain to her that I am not a baby and she’s being absolutely ridiculous. Those can go on for a while, and I’ve noticed they don’t usually end well for me.

  I hang up with my mother and shove my phone back in my pocket. “I’m really sorry,” I tell him. “My mom is coming to pick me up now.”

  “Now?” His face falls. “You really have to go?”

  “She’s worried about me walking home alone.”

  His brows scrunch together. “I would have walked you.”

  I know he would have. And his mother isn’t sitting around worrying about him walking me home, then walking home himself. Because his mother isn’t crazy like mine.