“Oh, no. It’s fine. I don’t mind waiting... Oh! I almost forgot!”
I pull a bag out of my purse, handing over the new phone I bought for him. I set it all up last night, even added Noah, Frankie and my number to it for him. The wall paper is a photo of the four of us before the football game Noah got hurt at. We were all so happy.
“What’s this?”
“A new phone.” I thrust my hand towards him, he stares at it, taking a step backwards.
“No.”
“What do you mean no?”
“I mean I can't take that from you. That’s too much, Miranda.”
“Liam, it seriously isn't a big deal. It’s a gift, just take it.”
“That’s a thousand-dollar phone! How is that not a big deal to you?”
“Because it just isn't. Please, take the damn phone.”
“No.”
“Oh my Lanta! Why do you have to make being nice difficult?”
“Because you can't just throw money at things to make it better. Life doesn’t work that way. Not everything can be fixed with money.” His fists clench at his side, he’s angry but so am I. He still thinks I'm just a spoiled rich kid.
“I know that! I understand money doesn’t fix things more than you’ll ever know!”
“I really doubt that.” He chuckles a humorless laugh, making my blood boil even more.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now? I'm not the spoiled rich girl you act like I am!”
“Aren't you though? You’re handing me a thousand-dollar phone like it’s from a gumball machine. You think money fixes things.”
My stomach twists, and clenches painfully. I was right, but hearing him voice my assumptions hurts even more than I imagined it would.
“If money makes your life perfect then why did my brother slit his wrist? He almost fucking died, Liam. But I guess we should just tell him to be happy because yay we have money! Or how about having parents who have never given a fuck about me? My parents have thrown money at me for years, hoping I’ll leave them alone if I can buy anything my heart desires. They fucking hate me! They were thrilled when I moved in with Frankie. Now they don’t even have to pretend to have kids. But I guess I better just be happy because I come from money. Because that fixes everything, right? I have no one who cares about me, Liam. No one!”
Tears stream down my face but I don’t try to stop them. This has all been building up for years, all this tension and frustration but I’ve always pushed it down deep inside of myself and plastered on a fake smile. It’s easier to smile than let people know your deepest darkest thoughts and feelings.
I shouldn’t be taking my feelings out on Liam. He isn't who my anger is directed at but I'm nothing like the person he paints me to be. I'm just a lonely girl trying to find someone to love me for me.
“Randy...”
“Don’t fucking call me that!”
He closes the distance between us, holding his arms open but I refuse to give in. I'm not going to find comfort in his embrace. I want to punch him, not hug him.
“Mira? Can I go with Mira?”
I stare at him for a few seconds. Is he serious right now? I'm screaming and yelling at him and he’s trying to give me a nickname!
“Why can't you just call me Miranda?”
“I like nicknames.” He shrugs.
“Nicknames are for people you give a shit about. Which you don’t give a shit about me.”
He reaches out a hand, tucking a few stray hairs behind my ear. His fingertips trail down my jaw, cupping my cheek. His thumb brushes away a few tears.
“I like Mira.”
“Whatever.” I mumble under my breath. “Just keep the damn phone, Liam.”
He pulls me into his chest, his arms wrap around me. I stand stiffly in his embrace. I don’t know what to do, this isn't something Liam and I do. We fight, we hate each other, but comforting each other? Nah, we don’t do that. A soft chuckle rumbles from his chest under my head. He picks up one of my arms, then the other, wrapping them around his waist.
I melt into his embrace as soon as I'm hugging him back. He rests his chin on the top of my head, rubbing a hand up and down my back. I’ve never had someone hold me like this, never felt like someone cared about me. But this right here, this feels like he cares.
“Why is me taking the phone so important to you?”
“I'm worried about you, what if something happens to you or Macy and you don’t have a way to call the cops. Or what if you aren’t with Macy and she needs you? You both need to be safe.”
“Please tell me you didn’t buy my eight-year-old sister a thousand-dollar phone.” He says softly. I tighten my grip around his waist but I keep my mouth shut.
“Mira... tell me you didn’t.”
“Ok, I didn’t.”
“Is that the truth?”
“You didn’t ask for the truth, you asked me to tell you I didn’t. Which do you want? The truth or me to tell you what you want to hear?”
“I want the truth to be what I want to hear.”
“Well, it’s not. Deal with it.”
“Mira...” He lets out a long sigh.
I pull back enough to look up at him. He’s defeated, it’s like he doesn’t have enough energy to fight with me, maybe he doesn’t.
“What happened?” I ask as I brush a finger under his eye where the bruise is.
“Nothing. I'm fine.”
“What about here?” I pull back, tracing the purple bruises on his ribs. His body shivers under my touch, his chest rises and falls more rapidly than before. He stares down at me; I couldn't look away even if I wanted to.
“I'm fine, Mira.”
“You protected her last night.” I don’t ask, it’s a statement. We both know what happened even if he won't voice it.
“I’ll always protect her. He’ll never touch her.”
“How bad does it hurt?”
“I’ll live.”
“I hate you living here.”
“Me too but I can't change that until graduation. I don’t know how I’ll afford it, but I'm getting Macy out of here.”
“I got her a phone so she can call me if something happens. I know you’ll protect her but who will protect you?”
“You can't protect me, Mira. It’s not possible.”
“Maybe I can't take the punches for you but I can make sure she has a phone incase things go too far. What if it gets too bad one night? Then what? You think he won't beat down a door to get to her?” I whisper quiet enough to make sure Macy can't hear me. I don’t want her to worry any more than she already does.
“Over my dead body will he get to her.”
“That’s my point, Liam. One night it could be over your dead body. Don’t be stupid, accept the damn phones so I don’t have to talk to Mrs. Valdo.”
“Mira, you promised.”
“I know I did but I'm not willing to risk your life like that. I’ll keep my mouth shut for now, but only if you and Macy take the phones.”
“Fine. We’ll take the phones.”
“Thank you.”
I pull him into another hug, enjoying the feeling of being in someone else’s arms. I'm going to pretend I'm here because he cares about me and loves me, not because I was crying like a crazy person and he felt bad. I want to enjoy this just for a few moments.
Chapter Nine
Liam
“I'M READY!” MACY CALLS as she bounces into the living room. Her eyes instantly lock onto Miranda in my arms. A huge smile spreads over her face, I know exactly what she’s thinking. She’s going to ask questions I'm not going to want to answer.
“Uh... I'm gonna go get dressed then we can go.”
“Good idea.” Miranda’s gaze drops to the floor.
“Hey...” I whisper. Her eyes lift to mine, she tucks hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering on her jaw line. She looks fucking adorable right now staring up at me through her lashes. “Thank you for the phone.”
A genuine smi
le spreads across her beautiful plump lips for the first time in weeks. She thinks I hate her and I do but not for the reasons she believes. I hate that I want her. I hate how her life seems perfect, but now I know it isn't. I don’t understand how anyone could push her away. I want to push her away and I still can't do it.
Macy needs to be my priority; I don’t have time to add anyone to my life at this moment. Adding Miranda into the mix is sure to cause complications.
I throw a shirt over my head, leaving the sweats on. I don’t have it in me to care about my appearance today. I brush my teeth, use mouth wash and throw on a pair of sneakers. I'm back in the living room in less than five minutes.
I'm not prepared for what I find.
Miranda’s sitting on the floor, legs crossed pretzel style with Macy on her lap. She’s French braiding her hair, her complete attention on my little sister.
She throws her head back, laughing at something Macy says. I stand in the doorway staring at them, I lean against the molding, crossing my arms over my chest. I can't pull my eyes away from the massive smile on Macy’s face. She hasn’t been this happy since mom left us.
“Liam! You’re ready.” Macy bounces in Miranda’s lap.
“Whoa! Sit still ya little jumping bean. I just need to get this hair tie in then we’re done!”
Macy wiggles but sits and waits for her hair to be finished. Miranda wraps her arms around Macy, giving her a big hug and kiss on the cheek. She really cares about my sister.
“Oh! And I have two surprises for you!”
“What is it? What is it?” Macy jumps off her lap, bouncing on her toes. She looks like an eight-year-old for the first time in a long time.
Miranda hands over the new phone and Macy gasps. Her eyes snap to mine, silently asking if this is ok. I smile and give her a nod. I want her to be happy and Miranda is right, this will help protect her even more.
“I want you to keep your phone with you all the time. You’ll have to turn off the ringer when you’re at school but if you don’t look at it, the teachers will never know you have it. I put my phone number and Liam’s new number in there. I also put Frankie and Noah’s just in case. I want you to be safe. You call me anytime you need me. Even if it’s just to talk. I'm always here for you, little bestie. And if things ever get bad, you call me, I’ll come get you... both of you.” Miranda’s eyes lock on mine. She’s serious, she’ll drop everything for us, she wants to protect us any way she can.
“Thank you!” Macy throws herself back into Miranda’s arms. When she pulls back, she stares down at her phone, a smile stretches even wider. “Liam! Look! It’s a picture of Miranda and me at cheer!”
She holds the phone up, showing me the most adorable photo ever. Macy is on Miranda’s back, they’re both smiling at the camera taking the perfect selfie. I wish I had that photo as my background.
“Alright, we gotta get going or we’re all going to be late to school.”
We pile into Miranda’s car, blasting the heat to warm us up. Macy talks nonstop in the back seat about the new cheer routine. She absolutely loves cheer.
“Hey, pickle, don’t forget I won't be home when you’re done with school today. I have practice. I want you to take the bus home and lock yourself in your room. He shouldn’t be home until after I get home. You call me if you need anything, ok?”
“Ok.” She says softly. I hate having to ruin her good mood but I need her to know what she’s coming home to. She needs to be prepared.
“Would it be ok if I took Macy shopping with me?”
“What?” I heard her but I have to be mistaken. There’s no way she wants to hang out with my little sister and take her shopping.
“I, uh... I was going to go get my nails done and I wanted to look at prom dresses.”
“Someone asked you to prom already?” My brows raise, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the guys asked her the first time they saw her. Miranda’s gorgeous.
“No.” She chuckles at my reaction. “But if I get a dress and post a picture on Instagram then no one else will want to buy that dress. I’ll have more options if I shop now, before everyone else.”
“You really want to take Macy with you?”
“Yeah, I think it would be fun.”
“I guess that’s ok then.”
“Yay!” Macy cheers from the backseat. I can't hide the smile spreading over my face. I'm happy she has someone else to hang out with.
“What practice do you have? Football’s over.”
“Baseball starts this week.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you played both.”
“Anything to get a college scout’s attention. I need that scholarship now more than ever... where are we going? The school’s that way.” I point in the opposite direction.
“I know, but you guys didn’t eat breakfast and you should. What do you want?”
“Mira, I don’t have money for this. I’m saving everything so we can get out of that house.” I whisper.
“I know. This is my treat.” I open my mouth to respond but she holds up a hand, stopping me instantly. “No. Whatever you’re about to say, just no. Let it go and let me do this.”
I smash my lips into a straight line, my brows furrow together. I don’t like her paying for everything. I'm not used to relying on someone else, let alone a girl my age.
Macy tells her what she wants but I keep my mouth shut.
“Liam, just tell me what you want.”
“I'm not hungry.” I mumble.
“He’s lying. He wants a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit with hash browns and a coffee... black.”
I glare at Macy but she just giggles.
“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
We make it through drive through, she hands out food and we’re our way to the elementary school. Macy downs her food faster than I’d expect but honestly, there hasn’t been a ton of food at home. I’ve thought about getting a job to buy extra food but if I do, that leaves her home with him even more. I could drop out of school but I'm only a few months from graduating and no one is going to give an eighteen-year-old high school dropout custody of his sister.
“I’ll pick you up right here when school’s over, ok bestie?”
“Got it! Thank you, Miranda. I love you, Liam.”
“I love you too, pickle. Have a great day at school.”
She waves to us then runs off to find her friends. Miranda pulls away from the curb and heads towards the high school.
“You can't keep buying us stuff, Mira.”
“Sure, I can.”
“No, there’s no way you have money for that and we need to get used to having little. It won't be any better if I get custody of her.”
“What college are you going to?”
“I want to go to Jefferson.”
“Really? Why?”
“One of the best pre-med programs around.”
“You want to be a doctor?” Her brows raise in surprise.
“Yeah, I do. Noah and Frankie are going there too.”
“Did you get in?”
“I did but I'm hoping for a scholarship, I can't afford to go without one. Where are you going?”
“Jefferson.” She smirks.
“Wow, there’s no getting rid of you, huh?”
“Nope. I told ya that before.”
“How can you afford all of this, Mira?”
“Wanna know the truth?”
“Nah, I want you to lie to me.” I roll my eyes at her, earning myself the most beautiful laugh.
“Shut up.” She laughs again. “My parents give my brother and I each three grand a month. It’s for us to live on and any expenses we could possibly have. I try to give Mrs. Valdo some of it, that’s what it’s for, but she refuses. She claims to love having me there but I don’t really know why she’d want me when my own parents don’t. She told me to save it for college or afterwards. My parents will pay for college and continue to give me my monthly allowance. I have more money save
d than most adults. I don’t need it, Liam.”
“We can't take your handouts, Mira.”
“Why not? It’s guilt money, they give us so much so they don’t feel guilty. I can spend it however I want and I want to help you guys.”
“I don’t understand why.”
“Because you’re my friend, Liam. Even if you don’t think of me as a friend.”
I wince at her statement. I feel like such an ass. I treat her so badly and all she wants to do is be friends with me.
“Can we start over? I’ve been a total jerk to you.”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to pretend the past didn’t happen. Let’s just move on. I'm still going to be a bitch; it would be weird if you stopped being a jerk.” I can't help but laugh at her. Only Miranda would be this honest. “I don’t sugar coat things; we’re bound to get into more arguments. And I kinda like arguing with you, most people don’t stand up to me like you do. I also can't promise I won't hurt you again but I’ll try not to throw any bags of ice on your balls again.”
“Gee, thanks.”
She focuses on the road in front of us, nibbling on her bottom lip. She seems to be stuck in thought, trying to figure out something.
“So... I was thinking...”
“Well that’s never good.”
“One of us has to use our brains around here.”
“Huh? I didn’t think you had one. Ya know, being a cheerleader and all.”
“Shove off.” She laughs, pushing my shoulder. “Frankie and I were planning on living off campus. We’ve been looking at houses for a while. Now that her and Noah are engaged, you know he’s going to live with us too. What if you move in with us? And Macy, of course.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, it makes sense.”
“That’s too much. I wouldn’t be able to afford it anyway.”
“Frankie and Noah won't be paying rent, neither would you. My parents will buy the house and we’ll live in it until college is over. Then they’ll sell it. They do the same for my brother.”
“You’d seriously be ok with me and my little sister crashing in your house?”
“No. You’re not crashing at my house; you’re living with me. We’d be roommates, Liam.”
Never Giving Up (The Never Series Book 2) Page 4