“Thanks, Jesse.”
“Anytime, sweetheart. I'm a good listener but an even better friend.”
Chapter Twenty
Liam
THE MORE TIME THAT passes since Miranda left, the more agitated I get. How dare she flirt with him in front of me! How dare she leave with him!
My chest rises and falls more rapidly with each thought. I just lost the one woman who’s ever meant anything to me.
“Mr. Hayes, whatever it is that’s getting you so riled up, you need to quit it. Your blood pressure is through the roof.” The nurse strolls into the room, shaking her hips as she goes.
She’s gorgeous, like model worthy gorgeous. Her blonde hair hangs in loose curls, her makeup is light but done in a way to make her blue eyes pop.
“Stop staring at me, Mr. Hayes. My name’s Kelsey and before you ask, yes, I was a model. I decided to give all that up to take care of little shits like you.”
“Won’t you get fired for talking to a patient like that?” I scowl at her. She shrugs, pulling a chair up to the side of my bed.
She sits back, crossing one knee over the other, folding her arms across her chest. She levels me with a glare my mom would be proud of.
“Probably, but you’d have to have proof and shit, which you don’t. And it would be a big thing, they’ll ask you a ton of questions, lawyers would get involved and what would you get out of it? The satisfaction of maybe getting me fired.”
“Why are you mean to me? You loved Noah.”
“Aww, I miss Noah. He’s a cutie.”
“Are you trying to be meaner?”
She holds up her thumb and forefinger, so close they’re almost touching.
“Just a wee bit. But only because I heard you talking to Miranda.”
“Why do you care how I spoke to Miranda?”
“Because I watched that girl sit here and cry over your sorry ass. She was so upset, completely broken. She told me she had this gut feeling; she didn’t think she should leave you and Macy. She felt like driving away was the wrong move but she ignored it. If Macy hadn’t called Miranda, your dad most likely would’ve beat you to death, then gone after your sister. Is that what you wanted?”
“Of course not!” I growl. “But now the cops are involved and Macy’s going to be taken from me and placed in a foster home. I’ll never get custody of her.”
“You really should have let Miranda talk.” She says in a sing song voice.
“Why so she could try to explain her reasoning? I know her reasons, it doesn’t change the fact I'm gonna lose my sister now.”
“You deserve to be miserable. You’re so stuck in your own head, you don’t want to hear what that girl did for you. When these happy pills wear off, you’re gonna regret every word you spewed from your mouth today.”
My mouth clamps shut; my eyes locked on Kelsey. What did she do for me? Before I can ask, she holds up a hand, silencing me.
“Since you’re too chicken to ask, Miranda convinced Mrs. Valdo to foster Macy until you graduate. Then if you can prove you’re a fit guardian, Mrs. Valdo will help you get custody of her. She fought for you for hours, doing everything she could to fix getting the authorities involved. She pleaded your case, told them how good you are with Macy and explained every single duty you’ve taken over since your mom left and your dad spiraled out of control. She convinced Noah’s parents to take you in for the remainder of the year so you and Macy would be living next to each other and be able to spend time together whenever you wanted to.”
I stare at my hands, processing everything Kelsey’s telling me. There’s no way Miranda accomplished all of that in the amount of time I was out.
“Why? Why did she do all of that?”
“Because she loves you, Liam. And you’re the dumbass that threw her away. Gosh, I really hope she ends up with Jesse. They deserve each other, both of them are so full of love even though people throw them aside.”
“Macy’s living with Frankie and Miranda?”
She lets out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes before her gaze falls back on me.
“Yes. Mrs. Valdo has already started the paperwork to obtain foster care of her. With her being a social worker, it shouldn’t take much. Having guardianship of Miranda also helps her case. Miranda’s planning on doing whatever she has to do to keep you guys together. Most people wait their entire life to find someone like her. She sees your monsters in the closet, but she didn’t run away, she stood by your side and fought them with you. When you couldn’t fight, she fought them for you. You’re an idiot to give her up. The next guy might not be as stupid and you’ll lose her forever.”
Kelsey stands, putting the chair back where she found it and comes to my side. She lifts my gown, checking the bruising across my entire torso. It looks like a little kid painted on my skin. A variety of blues, purples, black, yellows and browns show the various stages of healing from each night I’ve gone at it with dad.
My stomach knots when I realize what could’ve happened if Miranda hadn’t brought Noah and gotten dad away from me. He never would’ve stopped. He would’ve kept punching, kept beating my body. He didn’t care, he stopped caring the day mom walked out.
“How do I get her back? How do I make her forgive me?”
“Huh, if I’d known seeing your bruises would’ve knocked some sense into you, I’d have stolen your gown when my shift started.” She raises a brow, her cocky attitude on full display. She watches me for a few moments before her eyes soften and her voice turns gentle. “I'm not sure, Liam. You need to beg for forgiveness... but I don’t know if it’ll help. I saw her walk out of here, she might have put on a brave face but I saw the destroyed girl hiding behind that bright cheer smile. You really hurt her; she might not ever forgive you.”
“She told me she loved me... and I told her to get out. She told me she couldn’t lose me and I told her we were over. I need to get her back.”
“How are you going to accomplish that?”
“I don’t know, but I'm never giving up. I gotta get her back.”
“There’s the fighting spirit I was looking for!”
Chapter Twenty-One
Miranda
I HEAD STRAIGHT TO my room when I get home. I don’t want to talk to anyone about what happened between Liam and I. All I want to do is curl up in bed and pretend the last twenty-four hours didn’t happen.
Liam hurt me more than anyone else has ever been capable of. The hurt has transformed into anger towards him.
I’ve done everything in my power to help him. I kept his secret no matter how much it hurt to see his bruises and cuts. I took care of Macy and him in any way I could. But does he care about any of that? No! He threw me away like a stained shirt.
I’m done. I’m so sick and tired of people treating me like I'm worth nothing to them. I'm going to surround myself with people who care about me and tell everyone else to go fuck themselves.
A soft knock on the door pulls me from my depressing thoughts. I lift my gaze to find Macy standing there in a pair of flannel pajamas. She’s scared and uncomfortable, shifting on her feet.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?”
“Umm... I’m not used... to sleeping... alone.”
“What do you mean? Didn’t you sleep in your room at home?”
She stares at me for a few moments, almost like she’s trying to figure out if she can trust me.
“Come sit and talk to me.” I pat the spot next to me on the bed.
She runs over and jumps up on the bed. Both of our backs against the headboard, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle.
“After mommy left, I stopped sleeping in my room.”
“Why?”
“He would get drunk and Liam didn’t want him near me. Liam made me sleep in his room, we locked the door and he’d push his dresser in front of the door.”
My heart aches for this little girl. No child should ever live in fear of their dad. My parents ignored me but I never feared for m
y safety with them.
“I’m so sorry, Macy. You know you don’t have to worry about that anymore, right? Your dad can't get you.”
“Would it... be okay if I stay in here tonight?”
“Of course, sweetie. This bed is plenty big enough for both of us.”
Macy curls up against me and is out in no time at all. I pull the blanket over her, making sure she has enough room and won't roll off the bed. I snuggle under the blanket but sleep doesn’t come easily.
Now that she’s asleep and I'm practically alone, I let the tears fall. I lost the man I love today. He pushed me away without hearing what I had to say. He didn’t care at all.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Miranda
I MOAN, ROLLING AWAY from the door when someone knocks.
“Go away!” I yell.
I'm not a morning person in general, but today is so much worse than normal. My eyes are swollen and my nose is stuffy from all the crying last night, just like every night since Liam told me we were over. The last thing I want to do is deal with people.
The door creaks open, another groan leaves my mouth.
“Miranda, it’s almost noon, get up.”
“Go away, Frankie. Just let me be.”
“You gonna tell me what happened at the hospital?”
“Nope.” I pull the blankets over my head, hoping to end this conversation.
“You know that shit won't work with me, right?”
“You know I don’t give a shit about what you want, right?” I fire back.
“Come on, bestie! Get up!” Noah’s cheerful voice says right before a large body plops on my bed, jumping up and down several times, sending my body bouncing in the air.
“I swear, Noah, if you don’t get the fuck out of my room, I’m gonna murder you in your sleep!”
The bouncing stops immediately. A gentle hand pulls the blankets away from my face, a worried expression meets my gaze.
“What happened, Randy?” Noah’s voice softens drastically.
He might be a pain in the ass and obnoxious at times but he’s the greatest friend you could ask for.
“Nothing. I just wanna sleep.”
“Why were you crying?”
“I wasn’t!” I bury my head under my pillow, trying to hide from prying eyes.
“What the fuck did Liam do?”
When I don’t respond, Noah pulls the pillow off my head and throws it across the room. Next my blanket gets ripped away from me and tossed on the ground. I glare at him but he’s not even effected.
“What happened?”
I let out an exasperated sigh, scowling at him, making sure he knows I’m not happy about spilling the beans. I know Noah or Frankie will eventually get it out of me, I might as well tell them now. It’s been a week of them asking and a week of me avoiding the question. They’ve slowly worn me down.
“Liam broke up with me.” I whisper, picking at the loose thread on my shirt.
“What?” Noah growls. “Why?”
“Because I called the cops.”
“You’re joking, right? Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I wish I were.”
“I'm gonna kill him.”
“It’s fine, big guy. I'm fine, just let him be.”
“After everything you did for him... he deserves anything I give him.”
“It’s fine. It obviously wasn’t meant to be.”
“Did you tell him?”
“Tell him what?”
“That you love him.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold the phone speed racers! You love Liam? And you didn’t tell me?” Frankie crosses her arms over her chest, a death glare bouncing from me to Noah and back again.
“She didn’t tell me, Kiki.”
“Then how do you know?”
“I could see it in her eyes when we got to Liam’s house that night.”
A tear slips out and trails down my cheek. The doorbell rings, Frankie and Noah exchange a glance, a silent conversation going on between them.
Frankie nods and leave the room to answer the door. She comes back a few minutes later.
“Liam’s here... He wants to talk to you.”
“No.” I whisper, wrapping my arms around my knees, pulling them to my chest.
“I’ll go deal with him, don’t worry about a thing, Randy.”
Noah stands, leans down to place a kiss on my head then turns to leave.
“Noah?” He stops, glancing over his shoulders at me. “Please don’t tell him I was crying.”
“Never, bestie.”
As soon as he’s gone, Frankie pounces on my bed.
“Spill it, girl.”
“There’s nothing to spill, Frankie. He doesn’t want me. There’s nothing else to tell you.”
“I'm so sorry. I wish I could make this better.”
“I’m gonna be fine, I always am.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Liam
“SHE DOESN’T WANT TO see you.” Noah barks as his foot touches the bottom step. His eyes narrow on me, making me shift uncomfortably under his stare.
“I screwed up.”
“Yeah, you can say that again.”
“Please, let me talk to her.” I beg.
“Nah, man, you messed up and she doesn’t wanna talk to you.”
That familiar stabbing pain returns to my chest. It’s been a constant reminder of what I did to the woman I love.
“Come on! You’re supposed to be my best friend.”
“And as your best friend, I'm telling you to walk away before you make it worse. Let her have some time.”
“I’ve given her time! It’s been five days since I got out of the hospital! How much longer am I supposed to give her?”
“As long as she wants.”
“Why are you on her side?”
“Because I saw the way she reacted when she knew you were being hurt. I saw her hesitation to call the cops. She only agreed after Macy begged her to do it. She loved you.”
“And what about now? Does she still love me?”
“I'm not sure. She’s a hard nut to crack, I don’t think she forgives easily.”
I scrub my hands over my face, a frustrated growl echoes in the room.
“I told her to leave, that we were over. I fucked up, Noah, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
“I can't figure that out for you, but she can't avoid you forever. We have school tomorrow and you have some of the same classes plus lunch together. Decide what you’re gonna do and handle it.”
“Fine. Do you know where Macy is?”
“My guess is probably with Miranda. She’s been glued to Randy’s side since she moved in... Did you know she sleeps in Randy’s bed?”
“What? Why doesn’t she sleep in her own bed?”
“Miranda said something about she’s scared of sleeping alone.”
I run my hands roughly through my hair, tugging on the ends. Macy needs me and I'm not here for her.
“Shit! She’s scared even though he can't get to her. I need to talk to her.”
He gives me a skeptical glance.
“Dude, you can't keep me from my sister.”
“Fine. Let me go find her, but you stay here.”
He pins me with a look before he walks away. He comes back a few minutes later with Macy in tow. When she sees me, she takes off running straight towards me. I squat down, opening my arms for her to jump into. I hold her as tightly as I can, never wanting to let go.
“I missed you, cucumber!” She cries into my chest. We saw each other yesterday but she’s used to being with me whenever she isn't in school.
“I missed you too, pickle. Do you wanna go for a walk?”
“Yes! Let me ask Mrs. Valdo if that’s ok!” She runs off before I can say another word.
“I can't believe you never told me.” Noah says quietly.
“You had enough shit to deal with.” I shrug my shoulders. “Mom left right before the game you were injured
in. The first time he got drunk and hit me was the day before you got out of the hospital.”
“Yeah, but you could’ve told me since then. I’m your best friend.” Hurt floods every feature, I feel slightly guilty but I'm mostly angry. Noah’s been so stuck in his own world; I didn’t want to tell him.
“You mean like how you told me about that.” I gesture to his wrists. He hid his depression and self-harm for years! How dare he get mad at me for hiding mom walking out on us and dad abusing me for a few months.
They all would’ve figured it out eventually. When they left for college and I was left here to take care of Macy, I wouldn’t be able to hide it any longer.
Noah’s mouth drops open for a few moments before he clenches his jaw. He stares out the kitchen window, collecting his thoughts. It takes him a few moments before he turns back to me.
“You’re right. I should’ve told you but it was embarrassing to tell someone I lost who I was because my best friend moved away. I couldn’t handle things and this,” he holds up his wrist, “is the only way I could deal with it.”
“You don’t think I’m embarrassed my mom left and my dad turned into a monster? It sucks, Noah. My entire world was changed the second my mom left. I went from a teen to a parent in a matter of seconds. I had to protect my sister from my own dad! If it were just me, I could have left, but I couldn’t leave Macy behind... and now I’ve lost Miranda, the only good thing that’s happened to me in the last few months.”
“Just give her time to cool down. You said some things in the hospital you can't take back. It might take a while.”
“Mrs. Valdo says we can go for a walk but only if you stay for dinner!” Macy says bouncing into the kitchen.
“Sounds like a deal.” I hold my hand out to Macy, she grabs on to it right away.
We’re a block away from the house when she finally breaks the silence.
“I miss having you with me all the time.” Her voice is so soft I almost don’t hear it.
Never Giving Up (The Never Series Book 2) Page 9