UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask

by Heather Carnassale

  “Angry and hurt!” she quickly replied.

  “Why?”

  “Because I feel like he,” she said then paused.

  “He what?” urged the doctor.

  Remi lowered her eyes and sighed. “I feel like he deserted me.”

  “Is it possible Liam is denying how he feels as well?”

  Remi laughed, “Yeah, that’s a good one.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Liam doesn’t feel much of anything,” she admitted then solemnly uttered, “He doesn’t allow anyone to get too close.”

  “Some people are very good at putting up walls,” the doctor stated. “But then again, just because he doesn’t allow anyone to get close, doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel anything.”

  Remi thought about what she had just said and began to retrace his words and actions. Most specifically the inscribed music box and how that was so random, yet chosen for her. The reassurance after Tom’s death, how all he wanted was to make sure she was all right. To the tender embraces and the feeling of being wrapped in his arms. And then as she subconsciously touched her fingertips to her forehead, Remi recalled the soft kiss he planted there. All very un-Liam like gestures that in retrospect spoke volumes. But then she thought now Liam was gone, so though he cared before, did he still care? Unfortunately, the session was over, but Dr. Layton felt it went very well. “You made some good headway today and finally started opening up a little more.”

  Remi thanked her then scheduled another appointment that was in a couple of weeks. She honestly didn’t mind going and knew it was best she did but preferred some time in between. On her way out of the hospital, Remi called Melanie to see if she wanted Chinese food for dinner. Justin wasn’t going to be around, so it was a perfect opportunity for the two friends to chat.

  Later, as they sampled the various take-out boxes of Chinese cuisine, Melanie asked, “How did the meeting with Liam’s mom go?”

  “Good, she’s donating the Penthouse Suite at the Dumont Hotel for an entire weekend.”

  “Holy shit, for real?”

  Remi nodded as Melanie just shook her head, “Must be nice to be that rich.”

  To which Remi quickly reminded, “Uh Mel, you are rich.”

  She laughed, “No, my family has some money, Penny Matthews is rich.”

  That was a fact Remi could not argue.

  “Did she know who you were?”

  “Yup!”

  “Was that weird?”

  “Not really, she wasn’t what I expected, though.”

  Remi took a sip of the complimentary hot tea then explained, “She was polite and made it a point to let me know how much she loves Liam.”

  “But he hates her, right?”

  Remi shrugged. “I don’t know if he hates her, but they definitely have a contentious relationship.”

  “That’s kind of sad.”

  “She asked what my relationship with him was.”

  “And to what answer did you provide?” Melanie asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “What could I say?” she countered. “I was your son’s hostage and yes he threatened to kill me but ultimately saved my life so now we’re good buds.”

  “Okay, I see your point, but you two are more than just good friends, and you know it.”

  As Remi twisted chicken lo mien noodles with her fork, she laughed, having just had the same discussion with Dr. Layton. She then mindlessly kept twirling until there was a heaping pile lumped up on the fork. When she realized what she had done, she angrily stuck the fork into the little white box and began rambling. “Liam looks just like his mom and dad,” she said. “His eyes are the same color as his mom’s.”

  Staring at the fork now sticking out of the box, she said, “And I saw a picture of his dad and Liam looks like a younger version of him.”

  Melanie remarked, “Must be one great looking man.”

  Remi nodded. “There was a photo of Liam on her desk when he was sixteen,” she said. “He looked so innocent.”

  Melanie snickered. “Innocent, huh?”

  “Regardless of what he says, I still cannot fathom why someone that smart and talented, and with no financial worries, would choose to throw it all away to be rob banks.”

  Melanie interjected, “Maybe it’s like an addiction.”

  “I don’t know, but I wish I would have met him under different circumstances.”

  “Do you think you would have been as intrigued had you two just met at a bar or party?” she queried. Remi drew a blank.

  “I mean, you know I thought he was hot the first time I ever laid eyes on him, but his lack of personality and his coldness was kind of a downer.”

  Remi predictably defended him, as usual. “He’s not always cold, I’ve seen the warmer side of him.”

  “My dear friend, you have just proven my point.”

  “What point would that be?” asked Remi.

  “That you two are more than just friends, that there is something between you guys that is odd yet enviable at the same time,” said Melanie, who then added, “all those weeks when we didn’t know who he really was, he was constantly watching out for you, protecting you.”

  Remi just wore a perpetual smile, because hearing that from Melanie was putting things in a different perspective. Just then both of their phones beeped, it was a message from Abby, reminding them about the bridesmaid’s dress fitting tomorrow night. Melanie had forgotten about it and needed to call Justin to nix plans that they had. She headed to her bedroom to call him, while Remi cleaned up the kitchen. Afterward, she thought about what Melanie said about Liam, and though a lot of her necessities were over at his place, she decided to stay put tonight. As she sat on her bedroom floor, she took out the box containing all of the items regarding the heist, but the only thing she removed was the black ski mask. It amazed her that it didn’t quite have the same meaning as it did before but still had a profound effect nonetheless. Holding the mask in her hand, she closed her eyes, recalling the feeling of Liam lifting her up into his arms and carrying her to the bank’s exit. And then she remembered him uttering the words, “somewhere safe” when she asked him where he was taking her. She sighed because nothing or nobody gave her a sense of security the way Liam did.

  She crawled into bed, laid the mask down onto the pillow next to her then picked up the music box. “For my sweet mistake,” she whispered. Sliding her fingertips along the inscription, she thought about what Melanie said about how Liam would do anything and everything to protect her, and though she was more than capable of handling things herself, it didn’t change the fact that she preferred him close by and genuinely missed him. She slowly lifted the lid of the box, and the beautiful melody began to play. Soon, Remi was humming along with the lovely tune of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: Variations 18. Back on New Year’s Day, that box was on a continuous loop as she tried to figure out the meaning behind why Liam had chosen that particular piece of music. Having never heard it before, she was mesmerized by it. Lying there now with all her thoughts completely monopolized by Liam, she wondered why she hadn’t just texted or called him. Even after receiving his little notes, she refrained, but feeling extremely fragile at the moment, she grabbed her phone and scrolled through old text messages. A minute later, she typed Liam a message.

  I know it’s been a while, but I never thanked you for the music box. So I’m doing it now. Thank you – Remi

  She quickly sent it before chickening out but refused to wait for a reply. Instead, she tossed the phone aside and curled up on the bed. She was exhausted, so with the mask in one hand and the other hand neatly slipped underneath the pillow, Remi closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

  Liam stood out on the balcony, contemplating on whether to hit the hotel’s gym or just wait until the morning. As he debated about something so trivial, an unexpected yet familiar alert sounded on his phone. It was the tone chosen specifically for Remi. He hurriedly scrambled back inside to retrieve the phone. Ha
ving not heard a peep from her, Liam immediately feared she was in trouble. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, as he read the text, he grinned widely with major relief. And though Remi’s thank you came off sincere, there was an underlying chill to it. She hadn’t once contacted him about those notes or anything else for that matter, but honestly, he wasn’t sure if he wanted her to or not. He understood she wasn’t thrilled when he left so after weeks of waiting for her to acknowledge the music box, he gave up when it became apparent she wasn’t going to. He certainly wasn’t in any position to cry foul being that he was the one who chose to leave. He read the text, a few times, contemplating his reply.

  In the meantime, he couldn’t stop smiling, and to Remi’s credit, it was quite apparent that a genuine, non-smug smile was reserved just for her. It was painfully obvious by her lack of communication that his notes didn’t go over too well, so he had a bad feeling no matter what he replied, he’d be in the doghouse. It then dawned on him, that maybe calling her would be better. Then again, maybe not, he thought.

  After about ten minutes of ridiculous debate, he went the text route.

  You’re welcome – Liam

  As soon as he tapped send, he realized keeping it short wasn’t going to fly. He knew if Remi was pissed off at him before, that shitty text was going to put her over the edge. His solution, send another.

  Hope all is well with you – Liam

  It was a sort of open-ended text, leaving it up to her if she wanted to reply. It wouldn’t take long to achieve the answer because she neglected to respond. And right there, Liam knew he was in fact, in the doghouse.

  CHAPTER 4

  Remi awoke, and immediately noticed her phone displaying a message. After gently rubbing her still tired eyes, she realized she got a response. “You’re welcome,” she read aloud then looked at the second message that had arrived after that one. “Hope all is well with you.”

  Staring at it, she was dumbfounded. “That’s it—that’s all I get?”

  Miffed, she quietly slipped into the bathroom as to not wake Melanie, and allowed the shower water to heat up. Once it did, her attempt at doing a quick wash failed the second Liam entered her mind. With her head full of suds, she stopped scrubbing and began cursing him. “What the hell kind of texts were those?”

  Her rant continued. “You’re welcome and hope all is well with you, what a bastard.”

  Just then Melanie knocked on the door, “Are you okay?”

  Remi shouted, “I’m fine.”

  When she stepped out, she remembered her favorite white fluffy robe was currently hanging in Liam’s bathroom, which gave her pause for thought being that she did take full advantage of his generosity. He didn’t just let anybody use his place he let her. So, though still mad at his lame texts, she couldn’t forget that she was practically living in his apartment. Wrapped in a towel, she strolled into the kitchen with her hair still sopping wet. Completely oblivious to the fact she was trickling water all over the floor. Melanie kindly pointed it out to her. “Oh sorry, guess I’m a tad preoccupied,” she confessed. Melanie just chuckled, “Let me guess—Liam?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Because whenever you get into this kind of funk, it’s always Liam-related.”

  “That transparent, huh?”

  Melanie nodded then asked, “What did Mr. Wonderful do this time?”

  Remi fumbled through the basket of K-cups, trying to decide which coffee flavor she was in the mood for, and when she finally chose a medium-roast Colombian, she replied, “In a moment of pure weakness, I caved and texted him last night.”

  Melanie sipped her coffee in an attempt not to grin. As she knew, Remi was in full denial when it came to him. While she stood watching the coffee drip into the mug, Remi elaborated, “The text was nothing special, I just thanked him for the music box, which I hadn’t done yet.”

  Melanie waited for her to finish, before responding. “The first text he sent back was a simple, you’re welcome,” she explained. “And then he added another, hope all is well with you.”

  “That’s it?” Melanie asked, shock in her voice. “Yup,” she replied. “I mean he’s never been a man of many words, but this shit takes the cake.”

  Melanie thought for a moment then reluctantly remarked, “Playing devil’s advocate, you’ve barely heard from him in the last few weeks, so are you surprised his texts would be so short and vague?”

  She shrugged as she nibbled on a blueberry muffin, but a part of her thought Melanie was right because she wasn’t exactly sure what she expected from him. She sighed, feeling extremely frustrated and somewhat lost. “I need to get in the shower but let me leave you with this,” said Melanie. “Maybe Liam is in denial—just like you.”

  Melanie winked, and Remi just waved her off, not believing that for one second.

  Having received a mostly positive report from the private inspector, Liam entered the realtor’s office, all set to purchase the beach house. Not wanting to deal with a mortgage or the tedious process of getting approved, Liam handed over a cashier’s check, for the full amount. An hour later, with the closing and paperwork finalized, the house was officially his. He immediately drove over to it, and when he got there, he just got out of his truck and stared at the house. Life in Miami was peaceful and non-threatening, but there were a few reasons he needed to go back to Philadelphia. His grandmother for one, though he could call her anytime, it wasn’t the same as visiting her. Then there was his job. Simon, his boss at Braddock and Associates, had told him whenever he wanted; the job would still be there. Liam had to admit; he missed it. Having hated the humdrum of the same routine every single day, he still enjoyed the designing aspect and was proud of the work he accomplished. Which made him question why it was never enough. He wasn’t regretting his choices or the dark path he chose to go down; he just wished the heist hadn’t ended up the way it did. The aftermath negatively affected so many lives. A husband lost his wife; kids lost their mother; a family lost their daughter and sister, and one man had to battle back after being severely burned. Then, of course, there was Remi. All she did was go to work that day, and in return, her world flipped upside down. Liam single-handedly brought nothing but grief to her life and deep down felt she’d be better off without him around. Clearly unable to grasp that the bond they share, can’t and won’t easily be broken. And something else he refused to see or admit—he needed to go back because he missed her. Remi’s incredible ability to get underneath his skin still amazed him. Whether it was her witty sarcasm or her insufferable knack of goading him, she unequivocally left her mark, just like Zoe said. Liam snapped out of his funk and perused over a list of things the inspector stated needed fixing. Liam decided against having the previous owner take care of them because he just wanted to get things settled as soon as possible. So, for the time being, he began making phone calls to an electrician, a plumber, a roofer, and a locksmith.

  While at work, Remi rummaged through various papers, trying to get organized, when all of a sudden she spotted an unknown man approaching Olivia’s secretary. Markedly handsome, with a long, lean build, and slightly graying hair he had an air about him that screamed entitlement. She instantly noticed that the secretary seemed displeased and uneager to allow him into Olivia’s office. To which the man rudely and rather loudly, demanded, “I want to see her now!”

  Curious, but trying not to appear nosy, Remi pretended she wasn’t paying attention. But then Olivia barged out of her office, shouting, “Dammit Mitchell, I told you not to come here!”

  Remi thought, oh shit, that’s her ex-husband.

  “We need to talk, without the attorneys,” he insisted while sounding somewhat calmer. Olivia, visibly unhappy, grudgingly escorted him into her office. Seeing him in the flesh, gave Remi the creeps. Even worse, she didn’t want to meet him. With her desk close in proximity to Olivia’s office, she desperately hoped to avoid that from happening. She debated about hiding in the ladies room until he left, but then she
thought what if he was there for a long time. She chose to wait it out instead, which then she regretted because before she had a chance to leave, the divorced couple emerged, and he was standing right beside her desk. “You must be new,” he said. Then in an almost flirtatious and quite nauseating tone, he added, “Because, I would have remembered you.”

  She was about to respond when he suddenly displayed a quizzical look. “Or do I know you?”

  Just then, Olivia appeared at his side and promptly introduced them. “Remi, this is my ex-husband, Mitchell.”

  “Remi?” he questioned, eyeing her up. Again she went to speak but was interrupted. “Am I to assume you are the Remi who recovered the diamonds?” he inquired arrogantly, already aware of that fact. Olivia quickly interjected, “Do you mind not harassing my employee.”

  “Oh, I’m not harassing, I just find it fascinating that she now works here.”

  “It’s none of your business but not only did I want to repay her, I felt she would be an asset to the company.”

  Mitchell smirked under his breath while Olivia’s phone beeped with a call she had to take. She told Mitchell to scram then retreated into her office, but he had no intention of leaving, not until he had a little chat with Remi. He stepped a little closer to where she was sitting, and deliberately leaned in, snidely whispering, “You’re the little bitch who fucked up the heist.”

  Shockingly, she didn’t back down, sharply countering, “This coming from the one who set up the heist.”

  He mockingly laughed, similar to Charles, which was quite unnerving. “Oh, that stupid boy and his big mouth.”

  Remi played dumb, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He continued to laugh, “Wonder what Olivia would do if she found out that you knew Liam had the diamonds all along, not Tom.”

  A self-righteous almost Liam-esque grin adorned her face, as she dished it right back. “I don’t know, what do you think she’d do if she found out you were the mastermind in stealing her diamonds?”

  “You can’t prove that.”

  “Try me.”