He sighed again, which she took as not a good sign. “Want to talk about it?” she hesitantly questioned, turning her head to see him. “I just feel like I’m being pulled in a million directions,” he uttered, sounding conflicted. He realized the way that might have come out and felt the need to assure her. “I don’t mean you.”
Before Remi could speak, he extended his hand over to her arm and touched it. “You’re the lone bright spot.”
While looking at his fingers grazing her skin, her heart ached for him. For the past couple of days he had tried so hard to pretend like everything was fine, but deep down it was all tearing him up inside. This just made her appreciate him all the more because he went out of his way to make sure she had fun, completely disregarding the issues at hand. She took hold of his hand and brought it to her lips to give it a sweet kiss. She then asked, “Did I tell you what a fabulous time I’m having?”
She hoped switching gears would bring him out of his funk, but she also wanted him to know just how grateful she was for all that he’s done. “Yes, you’ve told me,” he said, grinning. “But it’s still nice to hear.”
The two then sat there in total silence for a while, but with a scenic view of the ocean and the Florida sun beaming down on them, no words were necessary. Liam had found his solitude, thanks in part to the tranquil setting and Remi. A few weeks ago when he had first trekked to Miami, he thought he had found what he had been seeking, but there had always been something lacking. That something was sitting only two feet away from him and could kick himself for waiting so long to admit that. Of course, he still felt guilty along with selfish. Remi side-eyed Liam and though dark sunglasses blocked his eyes; she could tell he was in deep thought. And couldn’t blame him for suddenly falling into a black hole of a mood. However, she could stop him from going all the way to the bottom. “Liam,” she whispered. “Huh,” he replied as if he had been in some sort of trance. “What time are we going to dinner?” she asked.
“The reservation is for seven,” he said looking over at her then questioned, “Why?”
She told him to sit tight then leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Come find me, in a half-hour.”
Liam smiled as she kissed his cheek briefly then disappeared into the house.
Up in the master suite, Remi searched for the tealights they had purchased while out shopping. Once she located them, her goal was to make the bathroom as peaceful as possible. So, she began running hot water in the tub while placing each tealight in different spots around it. She then closed the blinds for maximum ambiance and lit each candle. After dipping her finger in to test the water temperature, she uttered, “Perfect.”
“I found you,” said Liam, who startled Remi. “Oh my God!” she exclaimed, clutching her chest. “This looks great,” he said, checking out the candles and tub. “Get in,” she said while heading towards the door. “Wait, you aren’t going to join me?” he questioned as he started removing his clothes.
“Nope, this is for you to clear your mind in a calming atmosphere.”
Liam continued to strip until he was completely naked. Remi thought, he certainly wasn’t shy as he stepped into tub. He then slid down and outstretched his arms along the sides. Once he was completely relaxed, he said, “I think I’d rather clear my mind with you in here with me.”
She sighed, just looking at how unbelievably inviting the tub looked with Liam in it. He flicked on the jets, to get the water churning. “Come on, look at the fun you’re missing,” he said. There was no denying that a smiling, affable Liam was impossible to ignore. “Okay, you twisted my arm,” she teased sounding as if he were forcing her, which they both knew was far from the truth. Liam watched her pull the tunic up over her head, which revealed the pink bikini. “Very nice,” he remarked. She blushed, lowering her eyes, suddenly feeling bashful all over again and sort of hesitating. “You coming in?” he asked, in such a persuasive tone, there was no way in hell she wasn’t diving into that tub. And Liam knew it. Remi responded by untying the strings of the top then shimmying out the bottoms. Out of respect, or just being playfully sweet, Liam turned his head to the side as to not gawk at her. But when she went to step into the tub, the gentleman side of him put out his hand for her to grab onto and guide her into the water. He shifted over, so he was directly across from her. “Thank you for this,” he said, as he extended his legs out, alongside hers.
“You’re welcome.”
She was in absolute nirvana at that moment. Who would have thought, the act of taking a bath could be such a fabulous experience. And all they were doing was soaking in warm water while the powerful jets kicked up the water around them. She just hoped her idea of Liam getting his head cleared did the trick. What she hadn’t banked on was the out of nowhere curiosity that Liam suddenly dropped on her. “What was it like for you right after the heist?” he asked, giving her a pitiful look, a rare Liam expression to say the least.
“Uh, you want to talk about this now?” she questioned, her serene state suddenly cracking. “I want to know but if you don’t want to, I understand,” he replied. She splashed the water a little with her fingertips then sighed, loudly before speaking. “Everything felt surreal,” she said. “I had blacked out, so when I came to inside of the ambulance, I couldn’t remember anything.”
She hesitated, unsure of how much detail he wanted, but then Liam urged her to continue. “I had intravenous tubes sticking out of my hand, and my head was pounding,” she said. “And when the ambulance arrived at the hospital, I was rushed inside.”
She wrapped her arms tightly around her now bent legs and rested her chin upon her kneecaps. “Nobody would tell me what happened until Detective Weston and that FBI agent came in to ask me questions.”
Liam’s attention never wavered as she spoke.
“When I finally found out that Jenna and Wendy had died, it was like my heart had been ripped out.”
A single tear dripped from the inside corner of her eye as she expressed, “All I could think was that clichéd question—why me.”
“Why did I survive when others didn’t?” she asked hypothetically. “What made me so special?”
As another tear fell into the water, Liam finally spoke. “I can’t tell you why your life was spared that day, or why it was you and me who ended up locked inside of that vault,” he said. “Because I honestly don’t know the answer.”
Possibly seeking absolution for her own guilt, she had hoped Liam could have offered up more than he gave. Though he wasn’t necessarily harboring his own at that moment, he felt the need to open up himself. “You know, I could steal from businesses and banks, and not once care about any of the victims involved.”
And then he added, “That was until I got locked inside of that vault.”
Remi smiled while listening to the soothing sound of his lower than usual register of his always deep voice. “I was a pro at being devoid of all emotions,” he said. “Sometimes I even amazed myself at how contemptible I could be.”
It suddenly felt as if she was sitting on the other side of a confessional, where Liam was professing all of his sins. “Why are you telling me this?” she questioned, but he didn’t reply, he just continued to ramble. “After the heist, I was adamant about not finding out how you were doing.”
Remi tried to envision the physical and mental state he must have been in right afterward. “So, you didn’t care,” she surmised. He placed his hand on her bent knee and said, “No, I cared, even if I tried to convince myself otherwise, you were never far from my thoughts.”
“Or yours from mine because even though I had no physical memory of you, I always felt your presence,” she confided while skimming her fingertips along his jawline. When her hand moved up to his cheek and stayed there, his head automatically leaned into it. “I still can’t believe you kept that mask.”
Remi laughed, “I can’t believe it either.”
Liam scooted closer to her, and posed the question, “Knowing what you know now, wou
ld you have still held on to it or given it to the police?”
She slipped her hand around his neck, looked him square in the eye and replied, “I’d still keep it.” He smiled as she kissed his lips softly then underneath the kiss, she whispered, “You know; we could have been doing this a week ago.”
Liam grinned while wrapping his arms around her body and twisting her around, so he was the one with his back up against the tub. Still holding her tightly, he dipped them both down into the water, so they stayed warm. Remi ran her fingers up and down his torso, then she kept her hand firmly placed against his scar, almost protectively. “I wish you’d let me help you.”
His kissed water droplets off her neck and whispered, “You are helping me.”
“You know what I mean,” she said, her voice somber. His hands slid down the curvatures of her waist then dropped to the hips, where he firmly took hold and pulled her closer to him. Predictably, he had quickly changed the subject by way of seduction. And it worked briefly, especially as his hands started roaming every inch of her wet body. His tongue conspicuously tickled her neck as she tipped her head back allowing Liam better access. Unfortunately, Remi’s one-track mind prevented her from remaining in the moment and with one innocuous question, she killed it for both of them. “Do you know what you’re going to do yet in regards to the DNA and Denton?”
Liam groaned in frustration and backed away to the other side of the tub. His sudden departure cast a chill in the air, and on Remi, who noted, “I assume you’re mad.”
Liam dunked his head underneath the water, and the second his head popped back up, he countered, “Your assumption is wrong.”
“Then why the sudden dodge?”
“Because DNA and Denton are definitely not what I want to talk about right now,” he said, rather harshly. Remi snapped, “We’ve been discussing this shit the entire time we’ve been in here.”
“No, we discussed the past, not the present or the future; mentioning those two things in the heat of the moment, is a major downer,” he said, sighing. Remi thought what a hypocrite he was and decided she’d had enough. She reached over the side to grab a plush white cotton towel from a nearby bin then climbed out. Liam stayed quiet while choosing not to chase after her. Unsure if what had just transpired qualified as an actual argument or whatever it was, it made him feel awful. Being tactful was never his strong suit, but that wasn’t an excuse for acting like a jackass. Though he believed she had picked the worst possible time to open that can of worms, it still didn’t give him the right to retreat. “Fuck,” he uttered, as he got out as well to dry off.
Remi had thrown on a pair of black sweatpants and a white t-shirt before heading out to the beach. Seeking sanctuary in the sand near the edge where the tide ended, she sat down, and every once in a while the lukewarm ocean would skirt her bare toes. Still miffed over the crap Liam had just pulled, she tried to rationalize why he would get so bent when he had been the one who had brought up the subject of the heist in the first place. Granted he had a point about the DNA and Denton, but both were huge parts of the initial heist so it was only natural the conversation would shift in that direction. However, she thought, she should have just kept her mouth shut. “Ugh,” she muttered while picking up a shell and using it to dig a hole in the sand. What started off small had turned into a decent sized crater, as the vigorous activity helped relieve her frustration.
While sitting in the kitchen, Liam talked to Simon on the phone, while at the same time inputting information into his laptop. From where he sat, he could see Remi out on the beach. She hadn’t moved from her position, but he still kept an eye on her. The phone conversation lasted for almost forty-five minutes, longer than Liam had anticipated but in all honesty, it was just as well, being that he and Remi both needed time to cool their heads. Once the call ended, he decided to go outside to talk to her.
With the makeshift shovel sitting off to the side, Liam saw her fingers dancing through the tiny granules, as he walked up beside her and sat down. If looks could kill, he thought, Remi would have done him in big time. “Is it okay if I sit here?” he cautiously asked.
She shrugged. “It’s a public beach; I can’t stop you.”
He deserved the icy reception, no denying that, but he wondered for how long?
She continued fiddling with the sand while refusing to look at him. Liam picked up the shell that Remi had used and began digging a separate hole near hers. “When I was younger, I could sit on the beach for hours, building sandcastles and digging tunnels,” he said, plowing the shell deeper and deeper. “My grandparents had a house on Long Beach Island, in Ship Bottom,” he said. Remi heard the happiness in his voice while he spoke fondly of his past. “I’d stay with them for a few weeks every summer,” he said then added, “Some of the best times of my life.”
He was pensive, as he talked while his hands manipulated the sand. Though she enjoyed listening to him reminisce, she refrained from commenting.
“I’m sorry for being a jerk earlier,” he said, as she remained conspicuously quiet and just glared at him. “Old habits die hard,” he quipped, half-grinning, hoping that would provoke a smile. Liam was in luck because it succeeded.
“I’m sorry too,” she said.
Liam gave her a simple nod then asked, “Still friends?”
She nudged his shoulder and said, “Yeah, we’re still friends.”
Liam thanked her for not holding a grudge. Remi leaned against his arm, and the two sat in silence while watching the tide roll in. Eventually, they had to scoot back to prevent getting soaked. It only took a few seconds for a massive wave to completely fill in the hole she had spent over an hour digging. As the water rushed back out, there was nothing left except wet sand. Remi remarked solemnly, “All good things must come to an end.”
Sensing she wasn’t just referring to the washed away hole, Liam slid his arm underneath her knees and lifted her off the ground and into his arms. If nothing else, he wanted her to laugh and bring her out of the dismal funk that had overtaken her mood. As she giggled uncontrollably, he playfully threatened to toss her into the ocean. With her legs kicking, he waded into the water about mid-calf and a couple of times pretended almost to drop her. She begged him not to and resorted to giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. Liam carefully set her down and lectured, “You don’t play fair.”
“I don’t like to lose,” she confessed, feigning a pout. Liam embraced her tightly and said, “So, you cheat instead.”
She hugged him back, giggling the whole time. “This coming from a thief and fugitive.”
“Touché,” he quipped. It was clear that Remi’s funk had dissipated and Liam had managed to bring some levity into an otherwise humdrum afternoon. However, while still holding her Liam suddenly tensed up and began surveying the area. “What’s wrong?” she questioned. “I don’t know,” he replied as he just kept looking back and forth down the beach then towards the house. “Something is bothering you,” she surmised. He didn’t want to freak her out, but he also didn’t like always withholding things from her either. “I don’t know why, but just now I got the feeling we’re being watched,” he said, keeping his arms protectively around her. She laughed it off while looking up at him. “It’s probably just some bored person watching us having fun.”
Liam didn’t crack a smile or even change his expression at all, but Remi told him he was just paranoid. “I don’t know, maybe,” he muttered under his breath, sounding unsure, which worried Remi. However, she refused to let unseen watchers ruin their last few hours in Miami. “Are we still on for dinner?”
He nodded then kissed her forehead. And though he appreciated her attempt at diffusing the situation, he still couldn’t shake it and needed to figure out whom might it be. “I think I’m going to get a shower then chill for a while,” she said, stepping out of his arms but still clinging to his one hand. They strolled back to the house, and the entire walk there, Liam’s mind focused on people spying while Remi concentrated on their
fleeting time in Miami. Once inside, they separated to do their own thing. Remi took a long, hot shower while Liam finished an integral part of a design that he wanted to complete before going back to Philly. After about an hour, Remi popped back downstairs, dressed in a dark mocha-colored micro mini skirt and a plain white long sleeved blouse. “I’m not too dressed up, am I?” she asked, flattening her skirt with her hands. Liam shook his head no then remarked, “You look great.”
She crinkled her nose, not quite feeling the outfit. Liam got up from the table and reiterated his thoughts on it. He then told her he’d be ready in twenty minutes. While she waited, she ventured around the house, soaking up every detail, even the tiniest ones. Under the notion, that it would be the last time she’d ever be there, she wanted to remember it all. She stared out the glass panel doors, getting lost in her thoughts, wondering what was going to happen when they got back to Philadelphia. Her phone beeped with a message from Melanie, but not wanting to face reality, she ignored it. Having only a few hours left of paradise, not dealing with anything from back home was her way of holding onto something that she was afraid of losing. It was obvious when Liam was done getting ready he was in a different state of mind as he seemed to be preoccupied while searching for the keys to the rental car and if she had to guess, his thoughts were on the alleged watcher. When he found them finally, Remi stated that she was famished then asked if he was hungry too. “I am, and the food at Lola’s is amazing, so I’m looking forward to it,” he replied, sounding more upbeat, much to her relief. She purposely observed Liam as they walked to the car, just to see if he went overboard in the paranoia department, but to her surprise, he only looked around once then seemed satisfied that no one was watching them. Their conversation on the way to the restaurant was stagnant, to say the least. Luckily, the scenic drive made up for it. Liam did tell her that he wished they had more time in Miami because there was so much more he wanted her to see. The tone in which he said it, sounded despondent. So when they arrived at Lola’s, she suggested, “Maybe you can bring me back another time.”
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 27