The thought made Marlene sick. “I can’t pretend that he’s innocent and that he didn’t commit those crimes, but he’s not a bad person,” she said, defending him, as any loving grandmother would do. Warren finished off his piece of pie then began uncharacteristically wallowing in self-pity. “Where did we go wrong with him?” he asked, directing the question at his wife. She mockingly laughed. “Where shall I start?”
Marlene told Warren to sit tight for a moment then briefly left the kitchen. When she returned, she had four large photo albums in her arms. Warren gave his mother a curious look, as she set the books onto the kitchen table. “I know Liam would disagree and you probably think otherwise, but I think you will see that it wasn’t always bad between the three of you,” she said flipping the cover open of one of them. Warren appreciated his mother’s sweet gesture, if nothing else, she meant well. And as he spotted a picture of a day-old Liam, sleeping peacefully in his young Daddy’s arms, he suddenly wished he could go back and do it all over again. Penny stopped working to look for herself. “Aww, he was the most beautiful baby ever,” she gushed proudly. The photos tugged at their hearts, even Warren’s. There were tons of Liam; as a baby, a toddler, a kid, a teenager, and an athlete. In fact, Penny was astounded at how many there were, which solidified what a wonderful relationship Liam had with Marlene while further proving how pathetic her relationship with him was. All of a sudden tears began to flow from Marlene’s eyes as she looked at one particular photo, of Liam at five-years-old with his grandfather. “This was always one of my favorites,” she said, touching it. “They were strolling the Ocean City boardwalk and Liam had reached up and just grabbed your Dad’s hand, it was just the sweetest thing,” she said to Warren. It was now his turn to feel the burn of missing out on Liam’s youth, nobody’s fault but his own. He abruptly stood up and pointed to a newspaper clipping of Liam’s arrest that Marlene had stuck to a small bulletin board. “We did this to him,” he loudly declared. “You know that right?” he asked, turning to face Penny. She angrily replied, “I never claimed to be the best mother, but I never pushed him to be something he didn’t want to be.”
Warren mockingly laughed, “Oh okay, so Liam becoming a criminal is solely my fault.”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” she assured. Marlene just ignored them by concentrating on the photos. “What the hell was Liam thinking?” he asked. “He had everything that most kids would have dreamed of and he threw it all away for what, robbing banks and jewelry stores.”
Penny sighed. “You know it’s much more than that. Obviously, something lacked in his life, or he wouldn’t have been so easily seduced by that lifestyle.”
“Seduced,” balked Warren. “That’s a good way of looking at it, cause he sure as hell didn’t need the money, he had plenty of that.”
“Yes, he didn’t need it, but he didn’t want to be what you wanted him to be,” she reminded.
“God forbid, we wanted him to be a lawyer, while he just wanted to draw boats,” barked Warren.
“We never just listened to him. Instead, we tried to control him, and he rebelled,” said Penny.
“Doesn’t justify him holding hostages and stealing from innocent people,” he said.
“You are absolutely correct, but had we done a better job as parents, I don’t think our twenty-eight-year-old son would be one night away from joining the Pennsylvania Federal Correctional system.”
Before Warren could comment, Penny added, “And think about Remi, and how she loves Liam unconditionally.”
Marlene, who had stayed out of it, interceded, “God bless that young woman.”
Penny grabbed hold of Warren’s arms and forced him to look at her. “Remi looks past all Liam’s crimes including the one in which he held her hostage, and yet still believes in him and wants to be with him, so why didn’t you and I just except Liam for who he was and who he wanted to be?”
Warren let out a deep sigh; it was clear he was unable to answer that question. Penny collapsed against Warren’s chest as his arms embraced her body. As they held each other tightly, Warren looked at the paperwork Penny had been going through and spotted a document regarding the correctional facility. “We failed him,” whispered Warren, as he looked over at his mother. Tears streamed down Penny’s face as she peeled out of Warren’s arms and said, “In so many ways.”
Warren swiped his fingertips along his wife’s cheeks, brushing away the wet trails that had accumulated on her skin. “He doesn’t belong there,” said Warren, referring to Allenwood. “And I know there are no appeals with this deal, but that won’t stop us from fighting to get him out.”
Marlene smiled lovingly at her son and daughter-in-law, knowing the two of them would never give up on Liam. And though the circumstances were less than desirable, to say the least, Liam’s incarceration had done something she thought could never be done—it brought the Matthews family back together.
CHAPTER 25
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Remi stared at her horrid reflection. Not having slept a wink in many nights, it had begun to take its toll on her physically as well as mentally. She had spent most of the last night thinking about Liam going to prison and wondering how she was going to say goodbye to him. For a brief moment, her mind drifted back to the night she confronted Liam about him being the masked man and how she requested for him to leave Philadelphia. It was then she realized just how much she regretted regaining her memory because its resurgence sealed Liam’s fate. And he knew it all along. Remi just didn’t want to believe it. Had she never remembered, it was possible she wouldn’t have gotten as close to him as she did, but maybe he would have actually taken off for good and never looked back. And he wouldn’t be going off to prison. She felt hopeless. Suddenly, Melanie shouted outside the door that they had to leave in a few minutes. Remi immediately stopped dawdling, and in a futile attempt to cover the dark grayish circles that had appeared underneath her eyes, she dabbed on a light beige concealer. Unfortunately, the liquid makeup was too weak to do the trick. It was pointless, she thought, she plain old looked dreadful. But then realized, Liam had seen her at her worst. It was only fitting he’d see her looking so bad now.
When she finally finished and was ready to leave, Melanie and Chris were waiting for her. Her parents had offered to drive her to the police station, but Remi agreed to let Melanie do it with Chris tagging along, as he wanted a few minutes to say goodbye as well. When they got out into the hallway, Remi took those familiar few steps towards Liam’s apartment and placed her hand on the door. “This is really happening, isn’t it?” she asked, looking at her two friends. “Come on, let’s go see him,” Chris said, attempting to make her feel better. Remi reluctantly removed her hand, but as they began walking away, reality started to sink in. She’d never see Liam exit that door again or offer her a ride to work. She would never see him walk down the hall or standing by the elevator, patiently waiting for her to join him. The little things we take for granted, she thought, oh how she wanted them back in the worst way.
Warren and Penny had spent the better part of the morning tying up loose ends while Marlene spent precious time with her grandson. He apologized again for all the lies and misdeeds then he asked, “Do you think Grandpop would be disappointed in me?”
Liam lowered his head like a scorned schoolboy, knowing he let everyone down. She placed her hand on his cheek and assured, “I know he’s up in Heaven watching over you and forgiving you just like I have.”
She leaned in to hug him and whispered, “I’ll always love you, no matter what you’ve done.”
As they gently embraced, he told her how much he loved her too and thanked her for always being there for him. She cried as his hand cradled the back of her head. Always so caring and protective of her, she never once witnessed him be the cold-hearted bastard as described by the media and by those who don’t know him. Liam held her close; reluctant to release her when Detective Weston told them it was time. Marlene told Liam that seei
ng him happy with Remi, even for just that short duration, provided her with much joy. Liam smiled wide, but as Weston walked her out of the room, Liam had to turn his head away. The pain of watching her leave was almost as gut-wrenching as when he witnessed his grandfather’s casket lowered into the ground. Weston soon reentered the room to see how Liam was doing. All he could muster was a shrug. Weston understood that the whole situation couldn’t be easy, so he felt he could at least give him some positive news. “Chris and Remi are on their way up.”
Liam asked him to please send Chris in first. Though he anxiously couldn’t wait to touch and hold Remi, he needed to talk to Chris. Outside the room, Weston informed Chris he could go in then it would be Remi’s turn. She was okay with it, she didn’t want to infringe on their time and respected what Liam needed to do.
After the two best friends half-hugged, they sat down at the table. With a few back and forth pleasantries out of the way, they discussed the future, then Chris thanked him for the monetary assistance. Liam just nodded as if it were nothing but to Chris it had always been huge and he felt the need to let him know that he wouldn’t let him down. “I promise I’m going to get my shit together.”
Liam grinned. “That’s good.”
There were a few seconds of silence then Chris asked, “Are you scared?”
A pensive Liam didn’t take long to reply, “Yes.”
That admission disturbed Chris because Liam had always had been a tower of strength, both physically and mentally. He also had the exceptional capability to handle just about any situation so Chris hoped that going into prison, Liam would be able to call upon those attributes to help him get through the next twenty years. “I need you to do favor for me,” said Liam. Chris automatically remarked, “Look after Remi.”
Liam chuckled at how in tune Chris was to him. “Did she say anything about moving to Miami?”
He glanced at the clock then replied, “Why don’t you ask her yourself.”
The two men stood up, and this time, they hugged fully. Chris told him how much he was going to miss him. Liam seconded that sentiment. Chris then stepped back and headed for the door. Nothing else was said, just a simple exchange of nods between two life-long best friends who respected and cherished one another like brothers. The moment he was gone, Liam exhaled, feeling sadder than he ever imagined. Between his grandmother and Chris, the goodbyes were taking their toll, which he dreaded knowing the biggest one was still yet to come.
With wispy blonde bangs, softly draped across her forehead, Remi conspicuously tried to deflect from him noticing the dark circles underneath her eyes but the attempt failed. He spotted them right away, a telltale sign that she hadn’t been sleeping well. But even as visible as they were, they didn’t detract from those amazingly beautiful blue eyes, he thought. Every night before he’d fall asleep, he’d envision those eyes gazing longingly into his, haunting him. As the door closed behind her, she noticed no handcuffs or shackles. Still dressed in hideous orange jumpsuit pants, this time though Liam was just wearing a plain white t-shirt instead of the full standard jail uniform. And before he could even utter the word hello, she ran into his arms. The long-awaited and much-needed embrace they had both craved many times leading up to that moment didn’t disappoint. Both clutched each other tightly, holding on for dear life. Liam softly whispered into her ear, “God, I’ve missed you.”
While up on her tippy-toes, she kissed his cheek then pressed her lips to his. They were slightly dry and chafed, a cruel reminder of life in county lock up. Remi instinctively ran the tip of her finger along his lips and frowned. He explained that Chapstick wasn’t on the top of lockup amenities. Remi kissed him again, and let him know that his lips still felt wonderful to her. He smiled then suggested they have a seat. As he pulled two folding chairs together, Remi observed him closely, taking note of every little movement he made. He tapped the one chair for her to sit and for a brief second she squeezed her eyes shut, trying in vain to hold the tears in, because she knew the moment she unleashed them, there’d be no stopping. Completely aware of what was she was doing, Liam instinctively held out his hand for her to take hold of it. Through squinted eyes, she reached for it then took the seat right next to him. As she rested her head against his shoulder, he asked if she was all right. She nodded while lacing her fingers with his then clasping his hand tightly. She then nuzzled against his shoulder and sighed. “Well, I’ve decided to move to Miami.”
A content grin adorned Liam’s face, feeling a sense of relief and happiness that she made that choice. “I’m going to rent a U-Haul truck, and Chris said he’d drive that down, while me and Mel take your truck,” she said. “Last I heard my truck was still in the impound lot and being treated as evidence,” he said, sounding annoyed. She affirmed it was but said that his mom had been working on getting it out. Liam nodded as she continued talking about the move. “My parents are going to come down too, help me get settled and bring Peanut,” she said. Liam asked if Peanut was going to stay with her. “Yeah, I want him with me and my parents’ felt better knowing I’d have the company.”
Liam thought it was a great idea as well. “You’re going to love it down there,” he said, dropping his head to the side, grazing hers. “It’d be better with you,” she whispered. He slipped his right hand up to her cheek and lifted her face to look at him. Unable to find words of wisdom, he just sweetly kissed her lips, hoping that would suffice. Mid-kiss, Remi smiled, prompting Liam to ask, “What?”
“I’d wait for you, you know that right?” she asked, her blue eyes staring into his with such honesty that he almost couldn’t take it. “Remi,” he murmured while caressing the side of her face. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“But you aren’t asking me,” she quickly countered.
“I’m looking at twenty years to life, with maybe a chance at parole,” he said, pushing his lips against her forehead. “For you to give up all those years when you’re only twenty-three would be insane.”
She abruptly stood up, and with a full-on scowl she snapped, “Isn’t that my choice to make?”
Liam got up as well and approached her. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
The closer he got, she backed away while trying to make her point. “I love you; I want to make a life with you, and if I have to wait twenty plus years for that to happen, I will,” she declared, anguish in her voice. He went to speak, but she interrupted. “Besides, you have two of the best lawyers working on your case, and I have a feeling they want to make up for the mistakes they’ve made and will stop at nothing until they get you out.”
Liam ran his hands over his head and just grinned at Remi’s tenacity. He then reluctantly looked at the clock on the wall. Fifteen minutes had already gone by, too fast for Liam’s liking, but didn’t want to say anything to Remi, hoping she wouldn’t notice. With her arms firmly crossed, she was wasting precious time, something he knew she would most definitely regret, so in a calm voice, he asked her to please walk back over to him. It took all of five seconds for her to realize she was acting like a damn fool. Having gone weeks without being able to be physical with him, and instead of seizing that opportunity now, she was arguing with him, so she rushed back into an embrace. He immediately held her taut against his body, acutely aware of the fleeting minutes; he savored just how fantastic she felt. For a brief moment, they both sort of swayed back and forth, almost to the point of dancing. That was until Liam said, “I know you have all the information regarding the various accounts I put in your name, but if you have any questions, Vic will help you, as will my mother.”
Remi didn’t move she kept her head perfectly placed on his chest and just nodded ever so slightly. “And you always have the option to sell the house.”
“Why would I want to sell it?” she asked, offended that he would assume that. “You’re giving me this beautiful house and this amazing chance to start over in a new place; there’s no way I’d move.”
“Well, you don’t know, you could
meet someone, and maybe that guy wouldn’t want to live in the house that I gave you,” he said. That comment caused Remi to peer up at him and reiterate her stance. “Look, I know what you are saying, and I get it, I have your blessing to move on and find someone else, but what you don’t fully grasp is that I don’t want anybody else.”
“Remi,” he said, holding her face with both his hands. “You say that now, because this is all so at the moment, but months from now or a year or two, you could meet someone who makes you happy, and honestly that’s all I want for you, and it would be selfish of me to expect you not to love someone else.”
She suddenly grabbed hold of his hands, held them tightly then blurted, “Marry me!”
Liam’s expression was one of utter shock. “What?”
She repeated. “Marry me.”
Liam just grinned. “I can’t marry you.”
“Why not?” she asked. “People going to prison get married all the time.”
He sighed. “Did you not listen to anything I just said?”
She moved in close and kissed his lips softly. “I heard you, but you aren’t hearing me,” she said somberly, as she cutely bit his lower lip. He ignored what she had just spoken, and instead relished the dwindling few moments they had left. He pulled her back into a tight embrace. At first, he just hugged her, but then his fingers explored the exposed flesh of the back of her neck then leisurely roamed through her hair. The familiar strawberry scent flooded him with a slew of emotions. Something so minuscule would be something he’d greatly miss. As his strong arms continued to encase her petite frame, his desperation grew and mimicked hers. For the first time, she sensed Liam losing her was killing him. “Will you do something for me?” she asked in a quiet and soft voice. He continued to hold her protectively, as he replied, “Mm-hmm.”
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 47