by Mia Caldwell
"Are you okay, honey?" Kiki looked horrified.
"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my sore shoulder. I must not have moved at all when I slept. My whole arm felt dead.
"Two o'clock," Kit looked at his watch. Then he watched me scrunch up my face over the math and clarified. "Two o'clock. In the afternoon. On Tuesday."
"Wait...," I smacked my lips together. My mouth felt like a desert and tasted like a sock. "You're saying...?"
"You slept almost twenty-four hours," Jasmine said, folding her arms. "I called in to work for you, but Kit here said he thinks he knows why you're playing Sleeping Beauty and came over as soon as he could."
Kit settled his bulk next to me and covered my shoulders with the blanket. "I'm guessing it didn't end in crazy make-up sex?" he asked gently.
I came to me in flashes. Then waves. Then a flood that threatened to drown me.
Liam sending me away. Dahlia's coldness. The walk to his office. The oddly abandoned workspace. The sounds of a fight.
Lily.
"I saw him. With her," I said thickly. Then coughed.
Kiki handed me a glass of water, mute and wide-eyed.
"Her?" Kit was confused.
I looked up at Kiki's sympathetic face, Jasmine's blisteringly angry one. I didn't have to say her name. But I did anyway. "Lily."
"Motherfucker!" Jasmine spun on her heel and began pacing like a caged wildcat. "I liked him too. Cheating asshole."
Kit looked at the three of us. "Well. Shit. So he's an asshole and a cheater after all?"
I gulped down the glass of cold water. It hit my angry stomach like a rock. But that wasn't why I was suddenly nauseous. "It would seem so."
"Nothing seeming about it," Jasmine muttered darkly."
"Were they kissing?" Kiki was breathless with disbelief.
I shook my head. "Fighting."
"Over what?"
I shook my head again. "I couldn't tell. I think she threw something at him."
"Should've hit him with it," Jasmine said at the same time Kiki said, "Probably about you."
I moaned into my hands. "You're right. I'm the other woman. I knew it. That's the worst part, I knew it."
"He swore to you," Kit soothed. "That's on him.
I growled, too angry with myself to be mollified.
"If I ever see that snake again...." Jasmine didn't get to finish her sentence before the sound of the door buzzer made us all jump. "Who the hell is it?" she barked into the intercom.
"Jasmine, It's Liam. Is Shay there?"
Jasmine made a feral sound and yanked on the door. "Wait! Let him up," Kit boomed.
All three of us turned to stare at him. "What?" he spread his hands innocently. "I want to see how the asshole tries to worm his way out of this one." Then he rubbed his hands together with an evil smile. "What can I say? I'm a bitch."
Jasmine muttered something about homicide. "Kiki, you're in charge of making sure I don't go to jail today. And Kit," she stabbed a finger in his direction. "You're in charge of my bail if she can't stop me. Since this is your bad idea and all."
"Oh, what's another debt, pile 'em on," he trilled and I wanted to laugh if only so I didn't sob.
"Shay?" Jazzy's finger was poised on the buzzer. "You okay with this?"
I nodded. "Let him up. I'm glad he's here when you guys are."
She stabbed the buzzer, holding it down for far too long. We all listened to the sound of heavy tread ascending the two floors up to Jazzy's place. Each thump was echoed by my thudding heartbeat.
I was waiting for his cool, poised explanations. I was ready for his charm. I was ready to harden my heart against his soulful eyes as he made me sweet promises.
I wasn't expecting the panicked, disheveled man who appeared gasping at Jasmine's doorway.
He stared at each of us like he had no idea why we'd be here. Then his eyes focused on me and he took a deep breath. "Shay," he said, his voice breaking. "Could we talk about this somewhere private please?"
As thrown off as I was by his wild-eyed appearance, I quickly collected myself and folded my arms. "No," I told him firmly. "Enough secrets. If you have something to tell me, just say it."
He drew a long, shuddering, defeated breath.
"Lily...," his voice caught.
"Yes," I prompted. "Lily. Your girlfriend?"
His face collapsed. "She's not my girlfriend, Shay." He pressed his lips together and seemed to decide.
"She's my sister."
Chapter Twenty - Nine
"Sister? Bullshit!"
We all stared at Jasmine. Her nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge. "Yeah, that's right. Bullshit. We Googled your ass when you started hanging around my best friend here." She pointed a me and then whirled to stab an accusing finger at Liam's broad chest. "I know all about you, rich boy, and I know you don't have a sister."
"'Only child of Dahlia Jessop Graves,'" Kiki recited fiercely.
Liam buried his face in his big hand, then dragged it down, like he wanted to wipe away the look of shock and outrage that was frozen there. I was trembling so hard I could hear my teeth clacking together. Kit moved to pull me to him, but I was rooted to the spot.
When he pulled his hand away, Liam looked composed. But I knew him. That dangerous pulse was beating at his temple. "Shay," his voice was low. "I can't talk about this here. Will you please," he bit off the word, "come with me?"
"No!" I shouted. Louder than I meant to. So loud I shocked myself and everyone around me.
If I went to him, my body, no, my heart would betray me. I needed to stay here, in the safety of Kiki's shock, Kit's sympathy and Jasmine's furious outrage.
I couldn't trust myself alone with him. "No, whatever you want to say, say it here." I crossed my arms tightly to stop the shaking. "No more secrets."
Liam gave a tight, hollow laugh. "Shay, my god, I have so many secrets I'm not even sure I can keep track of them anymore. My life.... My family, we bury our secrets so deeply I'm not sure I could ever dig enough to tell you the whole truth." His anguished gray eyes tugged at my heart. I wanted so badly to comfort him. But I didn't move, out of fear of the ferocity of my feelings.
And so he took a shaky breath. "I don't think I can dig deep enough. But that doesn't mean I don't want to try. I want to tell you." He inhaled sharply. "Because I love you.
Kiki let out a soft cry, her eyes wide.
Everyone waited.
I didn't move. I was too scared to open my mouth and hear what I might say in response.
As long as I didn't say it....
Liam saw my struggle and seemed to...deflate somehow. Disappointment carved out a hollow in his chest and he slumped against the doorway in defeat.
"Lily is my sister, I am telling the truth. What you read?" he pointed at Jasmine who crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "That's the lie. The lie Dahlia forced me, forced everyone who knew Lily, to tell."
He drew a shaky breath. "She tried to kill herself around the time I was born," he began. "Before that it was drugs, cutting, running away, more drugs...." he shook his head. The words were coming faster now, more than I had ever heard Liam say at once. "She actually tried more than once, it's just that time when I was a baby she was the closest to success. She was in the hospital for a long time, and then once she was better...physically...Dahlia had her committed."
Kiki let out a little gasp. I clapped my hand over my mouth. But Liam didn't notice any of this, lost as he was in his painful memories. "Lily had caused her so much embarrassment, so much pain, that she ordered the staff to stop saying her name. Then she disowned her. Then she set about...erasing her."
He looked up. "To the world, Lily Graves never existed. Just like you saw in your Googling. But she does exist. She's real. And she needs help. My help."
My memory flashed back to the pale pale blond. Her ice blue eyes...those were Dahlia's eyes. Dahlia's pallor, Dahlia's thin fame. Everything that Liam lacked as Dahlia's offspring, Lily had instead.
He rubbed his face again and stared off into a fixed point over our shoulders. "God," he laughed shakily. "Even saying it out loud like this...it feels just wrong. Like I'm violating some sacred taboo." He shook his head. "I never really knew her. She's fifteen years older than me and has been in and out of mental institutions my entire life. To hear Dahlia tell it...when she even mentions her at all...she's completely insane."
He looked at us, entreaty in his eyes. "But...she isn't. She was just released," he looked at me, "The day after I ordered the bouquet. Her doctors said she was ready to live on her own. I've been trying to find her a halfway house, maybe a live-in nurse. Set her up somewhere. She has no one else. She needs me. My sister needs me."
Kiki made a soft sound. Her fingers were at her lips, her eyes shining wet with tears that would be falling soon enough.
She believed him.
I turned and looked at Kit. His face was grim. And Jasmine was still staring at Liam like he was something stuck on the bottom of her shoe. But none of that mattered because Liam was looking at me.
And I believed him.
He saw it. The breath left his lungs with a loud whoosh. "You believe me, Shay?"
I wasn't ready to say it. "And the note?" I pressed. "From your...." I had to force my tongue around the shape of the word. "Mother?"
He looked panicked again. Rage and sorrow passed each other in waves across his beautiful face, rippling like I had thrown a boulder into still water.
He stared at Kit, and then Kiki and Jasmine, and I knew how badly he wanted to retreat into his secrets.
But he didn't.
"Papers. I have power of attorney over Lily's estate." He swallowed hard. "Dahlia wants me to have her committed. Again. Against the doctors' recommendations. Against all reason." His knuckles were white against the doorframe. "She's threatened me with everything she has....and she has a lot. Money, connections, power. All of my business partners, all the investors...hell even my secretary used to work for her. She has - has always had - her tentacles in every part of my life. But this...." His breath caught as the shock of her cruelty socked him in the gut again. "This is her lowest blow yet. And I cannot do this to Lily. Not when she's doing so well. Dahlia cutting her off, sending her away again?" His gray eyes glittered. "That will kill her."
Chapter Thirty
He hadn't moved from the doorway. All five of us were rooted to the spot. Only the stronger spring sunshine slanting across the floorboards and creeping up the wall betrayed how much time had passed.
I stared at Liam, hollow with worry about his sister, furious at his mother's cruelty.
He suddenly shuddered and shifted, turning to the hallway with a look of surprise. "I brought you these," he said, dully.
He pulled out a bouquet of the most gorgeous snow-white roses I had ever seen. "They mean I'm sorry. I think."
"I'm worthy of you," I corrected. "That's what they mean."
He stared at me entreatingly.
Kit gasped in pleasure, breaking the moment. "Where did you even get those, this time of year? Are you some kind of wizard?"
"No." Liam stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Just a man with too much money and not enough love."
His words hit me in the gut. I hated how vulnerable he looked right now. William Graves was supposed to be confident, dominant even. This man looked...wrong.
I needed to fix it.
"We can fix this," I said out loud. "Your sister. Your mom, they need to see each other again."
Liam shook his head. "That won't work."
But Kiki was already on board. I could see her eyes gleaming at the prospect of a happy ending. "No, it has to. When your mother sees how much better Lily is doing...."
"She'll have to back off," Jasmine concluded. I looked at her, startled by how earnest she was. She was totally on board.
"Make it a neutral place," Kit added. "Not your mother's house. How about a dinner?"
"At your place!" Kiki added. She clutched his arm in excitement.
Liam's eyes were ping ponging from friend to friend as they closed in on him with the full force of their love and concern.
"Yes your house. That way you hold the power." Jasmine nodded forcefully. "Your turf."
"And you can kick your mom out if she starts being a cunt," Kit added drily.
"That's what you need to do. You rich folks, I swear you'd rather die of a stress aneurysm than actually admit there's a problem." Jasmine was shaking her head. "Ready? Watch my lips. 'Mother, you're wrong about Lily and I'm not committing her.' There, see how easy that was?"
Liam opened his mouth, then shut it. Then he looked at me, pleading. "You're right. You're all right, okay? But Shay, I need you there with me. I can't do this alone."
Chapter Thirty - One
I walked around the table, turning the centerpiece one last time for good measure. It was a simple arrangement of hazel foliage and Star of Bethlehem flowers cascading from the vase onto the table. Flowers for the reconciliation I hoped Liam could achieve tonight.
The table was set with gorgeous china printed in a masculine, geometric pattern. Crisp white napkins were laid out with silverware so heavy I knew it had to be antique. It must have been a family heirloom. I ran my finger lingeringly over the flat of a steak knife and wondered if all of the money he had was enough to make up for the terror and turmoil of Liam's upbringing.
"How do I look?" Liam stood in the doorway of his bedroom, adjusting his cuffs. I tried, and failed, to avoid biting my lip.
"Very proper," I nodded, taking in his crisp white shirt and the solid gray tie that precisely matched his eyes. "Too proper. You should take everything off."
He laughed a little, a slight explosion of tension. "This dinner will be excruciating enough without having to throw nudity in the mix."
I went to him and adjusted his tie, then kissed him lingeringly. "My loss," I breathed.
"Everything okay here, Liam?"
I sighed against Liam's chest. Of course Darius was right here to interrupt the moment. "Everything is fine," Liam said over my shoulder.
"Food is in the kitchen, it just arrived," Darius rumbled in that deep bass voice of his.
"Thank you very much. Why don't you take the night off?" Liam nodded.
"If you don't mind, the Eagles are playing tonight and I was hoping to catch the game."
"Sure, sure, no one's using the media room tonight, I can guarantee you that," Liam chuckled darkly. "Have at it."
Darius nodded and headed back into the recesses of the huge apartment. "Doesn't he have a home to go to?" I whispered.
"Think so, but he doesn't like spending much time there," Liam said, walking into the kitchen and opening the catering trays. "Plus I have a better TV here."
"Huh." Something nagged at me for a moment, but I shoved it aside when I heard the ding of the private elevator.
Lily stepped out. She looked shrunken in her too big clothes, the worry lines around her face aging her well past her thirty-nine years. But she held her head high as she walked into her brother's penthouse.
"Thank you so much for coming," Liam went to her immediately and kissed her cheek.
"I'm doing this for you," she said to him. Her voice was stronger than her frail body would imply. There was a hint of Dahlia's steel in the determined set of her jaw.
"Thank you," Liam repeated, then held out his hand. "This is Shay," he smiled at me. There was no mistaking the pride in his eyes as he glanced in my direction and I immediately lifted my own head and smiled at Lily.
"The florist," Lily said softly, glancing at Liam and then back at me. "Thank you for the bouquet. It meant a lot."
I took her slight, bony hand. "Liam made sure it had meant that much."
A ghost of a smile flickered across her lips. "He told me what it meant. It was really incredible." She looked up at him fondly. "Exactly what I needed."
I could feel myself grinning from ear to ear
. I was surprised to find that, after all the heartache she inadvertently caused me, I actually liked her. "Can I get you anything to drink?" I asked her.
"Water," she answered promptly. Like she had rehearsed this situation a billion times, which in retrospect, she probably had.