Unshakeable

by Abby Reynolds

“Liam?”

  I flinched when I recognized my sister’s voice.

  She sat up on the couch and pulled the hair from her face. I didn’t even notice her.

  “What?”

  She stayed in her spot and pulled her knees to my chest. I knew I would be in even more trouble when my parents yelled at me for all the stuff Eva ratted me out for. They would know I sneaked girls to the house and I was having lots of sex. They would know about the marijuana I smoked a few times. But that was okay. I was already in deep shit anyway.

  I sat beside her, unsure what to do.

  She looked at me. “Did Derek really do that?”

  I kept my anger back. We had to whisper. “Yes.”

  She sighed and hugged herself.

  “Crone and Mitchell were with him. It was three against one. Eva, he’s a fucking coward. That’s not how a man fights.”

  She didn’t disagree with me. “Are you okay?”

  “Did you not hear what Mom and Dad said? I kicked their ass.”

  Eva patted my arm. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

  This was the side of her I was used to. My sister and I were close. I was glad she was returning to her senses. “I don’t like him, Eva. I mean it.”

  She pulled her hand away. “Why?”

  “I heard he screams at you. At the game last weekend, he made you cry.”

  “Who told you that?” she whispered.

  “Are you denying it?”

  “He’s just…passionate.”

  That pissed me off. “No. Guys don’t yell because they are passionate. They yell because they are assholes. Don’t confuse anger for confidence.”

  She averted her gaze and looked at the floor.

  “I know he cheats on you, Eva. I see it on a daily basis. I know you don’t want to believe it because you think you love him, but it’s true. He doesn’t respect you and he doesn’t care about you. He just wants to get his dick wet. That’s it.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Why would I lie?” I demanded. “I’ve never lied to you, or anyone. I can’t stand by and let my sister ruin her life. You’re in college now, and you’re beautiful. Find someone better, a real man.”

  “But I love him.”

  “No, you don’t,” I snapped.

  She flinched at the aggression in my voice. “Sometimes, he scares me…”

  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear this.

  “He yells at me, makes me cry. He grabs my wrist and squeezes. Sometimes he bends my arm. But he always apologizes for it…”

  “Eva, break up with him.”

  “I—”

  “Break up with him.” I wasn’t backing down.

  She breathed quietly in the darkness.

  “I’ll help you if that’s what you need. I’ll make sure he leaves you alone. I’ll do whatever you want. But please end this relationship. Eva, you’re smart and beautiful. Guys will come after you. Great guys.”

  “I guess I’m scared to end it.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “He’ll get mad.”

  “I’ll be there. If he gets mad, I’ll put him in his place.”

  She rubbed her arms like she was cold. She rested her chin on her arms and rocked slightly back and forth, like she was weighing her options. “Okay.”

  That was music to my ears. “Thank you.”

  Silence ensued for another minute.

  “I didn’t rat you out for anything,” she whispered.

  “You didn’t?”

  “Your nighttime fuckings are still a secret,” she teased.

  I thought that was the first thing she would do. Even in her anger, she had my back. “Thanks…”

  “I’m not mad at your for anything, Liam. I know you were just trying to protect me.”

  “I’ll always protect you. Even though you’re shorter than me, I still look up to you.”

  She smiled. “I’m nothing to look up to.”

  “I don’t agree.” I meant it.

  “So, you’ll come with me tomorrow?”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m sorry you have to see a psychiatrist.”

  I shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m just glad everything I did wasn’t in vain.”

  She leaned back on the couch, her eyes heavy. “I’m going to bed.”

  “Okay.”

  Eva rose to her feet then headed to the hallway. “Liam?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I love you.”

  I felt the emotion in my throat. “I love you too.”

  I drove my sister to the restaurant where she was meeting Derek. She fidgeted with her hands and breathed deeply, like she was scared. I held my silence and focused on the drive. Secretly, I hoped Derek would make a move so I could kill him.

  We walked inside and saw Derek sitting in the corner. Judging the surprised look on his face, I knew he wasn’t happy to see me. Hatred entered his eyes, and that fury was focused on me.

  Like I gave a shit.

  I stayed back at a different table and let Eva approach him. She sat across from him then rested her hands on the table. I was out of earshot but I watched them. Derek immediately snapped and yelled, using his hands to explain whatever point he was making. Eva was calm. She hardly looked at him.

  Derek ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, clearly pissed by the direction of the conversation. The rage was in his eyes. I could tell he didn’t like it when he didn’t get his way.

  Eva finally stood up, ending the conversation. Derek jumped to his feet and grabbed her arm, yanking her back to him so he could get a few words in. I made my move then pushed him hard against the wall.

  “Don’t. Touch. My. Sister.” I threatened to end his life without my words. I clenched my fists while I stared him down, beckoning him to throw a punch. I could demolish him in this room, and this time, I would kill him.

  “Let’s go,” Eva whispered.

  I didn’t move.

  “Come on,” she pressed.

  I finally turned around and walked with her to the door. Once we were outside, I felt a little better. I was glad that was over. I was sick of Derek and didn’t want to deal with his shit anymore.

  Eva was sad. She tried not to dcry. I could see it in her eyes.

  When we were in my truck, I tried to make her feel better. “I know it’s hard right now, but you made the right decision. You’ll realize that eventually. When you find the right guy, you’ll thank me for this.”

  “Maybe,” she said non-committedly.

  I started the truck then drove down the road. When I saw a diner, I pulled over. “Milkshake?”

  “Sure.”

  We walked inside and took our shakes to a booth in the corner. She and I always came here after school or whenever one of us was down. I knew she needed a pick-me-up.

  She ate her shake with a spoon instead of the straw.

  “You’re so weird,” I said.

  “That hasn’t changed.” She kept her eyes glued to her cup. “Are you going to the psychiatrist?”

  “I have to, right?”

  “Just act normal and Mom and Dad won’t make you go anymore.”

  “Act normal?” I said with a laugh. “I am normal.”

  “No, you aren’t,” she said seriously. “But that isn’t a bad thing.”

  My sister and I had a relationship that was always borderline dysfunctional. We were savage to each other and said the meanest things, but we had our moments when we actually acted like we liked each other. But underneath all that complexity we loved each other. And I know I would do anything for her. No matter what.

  “Bringing any girls over tonight?” she asked.

  “No.” I smirked.

  “You’re going to get an STD before you finish high school.”

  “I’ve slept with four girls. It’s not like I slept with a prostitute.”

  “Four is a lot,” she said as she cringed. “That’s gross.”

  I shrugged. “I like sex.�
��

  “Apparently.”

  “But at least I’m honest about my intentions.” It was in indirect jab at Derek. If Eva understood that, she didn’t show it.

  “You want to go to the movies this weekend?” she asked.

  “It depends. What are we watching?”

  “There’s this new Julia Roberts movie.”

  “Eww. Sounds like a chick flick.”

  “It’s not a chick flick,” she snapped.

  “Anything with Julia Roberts is a chick flick.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Then what do you want to see? Let me guess. James Bond. Even though it’s the same damn story over and over.”

  “They make the same damn story over and over because it’s awesome.”

  “Whatever,” she said. “You just like the explosions and beautiful women.”

  “I won’t deny that.”

  She finished her shake then put it aside. She stared out the window, watching nothing in particular. The sadness was still in her eyes.

  “You’re going to be okay, Eva.”

  She didn’t acknowledge my words. Something only she could see caught her eye. It was like I wasn’t even there.

  Chapter Nine

  Keira

  I really fucked this up.

  Liam was a godsend. He came into my life and made the world beautiful again. He healed my heart and kissed my scars. He showed me what love really meant. And despite my flaws and issues, he was always patient with me, working hard to gain my trust and love.

  But in the end, I was the one ruining everything. I constantly hurt him and I hated myself for it. I trusted Liam. I really did. Adrianna just got under my skin. I wasn’t sure what I was thinking when I asked him if he slept with her, but I certainly wasn’t accusing him of it.

  But I still fucked everything up, nonetheless.

  I couldn’t sleep. Without Liam’s body next to mine, I was frozen. I couldn’t close my eyes. I knew he was at Scotty’s, but I still worried about him. I hoped he was okay, that he wouldn’t be hit by a car in the middle of the night. I wanted to cry because I was scared, but I made sure I didn’t. He said he was coming back in the morning. I would just have to wait.

  The next morning, I went downstairs and waited for him to come home. I was anxious and nervous. I just wanted to tell him I loved him, to take him in my arms and never let him go. He was the best thing that ever happened to me. How could I push him away?

  When his truck pulled into the driveway, I ran outside still wearing his t-shirt and no bottoms. I didn’t care if someone saw me. His shirt was enormous on me so it covered everything anyway.

  When he closed the door, I jumped into his chest. I had no idea if he would catch me, but he did with a single arm. My legs wrapped around his waist and I buried my face in his neck. With a single hand, he locked his truck then carried me back inside. Neither one of us spoke.

  He stood in the living room and held me, letting me breathe through the pain. I was just grateful to have him in my arms again.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “You were right. I’m sorry.”

  Liam’s hand held my bottom, and his other one moved through my hair. I felt weightless in his arms. I didn’t know what he was thinking but at least he didn’t push me away. He held me to his chest, making me feel safe and whole.

  I finally leaned back and looked into his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know,” he whispered.

  I pressed my head to his. “I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. It won’t happen again.”

  “I appreciate that.” He didn’t sound angry. He seemed sincere.

  “I appreciate you so much and I never want you to leave.”

  He rubbed his nose against mine, making me melt. “Then I won’t go anywhere.”

  “Please.”

  He gave me a gentle kiss, sensual and breathtaking. The reassurance I needed was in that kiss. He told me he would never leave me, that he was the other half of me until the end of time.

  “I love you, Liam.”

  His lips brushed mine before he kissed me again. “And I you.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Let’s just forget about it.”

  “You always let me off the hook so easily.”

  “Life is too short to live in the past. And I want you every day for the rest of my life. I prefer to be happy.”

  “That’s good for me.”

  “Me too.” His hand moved across my bottom. “And seeing you jump in my arms wearing nothing but my t-shirt loosened me up a little.” He smiled while he rubbed his nose against mine.

  “I’m glad my ass saved me.”

  “It is a nice ass.”

  I chuckled at his words.

  “You should show me how sorry you are.” His hand squeezed me.

  “What happened to not living in the past?” I teased.

  “I just changed my mind.”

  “Well, that was convenient.”

  Liam headed to our bedroom up the stairs then lay me on the bed. Slowly, we removed our clothes then joined our bodies together. As soon as we were a single person, the distance between our hearts disappeared. Liam looked at me the way he always did, pure love and longing heavy in his eyes. While I enjoyed the sexual aspect of our relationship, it was nothing compared to the emotional side of it. I felt the heavenly connection to him, a love that survived mortal life spans. My soul was bound to his forever. I was young to feel this way, but there wasn’t a doubt in my mind. There was only one man in my life, and that man would always be Liam. I would never take someone else for as long as I lived.

  When we held each other after our bliss, Liam ran his fingers through my hair then kissed my forehead. We both had school but neither one of us seemed to care at the moment. Liam would be dropping out soon anyway.

  “I was so scared,” I whispered.

  “Why?”

  “I was afraid you wouldn’t come back.” Now I knew how he felt when I walked out on him. It was gut wrenching.

  “I’ll always come back.”

  “I would prefer it if you didn’t leave.”

  “I’ve learned to handle my anger in two ways. One way is to attack, and the other is to flee. There was only one choice in this aspect.”

  “I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything, Liam.”

  “Then why did you ask?”

  “I guess I wanted to hear you say it again.”

  “But repeating myself doesn’t make something more true.” His voice was calm. He seemed tired like he hadn’t slept the night before.

  “I know…”

  “Everything pushed me over the edge. I know you’ve been through a lot and I need to keep that in mind, but sometimes I forget.”

  “That’s not an excuse…”

  He didn’t argue with that.

  “He was cheating on me. I always suspected it in the back of my mind but I never wanted it to be true. I’m just damaged in every respect.”

  “You aren’t damaged,” he said gently. “Someone took advantage of this beautiful heart.” He placed his hand over my chest. “And he took something that didn’t belong to him. Something that belongs to me.”

  Liam wasn’t wordy and didn’t say much, but when he did, he brought tears to my eyes. He somehow lifted me up from the dark crevasses I put myself in. He was my hero, my savior. I could tell him I loved him a million times but it would never truly reflect the depth of my feelings. Nothing would ever be good enough.

  I wanted the time to fly by at school. The sooner the day was over, the sooner I could return to the man who held my heart in the palm of his hand. When I wasn’t with him, I missed him. Even the evenings we spent in silence were perfect. As long as I was with Liam, I was happy.

  When I came home, Liam wasn’t in the house. His truck was in the driveway so I knew he was around somewhere. After I searched the bedroom and the basement, I realized he was in the backyard.

  I walked outside and spotted all the flowerpots an
d plants still in their casings. He was shirtless, getting the soil ready in the planter boxes. I could stare at his bare chest all day—and all night.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  He looked up when he realized I was there. He stood up and wiped the dirt off his hands and onto his shorts. “Getting your garden ready.”

  “My garden?”

  He looked at the cart. There were gardening tools and fertilizer packed inside. “I got everything you need. Now we need your special love.”

  My heart warmed at the sight. “You did this for me?”

  He wrapped his arm around my waist. “It’s something we can do together.”

  I was overwhelmed with his thoughtfulness. Liam was the sweetest man in the world. I wasn’t sure what I did to deserve such a wonderful man, but I knew I did something. “You’re so sweet.”

  “No. I’m just in love.”

  I looked at the different plants he bought from the store. They were an array of colors. When I was finished with his backyard, it was would be a completely different place.

  “Where do we begin?”

  I rolled up my sleeves then picked up a plant directly out of the box. After I prepared the soil, I inserted the small plant inside, packing the soil around it. Liam watched me, his eyes drilling into my face. “That’s a start.”

  Liam came beside me and helped insert the flowers into the flowerbed. I knew exactly how I wanted his garden to look, and I visualized the plan in my mind. Liam helped me with the soil then moved the larger planter near the back door.

  Liam picked up the hose then turned it on.

  “No. Don’t do that.”

  He turned it off. “The sprinklers won’t reach the boxes.”

  “We need to get a watering can. Flowers are picky.”

  He smiled. “They sound like people.”

  “Because they are.”

  Liam retrieved a large picture and filled it with water. He handed it to me and watched me quench the plants’ thirst. The gardening took the entire day. The sun was gone by the time I realized we were done.

  “Now that special love,” he said.

  I blushed in embarrassment. “I don’t sing very well.”

  “It’ll be beautiful no matter what.”

  “Okay… Don’t look at me when I do it.”

  He didn’t turn away. “I watch your face every time we make love. I see every emotion and thought that you feel. That’s more intruding, more intimate than anything else. Watching you sing is the same thing. And I’m not going to look away.”