I couldn’t let this be the end. I couldn’t.
“Bye,” he said.
“No.”
He turned around and walked down the driveway. Then he headed down the sidewalk, walking back to his house. I’ve never hated myself so much before. I killed my parents, I ruined my life, and now I lost the only man that ever meant anything to me.
For the next few weeks, I tried to see Liam whenever I could. I waited by his classes, knowing I would see him. When he walked down the hallway, he stopped when he saw me.
“Hey,” I said awkwardly.
“Hi.”
I didn’t know what to say. He and I never spoke often, but our presence was enough.
“How’s your day?” I asked.
“Shitty like always.”
“Oh.” I knew that was because of me.
He put his hands in his pockets and didn’t look at me. “I should get to class.”
“Okay…”
He passed me then entered the classroom. I forced myself not to cry.
When Scotty went out with Liam, I always came along. We would go to the bar and sit at our usual table. Liam wouldn’t look at me but we would exchange a few words. Girls threw themselves at him but I didn’t retaliate. He wasn’t mine anymore. Liam always rejected them then ignored them, thankfully. If he moved on with someone else, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.
By the third week, I knew getting Liam back would be hard work. He was still closed off from me, not trusting me. But he was worth every minute of every day. I wouldn’t stop until he was mine again. Failure wasn’t an option.
The anniversary of my parents’ death arrived. This day was always hard for me. I usually went to the store and got a board game to place on their grave. My dad liked trivia games but my mom liked interactive role-playing games. Finding something they would both enjoy was a challenge. But I took my time.
This year, I didn’t go to the store. I was too depressed about Liam to do my research. But I had to go to their graves and pay my respects. I didn’t want to forget them. Every year that passed was just as difficult as the one before.
And I didn’t want to go alone.
I wished Liam would come with me. Scotty usually came but it wasn’t the same. It needed to be Liam.
But he wasn’t mine anymore.
I told him the date of the anniversary but I doubt he remembered. And I doubt he cared. I wasn’t his problem anymore. I knew he loved me but I didn’t think that would be enough in this case. I messed up this relationship irrevocably. I destroyed the one good thing that happened to me.
Scotty came to my room. “Are you ready?”
I was snapped out of my thoughts. “Yeah…”
He held the flowers in his hand. He usually placed them on his parents’ grave while we were there.
I checked my appearance in the mirror, noting the hollowness of my cheeks and the bags under my eyes. I looked like death. I tucked the hair behind my ear and walked out.
When I reached the driveway, I saw Liam get out of his truck. He wore jeans and a green t-shirt. But he held a board game in his hands.
He remembered.
I stared at him, unsure if he was real. My heart fluttered and the heat returned to my limbs. I breathed heavily, feeling tears.
Liam reached me, the board game in his hand. He stared at me, the sadness in his eyes. “I hope this is okay.” He looked at the box.
“It’s perfect.” I didn’t even know what game it was. I didn’t care.
He cupped my face and kissed my tears away. “I’m here.”
“You came…”
“I wouldn’t miss this. No matter what.”
“God, I love you so much.” I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
He returned my embrace and rested his chin on my head. “I love you too.”
Scotty crept back to the house. “I’ll catch you guys later…”
We ignored him, forgetting he was there entirely.
Liam pulled away then opened the passenger door to his truck. I hopped in and he shut it behind me.
He came into the driver’s seat, and I immediately moved to the spot directly next to him. He was probably just there because this day was hard for me. It didn’t mean anything. But I didn’t care. Just a day with him was better than nothing.
I hooked my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder while we drove to the cemetery. We didn’t speak, but the silence was fine. I listened to him breathe and inhaled his scent. I missed it.
When we reached the cemetery, he held my hand and walked with me to the tombstone. My parents were buried together, my mother on top of my father. When I stared at the headstone, I felt the tears burn. Liam held his silence and stood behind me, his arms around my waist. I gripped the board game then placed it against the tombstone.
I felt the engraving of the stone with my fingertips, wanting to connect to my parents in some way. Their names were forever etched into the stone, lasting an eternity. They were too young to die. And it was all my fault.
I stood up again and felt Liam circle me with his arms. He gripped me tightly, protecting me with his arms and chest. The pain wasn’t so unbearable with him next to me. Somehow, he carried it with me, reminding me I wasn’t alone. He knew exactly how it felt to lose someone you loved with your whole heart. And he understood the guilt of their death. He understood me completely.
The tears fell down my cheeks, and I wiped them away and sniffed. We stood in silence for an hour, honoring my parents and their memory. Liam didn’t speak. He just held me, supporting me with his frame.
When I finished honoring my parents, I turned around and looked at Liam. “Thank you for coming.”
His eyes softened. “I’ll always be here for you, Keira. No matter what.”
I nodded. “I just wish it were under better conditions…”
He cupped my face and kissed me gently. The warmth radiated through my limbs, making me ache from happiness. “I’m yours, Keira. You already know that.”
“I don’t want you to be with anyone else…”
“I won’t. It’s just you.”
“Then give me another chance.”
He sighed while he stared at me. “It’ll take a while to get back to where we were. I can’t just forget what you did. Now you need to be patient with me.”
“I’ll give you whatever you need, Liam. I’ll wait a lifetime for you.”
He pulled away. “Okay.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close. I knew what I did was unforgiveable, but I was willing to do everything and anything to get him back. He was patient with me, helping me become Unshakeable. And now it was my turn to put him back together, to remind him that our love was uncrushable for the rest of time.
UNCRUSHABLE
Book Three in the Forehead Kisses Series
Liam and Keira continue
Available Soon
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Unshakeable Page 16