"Where do you want to start?" Liam asks as I push open the front door and drop my keys on the table.
"If you want to start in my office, I'll take the bedroom."
"What all do you want from your office?"
Everything, I think to myself. It's full of books, teaching materials, and my personal collection of sugar skull decorations. Garrett spent his extra money on comic books he would read once and then place back in the plastic sleeve for safe keeping. I spent mine on cool-looking statues and lamps covered in sugar skulls.
"Why don't we stick together and work room to room," I suggest, opening the door to my office and motioning for him to go in ahead of me.
Liam's been to the house a million times since I moved in, but I don't recall him ever coming in here. There was no reason for him to. For anyone to be in here, actually. Gatherings were confined to the living room and kitchen, the backyard in the summertime. The farthest people traveled into the depths of the house was the bathroom and that was close to the kitchen.
"Jesus, Cass. Your collection has really grown since the last time I helped you move." He sets down a stack of boxes. As he begins putting the first one together, the pull of the tape gun across the box like nails on a chalkboard, he glances around the room. When his eyes meet mine, there's a hint of laughter in them. "We may not have enough boxes."
Rolling my eyes, I flip him off, and we begin working in silence. Every shelf is cleared. Every knickknack and book packed away for another day.
"You should put this in your back seat. It won't fit in a box and I don't want it to break."
Liam hands me the lamp that sits on the edge of my desk. It was my very first piece with sugar skulls on it. He bought it for me in high school for my birthday. He's to blame for my addiction, and he knows it.
The lamp doesn't work anymore, it hasn't in years, but I can't bring myself to tell him that. He'd run out and buy me a replacement, and that's not what I want. This one holds more sentimental value than anything else I own.
Taking the lamp from him, I step into the hall and set it on the floor outside the door. We have a few things left to pack, and then we'll move on to the bedroom. It's just down the hall. The door is open. The covers are tossed back on Garrett's side of the bed, and his pillow hangs off the edge.
Staring at his pillow for a few long seconds, I don't hear Liam sneak up behind me. When he places his hands on my waist, I startle, jumping forward and almost tripping over my own feet. Thankfully he held on and caught me before I fell forward.
"Ready to tackle your closet?" he asks as I pull out of his grasp.
"Yeah, sure." My words lack the confidence I was hoping they might have.
Raising an eyebrow at me suspiciously, he opens his mouth to speak when I hear the front door open and then slam closed.
"Cassidy!" Garrett hollers, causing me to cringe. What the hell is he doing here? He's supposed to be at work. We have hours before his shift is over. His boss would let him leave early from time to time, but not this early. It's not even time for lunch yet.
Liam steps in front of me as I hear Garrett's footfalls get closer.
"Get out of my way. I need to talk to her," he demands.
"Now is not the time," Liam counters, straightening his broad shoulders.
He's a few inches taller than Garrett and in better shape. All he'd have to do is throw one punch and Garrett would be on the ground. Not that I want him to start throwing punches, but if it came to that, there's no doubt in my mind Liam would be able to take him.
"You're in my house. Trespassing."
"We used a key. The key you gave her. This is as much her house as it is yours, but feel free to call the cops if you want. I'm sure they'd love to waste a trip over here when they could be out helping someone who's actually in need."
"Don't you mean call your friends. What good would that do me? They all know you. They'd take your side before I could even explain what was happening."
The cops are not Liam's friends, but I don't correct Garrett. He works with them, helps them when they need it. Most private investigators do. Liam doesn't have to work within the red tape law enforcement does, so when they need information they're not legally allowed to gather, they call him.
And Liam never lets them down.
So in a way, I guess they are his friends but more so his colleagues.
"Why don't you explain it to me. What do you think’s happening here, Garrett?"
"For starters, you're stealing things from my house. I could have you arrested for that."
I guess that means I probably shouldn't take his comic books. I don't want to give him any ammunition against me. I just want him to disappear. I don't want to see his face ever again if I don't have to.
"Nothing in any box belongs to you."
"You broke into my house."
"Like I said, we used a key. A key that belongs to someone whose mail is delivered here, making this her permanent address."
"But you don't live here, and I'd like you to leave."
Liam doesn't respond. If he's thinking of what to say next, he's taking his time. That's when I notice him clenching his fists at his sides.
He's not thinking about what he wants to say. He's trying to remain calm.
Truthfully, so am I. Garrett is making this harder than it has to be. He's the one who screwed up. He's smart enough to know I'm not going to forgive him.
"I invited him here, so that makes him my guest. He's not leaving," I find myself saying as I step around Liam. His hand falls on my shoulder, but I press onward. Nothing is going to stop me from taking control of this situation.
It's time to show Garrett I'm not afraid of him. That I'm strong and that he hasn't destroyed me. I can put on a brave front for a few minutes. If nothing else, Liam has my back if I need him to.
"Cass," Garrett says, his voice softening the moment he sees me.
"Don't call me that. Only my friends call me that. You can call me Cassidy, but I'd rather you never utter my name again. You lost the right to speak to me after what you did."
My heart is racing as I stare at the man who I once thought was the only man I'd ever love. Even after we broke up in college, I always hoped we'd get our second chance. That one day we'd be able to rekindle the love we once had for each other.
The distance had been too much for either of us to handle. We tried to make it work, but after only a few months, I knew we had to call it quits. I was miserable. Talking on the phone made it worse. I couldn't concentrate on school, and he was spending all his time traveling back and forth because I didn't have a car.
When I was offered a position at the elementary school teaching fourth grade, I jumped at the opportunity. Not only could I move back to the only place I'd ever lived, but I would be close to my friends and the little family I had left in this world.
Then it happened. I ran into Garrett the first night I was back in town. Liam and I were at the bar, celebrating with his parents, and he appeared out of nowhere. Like it was meant to be. And when I looked in his eyes, I still saw the love he held for me in his heart.
We were getting our second chance at happily ever after.
"Cassidy, I'm not sure what happened, but I'm sorry for whatever it was. You know how much I love you. I lost you once, and I don't want to lose you again. Please," he begs. "Talk to me. Alone."
He glances in Liam's direction before his eyes reconnect with mine. They're filled with uncertainty and sorrow. What I don't see is confusion.
He knows he's been caught, but the fucker refuses to admit it. Does he think I'm stupid? That'd I'd leave him for no reason at all? That it was cold feet? He must be delusional.
"There's nothing to talk about, Garrett. You know exactly what you did. The way I see it, you made your bed and you can lie in it. Both of you. You deserve each other. I can't believe I didn't see you for who you really were before now. You're a disgusting pig who's only been after one thing. And you know what, now you can have it
whenever you want it. From whoever is willing to give it to you, but you'll never have me again.
"You can only make the same mistake once. The second time it's called a choice. I've made my choice in this situation. I'm leaving. I don't ever want to see you or speak to you again."
His eyes grow wide at the hate I've spewed toward him. Never once have I ever spoken to him this way, and maybe that's my fault. I've always treated him with the respect I thought he deserved, but I was wrong. Respect, like trust, needs to be earned.
It can also be lost in the blink of an eye.
Neither of them deserves the respect or trust I gave them. Neither of them will ever be able to repair their relationship with me, no matter how hard they try. Because I deserve better. I deserve people who care about me as much as I care about them.
"Cass—"
"We're done here," I say, taking a step back and standing next to Liam. When I look up at him, he's smiling down at me, his eyes sparkling with pride.
Garrett's face tightens, his lips pursed. If he were a cartoon character, steam would be coming out of his ears. The thought brings a smile to my face as I watch him storm out of the house.
As soon as the front door slams, my body collapses against Liam's, and his arm wraps around me. His support means the world to me. I wouldn't have been able to confront Garrett if he hadn't been standing behind me, ready to jump in if needed. Just having him close make me stronger.
Everyone should be as lucky as I am to have a Liam in their life.
Chapter Four
It’s my first day alone since the wedding. Well, since it didn't happen, I should say.
Two weeks.
I've managed to finally get settled here. Liam's made life as easy as possible on me, which I appreciate more than he'll ever know. He doesn't push me to talk when he can see I'm having a bad day. He'll let me sulk, cry on his shoulder, and then after the tears are dried up, he forces me to smile and have fun again.
Last night he even let me kick his ass at Monopoly for the first time in my life. Key word being he let me win. According to him anyway. He was playing as he usually does. Buying the properties he's partial to. Building houses and hotels.
But luck was not on his side.
I was able to avoid all his green properties, the ones with hotels on them, three trips around the board in a row, but he kept landing on my reds that also had hotels. He was putting out more than he was bringing in, and eventually I was able to bankrupt him.
Tonight he made plans for us to go out. Our friends are having a combined bachelor and bachelorette party. I'm not sure I'm ready to socialize on that large a scale, but I've been assured neither Kendra nor Garrett will be there. Their invitations have been revoked after word spread about what happened.
Kendra couldn't keep her mouth shut or her legs together.
Not to mention, they were seen together last weekend. Making out at the movie theater like teenagers. Actually, making out is a tame description of what they were found doing in the back row. According to Sasha, the bride-to-be, Kendra was trying to eat his face while she straddled him. The blush in her cheeks when she told me said more than anything.
Not that I wanted more details. It was hard enough explaining I already knew about their affair after she told me. Because, even though rumors were floating around about the potential reasons the wedding was canceled, no one assumed it was because Garrett couldn't keep it in his pants.
They assumed we had a fight.
One of us got cold feet.
There was even a rumor I left him for Liam because someone saw us driving away from the church together.
That one was fun to extinguish. Especially since we're living together now.
That's the thing about having a close-knit group of friends. They know everything about you. Know how you got every scar. Were there for you through every heartbreak. They've celebrated countless birthdays with you and were your shoulder to cry on when times were dark.
The six of us were inseparable in high school. Sure, we had other friends. We ran in different circles. We each had our own unique personality and direction in life. But we'd also been friends since the beginning, and we’d planned to stay that way.
Liam was the leader. The jock. The football player all the girls drooled over. You'd think he was the quarterback, but that wasn't the case. He was a receiver, and for every touchdown he scored, there were two more girls lining up to get a date with him. It was ridiculous sometimes.
Then there was me. I was a tomboy back in the day. I preferred to hang out with guys rather than girls. They didn't judge you as hard. They were more laid back. Not to mention, I preferred going fishing over shopping, and playing baseball rather than painting my nails. Not that I didn't have girlfriends. There was Kendra . . .
The bitch. It's not a new nickname. Neither is slut.
She slept her way through the baseball and football team in high school. She was the first person I knew to lose her virginity, years before I did.
She was also the most popular girl in school. Not just with the guys. Girls wanted to hang out with her. To be like her. I remember how freshman would follow her around like lost puppies our senior year, waiting for her to acknowledge them.
Why we were friends still at that point, I don't know. She was mean and stuck up. Never toward me, but with others. People she didn't want to hang around with. People who weren't good enough for a moment of her time.
Kendra's rise in popularity also meant we didn't see each other as much. While she was going to parties on the weekends, I was hanging out with the guys and keeping things low-key. Liam and I would occasionally attend a party if the football team was throwing it, but otherwise, we had our own gatherings.
That's when Sasha and I grew closer. She was a lot like me back then. Quiet. Preferred the company of guys over girls outside the bedroom, unlike Kendra. Maybe it was because she had always been shy or because she was dating one of our other friends, but whatever the reason, we always seemed to gravitate toward each other.
Her boyfriend Kevin was a little quirky too. He was a techie. Liked to take things apart to see how they worked and try to put them back together. If something was broken, he thought he could fix it. Most of the time, he couldn't, but that didn't stop him from trying.
His best friend was Aaron, the funny guy of the group. Aaron is loud and borderline obnoxious at times. He's always picking on someone, making a joke, or doing something that is meant to garner a laugh. He has the biggest heart of any of the guys, and I used to call him my teddy bear. In high school, he was a little hefty, the biggest of all three of the guys in the group. Since then he's dropped a ton of weight, making him the same size as Liam almost.
I still call him teddy bear when he walks in the room, though. I always will.
Garrett was the new kid. That's how he worked his way into the group. He wasn't a founding member, hadn't been with us since the beginning, but because we started dating, they welcomed him with open arms. That had never happened before. Not with any of the guys I had dated and certainly not with any of the girls Liam spent time with.
Our relationship became serious, and suddenly our group went from six to seven members overnight. He got along with everyone. There was no tension or animosity at first. Aside from him questioning me about my relationship with Liam when we first started dating, things were smooth sailing. It's like he had been around for years instead of months. It wasn't until just before graduation that I noticed the change in the dynamic.
Liam was on edge and avoiding everyone. Garrett seemed to be upset and standoffish as well.
Kendra was the one to point out the great divide, and once she did, it was like my eyes were open for the first time.
I was leaving for college in the fall. Liam was coming with me. We'd both been accepted to the same university, and I was excited to have Liam by my side for my next journey in life.
Garrett wasn't. Excited or going with me.
They had
never become the best of friends. Sure, they could hang out in a group setting, but you'd never catch them alone together. Kevin and Garrett would play video games together. Aaron and Garrett would go to the comic book store together. But never once did Liam and Garrett ever do anything outside the group.
Jealousy was rearing its ugly head, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Maybe that's why I tried to keep my relationship with Garrett going for so long that first year. But it was just too hard. There was too much distance between us, and he was always worried I was hanging out with Liam. Alone. As if something was going to happen between us. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact we were just friends.
He didn't trust me, and I couldn't deal with that. I didn't want to be in a relationship with someone who had so little faith in my ability to remain faithful to them. It hurt, and eventually the pain became too overwhelming.
Now I wonder if his own infidelities were a burden on his conscience. Was he the one cheating and deflecting any signs by pointing the finger in my direction? I could see him doing that.
"Cass," Liam calls, the jingle of his keys as they hit the glass dish on the table a clear sign he's home.
"In my room. I need help."
I've been trying to zip up this dress for the last fifteen minutes. I promised him I would be ready to go when he got home, and this zipper is making me a liar.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
"Are you decent?"
"Partially," I reply, pulling the door open. Liam has his hands on either side of the doorframe, and he's leaning forward. He looks exhausted. He left for work before I woke up this morning. His note said he had to help with a missing persons case and that he'd be gone all day.
I woke up twelve hours ago and haven't heard from him since. I missed him working from home today. I found myself wanting to call out to him. To ask questions. Someone to talk to. He's normally always here, and the fact he wasn't threw my entire day off. So much so I almost forgot to eat lunch.
Worth The Fight Page 3