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Chapter 3
Past…
“I m-m-miss her,” Liam whispers.
Ever since the accident, he developed a horrible stutter.
According to Dr. Young—our mother’s therapist—it’s due to the trauma of not only the accident but losing Mom.
Tilting my head, I turn to look at my brother. “Me too.”
It’s been almost a month since Mom passed away and every day feels harder than the last.
Liam sighs. “D-d-do you think s-s-she’s happy in Heaven?”
“I hope so.”
A tear rolls down his cheek. “W-w-why’d s-s-she leave us? W-w-why w-w-weren’t we g-g-good enough?”
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly, wiping his tears away with my sleeve.
He sniffles. “I w-w-want to t-t-tell Dad.”
Panic zips up my spine. “You can’t.”
His face scrunches. “W-w-why?”
“Stop being dumb. You know why.”
Mom loved us. She doesn’t deserve to be remembered by her mistakes.
However, if people found out the truth, that’s all they’d remember her for.
They’ll blame her and say mean things about her.
Plus, my family is already so sad over losing Mom and knowing what really happened that day will only make everyone’s pain worse.
Liam and I made a pact to protect her and he wasn’t allowed to break it.
“Sometimes you have to lie to protect the people you love, Liam.”
It was something I heard on TV one day, but it never really made sense to me until the accident.
Until after she was gone.
“I know. It j-j-just gets s-s-so hard s-s-sometimes.” His lower lip trembles. “And p-p-people at s-s-school…they…” He shakes his head. “Never m-m-mind.”
Liam was known for being sensitive, but there was something more happening here.
“What’s going on?”
He turns away, like he’s trying to avoid my gaze, but I don’t let him. “You can tell me anything, Liam. You know that.”
Now that Mom was gone, he was officially my bestest friend in the whole wide world.
I’d always keep his secrets.
He points to his face. “They k-k-keep c-c-calling me a m-m-monster.”
My heart folds in on itself. Not only did Liam develop a stutter from the accident, he also has a few facial scars from the glass.
It made the kidney I lost seem like a walk in the park because at least I could hide my injury.
Liam wasn’t so lucky.
I trace the large pink scar over his cheekbone, wishing I could make it disappear. “You’re not a monster.”
He was the farthest thing from one. He was kind and compassionate…and sad.
Just like Mom.
“Y-y-yes I am.” He scowls. “No one l-l-likes m-m-me.”
I’m about to remind him that his family likes him, but then he whispers, “E-e-except her.”
“Who?”
He grins. “Dylan.”
Oh, boy. I walked right into that one.
About a week ago Jace brought home some girl he met at school.
The two have been inseparable ever since.
Cole teased him about liking his new friend, but Jace claims she’s just really good at video games.
Given he beats Dylan every time they play though, I’m starting to have my doubts.
Then again, if he liked her, he’d probably let her win. I think.
I’m not really sure how it works. I think all boys are gross and have cooties.
“S-s-she’s s-s-so pretty,” Liam says. “And s-s-so s-s-smart and c-c-cool. And s-s-she doesn’t m-m-make fun of m-m-me.” His grin grows. “S-s-she’s perfect.”
I want to remind him how Mom always told us that no one is perfect, but it’s no use. He’s so far gone there’s no talking any sense into him.
I roll my eyes. “You’ve got it bad, dude.”
Worse than bad. He’s practically obsessed with her.
He doesn’t argue. “I’m g-g-go
Oh boy. If I don’t stop him now, he’ll go on and on about her until sunrise.
“Here’s an idea. How about you don’t force me to listen to you talk about Dylan for the rest of the night.”
“Whatever.” He studies my face. “W-w-why don’t w-w-we t-t-talk about how you’re s-s-still too s-s-scared to g-g-go in the c-c-car?”
Nope. Not happening.
I cup my hand over my ear as I get off the bed. “What’s that, Jace? You need help doing laundry?”
I’d rather do a lifetime of chores than talk about my newfound fear of cars.
Liam frowns. “Bianca—”
I don’t hear the rest of his statement because I run out the door.