"I didn't lie."
She laughed coldly and shook her head. "You acted like you didn't know why she was behaving the way she was. You lied to me."
She choked back a sob as she buried her head in her hands again. "Sera please don't do this..."
"I didn't do this," she whispered. "I told you things I'd never told anyone. You son of a bitch." She wiped angrily at her face. She hated herself for crying like this in front of him, but she couldn't help it. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces.
Liam felt a fresh rush of anger as he was reminded of what that bastard had done to her. He had to clench his jaw against the sudden bloodlust that ripped through him. He swore that if he ever found Jacob, he would kill him. But now was not the time to let his temper get the best of him. Now he had to make her understand as her tears tore at his heart.
"Please don't cry Sera. I'm sorry; I never meant to hurt you."
She laughed angrily as she shoved back her chair and jumped to her feet. "Go away Liam, I don't want to see you."
"Listen to me, I made a mistake, but I didn't lie to you."
"Liam..."
He walked across the room to her. "Stay away from me!" There was a wealth of vehemence in her voice, but he ignored it as he took hold of her hands. She jerked them away. "Don't touch me!"
"Sera, I love you."
Her head shot up so forcefully that he thought she might have given herself whiplash. "Don't," she whispered. "Don't."
"I'm sorry about what I did, I made a mistake, but I do love you."
She took a hitching breath as she shook her head in denial. "How could you say something like that? How could you?"
He didn't know what else to say. He stepped forward and took her into his arms. She sobbed as she angrily pushed at him in a desperate attempt to free herself. "Stop," he whispered. "Stop."
"Get away from me!" she yelled, but he refused to release her. He needed to get through to her. He couldn't lose her, he just couldn't. "How many times have you used that line?"
He cupped her face in his hands and forced it up. Tears slid down her face as she glared at him. "I have never said that to anyone before," he said. "Never! You are the only person that I have ever loved."
She stared at him as her eyes searched his face. "How can I believe you?" she whispered tremulously.
He closed his eyes against the agony that ripped through him. "You just have to," he answered. "I'm telling you the truth."
Tears caused the makeup of her flames to trail down her cheeks in red and orange streaks. He tenderly wiped them away with his thumb as she fell limply into his embrace. He held her against his chest as he smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. He was suddenly unable to stop himself from kissing and touching her. He wanted her so badly that he burned with it.
"I love you," he said again, kissing her neck and tasting her sweetness. She buried her face in his shoulder as sobs continued to wrack through her. "Come on," he urged as he took hold of her hand.
He led her through the maze and back up the stairs to his room. He settled her in before walking down the hall to the bathroom. Music blared from upstairs as he washed the makeup off his face and tried to get his thoughts together. The water did nothing to ease the tense anxiety in him. He hung his head as self-disgust rolled through him.
With a deep sigh, he shoved away from the sink, grabbed some paper towels and wet them before making his way back down the hall to his room. He opened his door, closed, and locked it behind him. Sera was standing by the window. She had taken her cape off, her exposed skin glistened liked pearls in the moonlight as it streamed over her.
He wanted to talk to her, to try to explain, but he didn't know what to say. Instead, he moved across the room to stand behind her. Resting his hands upon her shoulders, he relished in the feel of her satiny smooth skin. She went rigid beneath his touch, but didn't move away from him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered.
Liam closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I didn't want to lose you," he answered honestly.
She turned to face him. His breath froze in his chest at the sorrow in her startling eyes. Gently he tilted her chin up and used the paper towels to wipe the makeup from her tear stained face. She kept her lashes lowered as he worked. When he was done he tossed the towels aside, and her gaze finally came up to his.
"You wouldn't have lost me."
There was so much warmth in her gaze that he knew he didn't deserve her. She was too good, too innocent and pure for the likes of him. "In the beginning I would have."
"I told you what happened to me on the second day I knew you. I trusted you then, and you said that I could, but I couldn't. If you had told me about Michelle then, you wouldn't have lost me, but now..."
