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“It what?” Crossing my arms across my chest, I wait for him to respond.
His gaze flickers over his shoulder, searching the empty hallway. When he looks my way again, the frown lines marrying his brow line deepens. “Do you mind if we talk inside?” He tosses his hand towards the open doorway behind me, into my bedroom.
My lips purse, and even though I’m still slightly pissed at how he behaved earlier, I want to know the reasoning behind his anger. From what I’ve seen of Liam since coming here, he’s not someone who loses his cool quickly, not without good reason.
“Sure.” I open the door wide and motion with my hand for him to step inside.
His slow, precise footfalls are hesitant as his eyes bounce around my room, taking in the small touches I’ve added in the few days I’ve been here. My clothes, or lack thereof, lie hastily across the chair by the bay window, and my minimal toiletries and make-up rest haphazardly on the vanity, next to the wooden box and the few mementoes I’ve studied so far. Sidestepping him, I quickly fix the blanket I tossed everywhere before answering the door. “Sorry about the mess. I wasn’t exactly expecting to have anyone in here tonight.”
Or any night, for that matter.
“Have you met my twin sister?” He chuckles lightly. “Her room looks like a tornado blew through it, and that’s on a good day.”
Sure, I’ve been in Beibhinn’s room, and he’s not wrong. Her floordrobe is almost as impressive as her walk-in closet. That girl could clothe half the country and still have enough left to clothe the rest.
“So, where were we?” I let the question linger as I climb onto the bed and settle myself into the centre in a Buddha style pose.
Liam drops onto the edge of my bed, turning his torso to face me. “I guess I was apologising for being a classic arsehole earlier. Not that it makes it any better, but it wasn’t about you. Not really.”
“What was it about, then?” My words come out clipped and laced with annoyance.
“There are things you don’t know, free bird. Things that could unintentionally put you in danger. And Rohan King falls into that category. Fuck, he’s right at the top of people you need to stay away from.”
Logically, after everything that’s happened, I should trust Liam when he tells me Rohan is dangerous, but there is still that tiny part of me that’s unreasonably drawn to the darkness surrounding Rí. Besides, if anyone knows what really happened to my mam that night, it’s him. I need answers, and fuck knows, the Devereuxs aren’t very forthcoming.
Deciding I can use Liam’s hatred to my advantage, I pry, “Why?” I punctuate with a raised brow. “Give me one good reason, Liam.”
Once again, he averts his gaze to the floor, and his shoulders sag with a defeated sigh. “I can’t. Trust me, I’d lay it all out if I could, but it’s not time yet.” Then suddenly, his hurricane eyes latch on to mine. His hand reaches forward, brushing the falling strands of hair from my face. “Soon, free bird. I promise.”
Pulling back from his touch, unwilling to let myself become clouded by the way his fingertips scorch my skin, I level with him. “Give me something, Liam. Anything. I’m tired of all these secrets. Since I arrived at Killybegs, I have got more questions than answers, and that’s the opposite of what I need right now.”
His eyes close, and the tip of his tongue travels over the seam of his bottom lip. Finally, he tilts his chin towards me, and our gazes lock once more. “One question,” he mutters. “But nothing pertaining to Rohan.”
Before I can even think about what I want to ask, the question that’s been tossing around my mind since I overheard Liam and Fiadh talking this afternoon freefalls from my lips. “What did your mam mean when she said, I don’t remember the little boy who was once my best friend?”
A slow smirk slides onto Liam’s face, accompanied by a twinkle in his eyes. “You caught that, huh?”
“Amongst other things.”
“What other things?”
“Stop trying to deflect, Liam.”
His chest vibrates as he holds back his chuckle, but his eyes flash towards the door as he mutters, “I can’t answer that question either.”
“Are you shitting me?” I cut him off. “You said…”
“Relax, free bird. Just because I can’t outright tell you doesn't mean I can’t give you something to help you remember.”
Confusion laces my brow, marring my forehead with tiny shallow lines. “What do you mean?”
Suddenly, he’s on his feet and striding to the door. Peering over his shoulder, he stills me with a glance. “Do not move. I’ll be right back.”
