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“I know I acted impulsively and inconsiderately. I’m genuinely sorry. I shouldn’t have kicked you out of the house, and I shouldn’t have been so horrible to you afterward. It was completely out of line. Oh, God, Liv, if you knew how much my life has sucked without you — my new roommate is a slacker, my new job—”
“Careful!” I say in jest.
“…My new job iswonderful,” she says, with all the attitude of someone who really thinks the opposite. After a moment, she takes a deep breath and continues, “I have had time to reflect, and I realize I was so incrediblywrongabout you and Alex. I can see how happy you make him, and I understand you truly care about him. I acknowledge that I didn’t handle the situation well and that I blew things out of proportion.”
She takes a deep breath and then meets Liv’s gaze with a sigh. “Liv, what I’m trying to say is that I need you back in my life. Going forward, I promise to communicate better. What do you say, Liv? Can we be friends again? Can you forgive me?”
Bella raises her arms just slightly, waiting for a hug. Liv first looks at me, as if asking for approval. After I shake my head to let her know the choice is hers, she finally jumps into Bella’s arms.
“Of course. Just don’t put me through something like that again. It broke my heart. I missed you, girl!” Liv says, her voice low and choked.
“I won’t! I’m so sorry, Liv. I missed you too!” Bella says, now full-on crying.
“Hello, Mr. Winters?” a clear and polite male voice comes from behind me. When I turn around, I see a young man in a suit, and a cameraman posted right by his side. “I’m Derek Linus, 8 O’clock News, would you mind giving us a few words?”
I audibly sigh, enough to make Derek wince. “Listen, Derek, I just risked my life and I’m tired. If you want my statement, talk to this blond girl right here. She has the exclusive. But we’re all leaving now.”
Derek quickly takes Bella’s information.
“Let’s get out of here,” I beg Liv, who looks at me with concern.
She nods and Bella joins us as we head back to the car.
I spot the guards in the distance, and the former Marine looks at me fully afraid. Without breaking eye contact, I start head over towards them.
“You were an idiot, you know it?” I spit out. Liv elbows me in the ribs, hard enough to make me groan.
“What did you want me to do, love?” I say, still focused on the security guard. “God knows what that guy would have done to you if I had waited any longer!”
The guard breaks eye contact, which means I win, and he’s defeated. Liv drags my attention then, clinging to my blazer’s collar with urgency and despair.
“Alex, you have a son!” she shouts at me, and the penny finally drops that I deserve it. “Do you want him to lose both parents?!”
We stop in front of the security guards. They’re tall, muscular men, but look at us with eyes so low and meek that for a second, I believe that I’m dealing with two little lambs.
“What happened here, gentlemen?” I address them, my tone stern and angry.
They look at each other. SWAT guy says, “Miss Winters absorbed most of our attention. People crowded around her, while Miss Montgomery…” he looks at Liv, adjusting his shades to better see her.
“She was a free spirit?” I say in mockery.
“Alex, I got distracted and wandered on my own… You know how I get when I’m photographing,” Liv pleads. “It’s not their fault!”
“Yes, it is, Liv,” I say, nervous laughter taking over my voice. “They weren’t supposed to let you wander! Gentlemen,” I turn to the two, and they look at me intently.
“I won't recommend termination, as I believe you're capable of performing better. However, I will be requesting your suspension from your security firm for the foreseeable future. Upon your return, mandatory re-training will be required and scheduled to address the shortcomings in the recent security lapse.”
“Thank you, sir,” they say as one.
“For now, go ahead and drive us to the station to give statements.”
I open the car for Liv and then enter myself. Bella squeezes in on the other side. The inside of the car is silent, it has that pleasant smell of a new car, and I’m immediately taken to a better place.
“I need to call home.” Liv nods to me while I take my phone out of my pocket, and I know that listening to the drowsy voice of my boy is all that I need right now.
Chapter Thirty-One
LIV
