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“Nothing is going on Liam, we are just enjoying our night, same as you.” Maybelle answered, hoping to douse Liam’s rage with cool and collected responses as she gestured to the redhead under his arm.
Liam shook his head defiantly, “No, no, no absolutely not.” Liam removed his arm from around the redhead then his beer sloshed as he abruptly handed her his drink before he closed the distance between him and Maybelle, “It’s time for you to go home, May.”
Without warning Liam sloppily grabbed Maybelle’s forearm and yanked for her to follow him.
How dare he. He left her.
He abandoned her after he promised to watch out for her and now, he was angry she was with someone who actually followed through with the promise he made?
Against every nerve in her body trying to lock up against the aggression, Maybelle tore her arm free from Liam’s hold, “Get off of me, Liam.” She demanded.
Her command obviously held no sway because Liam instantly turned back and reached for her again, but Trey was now a wall separating the siblings.
“Liam, let’s calm down and talk.” Trey tried to calm as he reached a hand out toward Liam but Liam immediately smacked it away.
“Nah, there is no way in hell that I am leaving you alone on a dark beach with my sister.”
Trey stopped, taking a step back toward Maybelle, “You know she is safe with me; I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“Nope, you’ll hook up with any girl that shows the least bit of interest, and my sister is not about to be added to that list as a high school finale or some shit like that.”
Trey scoffed, the frustration with Liam’s drunken, callous, claims evident in the way his hands fisted at his sides, “And what the hell are you doing right now, Liam?” Trey accused eyes darting to the forgotten girl still holding Liam’s beer.
Before Liam could answer the redhead shook her head and handed him his drink back, “Find me when you’re done with the family drama.” And without another word or glance she stomped off, back toward the fire leaving the three of them alone.
Liam raked a furious hand through his hair and began to pace while Trey rubbed an exasperated hand over his face. Maybelle folded her sweaty hands together, nervous from the tension. She was pretty sure that this was their first fight ever. These boys never fought over trivial things like sports, girls, or literally anything but now they fought because of her.
She really could do nothing right tonight.
In an effort to fix what she had broken, and hold to that barely lit up confidence that spurred to life in her, Maybelle stepped out from behind Trey and closer to her twin, “Liam, I understand that you are just trying to look out for me, but we are good, and I can look out for myself.”
Liam’s attention shot to her, “Take care of yourself? Please, that’s rich.” He spat.
Maybelle felt that, and it hurt.
Her limbs threatened to lock up, her tongue paralyze, and her sliver of confidence diminish completely but while she fought this inner battle for control Liam kept talking, “You think I haven’t noticed that you can’t get through one hard conversation without shutting down, Maybelle? How the hell do you plan to take care of yourself?”
The last bit of control she had regained over her limbs vanished with that, but she refused to be silent while Liam criticized her for things he didn’t get. The scalding anger broiling in her blood fueled each of her following words.
“How dare you.” She spoke with a terrifying softness.
Liam’s brows rose in surprise, but she quickly continued before he could respond.
“You left me Liam; you left me after you promised to stay by me. But I was fine no thanks to you. While you were busy sucking faces with yourhigh school finale, I had a little moment with Clayton Thomas.” By the look of horror in Liam’s azure eyes, Maybelle didn’t have to explain much more. Clayton had a reputation, “You weren’t the one there to save me from that, Liam, Trey was.” Maybelle finished.
She wouldn’t address his comments about her freezing.
He may have noticed her problem, but he would never comprehend the reason, the cause of it.He would never get the pain she felt everyday of her life because that was a decision she made all those years ago, to spare Liam the weight of the past that she carried all alone so he would never have to. A secret she kept so that her brother could be guilt-free and the child she was robbed of the chance to be. The anger in Liam’s face had melted, he stared after her with concern written in the lines between his brows.
“Did he touch you?” He asked gently.
Maybelle rolled her eyes because of course the all-perfect Liam wouldn’t hear the part where she pointed out where he screwed up but focus solely on who else there was to blame, “Yes, Liam. He tried to drag me off to some dark corner, but thanks to Trey he didn’t get very far.”
Liam retreated back a step and sent a sorrowful look to Trey who still stood with Maybelle. Liam’s mouth opened andclosed suggesting he wanted to argue something but instead dropped his shoulders.
“I know you would never hurt her. You’re nothing like that asshole Clayton but I was caught off guard with this. You never told— you never said anything about—” Liam’s words stumbled, proving the number of drinks he’d had and the overwhelming emotions the situation brought on for him.
“She’s my sister.” Liam finally said as if it could explain everything. Trey respectfully nodded in understanding; Maybelle huffed with annoyance.Liam scrubbed a hand over his face, the tension already dissipating.
