Chapter Twenty-Four
Sometimes Life Surprises You
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[Author's Note: yeah I changed the chapter title. The other one didn't fit, I realised after I'd finished the chapter.]
Apparently Tony couldn't afford a cleaning-bot. Good old Tony... Now I was vacuuming rooms, sweeping the hallways and making the beds. But I wasn't going to complain out loud. This was better than sleeping on the streets. I was finishing up on the last hallway, all the dust down one end, when I felt my pocket vibrate. I kept sweeping, not quite ready to read what Liam was sending me. I had a bad feeling and I was not looking forward to our meeting tonight. I sucked the remaining dust into the cleaner and put all the equipment back into the supply room. Only then did I read the message.
'I'm outside. Let me know if you need a lift.'
There was no reply button so I guessed that he meant for me to go outside to answer him. I walked outside and saw him leaning against his car, his arms folded so that his arm muscles were more obvious. He was wearing dark sunglasses but, as I approached, I could tell that he was watching me through them.
"I need a lift," I said in a soft voice. "I mean, I was going to walk but then you offered and..." I trailed off as I realised that I was almost babbling.
He didn't say a word, striding around the car and getting in the driver's side. I hopped in to the passenger seat and closed the door gently.
"You still pretty pissed off?" I asked quietly.
He let out a deep breath and pushed his sunnies up so that I received the full intensity of his moss-green eyes. There were no sparks of temper or ripples of rage in them but I couldn't be sure. It was like he'd pulled a screen over them so that I couldn't read him.
"You still gonna keep that name a secret?" he said in hard tone. Okay, so he was still a little mad. But at least I knew that Dan hadn't told him yet.
"You'll find out. Your dad is going to tell you."
He reached over and took my chin in his hand so that I was forced to look him in the eyes.
"Why can't you tell me? Why don't you WANT to tell me?" There was a slight sadness in his voice and I squirmed uncomfortably.
"You'll kill me," I whispered, so softly that the average human wouldn't be able to hear it.
He made an exasperated sound. "I'm not going to kill you, no matter what you say. Not only is it against the law but I thought I'd made it clear in the past twenty-four hours that I care for you."
My stomach dropped and I tugged my chin out of his grip so that I had relief from the passionate emotions that now flitted in his eyes. Talking about feelings made me nervous. It meant opening up and I like keeping my secrets private as they are meant to be.
"Argh! Your fear of revealing feelings is going to drive me insane," he grumbled, turning on the car's engine and slamming down on the accelerator so that the car took off, throwing me back into my seat.
"I'm not scared!" I cried out and then felt the presence of the Lie. The car was suddenly unbearably quiet. He shifted gears and pushed the car faster. I gripped the edges of my seat in fright.
"You're going way too fast. Liam." I bit my lip as he raced through an intersection, thankfully we had the green light but I still felt panicked. "Slow down, please."
His foot pushed down further and we sped forward. He swerved around the cars doing the correct kmph and barely looked each way as we passed crossroads. His dark glasses covered his eyes, my only insight to what he was thinking hidden. I grabbed onto the door handle as he skidded around a corner in order to keep myself in my seat.
