Inferno Part 4

~44~ Paper Mache

Struggling to keep up this week, friends. I'm not sure if I'll get daily updates out or not. Thanks for understanding ❤️

Liam's POV

As I'm telling him about my day, he silently listens without interrupting once. I'm expecting judging looks or sounds out of him, but he doesn't do any of that.

When I'm done, I shrug. "She and I had such a good day. She laughed around me, man...Does she laugh around you?"

His too-controlled face gives me my answer, and I shake my head in disgust.

"I've got one twin with a stranger's heart, and one with a broken one."

He shakes his head. "Charlie's heart works, and is beating strong in her chest. Lizzie's heart isn't broken..."

"Tell me what to do," I say as I lift the bottom of my shirt up and wipe my eyes with it.

"For starters? Start telling Charlie no. It's an easy word, doesn't take much effort to say, but it's extremely powerful."

"If only it were that simple."

"It is, Liam."

"No, Mason...It's not. Remember when we had to leave her for her surgery? You weren't there! You didn't have to walk away from her screams. You didn't have make her feel like you were abandoning her....You didn't deal with any of that shit!"

"I'm sure that was pure hell," he says softly.

"It was hell....We didn't know if her body would accept the heart. The last memory I could have had with my daughter was her screaming, begging us not to leave her!"

"But it wasn't your last memory with her...."

I nod. "I promised myself then that I would never let her down again........"

"You're letting her down now, brother," he says with so much love in his voice, I can't even be mad.

"I'm letting both of them down...And Jax...." I say as I sit on the floor and lean my back against a desk.

"I need help," I cry as I hang my head and bring my knees up to my chest.

He sits down next to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. "What can I do?"

"Help me say no....." I say as I look up at him.

He nods. "Today's Friday....How about I stay over for a few days....Like a Charlie Boot Camp."

The relief I feel is overwhelming. I can't do this on my own.

"I'll see if mom will take the other two."

Mason shakes his head.

"What?"

"They need to be there."

"It's gonna be hell. Have you met my daughter?"

"Oh...My cheek sure has...."

I look at him and fight a smirk.

"I think it's important for them, especially Lizzie, to see it."

"You sure you wanna volunteer for this?"

He shrugs. "I'll do anything for those little girls...And Jax and Sav...And you and Nora. Charlie isn't doomed to forever be a monster, and if you're willing to put in the work so am I."

I groan as I nod. "The thought of spanking her man......."

"Then let's just start with telling her no."

The bell rings and Mason groans. "You can stay if you need to," he says as he stands up.

"And listen to your prattling? Sorry BFF, but imma haf'ta pass."