Not So Loved (West Coast Campus Series Book 2)

Chapter 10

The doorbell rings and Liam hops up, sprinting to open it before I snap at him.

"Liam. What did I say?" I raise my eyebrow at him.

He sulks, stomping back over to his mess by the TV.

"Never answer the door." He mumbles, crossing his arms over his chest which he puffs out.

Men.

I swing the door open, four giant hockey players filling the narrow hallway.

Noah's the first to speak. "Just need to grab Allie and then we'll be out of your hair."

I step aside, opening the door as far as it can go so I can make room for their giant egos.

"You still play with toy trucks Maeve?" Cam asks, picking one up.

"Hey! That's mine." Liam tells him, running over in front of Cam and trying to snatch it out of his hand.

"Oh. Sorry little man."

Rhys, who's been standing off to the side, has been watching the conversation with something I can't place written all over his face.

Cam and Mike seem pretty invested in the toy trucks as they make their way over to the corner where Liam's toys are kept, sitting down on the floor while Liam gives them a tour.

They don't even ask who Liam is. They don't even blink an eye at the strange child running through my apartment without pants on.

"How'd the surgery go?" Noah crouches down beside the couch where Allie lays, still asleep. He carefully lifts up her sweats to investigate the bandage and plants a kiss on her nose when he's happy with it.

Bleh.

"Good. The doctor said she should make a really fast recovery with how healthy she is."

Noah nods, giving Kyla a rare smile.

"Thanks for looking after her." He tells us quietly, probably too scared to wake Allie.

"Anytime." Kyla smiles.

"So she'll be okay?" Mike asks, a twinge of worry in his voice. Noah gives him a firm nod.

"Are you guys walking back or do you want a ride? If you're riding, one of you is driving. I'm going to sit in the back with Allie so she can lay down."

Noah asks, slowly picking up Allie and bringing her to his chest, his arm wrapped around her one leg protectively like he's worried a rock will magically appear and hit her.

"I can drive." Cam says, picking up the blanket that Kyla brought for Allie and resting it over her.

"Yeah, I'll come. Rhys?" Mike glances our way.

Rhys clears his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'll walk back."

Mike shrugs, opening the door for Noah once he thanks me again.

Kyla goes with them, giving me two thumbs up and mouthing you got this before she shuts the door behind her.

Rhys scratches the back of his head, his eyes on the floor.

"Did you need something?"

Rhys swallows. "I wanted to talk."

I nod, looking around for a small child.

"Just let me set him up in his room so we can have some privacy."

I grab some of his plastic trucks and his bowl of macaroni that he is yet to eat and place Liam in his room, praying he'll take a nap so he's not grouchy when I try to put him to bed later.

"He looks a lot like you." Rhys blurts.

Liam looks nothing like me. I have long, straight black hair and he has curly blonde hair. I have green eyes and he has blue.

Nothing alike.

"He doesn't."

"He pouts like you." Rhys points out. That he does.

"What are you trying to ask, mhm? Just spit it out." He's being too touchy. He's avoiding something.

"It's just-he looks-he's blonde. Like how I was when we were kids. And he-he has my nose."

Rhys says quietly, lips thinned and eyes searching.

Is he seriously asking me this?

My fists ball and I can feel my anger rise even more. I search him for any lies but he's not scratching his neck so I know he's being sincere.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You think Liam is your son?" I burst, yelling in his face.

The nerve he fucking has to think I would keep something like that from him.

His eyes widen and he starts cracking his knuckles.

"I had to ask. He looks so much like the two of us."

My face scrunches, my eyes falling closed as I try to calm down.

"Liam is my brother."

He stutters, his jaw working. Even now, I want to run to him. Let everything from our childhood overcome everything else that's happened.

"Oh." He breathes.

"Yeah, oh. Get out, Rhys." I'm so tired. So ridiculously tired.

He shakes his head, eyes now meeting mine, panicked and wide like he doesn't want to leave.

"No, I'm sorry. I wanted to talk and got distracted-"

I point to the door trying to hide the shake in my hand. "Leave."

"How old is he? He must have been born after..." He trials off, ignoring my demands.

I want to rip my fucking hair out.

"He's six. Now please, please get out." I beg.

His lips part, shock swallowing his face. He must hear how desperate I am because he nods slowly, picking up his discarded hockey bag and making his way to the door.

"Can we talk soon? Please? I-I want to explain."

I nod. I want to give him a chance. "Sure."

He hesitates before closing the front door behind him and I almost start crying.

My eyes blur and my breathes come in choked and forced and I sound so broken.

"Mavey? Who was that?" Liam's hiding in the hallway, only his head peeking out.

I wave my hand in the air, dropping to a crouch so he'll feel safer to approach me.

He walks over slowly, eyeing the door where Rhys just walked out.

His little arms wrap around my neck, his legs doing the same around my waist as I stand and squeeze him back.

At this age, he gives the best hugs.

He snuggles deeper into my neck like he's trying to bury himself and his little finger play with my hair.

"Mavey? I love you." His words have a slight lisp to them but I can still hear them loud and clear.

I so badly want to be with Rhys again. Be in his arms like Liam is right now. Safe. Happy.

But I'm not going to forgive him so easily. I have Liam to think about now and I won't let just anyone in so Liam can get attached and have his heartbroken, especially when his heart is so big.

So, tomorrow, I think.

Tomorrow I will try to talk to Rhys.