Black Secrets & White Lies [On Hold]

Chapter 5 - A Friend?

 "Dad," Liam rolled his eyes "there is nothing wrong with anyone I've brought home in the past."

"Then why didn't they come again?" His father smiled as we reached the landing.

"And besides," continued Liam "Rose is coming to do a project, nothing else."

"How do you, my dear?" The man said, holding out a hand.

"How do you do, sir?" I said, smiling at him and shaking his hand "I hope you don't mind me asking, but have we met before? You seem awfully familiar."

He looked at me, frowning and scanned my face, then his expression smoothed and he shrugged."Can't say we have, you must be thinking of someone else. It's very rare I forget a face."

"I must be mistaken then, sorry." But I couldn't shake the feeling. I knew him from somewhere. I knew him.

"It's quite all right, will you be staying for dinner?"

"Oh, I'd better not I-"

"Yes," Liam answered for me "of course she'll stay for dinner." And with that, he took me by the shoulder and steered me towards his room.

"Liam, I really shouldn't-"

"Why?" He said, "you're only on your own tonight, you may as well stay."

I sighed, not wanting to argue "what about this project?"

"We'll sort out the places we're going to do and when we're going to go and see them, just basic planning." Liam opened his bedroom door and I must admit I was curious to see what it looked like.

It was tidy. That was the first thing I noticed. You could tell it was a boy's room but...you couldn't. There weren't posters of half-naked girls on the wall and there weren't muddy trainers all over the place. There was a book case, some magazines, a desk with a laptop, wardrobes with mirrors, a radio and some CDs and, of course, a bed. Just like the rest of the house, Liam's room was a generous size. Photographs were stuck on the wall above the desk, memories. Holidays and days out, school days and nights in. My heart constricted, what I'd give for a collection of photos like that. Of memories.

I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself as I stood in the middle of the room. "Sit down," said Liam, grabbing a notebook and pen and sitting on the bed. I perched on the end of the bed, still awkward. "Honestly," said Liam "you look like you're about to jump up and run away." But he left it at that and we started work.

*****

"There," I said, finishing the last line on the page "is that all our notes?"

Liam nodded "for today anyway," he glanced at the clock "dinner isn't ready yet so...what do you want to do?"

"Are you sure it's ok if I stay?" I asked "I can go and make myself something, you know."

"Why would you bother? Just stay, Rose. I've not murdered you, have I?"

"But you might be planning to poison me with your food," I laughed.

"Darn, you found me out," he smiled "tell me about yourself. You barely talk at school, I only know where you came from and that you were home schooled before this."

"There's nothing to tell." Liar, I thought, you liar.

"So, your dad has his own business. What about your mum?" I think he instantly regretted saying this when my face fell "I'm sorry, I-"

"It's ok." I said quietly "it was a long time ago. She left because...of things. She didn't do it out of spite, she needed to go. I get that, she wasn't a bad person." There was a silence between us where neither of us said anything. I felt the need to break it so I started "what does your dad do?"