Amaranthine (Editing)

Chapter 8 - Closer

Chapter 8 - Closer

The remainder of the drive back to my house was done in silence. How could I respond to what Liam had just thrown in my face? I felt like a complete and total jerk. I was acting like a brat, and not once thinking about how hard everything has been for him.

He’s been non-corporal for four hundred years, and in the four hundred years, only two people have ever been able to see him—Amelia, and myself. This means he spent the first two hundred and fifty years, completely alone. Followed by another hundred and fifty after Amelia was gone and who knows how long she was actually in his life for.

Any normal person would have gone clinically insane after the first month, and yet he seemed, so…normal and happy every time I saw him.

By the time we made it to my house I was completely racked with guilt for being so cruel to him. He never actually did anything to deserve the way I was treating him. Sure he could be completely annoying, but at the same time, it was very entertaining—especially tonight with Jillian.

I put the car in park then turned to him, I had to say something…anything. “Liam, listen I-”

Before I could finish my sentence he cut me off with “I’ll race ya inside in.” he then winked at me and disappeared.

I sighed then solemnly got out of my car and shut the door with a soft click. Slowly I made my way to the house. I didn’t expect to find him inside, heck I didn’t blame him if he didn’t show himself for a while. But when I turned on the living room light and there he was casually lounging on the sofa.

“I beat you.” He smiled, back to his same old cocky self, as if nothing had happened.

“You cheated.” I replied quietly. I then walked over to sit at his feet. “Liam, I’m so sorry.”

He noiselessly sat up, the leather couch not making a single sound as he moved. “Don’t fret luv, I won’t be loosin’ much sleep over it.” he replied almost too joyfully.

“I don’t mean for what I said, although I am sorry for that as well, but what I meant was I’m sorry you had to be alone for that long.”

“Yeah, well you don’t have to be sorry about that, it wasn’t your fault, and I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

I shifted my weight on the couch, then shifted my eyes to the floor and back to him “But—”

Liam promptly cut me off by saying, “Drop it Rileigh, it’s in the past where it belongs. No need to dwell.”

I pursed my lips, and thought about how to respond to that. I couldn’t just drop it. I had to know his past…in order to help him I had to know. I needed answers, and I think it was about time he started answering them.

“No” I said bluntly.

“Excuse me?” he asked with a perfectly arched brow.

“No.” I repeated. “I will not drop it, I will not let it go, and I most definitely will not stop asking questions. Liam I am the only one who can see you. And who knows how long it will be until you come across—if you come across anyone else who can. Therefore you need my help and I am willing to help you at any cost. But you need to start answering some of my questions. Otherwise, you will be out of my life, you may not leave. But I could and will ignore you, it won’t be easy but I can do it.”

Liam then appeared in the centre of the living room and began pacing back and forth. Stopping only to look at me and open his mouth as if to say something but instead closed it and began pacing again.