Trusting Liam(47)

July 17

Liam

I JOGGED UP to the girls’ door that evening and knocked, trying to mentally prepare myself for whatever awaited me, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t know what was going on with either of them, and Kennedy hadn’t answered any of my calls or responded to my texts all day. Dad said Kira had walked out midshift, but both girls had been acting strange from the moment they’d come in.

After knocking for a second time with no answer, I pulled out my phone and started looking for Kennedy’s number when the door suddenly swung open.

“Hey, what—Kira,” I muttered when I noticed the way her eyes were watching me. No matter how identical she and her sister were, it was always clear in their eyes who was who. “What’s going on today? I can’t get ahold of Kennedy and Dad said you walked out of work.”

“Am I fired?” she asked in a dead tone.

“No . . . uh, he didn’t say that. He was worried I’d done something to upset you. What’s wrong?”

“Kennedy’s in her room. I think,” she called over her shoulder as she walked away from me.

I stared at her retreating figure until she was in her room and the door was shut, unable to figure out what had just happened. I cautiously walked inside and made my way to Kennedy’s room. With a deep breath in, I opened her door and looked inside. Kennedy was lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling.

Her head rolled to the side to face me, and her lips curved up for a split second. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I responded hesitantly, and took a few steps in before leaning back against a wall. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on since Kira didn’t?”

After a few seconds passed, she blew out a heavy breath and looked back up at the ceiling. “Zane broke up with Kira. He was cheating on her for . . . I don’t know how long. Probably since we left.”

Of all the things I’d been thinking, that hadn’t been one of them. The girls were moving back to Florida—possible. Kennedy was going to suddenly go back to pushing me away for another unknown reason—too likely for my peace of mind. Someone in their family had died—once again, possible. All of those scenarios plus a few others had been running through my mind for the last five hours, but definitely not Kira losing her boyfriend. For a moment, my body sagged in relief until I realized I still didn’t know why Kennedy had been ignoring me all day.

Pushing away from the wall, I closed the distance to her bed, but didn’t get on it. Once her eyes were back on me, I asked softly, “And you?”

Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion, and she shook her head. “And me, what?”

“I haven’t heard from you all day. You haven’t answered my calls or returned my texts. I’m sorry for Kira, but right now I’m a little more worried about whatever is going on in that mind of yours.”

Kennedy’s face smoothed out, and she didn’t move or speak as she watched me for countless seconds. “I didn’t know what to say to you. Kira . . . she said some things to me this morning that left me wanting to run as far away from you as I could.”

“Kennedy, I’m not Zane. I’m not going to—”

“No,” she said, cutting me off. “No, I know you’re not him. I don’t think you’re going to be like him either. I guess Kira just reminded me of who I am. That’s the only way I can figure out how to put it.”

Folding my arms across my chest, I raised one eyebrow and studied her. “And who you are made you want to run from me . . . again? I think I proved you can’t do anything to make me want to give up on you.”

A bright smile briefly flashed across her face. “I know, Liam. That’s part of the reason why I haven’t talked to you today.” She pulled herself up into a sitting position and immediately began speaking again, this time without looking at me. “After Kira reminded me of my past this morning, I was so mad, but I knew she was right. And I knew that my initial reaction of wanting to run from you would just make what she said true. So I’ve spent practically the entire day thinking about it. I knew what I thought I had to do was just a knee-jerk reaction, and wasn’t what I actually wanted. But I knew if I talked to you, then I would go through with it—whatever it would end up being. But it wasn’t as simple as just needing time until I knew I wouldn’t push you away again. I told you that Kira reminded me of who I am; and I am—or I was—that way because of my past. And that past is such a huge part of me that it made me rethink everything I’m doing here . . . with you.”