His Sweet Revenge

Chapter 38.

(Trigger Warning for this chapter - drug use and physical assault)

"Why are you guys back so soon?" I ask Mom as Liam and I reach the bottom of the stairs.

She laughs, setting a pair of keys on the little table in the foyer. "They closed the bar because the AC wasn't working. We came straight back. Hale can't handle the heat so it's a good thing they closed. Hey, Liam."

Liam waves.

"Um, we're just gonna be on the porch for a bit."

"Okay," Mom nods. "We're just down in the kitchen."

I head out the door and Liam follows behind me. I'm not ready for this conversation. But it's time he knows the truth and leaves me alone. I've moved on. He should too.

I walk down and sit on the swing. He stands there, watching me.

"And to think all this time I was worried about Mason. Just for you to be fucking around with him. That's funny, Layla. You made it seem like he wasn't important. Like he was some weird guy you had to be around because of your mom."

"I'm not fucking around with anybody." I angrily tuck my hands underneath my thighs. "And I didn't know him back then."

Liam nods, putting his hands on his hips. "Do you love him?"

I don't know how to answer that. "I ... I don't know."

His eyes flash to mine. "You don't know?"

"Why does that even matter? Look ... can we just focus on what you came here for?"

"I came here because I thought you were with Mason to make me jealous. I came here to tell you to stop because I still fucking love you."

Dear god.

"Liam, I ..."

He puts his hand on his forehead, turning around. "Don't."

"You cheated on me."

His back is to me, and his body starts shaking slightly with laughter. "Grayson Wallace, huh?" He says, turning around, smiling. "I always knew you were fucked up, Layla. But I never imagined you'd be fucked up enough to fall for Michael Wallace's son."

I didn't know Grayson's father's name. The sound of it almost makes me flinch. It's jarring. And it sounds so familiar. I must have heard it before without realizing it or paying any attention.

"Grayson is a much better person than you think he is. Than everybody thinks he is."

Liam nods. "Oh. Oh, yeah, I'm sure he is. Or he pretends to be."

"You can go," I say, angrily, jumping up from the swing. "And don't come back. Ever. We're so done."

The look in his eyes changes, his anger present. "I bet you're real easy with him. Unlike you were with me."

"Fuck you," I spit out. "You don't know what you're talking about."

He laughs again, a humorless sound, daring to take a step closer to me. "All it takes is one mentally disturbed guy and you just throw yourself at him, huh, Layla?"

I slap him in the face. "Fuck off. You don't even know him."

Liam touches his cheek where I hit him, his expression turning serious again. "What does he have that I don't?"

That's funny. I could have asked him the same thing a hundred times.

I cross my arms. "A soul. Loyalty. A personality beyond just being good at shit. Do you want me to keep going?"