All In (Keep Breathing Book 2), стр. 60

of information. "No. He didn't. He just said he was in an accident and he messed up his back and knee. He had to get surgery. Which eventually led to the pain pill addiction."

"I'm shocked he didn't tell you." He leans back in his chair and brushes his hand through his white hair. For a minute he looks lost in thought and I take the brief pause to examine the older man in front of me. He looks tired and worn. Wrinkles etched in the corner of his eyes and forehead. He looks as if he has given up. "We were fighting that night. Me and him were always bumping heads and I can't even remember now what we were fighting about. I was yelling at him and wasn't paying attention. I ended up swerving into another lane of traffic and hit a tractor trailer on the passenger side. Which sent us across the highway into a ditch. He was hurt and to this day I take blame for what happened, but I never thought my son would become an addict. I’m sure no parent ever thinks it could happen to their child. I didn't even see it, till he started drinking and we found him in a pile of puke at one of our parties. Watching my son drown...it was hard. I got even harder on him. I was told tough love would work. Stand my ground and don't fall for his manipulations or calls for “attention.” In the end, it ripped us apart more. I was angry at myself for not doing more, then mad at him for trying to toss his future down the drain. Then Sara came." He lets out a deep breath, but it does nothing to relieve the tension in his shoulders.

"He told me she tried to claim a child was his.”

"She was a piece of work. I had always thought there was something off about her. I kept telling him, but he wouldn't listen. He saw this angel. The mother of his child, a savior. “She’s helping me, unlike you.” He uses finger quotes to mimic Liam. At the same time, I see all his sorrow, pain, and his failures shine in his eyes as he talks. I can’t imagine being in his shoes. “She was a good little actress. Played Liam well, but I think most of all he wanted to be a dad so he could prove to me how much better he was at it. Then the baby wasn't his and he fell apart again…" He drifts off and I cross my arms.

"But you didn't want Matty to be his either. You didn’t give me a chance."

"I was scared. I didn't know you, but it seems I misjudged you. At the time I didn't want him to get his hopes up and I didn't know if you were just after his cash or what was happening. His brother said Liam has fallen, like he did with Sara, and I couldn't see my son go through it again. The professionals say one trigger could set him off all over again. My friend, who I have known since college wants to sue him. Take my boy’s reputation down the drain."

"Would this have to do with Angela?" I pipe in, with a roll of my eyes.

"Yes."

"She's lovely," I mutter sarcastically.

"I thought she was.” The bitterness rolls off his tongue. “I didn’t think her and her father would have an ulterior motive, but Liam is an easy target. People tend to see his troubled past and jump on it. Now they were both wrong in what happened, but for her father to sue. It went too far, as far as I'm concerned, but I took it out on him before I knew everything. Like everything else, I blamed him."

"Why are you telling me all this? He's the one who needs to hear this. Liam really could use hearing all of this."

"I know. Trust me I do know, and I didn't mean to come here and spill my guts." He smiles. "I wanted to come here and apologize for what I said to you the other day and to thank you.”

"Thank me?"

"For making him happy again."

"He did that."

"No. You and your son did."

Liam's father leaves and I'm left with a weight of information on my shoulders from a totally different perspective. I'm confused and conflicted with what to do with it all. So, I do what any self-respecting girlfriend does; I march into my boyfriend’s office to interrupt his afternoon in hopes of lessening the blow of the news I need to reveal.

Mary is typing away on her computer as I charge out of the elevator doors towards his office.

"Hi, Miss Jenkins," she greets with the utmost professionalism, her glasses slipping to the edge of her nose. “Can I help you?”

"Is he with anyone?"

"No. He’s free for the next forty-five minutes."

Perfect.

"Can you hold his calls? I need to talk to him on an urgent matter."

Mary's cheeks tint pink as she picks up on the little innuendo in my words. "Sure thing."

"Thanks."

I don’t bother knocking and walk straight into his office. He’s typing away at his computer, totally lost in whatever he’s working on. His hair is a slight mess and he’s lost the tie he was wearing this morning. The man is sexy when he’s in work mode. I quickly close the door and lock it behind me. Liam, still, is unaware of my presence.

I give my hair a slight fluff and undo the top three buttons on my blouse, to show off my cleavage and the trace of my slick navy bra. I want to pull off the look of naughty employee that’s come to misbehave.

I clear my throat and his head pops up, a large scandalous grin spreading across his face.

“Hol—"

I