Phoenix Falling

Chapter 11

    I woke in the morning with a weight on my chest. I looked down, there was Liam's head. Perched on me. He was sleeping peacefully. His arm and leg strung across my torso. Oh my god too hot. I adjusted uncomfortably but I tried not to wake him. His eyes flew open. 

"Sorry." I whispered. He smiled and gave me a peck on the mouth. 

"I'm sorry, I just had to be with you after last night." He said, propping his head up on his hand. Last night? I looked around. Norra was curled up behind me, Peyton right beside her. 

"You snuck in my room to sleep with three women?" I asked raising an eyebrow. He nodded happily. The girls began to snicker. 

"You two want to be alone?" Peyton asked me, maybe I thought to myself. His morning wood was pushed against my thigh. I knew something else we could push it up to. But I wondered if he would let me. He shook his head. 

"Na, how about we go out for breakfast?" He asked. The girls jumped up cheerily. Heading to the closet and the bathroom. He leaned down and kissed me again. Then he reached to the night stand behind him and pulled out a familiar blue box. 

"Now, I know I didn't get to give you this in person. However, I bought it for you. I wanted you to have it. Please keep it. Wear it the next time we get dolled up." He said handing it to me. I nodded. Oh the bracelet. I opened the box. Slipping it from the box I peered at the inscription inside. 

Until we meet again

"Liam, I cannot believe you bought this for me." I said, I really wanted to ask what it cost. But that was rude right? At that moment Peyton came out of the closet. 

"What's that?" She asked nosily. Pulling her long hair up into a messy bun. I handed it to her. She peered at it, then raised her eyebrows at Liam. 

"You got a brother?" She asked him slyly. He just smiled. What was he thinking? I could see the wheels turning in his mind. He had a plan. I didn't push it. He sure seemed to be right a lot more than I was. I put the bracelet in my top drawer.

"Guess I can get you a jewelry box for your birthday." He said noting the lack thereof in my room. I shook my head. 

"Don't worry about it, that's all I have for jewelry." I told him. He pulled me into a hug. 

"Not when I am don't with you love." He said kissing me tenderly. 

"Get dressed, I'll go get Chuck. Tell you parents and let's meet out front in fifteen." He said swatting my rear and sending me off to the closet. Tim loaded mom, Harry and Heather in his SUV. The girls and I walked over to Liam's where he and Chuck were waiting for us. We jumped into the backseat after brief introductions. Liam took us to a small diner where we sat and chatted over breakfast. I sat beside him, but noticed he had put Peyton between himself and Chuck. I leaned in while the commotion of chairs still covered my voice.

"What are you up to?" I asked him. He just smiled. I watched them closely while we ate. They seemed to get along. Wouldn't that be a cute match? I loved Peyton like she was a sister and Chuck had quickly become like a brother. Oh the fun we could have on double dates. After breakfast Chuck suggested we go fishing. 

"Liam, take us to the boat man. I want to fish." He said happily. We drove out to the Marina after making a pit stop at the grocery store and the cold beer and wine store. We hadn't told Chuck about the baby yet. I wasn't sure how I would get away with me not drinking. Liam hopped down onto the boat and helped each of us girls in and then he gave Chuck a hand into the boat. The engine roared to life and so did the stereo system. I didn’t know this thing had such a wicked bass. Jeeze. We sailed across the water. The boys in the back chatting and us girls sitting on the bow. I decided to slip down to my skivies. I loved the sun on me out here. I had really started developing a tan. All my hours at the pool. I peeled off my shirt. Catching Liam watching me from behind my sunglasses as I set it on the floor. Then I slinked out of my pants. 

“What are you doing?” Norra asked me.

“Tanning.” I replied innocently. But I had an ulterior motive. I was still trying to get Liam in the sack.  I laid directly in front of him giving him the perfect view of my body from my toes to my nose. Every curve, every bump, he said he loved it so here it was for him to see.  It helped that I had been making sure I always had sexy underwear on. I was wearing black lace. It accentuated my behind and helped my breasts rise perfectly on my chest. Peyton joined me. Stripping down as well. I peered at Chuck from behind my shades. His mouth formed an Oh, and he smacked Liam on the arm when she bent over to pull her leggings off. 

“Damn.” He said, trying to be stealthy but failing. I raised myself up on my elbows and raised an eyebrow at him. His face turning beet red. He knew he was caught he simply shrugged. But truth be told, I was ok with him appreciating her. She was a great person and she was gorgeous. She deserved to be fawned over. I hoped we wouldn’t go to our fishing spot and I smiled at Liam as we soared past it to a different cove. We parked and Liam dropped anchor. The boys each cracked a beer then Liam offered a drink to the girls who each accepted. Chuck said to me,

“Want a drink kid?”  I shook my head no. 

“What you pregnant or something?” He laughed, tossing it to me. I could feel the heat rising in my face. f**k. He was going to figure it out. I held it trying to cover my tracks. Ten minutes later when Peyton had finished hers she took it and cracked it sipping from it. Chuck looked at me again. 

“Liv. you’re pregnant aren’t you?” He asked, what could I do? It’s not like this is something I could hide much longer. I’m sure he hadn’t noticed but I could swear my belly was starting to grow. It would only be a few weeks and I’d have to tell my parents. I just nodded. 

“f**k yes!” He shouted, patting Liam on the back. Crap. Now what? Do I tell him the truth? He had told me some very dark secrets during our chats in the hospital. Things I didn’t even know if he had told Liam. He hadn’t given me any reason not to trust him. Liam was cool as a cucumber. Smiling and laughing with him. Seemingly happy to be a dad. I looked at Peyton, she shook her head no. Liam gave me no hint at what I should do. My face must have given him something to question. 

“What?” He asked, looking at me intently. Dammit. Why was I in such a pickle. I’m smarter than this am I? 

“Liv?” He questioned me again. 

“It it healthy?” He asked, obviously concerned.  I nodded. 

“Are you healthy?” More concern. I nodded. He looked at me a moment and he put two and two together. 

“It’s not Liams” He said, it wasn’t a question. He had the solution. He knew the problem. I looked down at my feet. 

“Shit.” He said, 

“Sorry man.” He said looking at Liam. Sorry man? What? I mean, this had to be hard for Liam but why was Chuck sorry? Dammit. I felt so bad already and now he had literally just punched me in the guts. Liam however, brushed it off. 

“We aren’t involving Connor. I’m raising this baby as mine and were not telling my parents.” Liam said. 

“Were not?” I asked him. I had assumed the grandparents would know the truth. He shook his head.

“This secret is ours and your parent’s only Liv. That baby is mine.” He said smiling at me. I nodded agreeing. Chuck came and sat down beside Peyton. Putting a hand on my shoulder. 

“You got this kid.” He said, squeezing me lightly. I nodded, stood and went to get a water. Actually I went to sit by Liam. My seduction out the window. Now I just wanted comfort. I sat under his arm while Chuck flirted with Peyton for a few hours. Then I sat quietly while we drove back to the marina. I climbed up in the truck, quietly sat in the back. I pondered a decision I could make. If I aborted this baby. I wouldn’t have this problem. It would be gone. I didn’t think Liam would support me. I was certain actually. He was right, the baby was half mine. I would be killing a little piece of me. I would regret it. I actually regretted even thinking about it. But now the thought was there. I had to talk to someone about this and it couldn’t be Liam. I’d need to talk to Peyton. She of everyone would understand. 

******** Liam*********

“Want a drink kid?”  Chuck asked Olivia. s**t. 

“What you pregnant or something?” He laughed, tossing it to her anyway. She instantly redenned. God I loved her blushing skin but she couldn’t hide any of her feelings. I hoped I was cool. But f**k. He was going to guess. If anything Chuck could read people better than anyone I know. She kept the beer, sitting it off to the side and I was glad when Peyton reached over and grabbed it. But he looked at her intently at that moment and I could see in his face that he knew. 

“Liv. you’re pregnant aren’t you?” He asked, what could I do?

“f**k yes!” He shouted, slapping me on the back. Jesus. What in the hell do I do now? Do I play daddy? Do I tell him?  I played cool smiling and laughing with him. Olivia met my eyes asking me with them what she should do. How do I know? I have no clue. I couldn’t give her a hint. She looked so lost. 

“What?” He asked her,

“Liv?” He questioned me again. 

“Is it healthy?” He asked, obviously concerned.  she nodded. 

“Are you healthy?” More concern. She nodded. He looked at her intently for a moment and he put two and two together. 

“It’s not Liams” He said. And there it was, the secret went one person farther. Every time it punched me in the guts. I wanted to be it's father. I was going to act the part. But every person who knew took another piece of that away from me.  

“Shit.” He said, 

“Sorry man.” He said looking at me. Yea me too Chuck. I really was sorry. This was partly my fault. My soulmate was growing another man’s baby in her because I couldn’t stay with her. 

“We aren’t involving Connor. I’m raising this baby as mine and we are not telling my parents.” I said. 

“Were not?” Olivia asked me. I hadn’t told her? We can’t tell mine. Damn their too traditional. I shook my head in answer. 

“This secret is ours and your parent’s only Liv. That baby is mine.” I said smiling at her. I meant it too. I know it hurt that it wasn’t mine. But I was going to make it mine. If that’s what I had to do to have her I was going to do it. It was a part of her. I loved her so much. I would love that baby as if I had made it with her. Chuck walked over and sat between her and Peyton. 

“You got this kid.” He said, squeezing her shoulder lightly. She stood and came to sit with me. She felt so guilty I could feel it on her. We sat like that while Chuck made his move with Peyton. I knew he’d like her. But I didn’t focus much on them. The silence from Olivia was too distracting. She was quiet the entire trip home. Lost in a world of her own thoughts. What was going through her mind? Some days I really wished I could read it. I pulled into the drive the girls heading to get in their cars at Olivia’s house. I grabbed her hand. 

“You going to come spend the night?” I asked her. Hoping she would say yes. I wanted to hold her. She shook her head. 

“Liam, I love you. But I just need a night to myself.” She said, I nodded. Fair enough I could see it. I bent down and kissed her beautiful, plump lips. My hands taking her jaws and bringing them to me. f**k. I loved her. 

“Olivia, I love you.” I whispered as I pulled back from her. Her hands tightened around me. 

“God I needed to hear that tonight.” She said, kissing me quickly and turning for home. I walked her over, waiting for the door to close behind her. I had to go talk to Chuck. 

******** Olivia ********

       Three days later we were sitting in Tim's living room. My mother screaming at Tim.

"What do you mean this doesn't upset you Tim!" She screeched. 

"Well it doesn't, she's an adult. Liam is a great man. This could be way worse!" Tim said calmly back to her. He face was bright purple.

"Olivia!" She screamed turning on me. I cowered. 

"You know better! you are supposed to be responsible and smart. What the hell happened!" She screamed louder. I just shrugged. Liam tried to take the heat for me. 

"Ma'am if I may." He started, but she cut him off. 

"Oh no you may not! you come around her playing Mr. Knight in shining armour. Why so you can knock her up!" She screamed. He had convinced me that morning not to tell them who the real dad was. I don't know what changed his mind. But he had begged me to keep it to the small group who knew right now. There was no question who the father was. He hadn't made love to me in over a year. But, how could I hear her say such cruel things about him. Liam was not taking advantage of me in anyway. 

"Mom!" I tried to interrupt. She shook her finger at me. 

"Olivia, you have three years left in college. What are you going to do!" She said, this time tears in her eyes. 

"I will look after her." Liam said, trying to calm her. 

"Oooh ooooh Mr. Military man here to save the day. Big muscles don't save babies Liam. What the hell were you thinking, you're what 30? You knocked up a little girl!" She screeched. I couldn't listen anymore. 

"No he didn't!" I yelled back standing to face her. He tried to pull me back down to the couch. But I pulled free.

"You owe him an apology!" I yelled. She started to laugh. 

"It's not even his baby! I screamed. 

"He was standing up, being a man and looking after us because the father wasn't going to be in the picture!" I yelled louder. She went silent. 

"It's Connor's!" I shouted. Liam stopped me. 

"No it's not, it's ours." He said, pulling me onto the couch beside him and kissing me. 

"You better start thinking of it that way too." He said. I nodded. He was right. It was his. I was his. We were going to have a family.