Everyone shook hands, then stood around in a moment of awkward silence.
“Breakfast will be ready in about an hour,” Patty said. “Unfortunately, we need to leave shortly after breakfast. We have a few things we need to do back at home this afternoon.”
She’d told me yesterday that they’d leave to give me time with my parents, but I wished they’d stay.
“Why don’t we go sit in the living room and chat until breakfast?” I suggested.
Liam held my hand and led the way, sitting me near the end of the couch. He sat right next to me and patted the couch for Thor to squeeze into the corner, leaving no room for anyone else to sit beside me. I squeezed his hand in a silent thank you as everyone else sat.
“You’re from Atlanta, right?” Mike said, breaking the tension. “I’d love to test the rumor that your fried chicken and southern BBQ beats ours.”
My parents enthusiastically agreed that Atlanta had great food. They were generally more excited about impressing others with fancy restaurants than the actual food, especially fried food, but it was close enough for this conversation. I tuned them out, grateful they were getting along and talking about anything other than me.
Then reality slammed back in as words I couldn’t ignore pierced through all the noise. “...neighbors two nights ago,” my mom said.
“What?” I asked, my voice thick and muffled, as if underwater.
“We went with Gloria and John to a Mediterranean restaurant and enjoyed the most delightful tasting menu.” She repeated, totally oblivious. She kept talking, but I couldn’t hear over the buzzing in my head.
“When?” I clarified, staring at my mom, ignoring Liam’s attempts to get my attention.
My mom and dad looked at each other, chagrin creeping onto their faces. “Oh, uh…that was Monday night. We were driving home when you called us.”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
Liam made an excuse for us, then half carried, half dragged me from the room when I couldn’t seem to get my legs to work. I felt our parents watching, but I didn’t care. Once we were out of sight, he picked me up and carried me the rest of the way to his bedroom. He sat us on the bed and tried to shift me next to him, but I clung to him. “You good here?” he murmured.
I nodded and held him tighter, and he rocked me, his hand rubbing my back, his lips against my hair.
“His parents were there when I told my parents.He knows.He was one of the first to know.”
“I’m sorry, Firefly.”
“How could their dinner still be so delightful? Finding out their daughter was attacked and almost raped and murdered didn’t ruin their evening?”
He growled, and I remembered that he had nothing but contempt for my parents even before this. “I’ll tell them to leave if you want me to,” he said.
They were self-involved and oblivious, but I knew they loved me, and they took good care of Tyler and me in most ways. We’d always had a beautiful house, nice clothes, nutritious food, yearly vacations…all the things you’d hope parents would do for their children, and then some. There was no reasonable explanation for kicking them out. To do so would open up a barrage of issues and questions, and I was in no way prepared for that. I’d spent most of my life purposefully avoiding it. “No. I can’t deal with that now. Please, just get through the next few days with me.”
“Okay, Firefly. Whatever you need. As long as they treat you right.”
I heard the warning loud and clear. If they didn’t treat me right, he’d make my world implode. The thought was equally terrifying and reassuring. He had my back, no matter what. “Thank you, Liam.”
We got through breakfast without too much awkwardness, and I was sad to say goodbye to Patty and Mike at the end of it. Mike gave me a quick hug—after asking for permission—and invited me to visit soon. Patty squeezed me tight and said, “You call me anytime, you hear? Whether it’s just to chat, or a shoulder to cry on, or if you need to vent about my son to someone who loves him as much as you do, you call me.”
Then we sat around the table again, and I watched my dad put his CEO face on. Clearly, they’d been politely waiting for Liam’s parents to leave, and now they weren’t holding back anymore.
“How did this happen? Who’s responsible for letting a recidivist rapist work in a library? We’ll go after them all. The library, the police, the construction company, the city. Everyone will pay for letting this happen to you.”
“No, Dad. The blame’s on me as much as anyone else. I ignored so many warning signs.”
“That doesn’t matter,” he insisted. “Everyone responsible needs to pay for this.”
“Dad! Please stop blaming anyone other than him. If you’re going to do that, you need to include me in your list!”
“And me,” Liam said, his voice gruff.
“No, don’t say that,” I pleaded. “It’s not your fault.”