CHAPTER 29
LIAM
Noah and I unpack the last box of clothes that I brought from L.A. I've decided to make Beaumont my hometown and will travel back and forth between here and Los Angeles. Harrison and Quinn will join us for Christmas. Harrison doesn’t have much family and when I told him about Beaumont, he asked if they could come.
The one thing I haven’t done is tell Sam that I’ve left. I have my penthouse until the end of March at which time I’ll have to find temporary digs. I hope Jimmy and Harrison won’t mind recording music here.
When I told Harrison about Noah, he was excited and completely on board with my new plan. He said he understood why I needed to make the change and said he’d probably do the same thing if he had just found out about Quinn.
Things with Josie are better but nonexistent and I’m okay with that. She needs time to heal from her break-up and I need time to be a dad. I have a lot of years to make up for.
We're getting a Christmas tree tomorrow. With everything unpacked and put away, the delivery couldn’t come at a better time. Katelyn and the girls are coming over to decorate – apparently this is Elle’s specialty. Who am I to deny three beautiful women the opportunity to do all the hard work?
The doorbell rings and Noah yells, “I'll get it!” from the top of the stairs. I cringe when I hear him stomping down the stairs. Both Josie and I are afraid he’s going to slip and break something, but he isn’t listening to either of us. Maybe he’ll listen when he’s in the emergency room.
I hear a crash and something shattering. I run from the kitchen through the dining room, panic setting in because I can’t hear Noah; he’s too quiet.
“Noah, are you—”
I stop dead in my tracks. She stands there with casserole spread all over her feet, her hand covering her gaping mouth, eyes watering. I set my hand on Noah’s shoulder and look at her. She’s aged, but obviously had some work done. I can’t tell if she still wears the same red lipstick she did when I was growing up, but I somehow think she hasn’t changed much.
“Noah, why don’t you go grab some gloves, a towel and a plastic bag and we’ll get that cleaned up.”
“Okay, Dad.”
Noah runs off toward the kitchen. I wait a few beats before looking her in the eyes. She’s watching Noah.
“What are you doing here?”
She looks at me, the same cold stare I grew up with. If I didn’t know better I’d think she hated me. That maybe I ruined her life.
“I was… he’s… casserole and… you’re...”
“Are you really speechless or has the vodka finally impaired your ability to function like a normal human?”
“I haven’t had a drink in five years,” she says.
“Congratulations. You should go before my son comes back. I don’t want to explain why we're talking as if we know each other.”
“Liam—”
“Don’t,” I say as I step over the mess she’s created on my porch. I shut the door quietly behind me so I can be frank with her. “You don’t get to ‘Liam’ me. You stood by and watched as he threw me out of the house. You’re supposed to protect me and you should’ve been protecting Noah. You live in the same god damn town and he looks just like me, so don’t tell me you haven’t seen him or Josie around. You should’ve told me. You were the only one who knew how to get a hold of me and you didn’t.”
“I’m sorry, I tried, but you know your father. He was adamant.”
“I don’t want excuses. I missed ten years with him. Ten!”
“Can I meet him?”
I have to look away because looking at her – mascara running down her face like a Sunset Strip street walker – isn’t doing much good for me. I hate seeing her like this and, sadly, it’s my most vivid memory of her.
“Why should I let you?”
“You shouldn’t. I’m not a good person, Liam. I know that. I try, though, all the time to do something good for someone. I’m trying to be independent and not so—“
“Robotic?”
“Is that how you saw me?”
“Yeah it is,” I say moving toward the door. “You can meet him, but Sterling can’t. I don’t want him anywhere near my son.”
She nods and follows me into the house. Noah is sitting on the steps with the supplies in his hands. “What are you doing sitting there?” I ask him.
“You were having a private conversation. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“He’s so polite.” I nod because he is. Josie has raised him well.
“The bathroom is down the hall, Noah and I will clean up this mess.”
Bianca Westbury walks down the hall in a home that I own. I swear I never thought I’d see this day in my lifetime. We clean up the mess and Noah hoses down the porch. I’m afraid the steps will ice over tonight, so we’ll have to watch that in the morning.
“Who’s the lady?’ he asks. I want to say a stranger, but she’s here and asking for an opportunity that I’m certain Josie wouldn’t want her to have. I suppose if she wants to see Noah, she can come over here and do it.
I look over my shoulder to see Bianca standing there wringing her hands. She’s cleaned up the best she can, but she’s nervous. I’ve never seen her so unsure of herself. I motion for her to sit down in the living room. She takes one of the wing back chairs while Noah and I sit on the couch.
“Remember when you asked if you could meet my parents?” Noah nods. His eyes light up at the mention of my parents. I wish they didn’t, they really aren’t anything to write home about. “Noah, this is Bianca Westbury, my mom.”
Noah looks at my mom as if he’s studying her, learning everything he can about her. She pats down her hair and smiles softly at him. She clasps her hands and then straightens out her skirt again.
Noah looks back and forth between us and shrugs his shoulders. “What do I call you?”
Bianca sits forward, her hands resting on her knees. “Oh, um… I don’t know… I… Let’s see…”
“I call my nana and papa, nana and… oh that’s funny huh, Dad?”
“Dad,” Bianca whispers. She looks at me and smiles. “I think if you called me Grandma Bianca that would be okay.” She nods and her face lights up. “Yes, I think I’d like Grandma Bianca.”
“Okay, that’s cool.”
“Yes, cool,” she says. I start laughing and so does Noah. I don’t think Bianca has ever said the word ‘cool’ before in her life.
“Noah, tell me all about yourself.” With those words I’m effectively cut out of this conversation. She moves over to the couch and sits next him. I remember her like this when I was little before things started changing at my house.
I leave them in the living room to get to know each other. I take out my phone and call Josie. She needs to know about my mom coming over and meeting Noah and I’d rather tell her before Noah lets it slip.
“Hi,” Josie says on the third ring. We’ve started talking every day, but I’ve avoided telling her how I feel. I want her to come to me when she’s ready. I’m not into being someone’s rebound and if she wants me it has to be forever. Right now I’m happy having her in my life without drama.
“You wouldn’t believe who knocked on the door a half hour ago.”
“The delivery man?” She’s been giving me so much crap about the amount of deliveries, but I’ve never had my own furniture before. I may have gone a bit overboard with a few of my purchases, but I plan to own this house forever and it needs to be furnished properly.
I laugh at her. “Bianca.”
Josie only knows how I felt about my parents in high school. I haven’t told her about the ultimatum Sterling issued when I decided to leave school. I wait for Josie to say something. There’s nothing but silence on her end.
“What is it, Jojo?”
“Did she just show up?”
“She was bringing a casserole to the new people. What’s going on?” Her tone is making me curious. She’s usually bubbly when we're talking and right now she seems down.
“Nothing,” she says, clearing her throat. “So you don’t want me to bring dinner tonight?”
Even if the casserole was sitting in my kitchen, I’d still want her to bring dinner because having her in my house, knowing she’s not going home to anyone, is a great feeling. I can't wait to carry her up the stairs and lay her down in our bed and keep her there forever.
“I’m expecting you for dinner so you might want to hurry up.” She starts laughing and accuses me of using her for her mad food skills, even if she’s ordering pizza. I don’t deny it, but it’s a fine excuse to get her in the door night after night. “I’ll see you soon,” I say before hanging up.
I peek back into the living room. They're still sitting together deep in conversation. I watch them interacting and wonder how she could’ve allowed Sterling to be the way he was. She radiates with excitement when she’s talking to Noah; why couldn’t she have been like this with me?