“She’s really—pleasant by the way.”
“Pleasant isn’t the word I would use for her.” I grab her hand and move to stand up. “Would you guys mind watching Matty for a moment while we talk?”
“Liam. Matty isn’t going to want to be left alone without one of us,” Holly argues. “No offense.” She smiles, but her eyes are pleading “save me.” I know she just doesn’t want to talk about anything right now.
“Matty will be okay for five minutes. Him and Jaxson are best friends and River needs more practice. Also, the little man is busy eating bread, he won’t notice we’re gone.” I point to Matty who is ripping another breadstick into a million pieces.
“Alright.” She gives in and I pull her up from her seat.
We walk outside to an empty part of the restaurant. Her eyes shift to the ground as the wind whips around her hair.
“What did she say to you?"
"Just a bunch of jealous ramblings. Wanting to know how I tamed you. Told me how you and her hooked up and then you ‘dumped’ her." She uses finger quotes. “And how I was going to be next.”
"Great. Listen, Holly." I squeeze her hand and she closes her eyes, sighing.
"You don't have to explain to me.”
"I feel like I do."
"Why? You basically told me you were a philanderer in your past. Unless you want to go back to that there's nothing to talk about.”
"I don't. Not in the slightest."
You’re all I want.
"See, then there's no problem. It's just odd running into it. I never faced it before. But Sam explained to me about Angela."
“Why do I feel like there’s something else you’re not telling me?”
She bites her lip. “There is.” She admits and looks up at me through her lashes. “I don’t know if I should bring it up or not.”
“Bring what up?”
“Liam, it was her trying to make allegations to cause trouble. We can talk about it later.”
“No, I want to know now. I’m not going to deal with hours of you being uncomfortable around me because of something she told you when we can hash this out now.”
She sighs heavily and looks away from me nervously. “She said you were a drug addict.”
The fucking bitch. I grip my hair and tug knowing this is it. River was right, nothing stays hidden, but I didn't expect it to come out from Angela.
“She actually told you that?”
“Yes, and not in the nicest of ways.” She shifts on her feet. “Is it true?”
“Yes.”
Her face falls and I can feel the judgment coming off her already. “It was to pain pills. Opioids. I got into a car accident years ago. It fucked up my back and knee. I had to take more and more to function.”
She places her hand on my arm and leans up and kisses my cheek. “Hey, it's okay. I don’t expect you to explain everything to me now. When she told me it was a shock, but I wanted to hear it from you when you were ready. If you’re still not, it's okay. Just know it doesn't change how I feel about you.”
“What are you doing tonight?” I blurt out
“Tonight?”
“Is there an echo out here? Yes, tonight. What are you doing?” I’m going to air this out with her even if it kills me.
“Hanging out with this pretty handsome guy. He's about two and half feet tall, big chocolate eyes like his daddy, and makes me watch Elmo on repeat.”
“Would you and him like company?”
“I don't know. He's pretty clingy when it comes to me.”
"Come on…" I tug on her hair and she grins.
This girl has me all wrapped up.
"Fine, but I thought you were spending time with Jaxson and River while they’re in town.”
“And I saw them, plus they’re not spending the night. We’ll hang out with them for a while longer, then head to your place. I want to tell you everything. It’s time.”
Matty has been in bed for the last twenty minutes, and I’ve been pacing the length of Holly’s couch since, trying to find the right words to start with.
I've never had to explain my past before. Everyone always just knew. I didn't care if they didn’t have the right details because as far as I was concerned, they were going to come up with their own conclusions about me anyway. Also, it saved me the embarrassment of having to admit who I was before.
“Why don't you sit down? We don't have to talk about anything. We can watch a movie instead,” Holly offers, patting the seat next to her.
“No. I need to do this. People talk and I want you to hear the truth from me. I want to do this right with you." I scoot in beside her on the couch, grabbing her hands. "You deserve to know everything."
"I do want to know everything. The good and bad. I'm listening and I'm here."
“Let me start by saying, I've been clean and sober for two and a half years now. I know it doesn’t seem that long, but it feels like a lifetime to me.”
“Are you kidding? That’s amazing.”
“Thanks, but I still struggle. Every day. Maybe a little less since you and Matty have been around, but it will always be something I have to deal with. The day at the Tilted Keg when I saw you, I was tempted to follow you in and not just to be with you, but I wanted to drink.”
“But you walked away.”
"I did and I'm not entirely sure why. I was having a hell of a couple of weeks. Had a fight with my dad
