“You should go,” Cora said turning away from him, so he couldn’t see the hurt on her face. This was just another reminder of why they shouldn’t be together. She knew this routine by heart. He would get a call and run away. Cora refused to feel anything. His secrets were his own to keep. They weren’t dating. It didn’t matter to her anymore. The sooner this threat was over and she could go back to her normal life the better. She headed for bed and only made it up one step before Liam called out to her.
“Come with me.” She couldn’t have heard him right. She had never been invited to go before. Was this some test?
Cora turned back to face him. “Come with you where?”
Liam looked around nervously. She had never seen him nervous before. He was always so confident and poised. “It’s better if I show you.”
Cora arched a well-manicured brow in question, but Liam remained silent. She had to decide. She wanted to say no and to hell with his secrets. Why would he tell her now when she had begged him months ago? But she really wanted to know. “Let me get my coat.” Cora walked back down the stair past him and grabbed her coat. He led her out to his car and they drove in silence for twenty minutes outside of town. They pulled out to a nondescript one-story house with a ramp leading up to the front door. She looked over at Liam who looked tense as he gripped the steering wheel with both hands staring at the house. He closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment before collecting himself and getting out of the car. Gone was the carefree Liam she had come to know. In his place was a stoic defeated-looking man she hardly recognized. “What is this place?” Cora asked as Liam got out of the car. He closed his door and walked around to her side and opened the door for her.
“You’ve always wanted to know where I go, this is it.”
“Who lives here?”
“Come on. I’ll show you.” Liam helped her out of the car and headed for the front door. As they stepped up on the porch the front door opened and an older Hispanic lady with gray hair pulled into a tight bun and a nurse’s scrubs walked out to greet them.
“Liam,” the woman said with joy. “Thank you for making it so quickly.” She stepped back so Liam could enter. Liam took Cora’s hand and pulled her inside. “Good to see you, Rosa. This is Cora St. James.”
Upon hearing her name, the older woman’s eyes widened, and she clapped excitedly. “Oh, Liam I am so glad you two are back together. June is going to be so happy.”
June? Who was June?
Liam’s grip on her hand tightened slightly and he looked uncomfortable for a moment before tugging Cora down the hallway. “Liam, who’s June?” Cora whispered.
“You’re about to meet her.” He replied cryptically.
“That’s great but who is she?” Liam didn’t answer her as he opened a door at the end of the hall and ushered Cora in. Cora walked into the room and saw a girl in her mid-twenties lying on a hospital bed. Her eyes were open watching them walk in, but she didn’t move.
“Cora meet June. June meet Cora.” Liam turned to look at Cora. “June is my younger sister,”
Chapter Eleven
The two women looked at each other in shock. June seemed to recover first from the bomb Liam just dropped on her and smiled.
“You finally told her, big bro. Though you should have warned her ahead of time and me too, you big jerk.” There was no heat to her words.
Liam left Cora’s side to come to June’s and kiss her cheek. The girl reached up and gave him a brief hug. “Sorry, June bug, I’ll remember next time.”
June scoffed and rolled her eyes. “It’s a little late for that now.”
“I didn’t know how to explain.”
“What? That you have a fucked-up sister, missing two legs that you keep hidden in your basement?” June tried to joke but her tone sounded hurt.
“You're hardly in a basement.”
“No, but you don’t tell anyone about me. It’s obvious on Cora’s face she didn’t even know I existed until this moment. What do you tell people, that you’re an only child?”
“That’s not fair June.” Liam scolded his younger sister. “I love you and I am far from ashamed. I just don’t want people’s pity. For you or for me.”
“You think I do any more than you do? I can hardly get Rosa to let me out sometimes. Afraid someone will see the handicapped Macintosh girl.” Her hands waved from side to side.
“June, knock it off. Cora is the first person I have brought here and I’m afraid we aren’t making a very good impression.”
“And whose fault is that?” Obviously, June wasn’t done ripping into her brother and didn’t care they had a guest.
Liam chose to ignore his sister and held a hand out for Cora who was still standing in the doorway. She walked woodenly to his side and he pulled out a chair for her. She was having trouble processing what was happening. Liam had a sister. Not only that but she was paralyzed.
“It’s nice to
