Author’s Note

Hi!

If you are new to my works, you may want to know that I now focus mainly on historical romance stories for a couple of years now. If you enjoy works like Bridgerton, feel free to hop into the worlds of the Town and Sutherland!

All my stories (and the series they belong to) can be found on the Reading Lists on my profile. 

  ![](https://img.wattpad.com/c10fa1b5d6142aa7069a3e27e6c058fc7fe9daab/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f336e32357646464a7466357a33513d3d2d33313533343834312e313638333736363965663866613064373232343235373832383736392e706e67)

  ![](https://img.wattpad.com/d38820f48076cc347f5254fd03b2249b16ced997/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6576546c694254745537796b32513d3d2d33313533343834312e3136383337363661616563636461363933323934383431363233352e706e67)

Enjoy!

J.D. Ruiz

Chapter 1

September 2004, NYU

Chanty Strindberg was trying to keep her cool.

Liam Heaton and Zachary Astor kept throwing the same crumpled paper back and forth at each other. It would have been okay if she was not sitting between them, but she was—unfortunately.

When the paper struck her face for the fifth time, Chanty lost her temper and glared at Liam.

“Give it to Zach,” he whispered, his lips barely moving.

If you had been picking the same crumpled paper four times already, you would feel the same fury Chanty felt.

“Chanty…” Zach pleadingly whispered from her left.

She ignored them and continued answering her paper.

“Chanty…” Liam urged.

“No,” she hissed, picked up the paper and threw it forward, across another long aisle of students in the amphitheatre.

“Grouch…” Liam and Zach muttered from both sides.

“Cheating bastards…” she retorted back with ire.

 

2013

“No, I’ll be there!” Chanty Strindberg almost shouted on the phone. She was in a rush and she was expected to be in the office in five minutes. She still had to drop Willie off at her brother’s place where his wife was going to take care of her four-year old son.

If Philip, her brother, would only leave his precious home, she would not have so much trouble with this new project.

She had to be in the constant presence of Liam Heaton, the representative of the Astor Industries that just signed a merger with Strindberg Corporations to develop a new line of business. Chanty was tasked to handle the new project. It would have been Zachary Astor who should do the job with her, but the man was busy with his own life chasing women around with that stupid show he got into.

She threw her phone on the empty seat beside her and turned a curb that would lead her toward her brother’s house. Why the hell did his house had to be so far off the city?

“Mommy, you forgot my blanket,” Willie said behind her. He was strapped at the backseat.

“Honey, come on…you know mommy’s busy. You just use aunt Cass’ blanket.”

He did not answer but started to tug on his seatbelt. He was always too excited to see Cassandra. “No howling, no running around and no scatters, okay? Uncle Philip doesn’t like that,” he reminded her son as she climbed out of the car and went to his side to free him of his straps.

“But aunt Cass said I can shout, run and play with dirt,” Willie uttered innocently.

Chanty stared at her son’s brown eyes for a moment and when she was sure he was not lying, she nodded. She would not be surprised if Cassandra would tell her son something like that. That woman had always been doing something her husband didn’t like.

“Okay, give me a kiss before you go,” Chanty told her son who obliged and gave her a hug as a bonus. She let him climb out of the car and run to the front door of the house. Before he could even reach the door, it opened to reveal the pregnant Cassandra.

For weeks now, this had been their routine and most of the time, Chanty was running late. Cassandra waved at Chanty who did not bother to walk with her son. He was already wearing his backpack on. He had everything he needed.

No, he doesn’t , a tiny voice told her. He needs a father.

Chanty shook her head. No, her son didn’t need a father. Cameron was dead to her. He had left five years ago when she needed him the most. She survived and she would survive with Willie without him.

She climbed back inside her car after she waved back at Cassandra and drove to her office.

Dressed in a simple black collared blouse and white slacks, Chanty strutted in her new black pumps into the entrance of the new five-storey building Strindberg and Astor Industries had set up since the merger began.

“You have been receiving the same call since I got here,” her secretary, Dana, started narrating everything the moment she got inside the main office in the fifth floor. “He had been calling five times now and he said he’d call again in five minutes. And the meeting is just about to start. Everybody’s waiting for you and Mr. Heaton.”

That stopped her on her track. Her black-haired secretary immediately did as well. “He’s not here yet?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, his secretary came in here—”

“I don’t want his secretary. We’re already late as it is and—”

“I’m here!” The familiar voice said behind Chanty. She rolled her eyes. She had never seen Liam Heaton since that dinner for the celebration of Cassandra’s pregnancy. And that time, she did not even bother to talk to him. The last time she checked, the last normal conversation she had with him was four or five years ago before he left NYU for an apprenticeship.   

“Good,” she said as she turned around and met his eyes. He was still as handsome since she first laid eyes on him. Brown hair and eyes, square jaw, straight nose and smiling eyes. And he looked great in his blue-and-white, striped, long-sleeved, collared shirt that folded up to his elbows. But that was not the point. He was still the Liam that she knew. She did not even bother thinking about how Zachary Astor was right that moment. She bet the two of them were still glued to each other. Heck, Liam was even part of the Astor Industries now. Since the moment she learned that they would have to work side by side, Liam had missed a lot of meetings and every time, his excuse was that he was with Zach. Zach needed him in Vegas. Zach’s parents needed him to drive them to a ranch. Zach wanted him to stay around for the TV show. Really, the two of them could very well get married!

“Hi, Chanty,” Liam grinned down at her. That stupid grin reminded her too much of NYU and NYU only reminded her of Cameron.

Before she could reply to Liam, Dana interrupted once again and said, “Ms. Strindberg, what do I tell Mr. Cameron if he calls back?”

“What?!” she and Liam both shouted in unison, their eyes now bored toward Dana.

Her secretary seemed unperturbed, probably too used to seeing the same reactions. “Mr. Cameron, what do I tell him?”

“Cameron who?” Chanty asked, her heart hammering against her chest that she was almost sure her black silk blouse was moving with it.

Dana looked down at her pad and frowned, “It says here…Cameron, Cameron.”

Chanty’s face turned pale and everything went black.

Chapter 2

October 2004, NYU

“Hey, Chanty!” Zach called out her name, oblivious of the furious gazes around him.

She just turned her head without uttering a word. Liam was smirking beside Zach who was holding a piece of paper.

“Thanks for this!” Zach almost shouted, pointing at the paper.

She frowned.

“He failed,” Liam explained.

Pushing her chair back, she stood up and said, “Good. You deserve it, Astor.” And with that, Chanty walked away to leave the library.

 

2013

She was not seeing anything. All she could see was darkness, but she could figure out muffled sounds, a lot of them, speaking almost all at once. It was a good thing they seemed distant.

But they were coming closer, their words becoming clearer now. And she could feel her shoulders shaking.

“Chanty, Chanty…”

“Ms. Strindberg…Oh my God, what should we do? Should we call a doctor?”

Doctor? What was Dana talking about? Did she need a doctor?

She tried to speak but the only sound that came out of her mouth was a sigh.

“No, don’t. I think she’s coming around,” Liam’s familiar voice called out. “Chanty? Chanty, are you alright?”

She tried to nod. Well, at least she succeeded with that one.

Opening her eyes, she carefully tried to look at just one place and they were Liam’s eyes. His brown eyes were her focus right now because if she was going to look elsewhere, she might puke.

“Chanty, are you okay?”

“Yes,” she was finally able to manage.

“Water, water,” Liam ordered and within seconds, Chanty’s secretary came back and handed her a glass. Chanty just looked at it. She didn’t think she could hold anything.

Liam took it from Dana and guided it to her mouth. She took one sip, then another and another until the glass was half empty.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked again.

Chanty finally managed to straighten up in her couch where they must have taken her. “Yes, Heaton, I’m fine. Let’s start the meeting.”

“But Ms. Strindberg, Mr. Cameron—”

“Cameron, Cameron can wait for as long as he has to.” Liam’s stern voice stopped Dana’s announcement.

Chanty stood up, not wanting to hear anymore of Cameron being on the phone. She started to walk to the conference room.

“I can’t believe he did not change his name after all these years,” Liam uttered beside her.

She looked at him pointedly.

“What? It was the only thing you agreed with me and Zach back then many years ago. You hated his name. Or last name. Or maybe you don’t. Maybe you hated them being the same or together.”

Chanty couldn’t help but snort. Yeah, she hated Cameron’s name being the same as his last name or vice versa.  And now, she hated him—everything about him, she loathed. “Okay, let’s get this meeting started.”

The meeting lasted for hours and all the while, Liam was getting irritated with his phone vibrating against his pocket. He knew it was Zach asking him about his day. He knew his friend was itching to know about how things were going on with Chanty. But he was in an important meeting that should have Zach’s presence by the way.

During the course of the meeting where they tackled about the project’s budget proposal, Liam couldn’t help but stare at Chanty. She had changed a lot since he met her years ago. Well, she was still a beauty, but there was something about her that looked different. She was still strong, that was for sure. He saw that in her eyes. But she had vulnerability visibly painted over her and he had a wild guess of the cause.

He had been trying to tell her years ago that Cameron was a douche. But he was not able to do that the right way. He could not always get through to her in the past whether he tried to or not. They just didn’t match that well, he thought. But he missed those moments when she was always frowning at him and Zach, and how she fumed whenever he and Zach did something.

When he left NYU, he never heard from Chanty Strindberg again. They were not let-us-see-each-other-again-soon type of friends. They were like let’s-not-try-to-cross-paths-again type of friends—if you could call that friendship despite his hidden desire to get something more. A year later after he left he found out that she already had a son and that Cameron ran off, that stupid bastard.

Liam was the last man to respect a guy who would run off. He experienced that first-hand when he was a kid. He still remembered his mother’s silent cries every night for months. They only stopped when she met his step father, the man who taught him what a real man was supposed to be. Liam considered David Heaton his real dad the moment the man changed his name and accepted him as his son. Long gone was the guy who left him and his mother.

As he looked at Chanty he did not see his mother, but he could imagine her nightly tears in bed alone.

Not that he would have really done something if he and Chanty were close but…okay, yes, he would have killed the bastard Cameron, Cameron. He would have wrung his neck until he was dead. Chanty deserved someone better and he had always known that. He was one witness of how she stayed committed and loyal to her relationship years ago. She had wasted her years in NYU loving the wrong guy.

But he guessed things happened because they had to. Chanty was a strong person until now. Her weakest link was the guy with the same name and last name, Cameron, Cameron.

And Liam didn’t think she feared Cameron’s presence. He thought he knew what made her block out earlier. He was almost sure of her fear.

The meeting was over before lunch and when it was, Chanty did not leave the conference room. She waited until everyone else was gone. At least everyone else, apart from her and Liam, was gone.

“What are you still doing here?” she asked, pretending to organize her folders, her eyes fixed on the papers.

“I just want to know how you’re doing.”

She froze and looked at him, “You? You want to know how I’m doing?” she pointed at her chest. “I’m fine. How about you?” she tried really hard not to look ashen.

“I’m good, actually,” he smiled after a few moments of silence. He was casually leaning against the swivel chair as he looked at her. “And since you are fine, I want to meet everyone.”

“Who?” she asked, her gaze back on the papers.

“Everyone we’ll be working with,” he answered.

Hell, she almost forgot he should be introduced to the staff. “Okay,” she nodded and went to the door. When she got out, she shouted, “Guys! Line up! I’m going to introduce you to someone!”

Liam had stood up, walked beside her and was now looking at her with amusement.

“What? They don’t usually follow my orders unless I shout,” she murmured under her breath.

She heard him chuckle.

“This is Dana, my secretary,” she began when her black-haired secretary came forward with the phone in her hand. She held up her hand to silence the beautiful lady. She didn’t want to hear any names like Cameron, Cameron until she had her lunch.

“Hello, Dana. This is Courtney, my secretary. I’m afraid she’s the only one I have,” he waved his hand to the left where the big blonde lady stood a good three two meters away. Chanty almost gaped. Was she standing there the whole time? Why didn’t she see her?

“Hello, Ms. Strindberg,” Courtney smiled and held out her hand. “I hope to be working closely with you and Dana.”

“You will, don’t worry,” Chanty smiled at the warm lady.

A loud cough caught everyone’s attention and Chanty rolled her eyes. “Yes, Pete, I believe you want to introduce yourself?”

A bald guy of about thirty and almost the same height as Liam’s six foot came forward with a smile. “Hi, Mr. Heaton…” he held out his hand but Chanty caught it before it made contact with Liam’s.

“His name is Pete and he is gay. He will not let go of your hand unless you kiss it. Are you willing to kiss it?” Chanty asked with a smile on her lips.

Liam looked lost for a moment. He looked at Pete and then at Chanty. “Are you serious?”

“Of course she’s just joking—”

“No, I’m serious,” Chanty cut off Pete’s disapproval.

Liam seemed to have struggled for a while before he finally stepped back and said, “I think a handshake is not in order, Pete, but I’m glad to meet you.”

A loud laughter erupted from everyone else around them. “Shame,” Pete muttered when Chanty finally let go of his hand.

“Pete’s the Design manager. Don’t worry, he’ll be working closely with me,” Chanty explained. “This is Kara, Pete’s secretary” she pointed at the red-haired lady wearing glasses standing beside Pete. Kara was actually the smallest in the group, but she was not someone you could trifle with unless you want a big slap on your face from Pete. The man loved his secretary like a sister.

“I will not shake your hand, Mr. Heaton. Pete will be sour for the rest of the day if I will,” Kara joked and turned around to go back to work.

“This is Rodge, Business Manager of Internal Affairs.” A tall blond guy stepped forward to shake Liam’s hand.

“Don’t worry, I’m straight. Wife and two kids,” the man said laughingly.

Liam burst out laughing, shaking the man’s hand.

“And…this is Kyle, our architect,” Chanty said, pointing at the handsome, black-haired guy standing just a few feet away from her.

Kyle stepped forward and shook Liam’s hand with a smile. “No wife, no kids. Dated Chanty but…”

“Hey!” Chanty playfully punched him on the arm.

“Hey, that was a year ago. Come on!” Kyle stepped back and smiled. He looked at Liam’s grim face and his face straightened. “We’re good friends, though.”

“Back to work, Kyle,” she pushed him away and turned to Liam. She was almost sure he did not look really good. “What’s wrong?”

“You dated your architect a year ago?”

Chanty nodded. “Yes. Any problem with that?”

“Will that not cause any conflict–”

“No, of course not,” she snorted. “Kyle and I are good friends. He’s a great architect. Plus, he will be working closely with you and not me on the site.”

Liam just nodded, the frown still pasted on his face.

“Ms. Strindberg, I really need to tell you something…” Dana burst in again.

“What?” she asked, her fear coming back. She braced herself for the mention of that name again. It seemed she wouldn’t enjoy her lunch after all.

“It’s Mr. Cameron. He’s actually—”

“Chanty!” a big voice shouted behind her and she swirled around. “Oh my God, thank goodness! I need to tell you something!” It was Angelica, her best friend.

“Ange?” she uttered in disbelief. “I thought you’re on your honeymoon?” Her friend was all so tan and was wearing a tube floral dress that flowed as she walked. Add her long, red hair and she looked like she was Ariel, the little mermaid, taking a stroll beside the sea in her new legs.

“I’ll explain later. Cass and Willie actually came with me. They’re at the café across the street. I was just about to get you when—Liam?” Her friend’s words were cut short when her eyes travelled to Liam who was standing behind Chanty. Her red-haired friend gaped. “What are you—”

“Ange, you know Liam is going to work with me, right?” Chanty answered her question before it even came out.

“Ah, yes, I forgot…” Angelica chuckled and then her face turned back to the panicky one it was before when she came in with her glamorous outfit which must have gotten a big fuss from her husband, Henry. “Do you know who I bumped into when I was in the entrance of the building? Well, actually, I did not bump into him because he was already heading toward the elevators and—”

“Ms. Strindberg, I really need to tell you something…” Dana whispered beside her ear.

“What is it Dana?” she was about to ask Angelica to pause her story for a while but her friend seemed unstoppable now.

“Mr. Cameron is here,” Dana uttered.

“Cameron! I saw him!” Angelica exclaimed the same time Dana uttered the announcement.

That must be the worst two simultaneous statements she had ever heard in her life.

Chapter 3

November 2004, NYU

Chanty was just leaving the library at the last hour. The parking lot was almost empty when she walked to her car. She heard footsteps behind her.

She walked faster, clutching her books closer to her chest.

The footsteps behind her got louder, nearer…

She almost ran to her car and entered it in a rush. Slowly, she looked out. No one was there. It must have been her imagination.

With a sigh of relief, she started her car, the headlights turning on.

And she screamed.

Two zombies were walking closer toward her car.

She screamed louder and she noticed that the zombies’ shoulders were shaking. Then she heard laughter. Her mouth remained open as the two took off their masks.

“I’ll kill you both!” she screamed with fury but Zach and Liam were already bent to their waists with laughter.

2013

“Chanty, did you hear me?” Angelica asked for the nth time.

Chanty could hear her, but her mind was so full of many other things. She was not sure how she should react. She felt like fainting again, but she had to compose herself. Cameron was here. What did he want?

“I don’t…I don’t know what to do,” she looked at Angelica with despair.

“I’ll deal with him,” Liam said stonily.

“No,” she shook her head. Why the hell would he do that?

“I can deal with him,” Angelica said, straightening her back, her eyebrow arching.

If Angelica was going to deal with Cameron, Chanty should call the lady’s husband because Angelica could really raise hell.

“No, no,” she finally shook her head. “I’ll deal with him…” Everyone looked at her with doubt, including Liam. She didn’t even believe herself when she said that.

Everyone else in the office seemed oblivious of what was happening. Dana was looking skeptical.

“Miss Strindberg…” her secretary started but Angelica threw her a look.

“Shut up for a moment!” her friend hissed at Dana while looking at Chanty. Her friend regarded her with caution. “Are you sure you’re up for this? I can really deal with him,” she was nodding her head when she said it.

“Yes,” Chanty finally said, her mind made up. Whatever Cameron came here for, she was not going to make him have the impression that she was still affected by what he did years ago. She had moved on pretty well. There was only one thing that she was really afraid of.

Her mind finally worked. Something must have kicked it to a full throttle. “Ange, call Cassy. Tell her to take Willie home now.”

Her friend looked at her for a moment and finally gasped in realization. “Oh my gosh! Yes, of course I’ll call her.” Angelica was fast to take her phone and she started to dial.

Chanty looked past the bewildered Liam and looked at Dana who seemed to still be affected by Angelica’s outburst earlier. “Tell Mr. Cameron I’ll wait for him in my office.”

Dana nodded and walked off. Chanty took a deep breath. In just a matter of minutes, she would be facing Willie’s father.

Liam was looking at Chanty. He knew she was trying to be strong, but he was sure she was afraid of something.

“I’ll go with you,” he said without thinking.

She frowned. “What?”

“I’ll be inside the office. I’ll be the arbiter,” he grinned. “I’d like to see that guy after all. See what he became.”

She looked at him for a moment and shook her head. “No,” she uttered and walked off to her office.

Liam moved fast and was inside even before she walked through the door.

“Liam, please. I don’t need your old antics right now. I really need to be alone.”

“Who said you have to be alone with that bastard?” he answered with a straight face. He was angry and he knew why. Cameron was coming, the man who left her years ago.

Chanty looked at him for a long moment and when she saw that he had no plans of changing location, sighed and walked to her desk. “Fine, but you have to be quiet. Never utter a word.”

He was actually surprised she said yes. Lord, she must be very confused right now.

Chanty was somehow glad Liam was staying. This way, she might have a chance of keeping Cameron’s plans at bay. With someone listening, he would never utter a word about Willie.

Liam was watching her as she slowly sat on her chair. “What?” she snapped.

He made a motion of zipping his mouth and shook his head.

Chanty closed her eyes and prayed that everything would go well. She could see Angelica through her office’s large glass window, pacing around as she talked on her phone. The window served its purpose really well even until now. She could see everyone working in their cubicles. And she could see Cameron’s familiar face coming closer to her door.

She was starting to panic. He was really here and he still looked the same. His black, neatly brushed hair, his crooked nose, thick eyebrows and divided chin were still the same. But he was no longer the man she had been dreaming of years ago. Now, his face reminded him of the difficult years she had when he left.

Liam was right to call him a bastard.

Dana was walking ahead of Cameron. They disappeared from Chanty’s view for a moment as they came in front of the closed door. Slowly, it opened and Dana came in with a smile. It was the first time Chanty had the urge to slap her secretary for smiling.

“Mr. Cameron is here.”

Chanty just nodded and Dana stepped aside to reveal Cameron. Chanty stood up, her feet shaky.

“Chanty,” Cameron smiled and walked toward her. His cologne never changed and a lot of memories came rushing back to Chanty as the familiar scent invaded the room.

Despite that, she tried very hard to smile as she extended her hand to receive his. Years ago, they would kiss when they meet. Now, everything had to be formal. He was not part of her life anymore. He was a complete stranger. “Cameron,” she uttered as he shook her hand. “Please sit down. I assume you remember Mr. Heaton?” she asked casually, thankful that her voice was sounding normal.

Cameron turned around and saw Liam at the corner of the room, seated on the couch with a magazine in hand. He made a move to go to Liam but the man shook his head.

“No, that’s fine. I don’t have to shake your hand. Please, go on with your business.” Liam crossed his leg over the other and stared back down at the magazine he was reading.

Cameron faced Chanty once again, his face irritated. She smiled inwardly. Liam was being a big help after all. “I was hoping we’d be alone,” he uttered under his breath only for her to hear.

“Oh,” she waved her hand. “Liam’s okay to stay here. We’re partners.”

A question was pasted on Cameron’s face but he did not ask it. He sighed and sat down. “I know you’re shocked to see me here this sudden—”

“Well, I was surprised for a moment but it’s not a problem,” she cut him off. “So, what business do you have?”

“I want to see my son.”

And it was just like that. Out of nowhere, he just uttered the very words she was hoping he would never say. From the corner of her eye, she saw Liam close the magazine.

“Who?” she asked absently.

“I want to see my son,” Cameron repeated, his face unreadable.

Anger flared inside her. “How dare you call Willie your son,” she said under her breath, each word bit out with rage.

“Chanty,” Cameron moved to the edge of his seat to get closer. “I know what I did was wrong, but it’s what? Four years ago? Come on—”

“Five years,” she corrected with ire. “And I remember very well who had been around me all those years. You are not one of them. So you have no right to ask about seeing my son. If it’s guilt you’re feeling, don’t worry. You really have no obligation over him and you have no role to play. Now, if you don’t have any more business—”

“I am his father and I have the right to meet him.”

“What made you think you are his father?” Chanty asked, her eyebrow arching.

“True,” Liam said from the corner of the room.

Cameron snapped his head with irritation. “Look, Heaton, you don’t have anything to do with this conversation.”

Liam was about to say something when Chanty immediately said, “Of course, he has everything to do with this conversation.”

That seemed to puzzle both Liam and Cameron. They looked at her, Liam with one eyebrow raised and Cameron with, well, shock.

“We are talking about our son and he has nothing whatsoever to do with this conversation,” Cameron’s voice was getting louder now.

 “Who told you you’re Willie’s father?” Chanty asked, looking at Cameron, her mind reeling with disbelief. What the hell was she doing?

“What the hell are you talking about, Chanty?” Yeah, what the hell was she even talking about?

 “Willie’s not your son, Cameron. He never was.” Chanty finally uttered in desperation. She looked at Liam and added, “I should have told the two of you a long time ago.”

Cameron shot to his feet. Gone was the composed man in suit and tie. “What game is this, Chanty?”

“What? Don’t tell me you don’t understand?” Chanty asked, feigning disbelief. God, she was getting good at this. This was Angelica’s fault! Her friend taught her too much!

“Chanty, what do you mean–” Liam started to ask but she cut him off by raising a hand.

“It was during that night five years ago. Don’t you remember? The cabin? The Christmas holiday?” she asked him and when his face lit up with the memory, his face became pale.

“You cheated on me?!” Cameron shouted, throwing her a disgusting look.

“It was a long time ago, Cameron,” she uttered nonchalantly. Deep inside, she was in a panic. Oh my God, what the hell did she do? “So, yes, Cameron, Willie is not your son. He’s Liam’s.”

“You, bitch!” Cameron shouted once again, but Liam was fast to grab his arm with murder in his eyes.

“Get the hell out of here, Cameron.” It was the first time Chanty heard him use that tone and she wished he would never use that on her.

Cameron shot her another look, pulling his arm away from Liam’s grasp. “I don’t want to hear anything more of this. The next time we meet, Chanty, you better have my son with you,” Cameron turned on his heels and started for the door.

Shit. What should she do? She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her strength.

 “You’re really not Willie’s father, Cameron!” she called out.

He turned around to face her and Liam, his face full of disbelief. “And he is?! Come on, Chanty. We both know you hated him years ago. How do I know this is just something you cooked up?”

“And what made you think she loved you back then?” Liam challenged, turning to face him. “Willie’s my son. You’re not his father. So don’t ever come back again.”

“I will come back. There are tests to be done,” Cameron uttered. He faced Chanty and added, “And if I can prove that Willie is mine, your lies will be heard by the court.”

With that, he walked off in his shiny shoes and ironed suit.

It was too late for Chanty to realize that the people outside her door were looking at them, frozen on their feet. When they saw her, they immediately bent their heads down and walked around like they were freaking busy.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me, Chanty?” Liam asked, his face now serious than ever as he turned to face her.

Chapter 4

December 2004, NYU

Chanty almost jumped off the bench she was sitting on when Liam hopped out of nowhere and sat down beside her.

“Waiting for your loser boyfriend?”

“Cameron’s not a loser and please get out of my sight.”

“What are you doing?” he moved his head closer to take a look at what she was writing. “Is it a diary?” he asked with a laugh.

“No,” she lied.

“Anything about me?”

“Not a line,” she snapped, closed her diary, stood up and walked away, hearing his laughter behind her.

2013

Chanty walked around her table and to the door. Angelica’s mouth was hanging open in shock. Her friend was the only person left standing there outside her door.

“Not now, Ange,” she said before slamming the door. She whirled around and faced Liam. “Liam, let me explain–”

“I want to see my son now, Chanty.”

“No!” she cried out. “I mean, no, you can’t because–”

“Why? You think I am not worth it?” he asked, his expression hurt. “God, Chanty! What the hell got into you? You could have just told me years ago!”

Okay, so Liam was now pacing around her office and she couldn’t tell him she just told a freaking lie because he was not giving her the chance to finish a sentence.

“I can’t believe this…” he uttered as he walked back to the seat he vacated and sat down. Okay, this was probably the right timing. But before she could say the truth, something occurred to her and she hesitated.

She couldn’t let Cameron have Willie. If Liam would know that Willie’s not his son, he might not cooperate with her lie. Cameron was a lawyer. And he was freaking talking about tests! And if he found out she lied, it would be a bad case against her in court. Maybe, just maybe, if she could prove that Willie was Liam’s son, Cameron would be gone–forever.

But she couldn’t lie to Willie. What would she tell her son?

“You need to make this right, Chanty,” Liam uttered.

Before she could answer, Angelica’s voice spoke behind them, “You two have a lot of explaining to do.” Of course, she should know that her friend would never wait for the right moment.

“I’ll leave this one to you,” Liam still seemed to be in a daze as he said that and walked out without another word.

“Well?” Angelica was looking at her with a smile.

Chanty was still trying to formulate a statement in her mind about the lie but Angelica was already jumping with excitement.

“You wicked girl! Why didn’t you tell me?! Why the hell did you keep it a secret all this time?!” Angelica cried out and Chanty was lost for words.

Her friend did not even wait for her to answer because she was already attacking her phone saying, “We should do something about this, Chanty. This can get messy. Cameron is crazy to do that and…”

Chanty was no longer listening. Chanty was not sure how everything happened. She was in her own confused world, just watching Angelica start to talk on the phone in her rapid voice. Liam was nowhere in sight. She was also aware that Pete was gaping at here about fifteen meters away with Kara beside him. It was only when Angelica placed her phone back in her bag and pulled her out of her office that she became aware that everyone heard the commotion earlier. She was not just sure how much everyone heard.

She was thinking about Pete’s appalled look as she let Angelica drag her out of the office, down the main floor of the building and out in the streets.

“You should have really told us!” Angelica was muttering. She was not too happy now. Actually, Chanty was thinking her friend had finally realized she should be angry.

But that thought just came by. Chanty was busy thinking about what to do next. She tried to weigh everything. If she continued on with the lie, what should she tell Willie? What would Cameron do? Would he go for a DNA test? Was that what he was talking about?

If she went on with the lie and Cameron would still opt to have that DNA test, she had to make a plan.

The bright light bulb inside her head suddenly lit up.

Cameron was a well-respected man and he wouldn’t want his name be smeared. If he was going to prove that Willie was his and if he would try to take Willie away from her, she would tell everyone that he left her years ago. He wouldn’t like that.

But she couldn’t lie to Willie. Her son was not old enough to understand. And she couldn’t very well fool him to think that Liam was his dad.

But she hated the thought of introducing her son to his real dad more. Liam was a way better option.

“You shouldn’t have kept it from us. And oh my God, he’s been around all along! Why didn’t you tell us? What the hell was wrong with you?” Angelica was still talking nonstop.

“Where are we going?” Chanty asked when she realized they were now walking across the street.

“Henry’s going to meet us. You should tell him about what happened earlier.”

Chanty frowned. “Why?”

Angelica halted and looked at her incredulously. “Hello? Have you not yet realized that Cameron threatened you? You should definitely make a complaint. Henry’s on his way.”

Chanty was about to say something but Angelica pushed her toward the entrance of the coffee shop.

“How did it happen? Why didn’t you tell us?” Angelica asked her when they were finally seated at the corner of the shop.

“I…we…” she was not really sure how to put everything into words. Hell, she was not even sure what to put into words!

“Oh, keep it for now,” Angelica waved her hand. “You’re obviously in shock. Let’s just wait for my husband.”

It was after ten minutes and five more calls from Angelica before Henry stormed inside the coffee shop, his face firm and unreadable. He looked at his wife with irritation as he sat down beside her. “Angelica, you know I’m very busy—”

“Killing people?” Angelica asked, causing the couple sitting at the next table to look at Henry.

“What the hell’s wrong with—” Henry burst out but stopped himself, his jaw twitching. Everyone now knew that he was an NSA agent, doing special operations but at the same time, he was also a lawyer. Actually, he was the Strindbergs’ lawyer.

Chanty just looked at the couple sitting across her, her mind in a rumble of different things.

“Darling, you should really calm down. You don’t want to have a heart attack,” Angelica told her husband soothingly.

Henry ignored her and looked at Chanty. “What the hell was my dear wife,” he shot Angelica a look before he continued, “talking about when she called me to come down here and kill someone?”

Chanty finally realized why Henry was furious. Angelica always had the wildest of imagination. Sometimes, you wouldn’t know whether she was serious or not but most of the time, she was serious and she meant her words. “No one’s going to kill anyone,” Chanty told Henry dryly.

“Then what is this about?” he looked at his wife. “You dragged me out of a very important meeting.”

“Who told you to come right away? We could have waited,” Angelica looked at her husband innocently.

“You’ve been ringing me every other minute, Ange,” Henry told her.  “Now tell me what’s happening here.”

“Chanty received a threat.”

Henry’s face became alert.

“No, no, no,” Chanty said before Henry could ask any question. “I did not receive that much of a threat.”

Henry looked at his wife once again.

“She really did! It was that evil guy, Cameron. You remember I told you about him, right? Well, he came to Chanty this morning demanding to see Willie. Then Liam was there in the room and Chanty finally blurted out the truth that Liam is Willie’s son so Cameron became angry and—”

“Hey, hey, hey, hang on for a moment, darling,” Henry took his wife’s chin in his hand to make her look at him straight in the eyes. Chanty had always seen him do that thing whenever Angelica was too engrossed in her storytelling.

“What?” Angelica asked him. “Don’t you understand what I’m talking about?”

“Yes, I do but do it slowly. My brain is still trying to remember Cameron but now I remember he is Willie’s father—”

“What? Were you not listening to me? I was in the part where Chanty told Cameron that Willie is not his because Liam is the real father, which by the way is a small information my best friend decided not to tell me,” she shot Chanty a look before she looked back at her husband to finish her story. “So anyway, Cameron became angry and he started to walk out the office—they were talking inside Chanty’s office, by the way—and then, before he left, he threatened them about facing the court and some tests.”

Chanty was in shock. She was not aware that Angelica heard that much!

“Why?” Henry asked.

“I told you a freaking book story, darling, and your reaction is why?” Angelica gasped incredulously.

“Why does he want to go to court?” Henry asked again.

“He doesn’t believe Chanty. And because he desperately wants to get Willie for his own selfish reasons, probably his campaign.”

“Wait, what campaign?” Chanty and Henry asked in unison.

“Oh my God, you work with the government, darling. You should know what a campaign is!” Angelica answered her husband.

“Angelica, I don’t really have the time to play this game right now. Campaign for what?” Chanty could see that Henry was trying to be very patient with his wife. Well, he had always been that way with Angelica ever since they met.

“For senator,” Angelica answered simply.

“What?” Henry and Chanty cried out once more.

Angelica looked at them like they were from another planet. “Cameron is running for senator in the near future and he is trying to build a name for himself now. Don’t you watch the news?”

Henry ignored his wife and faced Chanty. “Do you want to file a complaint?”

“Uh—” Chanty was still processing that thought that Cameron was running for senator. Is that why he wants to suddenly become Willie’s father? So he could be a family guy?

“You can’t talk to her right now,” Angelica told Henry. “She’s still in shock.”

“How about Liam?” Henry asked. Of course, he knew the man. They had been working together since the merger happened.

Henry took a deep breath and sighed when she didn’t answer. “Okay, this matter needs to be thought over. Chanty, I suggest you take a rest and think about this. Don’t listen to whatever my wife tells you to do. If you do, you’ll end up in jail. She’ll talk to you about bombs, knives, guns and other weapons. Go home and think about this. Call Liam and talk things out. I suggest you initiate the move for a DNA test before Cameron does. This may take days or weeks but it will be worth the wait. And if Cameron still pursues his claim of being Willie’s dad, we’re going to take action.”

Chanty just nodded. There was no way she was going to take that freaking DNA test.

“Why can’t you take action now?” Angelica asked him. “Go get your sniper gun or whatever and kill the man. He’s soon to be a politician and no one’s going to realize it is you who shot him. I bet he has a lot of enemies and—” Angelica stopped when she saw her husband’s face. “Okay, Chanty, I agree with Henry. You should go home, rest and make plans with Liam. Do a freaking DNA test if you want and slam the result against Cameron’s face.” That last statement made Chanty’s face turn pale.

Henry just looked at his wife and shook his head. “I think you’re going to be the cause of my death, Ange. Anyway, for now, I need to go back to that meeting,” Henry looked at his wife. “I’ll see you tonight. Don’t do anything stupid,” he added before he kissed Angelica and walked away.

“What the hell was that? It was not even an advice. I could have said the very same thing!” Angelica muttered. “But I think he’s right. You should really go home. You don’t look so well. I’ll drive you.”

“You know, I don’t really understand why you were so distressed when you knew Cameron was coming. If he is not Willie’s dad, you shouldn’t fear.”

She wanted her friend to shut up for a moment and let her talk, but she realized she didn’t have the energy just yet.

“And I can’t imagine how Liam doesn’t know! How did it even happen? When did it happen?” Angelica continued to mutter.

Chanty was too drained to explain right now. She just hoped that Angelica would not do anything stupid, as what her husband had told her earlier.

“Oh, shoot,” she uttered when she finally realized something.

“What? What is it?” Angelica asked as Chanty buried her face in her hands.

“I need to get Willie.”

“Don’t be too dramatic. I thought something wrong happened,” Angelica rolled her eyes and stood up. “Let’s go, we’ll go to Cass’.”

Chanty groaned. They had to go to Cassandra and Philip’s house. This would be another awful idea, but she had to get her son.

It took them almost half an hour to get to Cass and Philip’s house. As a matter of fact, it was a new record. Chanty hated how her brother had to live outside the city in a place like nowhere as she would call it. And truthfully, the thirty-minute drive was the fastest one Chanty ever had. It usually took her an hour to get to her brother’s house. But then, Angelica was driving so it was a given that they had to literally speed up. Her friend had been talking about wanting to become a spy like her husband.

Of course, that was just a dream for there was no way in hell Henry would let her. Chanty was not even sure Henry knew Angelica drove this fast. If he did, Angelica would not be driving her Porsche.

Cassandra opened the door for them before they could even ring the bell.

Her brother’s wife was a blonde beauty. Despite her pregnant state, she was still smoking hot. And she was still smudged with paint. Cassandra was an artist and as an artist, she was different. Actually, she was the total opposite of Philip. But hell, Angelica was also a total opposite of Henry.

Chanty had always wondered how her two friends were able to capture the hearts of two bachelors who had been too serious their whole lives. Well, they were still deadly serious but it had been bearable since they married their wives.

Cassandra was looking at Chanty with narrowed eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She whirled at Angelica who shrugged. “What? While I was listening to your conversation earlier inside the office, I didn’t know what else to do. I was texting her everything while listening. What?” Angelica looked at her dryly. “I’m good at multi-tasking. You should ask Henry.”

Chanty just sighed deeply and shook her head. “Where’s Willie?”

“He’s with Philip up in our room,” Cassandra answered, making way for them to get inside. “Okay, let’s hear it out!” Cassandra clapped her hands together and looked at Chanty expectantly.

Chanty could strongly feel Angelica silently shaking her head beside her. Cassandra must have gotten the message and said, “Okay, don’t bother. I don’t want to hear anything anyway.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Philip is not very happy about this but don’t worry. I told him to zip his mouth.”

She wanted to melt down the floor and evaporate into the air. Chanty didn’t think of Philip hearing the news. Actually, it never crossed her mind. She didn’t expect her friends to have super hearing and texting powers.

It finally occurred to Chanty that her lie had spread wide enough. Philip now knew and it would not be long enough before their family did. With all the strength left in her, Chanty stared at her friends and said, “Girls, I need to tell you a very big secret.”

They sharply turned their heads to look at her and moved closer. Obviously, they were eager and ready to hear the big lie she cooked up.

Chapter 5

January 2005, NYU

“Happy New Year, Chanty!” Zach greeted with a booming voice.

“Why? You two dropped out?” she asked sarcastically.

“Why do you hate us so much?” Liam asked.

“Because there is no one else in the world that bothers me like the two of you!”

“Come on…” Liam puffed out.

“Yeah, I’m serious so get out of my sight and stop acting like children!”

 

2013

“Oh my God!” Angelica and Cassandra cried out at the same time. They were outside the lawn at the back of Philip and Cassandra’s house.

“This is so exciting, you know that?!” Angelica squealed.

“Wait for a second!” Cass said, stopping Angelica’s drama. “Does Liam know?”

“No,” Chanty said with a grimace.

“You should tell him,” Cass said. “I am telling you, Chanty, this lie can give you trouble. Take it from me and Philip. It will be out sooner or later and it does not always end up good.”

“But this is for Willie,” Chanty tried to explain. “I don’t want to lose him.”

Being a soon-to-be mother, she knew Cassandra would understand. Her sister-in-law, slash, friend, looked at her gently.

“But I’ll try to explain things to Liam. I’ll talk to him first thing in the morning,” she added.

“But what if he won’t help you? What if he backs out?” Angelica asked.

Chanty looked at the two ladies standing before her. “Then I guess I’ll have no choice.”

Chanty went home feeling beat. She had been through a lot in just a day. She helped Willie with his bath and made him eat his dinner. She started reading to him but she was only on the second paragraph when she heard his silent snore. Cassandra obviously exhausted him today. Now that her son was safe and in deep slumber, she got up, turned off the lights and walked out of his room.

She went back to the living room and poured herself a glass of wine. Just one glass and sleep will come, she thought.

The lie that she cooked up earlier came back to her mind.

She sighed and closed her eyes. She was sure that if Cameron could prove that Liam was not the father, he would play dirty. He would make it certain that she wouldn’t be able to see Willie again.

She wanted to throw the glass in her hand when sudden anger enveloped her senses. How dare he come back after leaving? Yes, it was true that she had that night with Liam, but they were barely conscious. Well, maybe Liam was, but she regretted it. It was just that one night. But it had been Cameron ever since. And when she told him she was pregnant, he took off like he was trying to get away from death itself. His dreams were more important to him.

Chanty knew him very well to know that he would play dirty to achieve his goal. And if it was his goal to get Willie and become a freaking senator, it would happen.

Unless I prove that Willie is not his, she said to herself in a whisper.

Part of her was shouting it was not possible.

But she had no choice. Angelica was okay with her plan because, well, she was just being Angelica. Cassandra was hesitant about it, but knowing her history, Chanty knew her sister-in-law was as crazy as Angelica.

The problem was Liam. She would have to tell him and urge him to go on with her plan.

If Cameron plays dirty, I’ll have to do it first.

Liam was not sure if he wanted to knock himself over and over again for being such a fool. Why didn’t he wonder about Chanty’s pregnancy in the past?

It was just one time. One night. And he never even thought Chanty could remember it very well. It just happened and Chanty completely forgot about it. Or so he thought because they did not dare talk about the matter. He, on the other hand, never forgot every detail of that night.

He was still in the process of grasping the truth that he had a child. A son. But why was he hurt when he found out? Hurt that Chanty never told him? Did she know about the pregnancy when he left NYU? Did she think he would back out? That he would leave her like Cameron did? But the answer was there and he knew it.

He was a fool, always had been, where Chanty was concerned. Maybe Zach was right the last time they talked about Chanty.

He was not yet over her.

He couldn’t be after all.

And again, like eight years ago, he was at a loss. Cameron, the man he hated years ago, suddenly came to the picture to get his son. But unluckily, it was not his as Chanty claimed. Now, Liam was left with the fact that he was a father of a four-year old boy and someone was threatening to take him before the child could even call him ‘daddy’. Liam couldn’t allow that to happen, could he? This was his time to finally prove to Chanty that he was worth it. He was not his father’s son and he would prove it to the world. He could never leave his son and his mother.

But Cameron was someone who would do everything to get what he wanted. He wanted Chanty years ago and he got her. He beat Liam to it. He wanted to be on top of his class and he graduated from NYU as the top. Of course, Liam and Zach didn’t. Not that they were taking the same degrees. But still, the man was unstoppable. He wanted to pursue his dreams so he left Chanty when she got pregnant, allegedly with his son, which was now known to be untrue. And now he wanted to get Willie.

Liam couldn’t allow that. Though he never met the kid, he knew Willie was Chanty’s life. She had sacrificed everything for the kid. She missed most of the fun that she could have enjoyed. Yes, she was stupid not to have told him the truth, but now that he knew, he couldn’t allow anyone to take the only person that was making her happy.

In addition, he was very much willing to be part of that. Zach had always told him he was a hopeless romantic. Well, his friend was right. He had been in love with Chanty for years and he just realized today that he never totally got over it.

But what about Cameron? The guy could cause trouble. He would agree to take tests if it meant taking the guy out of the picture. It would completely solve Chanty’s problem. And when that happened, he would get his chance to be a father.

He thought of people who could help him.  

Zach could help, but the man was too busy chasing after this woman who wouldn’t marry him.

For once, Liam felt he was in this one on his own. Zach would come around once his own problem was fixed.

Chanty forced herself to go back to work. She didn’t want to let anyone know that she was greatly affected by what happened the other day. She finally found the courage to get out of bed and wake Willie. She knew she should be bringing him to daycare but it was Philip’s idea to take care of the kid. He wanted Cassandra to get used to a kid and Chanty also had this suspicion that he wanted Cassandra to be busy.

Philip loved his wife, Chanty was aware of that. But Cassandra and Angelica were somehow alike and they tend to cause frustrations to their husbands in ways that they wanted to get away but couldn’t. Chanty couldn’t explain that since she had never experienced that one before. The last serious relationship she had was Cameron and it was not anything like that of Philip and Cassandra or Henry and Angelica.

Angelica had once told her that Liam always had a thing for her since NYU. She refused to believe that. The man, together with Zachary Astor, had always made her life in NYU a constant agony. She got used to their constant bother, but she couldn’t, not in any way, picture out Liam liking her. He was always there taunting her to furiousness. If he would have been nicer, she would have hinted.

But then, she could actually imagine herself having been with Liam those years ago. The man was very different from Cameron, but he had this charming side that she would have loved to explore. But that was the past and they never had that chance. He never made a move and she wouldn’t have had done anything to make it possible. She considered Liam and Zach as nuisance back then.

Well, she and Liam really had that one night, but they both couldn’t even remember what really happened so it was not counted. It happened, it was forgotten. But good thing it was of use for her lie yesterday.

She shook the thought away. She had to think of the right words to tell Liam once she told him the truth. He had to help her. She knew telling Liam the truth would disappoint Angelica and her wild imagination, but Chanty had never lied to anyone, not something as big as this. Yes, she did hold back some facts, like that night she cheated on Cameron with Liam, but it was not a lie. No one asked her about it. Yesterday was a lie and she would correct it to free her conscience.

Pete was the very first person to walk right up to her, his eyebrows raised, his hands on his hips.

Chanty looked at him warily. “What is it?”

“You didn’t tell us he’s yours…” he said in a very steely voice.

“Who’s mine?”

“You know who I’m talking about,” the man narrowed his eyes at her.

“Who? Liam? Come on, Pete…” she shook her head to brush the topic away.

“He’s the father of your son,” the man pointed out.

She groaned. Should she tell them?

But before she could open her mouth, Pete was already at her side, his right arm around her shoulders, “Now, tell me…how is he?” There was that wicked look on his face again.

“Are you asking me how Liam is like in bed?” she asked the obvious and Kara laughed behind her desk.

“Well?” Pete seemed not to mind that the attention of everyone was now directed to him.

“It’s…”

“Great, of course,” Liam’s voice answered behind them.

Pete jumped on his feet and turned around. “You… are one naughty bastard, Liam!” he cried out before he walked off.

Chanty looked at Liam. He looked fresh today in his white shirt and jeans. He made his look office-like by layering his outfit with a gray suit and it actually looked cool, but it was obvious by the dark circles under his eyes that he didn’t get a good sleep. She knew he was thinking about yesterday’s big reveal . And despite the jest to Pete about them being great in bed, his face was serious. God, Chanty couldn’t even think he could wear that kind of face!

“We need to talk,” she silently uttered.

“Definitely,” he said, talking her by the elbow.

“I want to do a DNA test as soon as possible,” Liam uttered the moment the door closed behind them.

Chanty whirled around, her face blank. “No, I won’t allow that. Liam, I need to tell you something–”

He didn’t let her finish. “This is the only way to get rid of Cameron,” he uttered seriously.

What the hell was wrong with her? Couldn’t she see that this was the only solution? If they could prove Willie was not Cameron’s, then the guy would back out.

Chanty had fear in her eyes as she said, “I have something very important to tell you, Liam, so please listen–”

“I want a DNA test and I want to meet my son,” he cut in once more.

Her look wavered for a moment. “Liam, you don’t understand–”

“Damn it, Chanty! He is my son! I deserve to meet him!” He didn’t mean to shout, but for some reasons, he was frustrated. Chanty was making this difficult. “You have kept him from me for four years! How do you think that makes me feel, huh? And you led everyone to believe that he was that bastard’s son! Are you nuts?”

Chanty didn’t know what to do. Liam seemed unstoppable. She was trying to tell him the truth and he was bursting with anger because she never told him the truth–which was not the truth. “What if I tell you that you’re not Willie’s father?” Chanty said the words so fast, afraid he would cut her sentence again.

For a moment, Liam froze. He stared at her with a frown. “You just blurted out the truth yesterday, Chanty. You can’t undo it. I know you. You are trying to get out of this mess on your own like you did four years ago. Well, news, news! I am not letting you off the hook this time.”

Liam was looking at her with hurt, anger and well, whatever other emotions he had inside him. God, he needs to know the truth!

“Liam,” she started in a calmer voice, trying to tell him that she was serious. “I am telling the truth. Willie’s not your son. I lied yesterday just to make Cameron back out.”

Liam placed his hands on his hips and let out a breath of disbelief as he stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe that after all these years you still can’t trust me, Chanty.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I know that the reason why you never told me about our son years ago is because you think I would jump on the very first plane out of the city and escape.”

When she realized he was not believing the truth when she finally told him, Chanty stomped her foot on the carpeted floor. “Liam! Listen to me! I am telling the truth! Willie’s not your son and he–”

“Trust me for once, Chanty,” he uttered, taking her by the arms and looking her straight in the eyes. “I know you are afraid, but we can do this together. You don’t have to be alone. We can easily get rid of Cameron and it can be done with a DNA test. And for once, accept the fact that I will not be going anywhere. Not now that I know I have a stronger reason to stay.”

Her eyes started to water. Why couldn’t Cameron have had said it years ago? Those were the words she wanted to hear from him when she told him she might be pregnant. And yet, she was hearing it from Liam Heaton, of all people!

Liam’s gaze was intense.

She started to say something but she stopped. Standing before her was a man who was willing to fight for Willie. And she wanted someone, other than her, to fight for her son. No one could take Willie away from her. The only thing that Cameron did was donate a sperm. It was her who did all the work. Willie was her life and if it meant she could keep him forever by letting Liam believe he was his father, she could do it.

But it won’t be for long , she thought. She would have to tell Liam sooner before he could make a crazy move like that DNA test. If she could just make a way to fake it and make Cameron believe he was not Willie’s father, then she could finally tell Liam the truth.

Right now, it seemed better that he believed her lie. It wouldn’t hurt, right? He would understand, right?

“Okay, you’re right,” she finally said.

Contented, Liam let go of her arms and nodded. “We’ll talk more about this later.”

As she watched Liam walk to the door, guilt was already washing over her.

Courtney, his secretary, was already waiting for him as he stepped out of Chanty’s office.

“Sir, Mr. Reynolds is already waiting for you in his office.”

He frowned. “Who?”

“Kyle Reynolds. The architect? Remember?” Courtney reminded him patiently. He was not very good with names and she was very aware of that.

“Yes, yes, I’ll be there,” he said when he finally remembered. Kyle Reynolds, Chanty’s ex-boyfriend who also happened to be her friend. He should better start practicing being ‘the man’ in Chanty’s life. This way, he could line the boundaries with the guy. Whether Chanty wanted it or not, Liam was not going to settle for just mere friendship.

Chapter 6

February 2005, NYU

“You should tell her, man.” Zach told him.

“Tell her what?” Liam acted like he didn’t know what his friend was talking about.

“That you like her, moron. She’s out there with that bastard Cameron, Cameron spending Valentine’s Day and you’re here drinking beer with me.”

“She doesn’t even want to see our faces, remember?” He shook his head. “Why the hell did you hand her that rose?”

“I didn’t intend to do anything! I wrote your name on the card. If she had just accepted it, she would have known you’re digging her.”

“I didn’t ask you to do anything, Zach. I’m handling it.”

His friend arched his brow. “Really? How?”

2013

It was already known to those who knew him that Kyle was a very handsome guy. For Liam, he was too pretty to be a guy. Blame it on his old feelings for Chanty, but this man just didn’t appeal to him. He’d rather spend the day with Pete.

“We’re a long way from the finish line and I hope we get things straight first,” Kyle said, facing him. The man was wearing a simple white shirt and rugged pants. His black hair was neatly brushed away from his serious face.

Liam raised his brows. He didn’t expect the man to initiate the talk.

“I just want you to know that Chanty and I are good friends. And I now know that you two are…” the man trailed off and let his gestures finish his sentence. “Just want to let you know that I’m cool with it and I hope that you don’t feel anything toward me that may affect our work. The relationship I have with Chanty is not like the one we had. We’re very good friends and I hope you understand that.”

Okay, he changed his mind. Kyle was a nice guy after all. Liam liked his friends honest and perceptive. The guy knew where he should stand and that was enough for him.

“Hey,” he reached out his hand and added, “I’m cool with it.”

Kyle grabbed his hand and shook it. Liam was glad he didn’t have to take his frustrations out on the man.

“So, what do you intend to do now?” Cassandra was the one to ask the question. Angelica was busy looking at her nails, probably thinking of multiple things in her brain.

They were inside her office and Chanty couldn’t get away from her friends. Angelica was not due to go back to the hospital where she worked as a doctor in a week and Cassandra had her time to herself being self-employed as what she called it.

“I don’t know yet. I guess I’ll just do what’s right,” Chanty lied to her friends.

Angelica looked at her with a frown. “And what do you think is right?”

“Wait,” Cassandra interrupted Chanty’s answer. “You told Liam the truth, right?” she asked.

Angelica glanced up from her nails. And then she and Cassandra’s eyes bulged in shock when they saw Chanty’s gaze waver away. “You didn’t tell him!” they both cried.

“Well, I tried! I did! And he wouldn’t believe me!” she gritted out in frustration. “Can you believe it? I am Chanty Strindberg and I don’t lie like the two of you.”

“Hey!” they both cried out.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” she said, brushing their protest with one hand. “Liam wouldn’t believe me. He thinks I was only saying those things because I didn’t want him to play his part as Willie’s dad. And then he gave the speech of I have a stronger reason to stay .”

“Aaw… that so sweet!” Angelica said.

“Not at all. I feel guilty already.”

“Why?” Cass asked.

“Because I told him he was right, that it was true. Willie is his son. I only told him that because I realized I might just have the chance to make Cameron go away.”

“Cameron will want tests,” Angelica challenged.

“Yes, but if we can fake the result, then my problem will be solved.”

“Hmm…that’s not really reassuring. How do you fake a result?” asked Cass.

“There is actually a way around it,” Angelica announced. “Henry said they had faked a lot of things in the past.”

“We can’t let anyone know about this lie,” Chanty rushed. “You can’t tell your husbands. If the number of people who know the truth increases, the bigger chance it will be for the lie to spread. I don’t want it to reach Cameron’s ears. So please, girls, leave your husbands out of this.”

“Fine,” they drawled.

“But how do you fake it? If we can’t ask for Henry’s help, how would you do it?” asked Angelica.

Chanty had no answer for that.

“I have an idea,” Cass uttered, her face lighting up.

That very moment, Chanty knew Cass finally realized her desperation and she decided to give her full support.

“But before I tell you about it, I just want you to know that…” Cass said as she opened her phone. “My husband is on his way and he wants to talk to you and Liam. Like now.”

Chanty groaned. Philip had been quiet yesterday about the sudden news of Willie’s alleged real dad, but it seemed that her big brother was not going to keep his mouth shut for long.

“What do you mean? She’s pregnant?” Liam asked, holding his phone in his hand. Zachary Astor was calling him again to share his problem with Julianne, the girl from that stupid contest he had got himself into. It was actually because of Liam’s challenge that Zach decided to enter the show. But lo and behold, he succeeded in making his friend believe that there was actually a woman out there for him. And it was in the person of Julianne Grey who had been giving Zach a hell of a difficult time.

If Liam could do it, he would shake the woman to her senses. She had been dragging this thing between her and Zach for a long time and Liam badly needed a friend right now and Zach could not be there if she would continue being such a hard-head.

“What? How the hell did you find out?” he asked again. “You know what? Don’t explain. I don’t need this right now. I’m doing the job you should be doing but that’s fine. I’m having problems of my own. I’ll talk to you when you get Jules—okay, okay, Julianne!” Zach hated it when somebody else called Julianne Jules. “Just call me when you get Julianne to her senses and she stops being such an ass. No, I will not apologize for that. You both deserve what’s happening with you two. Fix it like a man and help me with my problem with Chanty and our son!” He punched the red button before Zach could utter another word.

He knew his last sentence would make Zach crazy as hell. And sure enough, his friend was calling him again. He didn’t answer the phone. The man could come here himself if he wanted answers.

He had had a long day at the site with Kyle and he would have to go back home. Chanty had called that Philip was coming over and he was sure it would not be a very good meeting. Philip Strindberg was not such a good and pleasant man to talk with and now that he found out Liam was Willie’s father, Liam would surely have a hard time.

Philip was not in a very good mood and Chanty was very sure of that. She knew her brother well enough and the look on his face was shouting total devastation.

“Where is he?” he asked for the fifth time.

“He is at work,” she answered for the fifth time.

“He’s taking his precious time.”

“Come on, babe. Give the man some slack. He just found out himself yesterday.” It was Cassandra who said it. She was the only person brave enough to answer back to Philip.

“My sister should have known better than to lead us on,” Philip threw Chanty a glance.

“Well, we also kind of lied to them, didn’t we?” Cassandra reminded him.

Angelica nodded. “Yeah, you two did a lot of lying back then.”

The secret that Philip and Cassandra had been hiding for years was finally revealed a year ago when Cassandra couldn’t take it anymore. Their parents were shocked but it didn’t last for a long time given that they had resolved the problem on their own.

“This is different,” Philip insisted.

“I have our own reasons why I lied,” Chanty uttered. If they were thinking about why she lied about Willie’s father, let them be. She was talking about why she lied about Liam being Willie’s father.

“You made us believe that Cameron was the father,” Philip said stonily.

“It is because no one really asked her,” Angelica answered, looking up the ceiling like the answers were pasted up there. God, her friend was such a good liar! However could Henry tell whether she was lying or not? Even Chanty, after all these years of being with Angelica, couldn’t point out her lying and I’m-telling-the-truth moments most of the time. “Well, yeah, to think of it, no one really asked who the father was. We just assumed it was Cameron,” Angelica continued.

Everybody was silent. Angelica was right. No one asked if Cameron was in fact the father when she spilled the news that she was pregnant five years ago.

“Then why did you not correct us?” her brother asked.

“Because I didn’t want you guys going after the father of my child,” she answered back, her brain working for a believable lie. “Before I found out I was pregnant, Liam was on his way to London. We had a thing, but it didn’t work out.”

“Did you tell him? Did you tell him when you found out?”

“I told you, I didn’t. I had an affair with Liam. He left, I got pregnant, Cameron left and that’s the end of it. I didn’t bother telling Liam knowing that things were still hazy between us.” Angelica was looking at her with pride. She shot her friend a look. Cass was silent beside her husband, but she could recognize the awe on her sister-in-law’s face. The lie was spontaneous, she knew that. And it alarmed her. This was getting easier and she was afraid where it might lead. Sooner or later, she would leave loose ends.

“Then why did Cameron think he’s the father?”

“I didn’t tell him about Liam. I told him I was pregnant and he got scared.”

“And now he’s back and so is Liam,” Angelica summarized. “Now it’s clear. It’s all clear. Oh my god, Chanty, you should have told us!” She kicked her friend under the table. Her acting was not helping her think straight.

“That I cheated on Cameron? Come on…” she puffed out the answer she could come up with, her eyes on her brother.

“Well, okay, that’s considerable,” Angelica added. “I would have freaked out.” And then she threw Chanty a wink, telling her that she was doing a good job.

“Sorry, I’m late. I got stuck in traffic—” It was Liam coming inside the room and before he could finish his statement, he received a blow from Philip’s right fist.

“Philip!” it was Chanty who came to his rescue. “You don’t have to do that!” Liam felt her hands on his shoulders. He was hunched to his knees, his hands on his nose. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he managed to answer before he straightened up. “I deserved that,” he lied. Of course he didn’t deserve it. He was a victim here as well and he received a blow to the nose? But then, if he wanted things to be easy for him, he had to let Chanty’s big brother take his anger out on him.

“Yes, you deserve it,” Philip almost shouted, but his features were still composed. His head turned to his sister. “When did you tell him?”

Liam didn’t want to answer that. As much as he wanted to step into Chanty’s feet and face her brother’s questions, Chanty had to answer that one.

“I told you already! I just told him yesterday!” Chanty answered. “I’m telling you, Philip, Liam didn’t know until I told him.”

Philip clenched his jaw. Obviously, the man was trying to keep his anger from bursting out as it already did.

“I’m trying to fix it if you will only let me,” Liam said wholeheartedly. He truly wanted to fix everything for Chanty. He wanted her problems gone and he wanted to get to know his son and become his father. Cameron had to give up. That was the first step. But it was also important that Philip accepted this new fact.

“I can see that you’re trying to make it up to Chanty,” Philip faced him like he had never done before. This was Philip Strindberg the brother, not Philip Strindberg the big businessman. “You have been tailing her like a dog since NYU as what I have heard.”

Liam looked away. Well, that was true. He couldn’t contain himself when it came to Chanty.

“The question here is,” Chanty’s brother looked him in the eyes. “What are you going to do with Willie?”

“What?” Chanty asked in alarm.

Philip looked at the two of them, not hearing his sister. “When are you going to make it up to the kid? He deserves to know his father after four years of having none.”

Liam opened his mouth to speak but Chanty stopped him. “I don’t want to shock Willie—” Chanty started but Philip held up his hand to stop her.

“I am not talking about how you are going to tell him. I am asking about when you are going to tell him. I don’t care how, I don’t care where. I am asking when?” Philip Strindberg’s voice rose higher and higher as he talked.

Liam could see Angelica and Cassandra in one corner. The two women knew where they stood in this conversation and they were not saying a word. As talkative as Angelica was, it was really the right time that she uttered a word like, ‘stop and breath for a while, Philip.’

But no, they were on this one alone—Chanty and him.

“Is your silence telling me that you are not planning on meeting your son anytime soon?” Philip asked Liam.

“No, I mean, yes, of course I would love to meet Willie.” As a matter-of-fact, he said it too eagerly.

“When?”

Liam looked at Chanty. She was looking desperate. He knew she wanted to keep Willie uninvolved as much as she could, but it was not possible. But Liam was not going to stand here like an idiot. She better make up her mind or he would.

She shrugged and dropped her shoulders. That was answer enough.

Liam looked at Philip. “Soon.”

“Then let’s make the soon tomorrow. I suggest you talk about it. My nephew deserves to know who his father is.” Philip stated and looked at Chanty. “As you talk, Angelica, my wife and I are going for coffee.” Philip’s mood was lighter now as he turned toward his wife.

“We are?” Angelica and Cassandra spoke in unison for the first time since Liam came in.

“Yes,” Philip answered and looked at Liam and Chanty one more time. “If you cannot tell Willie, then there is no way I am going to accept him.” He was talking about Liam, of course, and Liam cringed.

As the group retreated out of Chanty’s office, he looked at the woman in despair. Philip Strindberg, as it turned out, made things easier for Liam. But Chanty was looking horrified. Why did she want to keep Willie away from him so bad?

Chapter 7

March 2005, NYU

“I really hate that man,” Liam uttered after he took a sip of his coffee. His eyes were pointing directly ahead, right behind Zach’s shoulder.

His friend looked behind him and snorted. “What? Cameron? Then make Chanty ditch him.”

“I’m planning to.”

“You always say that. You like her and you are not doing anything. You should do something before she will officially be out of your reach.”

Liam took a deep breath. Chanty’s gaze hovered over to them and she immediately averted her eyes when their gaze met. How could he make a move if she didn’t even want to see him?

2013

“Well?”

Chanty just stared at Liam. She didn’t know how to answer that one. It was late to back down now. Philip would be even angrier if he found out about the lie. And she certainly wouldn’t want to risk having Cameron know the truth.

Would she really lie to her son about all this to protect him?

Yes, she would.

“I’ll talk to Willie. I don’t want to overwhelm him. We’ll take it slow.”

Liam stared at her for a long time and finally gave a nod. “I understand. We’ll take it slow. I don’t want my son to be afraid of me. I want him to know me first.”

She closed her eyes. Oh God, this was difficult. Lying to Liam was bad as it was and telling her son a lie was just unimaginable.

“We don’t have to tell him everything if you’re not yet ready, but I want to meet my son, Chanty.”

That was good enough for her. She didn’t have to tell Willie anything. The hell with Philip if she didn’t. Surely he would understand that the child would need time to know his real father. “Thank you,” she whispered, looking at Liam.

“I know this is hard for you as well, Chanty. But sooner or later, Willie has to know.”

She was grateful he didn’t press the matter of telling Willie everything. She may not know the man well in a more personal level, but she was grateful that he was ready to do all these things for her. Things would have been much easier if Liam was the real father.

“Have you thought about what you should say to Willie?” Philip asked them before they even got the chance to sit down.

“Yes.” It was Liam who answered. Chanty was still at a loss, rehearsing the words she had to say to her son. She only hoped it would work.

“And?” Philip asked them, his eyes peering down particularly at her.

“Babe, come on, you cannot seriously ask them to spit every word out,” Cassandra uttered, rolling her eyes.

Angelica nodded. “Yes, I completely agree.”

Chanty threw her friends a grateful look.

 “It has to come simultaneously from both of them. You are not Willie,” Cassandra added.

“So you better be contented that they agreed to your plan,” Angelica finished.

It was a wonder how the two women could finish each other’s sentences now when a few years ago, they were ready to pounce on each other. Philip sighed after he saw his wife’s look. Cassandra was looking at him with her eyebrow arched high, daring him to contradict. “Fine,” Chanty heard him puff out and she was finally able to breathe. She was not very good at lying to her brother.

“Then you guys pick your son and have a talk,” Cassandra said, standing up with her hands on her belly. “My husband and I have to see the doctor.”

“The doctor?” Philip asked.

Cassandra looked at him in disbelief. “You forgot.”

“Of course, he did. They always do,” Angelica rolled her eyes. “Henry said he was on his way here,” she took out her phone, “but I know where he really is right now.”

“Where?” Cassandra asked.

“On a freaking mission. He doesn’t tell me but I know for certain he is,” Angelica answered, looking at her nails while her other hand was holding her phone to her ear.

“Isn’t it dangerous that you are calling him while he’s out on a mission?” Chanty asked, happy to change the subject.

“He knows I call him anytime and this is why the freaking phone is off!” Angelica threw her phone back in her bag and stood up. “I have to go home before him. I have lots of doors and windows to bar.”

Philip shook his head and started to head out of the café. Cassandra followed after him while waving Chanty goodbye, Angelica walking briskly beside her.

When they were finally alone, Liam was looking at the door, his mouth open.

“What?”

“Angelica is still Angelica.”

“Don’t tell me about it. Are you ready?” she asked him.

He stared at her intently. “The question is: are you?”

Chanty lived in a modest home, far from what Philip and Cassandra lived in. She had a four-bedroom bungalow that had a green lawn in front. You wouldn’t dare think that a Strindberg was living there if you didn’t know.

“Nice,” Liam uttered as he pocketed his keys and looked at the white-painted house.

“It’s not something grand,” she uttered, stepping beside him.

“It’s what you would call a home,” he countered.

“Willie’s my home and he’s inside with his babysitter. I call her whenever I can’t take Willie to Philip and Cass. Let’s not hold this up and talk to him.” Without another word, Chanty squared her shoulders and walked to the door. Liam followed behind, his heart beating fast. It was like how he felt when he first saw Chanty a few months back.

But this was different in a lot of ways. He had only seen Willie once, during that party for Cassandra’s pregnancy. And he didn’t even have the chance to spend time with the child. He had been surrounded by his Strindberg great grandparents. And Chanty didn’t even spend more than five minutes with him that night. And the next months that followed, after all the meetings they had, Liam never had another chance to meet her son. Okay, correction. Their son.

Liam watched as Chanty held the knob in her hand. Her hand was still for a while. He waited as she made the final decision. When she finally turned it, he let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Mommy!” Liam heard a boy’s cry the moment Chanty pushed the door wide open and stepped inside.

“Hi, there, buddy!” Chanty knelt and met her son’s running hug. She buried her face in Willie’s neck as the brown-haired boy hugged her. Liam was smiling, enjoying the view. Nothing could beat the overwhelming bond between a mother and son. And Willie was his son as well. He looked very much like Chanty.

“Who’s he?” Willie asked, his brown eyes peering over Chanty’s shoulders. For the first time in his life, Liam felt insecure in front of a child. He gulped.

“He…” Chanty uttered, grabbing Willie and hugging him close to her as she stood up, “is a very dear friend.”

“Friend? Like Aunt Cass and Angie?”

“Yes, like aunt Cass and Angie, but he is a boy just like you,” Chanty said, turning around to face Liam. Willie shifted his upper body to continue looking at Liam. “But I have to tell you a secret,” Chanty said and whispered in her son’s ear.

Willie’s brown eyes glittered with amazement at what his mother was telling him and when they moved to look into his, Liam felt a tight feeling in his gut. He couldn’t point it out, but the child had that intelligent spark in him that one would think he was a grown man. Was it what they called an instant connection? Like a father and a son had?

“Is that for real?” Willie gushed, turning his head sharply toward his mother.

Chanty smiled and nodded.

“So he is more than your friend.”

Once again, his mother nodded.

“And,” Willie stopped himself, took another look at Liam and leaned closer to his mother’s ear and whispered.

Chanty looked like she was taken aback. Liam knew what she told her son, but what did Willie ask?

He saw Chanty’s eyes water. This was difficult for her. “Yes, Willie, he can be your special friend too.”

Willie looked at Chanty for a long time, his face unreadable. His head turned to Liam once again, his eyes curious. Then his face gentled and he started to smile. “Hi, I’m Willie.”

Liam smiled and held out his hand, “I’m Liam.” The moment he held the boy’s hand, he didn’t want to let go. He should have held it when it was just the size of a meatball. He should have heard his first cry.

He should have been there.

Willie took his hand and shook it vigorously. “What do I call you?”

Chanty was almost at the brink of shouting, “Stop! This is all a lie!” But seeing her son look up at Liam with that glint in his eyes, she couldn’t. Her son would look at Philip and Henry with a certain glint in his eyes, but they were just people whom he could never have for himself. And Chanty knew what her son was thinking at the moment. Liam was different. He was different because he was her mommy’s special friend and he could have Liam for himself. Like a dad he never had.

She felt a pang in her chest and it travelled down to the tips of her fingers. This is all for you, Willie. You will understand someday.

 “For now, why don’t you just call me Liam?” she heard Liam answered.

“You are going to marry my mommy?”

Willie would never cease to surprise her and his question surely did just that—again. “Not yet, honey. Liam and I are still dating.” She swallowed the lie. She hated doing it.

“Dating?”

“We go out, get to know each other and we try to have fun,” Liam answered.

“Can I come?”

“Most of the time, of course,” Liam answered.

Willie’s face turned curious. “Most of the time? Not all the time?”

“If you want to come all the time, I think I won’t be able to marry your mom,” Liam said playfully.

Chanty threw him a look. He couldn’t give the child false hopes. And it dawned on her. Was Liam thinking about marriage? Oh, God, please no…

“And you are going to live here with us?”

Again, another question that surprised her. Liam, on the other hand, seemed amused.

“Honey, you are asking too much questions. One question at a time, okay? Why don’t you show him around the house?” she said, gently pushing her son toward the living room.

“Let’s go, Liam,” Willie said with a giggle. “It’s my first time to call a man with his first name. Uncle Philip wants the ‘uncle’ name. And Aunt Angie wants me to call her husband uncle Henry as well.”

“Well, then, no one’s going to let you call me uncle. That’s the last name I want you to use,” Liam answered and winked at Chanty as Willie grabbed his hand and pulled him along the hallway.

“Would you like to see my room?” Willie asked, already leading Liam toward his door.

The babysitter was already packing when Chanty walked inside the kitchen.

“I’ll go ahead, Ms. Strindberg.”

“Thanks, Amy. And oh, Cassandra won’t be able to watch over Willie tomorrow. Can you make it?” Chanty asked.

“Sure, Ms. Strindberg! See you tomorrow!”

She heard Willie’s shrill laughter from the other side of the house and she smiled despite the great worry that she felt. Part of her wanted to drag Liam away from her son and tell him to stop being nice to Willie. She didn’t want her son to get used to the idea that Liam would stay for good. A father had always been Willie’s wish ever since he learned how to make a wish to Santa every Christmas. Chanty had tried hard not to introduce him to the men she had dated in the past in fear that Willie would demand for their presence all the time.

But Liam was a different matter entirely. He was here because of her lie. Maybe she would try to talk to him again. He might just listen this time.

She could hear Willie and Liam’s deep voice talking. Liam was treating Willie like a grown man. He didn’t talk to him like how other adults would and Chanty was able to appreciate that. She wanted Willie to grow up with certain confidence and integrity.

Chanty made coffee and as she watched it brew, she thought of how she could fake the DNA test. Cameron would surely make it certain that he could get it and she had to think fast before he could. Maybe she should talk to Cass and Ange about it soon.

“Hey,” Liam’s voice startled her.

She turned around from the window she had been facing. “Hey.” She searched and asked, “Where’s Willie?”

“He’s busy building an edifice that would take down the one we’re building. He’s doing it with multi-colored blocks,” Liam smiled and started walking toward her.

She just nodded and went to get two white mugs.

“I am glad you agreed to this, Chanty” he uttered as he watched her move around the kitchen.

“This is the best I can do, Liam,” she answered honestly.

“Would you freak out again if I,” he said as she poured coffee over one mug, “suggest a DNA test?”

Her hand stilled. Yes, she thought of faking the DNA test, but she couldn’t do it soon. “Yes.”

She handed him his mug and he took it, looking at her as she averted his gaze. “Why? Cameron won’t rest until he is proven wrong.”

Chanty tried her best to meet his gaze this time. “Willie just met you, Liam. We can’t let him go through this DNA test without telling him what’s going on. I want this to go smoothly for him.”

“He already knows we’re dating. He’s a smart kid and I think he will understand.”

“Already knows? What do you mean by that?”

Liam took his time as he sipped from the mug.

“Liam, what do you mean?”

His brown eyes looked at her intently. “That’s the truth. We are dating.”

“What? No, we’re not.”

Liam took a step toward her, leaving just a foot of space between them. “We are dating, Chanty. And it starts now.”

“Liam, you’re taking this the wrong way–”

“I’m serious, Chanty. I am not letting you go this time.”

This time?

Chapter 8

April 2005, NYU

“Don’t come near Chanty again,” Cameron’s jaw clenched as he finished his sentence.

“I didn’t know Chanty has a personal bodyguard,” Liam countered.

“She doesn’t want you around—the two of you,” he added, eyeing Zach standing behind Liam.

“Stop it, Cameron,” Chanty said behind her boyfriend. “I told you it was nothing.”

“He was trying to—”

“And I didn’t mind it. So should you,” Chanty did not let him finish and pulled him away. She threw Liam and Zach one last glance before walking off with Cameron.

2013

“Liam, what do you mean–”

“I am not going to lie to my son, Chanty. We are dating and it starts now.”

“What?” she asked incredulously. This was never part of her plan!

Liam’s smile as he looked down at her told her he was serious and amused at the same time.

“And by now, I really meant now ,” he uttered as she bent his head down.

Chanty’s mind was in panic. She had never kissed Liam before. Well, yes, of course, she did in the past. But that was during that night when she was barely conscious. And to feel his breath brush against her lips this time, with her mind fully alert, she felt something different. Anticipation?

Weirdness? Excitement? Guilt?

But Liam didn’t give her enough time to decipher what she really felt because his lips finally planted against hers. Chanty could taste the faint taste of his coffee as his mouth moved over hers in a gentle, patient, prodding manner. And he prodded expertly because a small sigh finally escaped her lips as she gave in to the kiss.

It was a soft and gentle one. Not hurried, yet passionate at the same time.

Was this how she felt that night five years ago? Was it the same swooning feeling? Was it as great as it was now?

“See? Now’s a good time, right?” she heard Liam ask.

Chanty opened her eyes. Which part of the kiss did she close them anyway? Liam was looking at her with a glint in his eyes.

“I’ll go back to Willie,” he said, his breath brushing against her lips before he leaned away.

Chanty was speechless as she watched him walk out of the kitchen with his mug of coffee.

Chanty couldn’t sleep. She had been through a lot in the past, but it seemed that this lying scam she had going on was the hardest. It was not easy to give birth to a son alone, much more raising him, but this one with Cameron and Liam seemed to be making a record of its own.

What if Liam finds out before I could tell him the truth?

He would be furious.

And why does he want to be with me?

That was a question she couldn’t figure out the answer to. Or a question she didn’t even want to have an answer to. It would only make things complicated.

What about Cameron? He’ll have to go away. He won’t get Willie.

With that thought in mind, Chanty’s eyes started to close.

Liam was not sure if what he did would come out good. All he knew was that he was glad Chanty was starting to warm up to him. She was starting to trust him.

And that kiss they shared told him he had a shot with her this time.

His phone rang and when he saw who was calling, he answered with the smile still pasted on his lips. “It’s about time you call and give me a hand,” he uttered instead of a hello.

“Come on, man. You know how important Julianne is to me. And before you click off with bitterness because you are still chasing after Chanty while I got the girl—”

“What do you mean you got the girl?”

The laughter in Zach’s voice could not be denied as he said, “She gave in, man! She gave in!”

“So, you’re getting married?”

“Uh, that’s the problem. She doesn’t want to. She wants to focus on the baby and she doesn’t want to appear married just because we’re having a baby. I know it’s crazy, but I’m not willing to push further. She might disappear from the face of the earth and I would definitely go crazy if that happens.”

“Tell Julianne she made the right decision,” Liam answered.

“Come on, you know how important this is to me. You should help me convince her that marriage is the best thing we should do right now.”

“No, the best thing you should be doing right now is going to work and help me with my big problem.”

“What big problem?”

Liam sighed. “It’s about my son. Remember?”

“Wait, you were serious about that? You really have a son with–but how did it even happen? When did it happen?”

“Don’t ask me that. Right now, I want to be with my son and Chanty. But Chanty is all bothered over Cameron’s stupid appearance. I told her we’ll do a DNA test to make the guy go away but she refuses to let Willie go through it. I’m actually thinking to hand the guy a fake result. It won’t change anything anyway. I know Willie’s my son.”

“Holy shit, man! Are you insane? Fake a DNA test? You know you can end up in jail, right?”

“Tell me if you have gone to law school. You seem to know a lot about the law than Angelica’s husband. And I said I am only thinking of doing it. I’ll still try to convince Chanty. For now, I need you to do something.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I went to a friend who works for the New York Times. I fed him with a little story that could make Cameron take a few steps back to buy me some time to convince Chanty that a DNA test is a good idea.”

“And?”

“I want you to make sure that the story is printed in front of the paper. I know you can do that.”

“Of course. That’s all?”

“Get your ass down here. I don’t care if you will have Julianne with you or not. Just get down here.”

“Yes, I will. Who would want to miss seeing Cameron’s ass bounce away with fire?”

Liam clicked off without an answer. Zach was coming and Cameron better prepare. They did not have the chance to kick the guy’s ass a few years back and they definitely did not forget it.

“Hey,” he greeted Chanty with a peck, much to her surprise.

“What is that for?” she said through her teeth as they smiled for everyone who saw them. She started to walk briskly and he followed her steps.

“Everybody here thinks we’re back together,” he answered in a low tone only she could hear.

“We were never together ,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“They think we were,” he corrected. “And now we are.” He took a moment to glance at her. She was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans. Her wavy brown hair was tied high behind her head, its twirled tail swaying as she walked without commenting on his last statement. “Where are you going?”

“To my office. And then to the site. I need some distraction.” she asked, not even bothering to give a hint that she suddenly changed the topic.

“Chanty,” he said, his face serious now.

“What?”

“I did something to buy us some time.”

“Time for what?”

“For you and Willie to be ready for that DNA test.”

Her face became alert. “What did you do, Liam?”

“I sent a little story to the New York Times. It’s just a little something about Cameron and I think it might make him back off for a while.”

“What story?”

The grin on his face returned. “You’ll soon find out. It’s going to be on the front page.”

“You should have talked to me about this, Liam. You don’t just make a move like this. This could affect my son–”

“Correction: our son. And it’s nothing big. Cameron wouldn’t even think we’re behind it.”

Chanty sighed. “It better be a good one.”

“Of course, it is. As I’ve said, it’s going to be on the front page.”

 “Are you sure?”

“Zach’s on it.”

At the mention of Zach’s name, Chanty just nodded and entered her office.

Liam was just about to do the same when she suddenly turned around, holding the door in arm’s length.

“You have your own office,” she reminded him.

Liam sighed and before she could close the door, he leaned forward and planted his lips on hers. It was not the first time, but that kiss brought back a lot of memories to Liam. She didn’t look surprised as earlier, but it didn’t stop her from closing the door either.

He shrugged and turned around to see the staff looking at him with various smiles on their faces. Pete for one was smiling at him wickedly while his secretary was blushing with a dreamy smile beside him. “Show’s over. Get back to work,” he said and walked to his office.

Chanty was not able to give the right reaction that Liam’s action deserved. She was still in shock as she sat down behind her desk. His kiss reminded her of yesterday. And the past. It was not something special as she could remember, but it had always been inside her memory. Liam, after all, was among the few men she had kissed and felt some kind of connection with in the process. And after what he did, she realized that it was still there.

She mentally shook herself. Being bothered about the kiss would only lead to a lot of complications. She was already dealing with big ones at the moment and spilling her brains over Liam and the weird, old feelings he sparked would not help at all. Willie should be the first person she had to think about, Cameron the second, and her family the third. Liam, though she was somehow using him, should never be in the picture.

Believing that she had clearly pictured her priorities at the moment, Chanty began working on the plans for the project. She thought of going to the site with Liam today. But after what he did, she better do it alone. He had his own car and he could very well drive if he wanted to.

“You did not wait for me,” Liam said behind her. She was talking with Pete for the designs of the building. The guy wanted to work on site for two reasons. One, he wanted to be on the site where the building would stand to see the surrounding and come up with ideas. Two, there were a lot of men rich with adrenaline and muscles.

“We were planning on doing it early. You seemed engrossed with your own work,” she answered nonchalantly, her eyes fixed on the floor plan laid out before her. They were outside on what supposed to be the parking lot of the soon-to-rise big establishment. Her one hand was holding on to a cup of coffee, the other on the paper.

“You’re avoiding me?” Liam asked.

Pete’s bald head perked up with that question. What he might not have sensed as a tension before was now fully realized. He curiously looked at Chanty and then at Liam.

“No, why would I? I’m working, Liam. If you’re looking for Kyle, he’s inside.” She had straightened and was now facing him.

Pete did the same, his devilish gay grin visible now. Her friend folded his arms across his chest and leaned his hips against the table, enjoying the show.

“I am looking for you. We need to talk,” Liam answered. The very familiar grin was pasted on his handsome face. Chanty found herself looking at Liam and she saw the small, white scar on his right temple, about half an inch in length. She had never noticed that before but now that she did, she found it appealing in a way. It gave him a different look.

“About what?” she finally remembered to ask.

“Stuff,” his voice trailed off. He threw Pete a glance, hoping the guy would take the hint and go away. But then, Pete was too busy looking at him from head to foot and back to even notice.

Chanty sighed and nudged Pete. “We have to talk.”

“And?”

“Liam and I need to talk,” she iterated.

“About what?”

“Alone.”

Pete’s face fell and he looked at her. “You’re so selfish.”

“What?”

“You know I was still doing my thing and you want me to go away so that you…” her friend’s voice trailed off as his eyes went over her shoulder. “Oh my god. How can I be so lucky to be surrounded by these men?”

“What are you talking about? Those men have been here for hours.”

“What are you doing here?” Liam’s voice spoke from behind Pete whose mouth was hanging open with a smile. He, too, was looking over her shoulder.

Chanty’s frown deepened and when she turned her head, her face contorted. “Zachary Astor. What the hell are you doing here?”

The handsome man stopped in his tracks and opened his arms. “Chanty! It is really nice to see you—and you too, Liam. You guys are so welcoming to a friend who flew all the way here to lend a hand.”

Chapter 9

May 2005, NYU

“You’re a coward, man.”

“No, I’m not. I just happen to have a friend whom she hates,” Liam countered, throwing an accusing look at Zach.

His friend gaped. “She hates us both. That’s a big difference. Not only me, but us.”

“It was your fault that she does. From the very first day, it was your fault. And now everything is impossible.”

“Nothing is impossible, trust me. If you can just get rid of that stupid Cameron, things will be okay.”

“And what if I can’t?”

“Then you may want to consider being close to her best friend,” Zach arched a brow.

Liam shook his head. “No. Angelica? No, not over my dead body.”

“She’s you’re only hope. Chanty trusts her. You know her and it will not be hard to get her to your side.”

“I don’t know, that girl has trouble screaming over her red head.”

“Hey, keeping her best friend closer will be your best bet if you cannot lose the boyfriend. Girls listen to their friends more than they do the men they love.”

 

2013

Chanty felt Pete’s finger poking at her spine. She almost fell over Zach at her friend’s last attempt and she sighed. “Zach, meet Pete, our design manager. Pete, meet Zachary Astor.”

Before anyone could say a word, Pete brushed Chanty to the side and held out his hand. She was about to open her mouth but Liam caught her by the shoulders to stop her. A naughty grin was pasted on his face. “Let him.”

The innocent Zach took Pete’s hand and shook it. When the moment that the two of them should stop, Zach’s smiling face slowly frowned. He tried to take his hand away from Pete, but the guy would not let go.

“You have to kiss it first,” Chanty said with a smile.

“What?” Zach asked, pulling harder, but the guy was strong despite his femininity.

“You have to give Pete’s hand a kiss before he can let you go,” Liam explained dryly, obviously trying to pretend that it was a normal thing.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Zach asked, his frown deepening. He looked at Pete but the guy just smiled. “Let go of my hand now before I do something you’ll regret.”

“I would gladly accept anything you do to me,” Pete said. “It’s my very own personal tradition. I do it with everyone.”

“Don’t worry, he did it to me,” Chanty said.

“I was not a victim though,” Liam admitted. “Just do it, man. Let’s get this over with.”

Zach’s face was getting red as he looked at Pete. “Are you aware that I own half of this company? Would you want to lose your job?”

Pete must have just realized that he was holding the hand of one of the owners of the company captive. He gulped and smiled. “I was only joking, Mr. Astor. You don’t have to take it seriously.” With that, he let go of Zach’s hand and scurried away before Zach opened his mouth to fire his ass.

When Chanty and Liam were done laughing, Zach said, “Now, which one of you is still willing to get my help? If you don’t want any, I can always go back to where Jules is waiting and we can fly back home.”

“Julianne’s here?” Liam asked.

“Are you serious? That woman has the tendency to go off anywhere and I don’t want to risk that.”

“Is this really necessary?” she asked.

“We can go out for coffee,” Zach suggested, not hearing her question.

“What the hell is going on?” she hissed at Liam as they followed Zach.

“He’s going to help us,” Liam whispered beside her but Chanty could see that a flash of doubt flashed across his face as he said that.

“No, I meant who is this Jules?”

He frowned. “Have you not been watching television?”

She thought for a while and then she remembered that Zach had been on a reality TV show called The Bachelor . But that was all she knew. She didn’t watch the thing religiously what with all the crazy drama the girls had going on. She had enough of it in her life and having to watch a dozen of girls tearing each other apart for one man was not worth her free time.

“I watch TV. I know he’s been on some kind of TV show but I didn’t watch it. Not once.”

“Well, to cut the story short, Zach fell for one of the girls, Julianne. He’s planning to marry her but—”

“But what?”

“She’s trying to keep him on his toes,” he said and winked at her. “He had finally found the one that he would do anything for and she is not that giddy to strip him of his wealth just yet. She’s a writer by the way.”

“Really? What kind?”

“Novels. You know Broken Bones, right?”

When Liam mentioned the book, she stopped and her jaw dropped. Zach was already a few meters ahead of them and was about to cross the street. “You can’t be telling me that I will have coffee with J. Green. The J. Green.”

Liam scratched his temple with one finger, a thing he often did when he was both confused and thinking. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Oh my god! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I could have brought my book!” she shouted with frustration.

“In case you don’t know, I was with you when Zach came in and like you, I didn’t have any idea that he was coming. Furthermore, Julianne is not someone who would tag along with Zach so I am still shocked myself to know that she came. Zach must have moved mountains to get her to come.”

But Chanty was no longer listening to him. She was already attacking her phone and bringing it close to her ear.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling Ange. Someone has to get my book and take it here. Yes, hello, Ange. Where are you? No, nothing happened,” Chanty started walking and Liam followed beside her, scratching his head. “What do you mean you’re stalking your husband? Where? Well, can you stop doing whatever you are doing and come by my house? Go to my room and get J. Green’s book for me. Yes, the Broken Bones.” She listened to Angelica’s questions and smiled. “Well, if you’re really that curious, I should have you know that J. Green is Zachary Astor’s fiancée. Yes, believe it or not, I’m going to meet her in flesh!” She jumped with excitement as Angelica’s scream attacked her ear drum. “Okay, okay. Fine. Just hurry. I don’t know how long this meeting’s taking place. Just get the book over here!” She hung up with Liam looking at her incredulously. “What? Can’t a girl get excited?”

Liam was shocked to realize that Chanty could actually get excited over meeting Julianne. He was a fan of her book as well, but he never gushed over it when he found out that she was J. Green.

Well, as what Zach said, girls had a different way of reacting to things.

When he was finally able to absorb the fact that Chanty was crazy about Julianne and that Angelica was coming as well to do something that was surely going to be crazy, he was afraid that Julianne would walk out and never appear in front of them again. Chanty was okay if she was alone, but if she was with Angelica, she could be as wild. He had witnessed years of the two of them being together and not all of them were to be proud of. Julianne may be in shock if she got to see the two women going crazy. Maybe he ought to remind Chanty that they were here to talk about Cameron and not gush over Julianne. But it was also the first time since the Cameron problem came up that he saw Chanty being herself again. He missed this part of her and maybe it wouldn’t hurt to allow her to go crazy over a writer. He decided to let things unfold naturally. Zach could handle Julianne whatever the poor woman would feel later especially when Angelica made her entrance.

He took his phone and decided to call back-up.

Zach was already waiting for them by the door, his face beaming with excitement. Chanty walked past him and scanned the room. She was not aware what Julianne looked like. She never followed the show and if she may have happened to watch an episode, she did not pay much attention. Whenever Zach’s name came up on the paper, she would read but no pictures of the mysterious lady who kept him interested ever came up. But the moment her eyes landed on the brown-haired lady sitting by the window at the far corner of the café, she knew. The lady may not be trying to attract attention, but she had that air around her. Dressed in black shirt and a pair of pants, she looked ordinary. But add that big, wavy brown hair and her great complexion, you would have to steal another look. Chanty wasn’t sure about the glasses though. And of course, the expectant look on her face was an added factor for Chanty to recognize her. And Zach was eagerly walking to her direction like a lost five-year-old who finally saw his mother.

She could feel her smile reaching her ears. She was star struck and she didn’t care. “Oh my god, J. Green!” she shouted.

Julianne’s eyes immediately flew to Zach who was just a few paces away from the table. “Hey, I didn’t tell her!”

“I’m sorry. I’m just so excited when Liam told me about you,” Chanty gushed.

Julianne transferred her gaze to Liam. “I’m sorry, Julianne. I just kind of blurted it out.”

“Please, don’t get mad or anything. I won’t tell a soul if you don’t want to,” Chanty continued. “Uh, but I may have told a friend who is coming…but don’t worry. She’s great and you will like her.”

Zach turned at her and asked, “And who may that be?”

“Angelica, of course.”

He closed his eyes as if he received the worst news of the day. When he turned to face Julianne, who was silent during the whole exchange, his face glowed and he said, “It’s going to be fine, Jules.”

“It better be,” Julianne said, shooting daggers at him. But when she turned her head to face Chanty once again, she smiled. “That’s okay. I have now accepted the fact that my identity has become public. But I try not to attract a lot of attention.”

“Come on, you attract a lot of attention even with great effort not to,” Zach said warmly, sitting beside Julianne, wounding his arm around her shoulders. Chanty breathed a sigh of relief and sat down across Julianne. She continued to stare at the lady while Liam nudged her side.

“We have something to discuss, right, Chanty?”

“Yeah,” she answered, scanning her phone. She had to text Cassandra. The lady had to come fast.

“Chanty,” Liam tried to call her attention once again but she was busy attacking her phone to notice.

“Sent…” she beamed at Julianne. “I love your book. You should write another one with the three main characters having another great adventure. I love conspiracy theories.”

Julianne smiled and nodded. “I’m having another book coming up but—”

“Can I get an advance copy?” she asked.

“Not a chance. I am not even allowed to read the draft,” Zach complained. “And we are not talking about Jules’ book. We are here to discuss about Cameron.” He looked at his fiancée and added, “And his last name is Cameron as well, by the way. Crazy, right? Unlucky guy.”

“It’s odd, yes,” Julianne agreed with a smile. She looked at Chanty and said, “Zach filled me in with the details and I hope it is okay with you. I told him it is a personal matter between you and Liam, but he told me anyway.”

“So you know that–” she asked.

Zach cut in saying, “That you two have a son? Of course she does. She’s going to be my wife. I don’t keep secrets from her,” he said rather too proudly.

Julianne rolled her eyes but gave no comment. She must be used to this side of Zach by now but Chanty was awed. She had never heard Zach talk like this before. He had always been too cocky. Ever since she met him, he brought nothing but frustration. And what Liam said once before was true. If it weren’t for Zach, people may have seen Liam differently. Chanty had long recognized that fact and she had always been able to set Liam aside from Zach in terms of personality—not that they didn’t share anything in common for there were a lot of that, but when the two of them were together, she just couldn’t help but see them as one big trouble tailing her, and they always followed her shadow from the start.

“And do you have any conspiracy schemes you can share with us? We need a lot of it. As of now, we only have the plan about the paper,” she asked. She was trying hard to make the matter seem less heavy. She wouldn’t want Julianne to think that she couldn’t handle the situation. And she had to be more careful. She couldn’t spill her lie in front of these people, especially Zach.

“I think the morning paper move is great. It would keep this guy away from you for a while.” Julianne may have agreed on her statement, but her face also held something else that worried Chanty.

“But?” Liam and Chanty asked in unison.

“But,” Julianne continued, “it may also push him to plan for a bigger action. He may stay low for a while but the moment he comes up with a big plan to throw you off, you have to be prepared.”

That made great sense. Cameron was not someone who would just back down. He would definitely have something to throw back. If they threw him a stone, they better be prepared to catch a boulder coming their way.

She was just about to say something else when Cassandra’s voice erupted behind her.

“Oh my God, I’m a great fan!”

No introduction, no ‘excuse me’, nothing. “I thought you were not coming,” Chanty said, eyeing her pregnant sister-in-law.

“You invited me?” Cassandra asked as she tucked her blonde hair behind her head.

“You did not get my message?”

Her sister-in-law shook her head. “Liam texted me. He said he needed back-up.” She then turned to Liam and added, “I don’t see any problem here.”

Liam looked disappointed. Whatever he had in mind when he asked Cass for back-up came flying out the window. But the way Julianne was wearing her face and the way Cassandra was looking at her, Chanty felt embarrassed. Maybe Julianne was having enough of two ladies being too nice and awestruck to her. And just when Cassandra finally grabbed a chair beside Chanty to shake Julianne’s hand, Chanty’s face turned red when she heard Angelica’s stilettos clicking and nearing their table. Even without the clicking of her friend’s heels, she would have known just by seeing Zach’s reaction and how Liam gulped. Angelica was here and Chanty lost all hope.

Chapter 10

June 2005, NYU

“You know she hates you, right?” Angelica looked Liam in the eyes.

Zach held up his forefinger and said, “Correction. She hates me.”

“That’s too…humble of you, Zach,” Angelica uttered, batting her eyes. “But I don’t think I can help you.”

“Come on, you know her more than anyone else. Just tell me how to approach her without her turning her back,” Liam begged.

“Why haven’t you done it a long time ago?”

“I tried.”

“No, he didn’t,” Zach contradicted. “Come on, Ange.”

Angelica sighed. “I will try—” The two men leaped on their feet as she finished, “but I will not promise you anything. Chanty is pretty much so into Cameron.”

“He’s a jerk.”

“I agree. But she’s happy with him as of the moment.”

“But you will try, right?”

“Yes.” At that moment, Angelica grinned. “And when Angelica Dalton tries, she rarely ever fails.”

 

2013

“This is not such a good idea,” Liam whispered beside her.

“I know,” Chanty answered back without moving her lips. She could already feel her friend’s strong presence behind her.

“Hi!”

That tone almost made everyone close their eyes. Julianne was the only one oblivious of what was happening. Cassandra was too busy texting her husband to even notice that Zach was almost at the edge of his seat.

“Hi, my name is Angelica. I’m a friend of everyone here though it is obvious they are anxious of my presence.” Angelica uttered with a big smile as she stood next to Julianne. She was wearing a black dress and red pumps that accentuated her long legs. Her red hair was simply tied at her nape. “I am certain they are thinking I would make a scene.”

“And why is that?” Julianne asked, her face looking amused as she stole Zach a glance.

“Because I usually do that,” Angelica answered honestly without blinking an eye. She looked at Zach and said, “Aren’t you going to offer me a seat, Zachary?”

At her words, Zach immediately stood up and grabbed a chair behind him. He carried it to where Angelica was standing and guided her as she sat down. “You should not have let us bother you. We know you are busy. You didn’t have to come,” he said so with sarcasm.

“Come on. I wouldn’t pass the chance to meet J. Green in person!”

Whenever Angelica was in the room, no one could ever stop her. Well, there was her husband which Chanty was praying would turn up anytime soon for he was the only one who seemed to have the best chance of restraining her.

“So, why are you here?” was the first question she asked the astounded Julianne.

“She’s my girlfriend,” Zach answered instantly, his face proud.

Angelica snorted. “Like hell she is!”

Julianne was about to speak up when Zach countered, “Like hell yes.”

“Like yes you are the president of the country?”

“No, like yes I am the man who is about to ask you to not sit too close to my girlfriend. You’re invading her personal space.”

Angelica looked around the table and at everyone’s face. “He’s not serious, is he? He’s not dating the best author, is he?”

“He’s also going to be her groom anytime soon,” Zach added, winking at Julianne who chose to completely shut her mouth.

Angelica’s mouth fell open. “No, you are not.” She turned to Julianne and asked, “He is? Please tell me he is just some random guy you met somewhere. You can’t be with Zachary Astor!”

“And why is that?” Zach challenged.

“You can’t stay with one woman for a week. And it would break my heart to know that my favorite author is crying her heart out over you.”

“That will never happen.”

“Yeah?”

“Okay, okay, enough!” Chanty said, spreading her arms wide over the table. “You can’t possibly be doing this right now.”

“Julianne is with Zach, Ange. You can’t possibly change that,” Liam uttered dryly.

“And she’s carrying my child,” Zach added and he said it in a way that Chanty could almost taste his pride.

“She is?” Everyone asked except Liam who was obviously aware of the news.

Julianne nodded and said, “Yes.”

“Oh my God! That’s great!” Angelica and Cassandra uttered in unison. “Congratulations!”

The two women reached out to Julianne to hold both her hands. Chanty took the opportunity to stare at Liam. They should be having a good talk about their problem at the moment without all this drama—not that she was not happy to know about Julianne and Zach. She was the one who panicked about Julianne being here in the first place and now she regretted it.

Liam was still looking at her and she motioned her head toward the powder room. She got up and after a few seconds, he followed.

“This should not be happening. We should be talking with Zach right now about my problem,” she said, turning around to face him.

“Don’t talk so loud, they might hear you,” he said, reaching for some strands of her on her face and tucked them behind her ear.

“What are you doing?”

“Cassandra’s looking,” he said, smiling at her. “Philip’s wife can be very perceptive, you know.”

She ignored the fact that Cass and Ange knew about the lie. “I know. But what about what I said? How do you figure we can get rid of them? I can’t talk about our problem with everyone present. Ange would only give us outrageous suggestions and Cass would back her up. We will be wasting a lot of time.” Honestly, she wanted this day to be over despite the excitement she felt over Julianne’s presence. This was one, big, messy lie. Cass and Ange had to leave before they could blurt out something that would give them away.

Liam thought for a moment and while he was doing that, Chanty looked over his shoulder to check what was happening around their table. Cassandra’s attention was now focused on Angelica who was still bantering with Zach while Julianne sat there awed and silent. Angelica was moving her hands around, trying to make a point, wearing disbelief on her face. Zach looked like he was ready to get up and strangle her any moment.

“I have an idea.”

“You better. Zach and Ange are about to kill each other.”

“They always act like that since NYU. You should have gotten used to it,” he said, punching his phone with his thumb.

“What’s your plan?”

He looked at her and winked. “I’m calling the husbands.”

Philip came first and when he entered the door and at the moment Cassandra spotted him, she turned sharply at Chanty with an accusing look. Chanty held up her palms and shrugged her shoulders.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“How did he know where I am?”

“I tracked your phone. I was calling you and you were not answering,” answered her husband, now standing behind his very pregnant wife.

“Philip!” Zach shot to his feet, glad to finally get the chance to ignore Angelica. “It’s nice to see you, man. Let me introduce you to my future bride…”

While Zach was doing the introduction, the door opened once again and Angelica’s husband came in.

“Who called him?” his wife instantly asked, throwing Chanty the same look Cassandra gave her.

“I didn’t. I swear.”

“I heard you’re causing quite a scene.” Henry told her as he neared.

“As she always does,” Zach answered, shaking Henry’s hand. “Meet my girlfriend, Julianne.”

“He can’t help it. He always has to introduce his girlfriend to everyone,” Angelica said, rolling her eyes. “His fiancé, his pregnant girlfriend,” she added dryly.

“We have to go home,” Henry announced without taking a seat.

“Why?”

“You need to do some chores around the house,” Henry answered with a smile.

“When did I ever do that?”

“Never. That’s why you have to follow-up with your mess.”

“Someone told you to take me away from here. Do you know who this is?” She pointed at Julianne. “This is J. Green. She’s my favorite author and you came here to take me away from her presence.”

“It is nice meeting you, Julianne and I am sure we will meet again in a much better circumstance. But right now, is it okay if I take my wife away?” Henry addressed Julianne.

“Uh…sure…” Julianne answered, her face showing exactly how amused she was at the look on Angelica’s face.

“You are impossible!” Angelica stood up, stomping her foot. But before her husband could drag her out of the place, she whirled around and faced Julianne with a big smile saying, “We should really spend more time with each other. And let me tell you that I do regret not knowing you were one of the women in that show. If I knew, I could have stomached seeing Zachary’s face just so I could watch you. But they do have re-runs right? I can watch it all over again and then I can finally see how you made Zachary fall for you and your–”

“Angelica,” Henry said beside her with warning.

“Fine!” She cried out and gave Julianne one last smile.

“You told me you were not going out of the house…” Henry was saying as they left without much of a goodbye from everyone else.

“What?” Cassandra’s voice said. She was looking up at her husband.

“You must have forgotten that we have an appointment with the doctor,” her husband said.

“If you didn’t forget it the last time, we wouldn’t have to come today,” she pointed out, but stood up anyway.

“We have to go, guys,” Philip said to the group. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Grey,” he said to Julianne.

“Please, just Julianne,” Julianne answered.

“But never Jules,” Zach inserted.

“Nice to meet you. Ange was right. We should really hang out together soon,” Cassandra uttered before they left.

“Oh my God,” Chanty gushed when the couple walked out the door.

“What?” Zach and Liam asked.

“Ange forgot the book! I should have known she wouldn’t get it and come right over here instead!”

“I’m sure we will see each other again soon,” Julianne reassured her.

“Can we now talk about what we should do with Cameron?” Chanty asked.

Liam shrugged. “Sure.”

“Man, you really want to get rid of Cameron that bad,” Zach stated with a laugh. “You have always hated that guy ever since he started–” but Chanty didn’t hear the rest of his words because he stopped and quickly took Julianne’s coffee and drank it up.

“What do you mean?” Chanty asked.

“Nothing,” Zach answered with a cough. “I just meant that we had always hated that guy. You have always been too good for him, Chanty.”

She did not answer but eyed him suspiciously. Zach was never a good liar. His eyes always gave him away. She transferred her gaze to Julianne but the lady just shrugged. And when she looked at Liam, her curiosity reached the roof. Something was definitely going on that she didn’t know.

He wanted to strangle his friend for almost spilling the beans. Zach had always known he still had this thing for Chanty, but it didn’t matter now. All he wanted to do was to get to know his son and the only way to do that was to get rid of Cameron. And if he could do that, Chanty could live her life the way it had always been. She deserved a life without Cameron in it and Liam was going to make sure that she got it no matter what.

Chanty couldn’t find out about his past feelings for her either  because if she did, she would think he only wanted Willie because of his own selfish reasons. He had to prove himself first. But proving he was a better man would also be a challenge after what that bastard Cameron did to her. Liam was certain that she had reservations. She had put a wall around her that no man could easily climb over.

He just got lucky that he was Willie’s real father and he would be happy to play the part. But how willing would Chanty be if she found out about his past feelings toward her? That was why she couldn’t know. She would totally freak out.

Chapter 11

July 2005, NYU

“Where’s Chanty?” Zach asked when Angelica arrived alone.

The look on her face told her that her friend was not coming.

“I knew she wouldn’t come.”

“No, she just had an emergency. She didn’t even know we were going out with you guys,” Angelica explained.

“What emergency?” Liam asked.

“Cameron, of course. The guy asked her to come to his apartment. I don’t know why.”

“And it’s an emergency?”

“Well, Chanty thought it was. He rarely asks her to come over his place so she assumed something was up,” Angelica said dryly. “But don’t worry, I’m sure she can come the next time,” she assured them. “I’m already building you up to her,” she added, looking at Liam.

“Yeah, right,” he uttered dryly.

 

2013

After they talked about their plan without further interruption from Julianne’s avid readers, Zach and Julianne went on their way to find a hotel because Zach didn’t want Julianne around his parents who were doting on her ever since they learned of her pregnancy.

“He’s really into her. I still can’t believe it,” Chanty said when she was finally alone with Liam.

“I think you are more afraid than you are shocked,” Liam noted, looking at her with amusement.

“I am afraid for Julianne. If Zach goes back to his old ways like he always does ever since I knew him, she’d totally be broken.”

“Don’t worry, Chanty. I think Zach hit it big this time. He’s not going away. You should be more afraid of Julianne getting away. She has the tendency to do that. She was not very fond of Zach in the beginning after all.”

Chanty could imagine how Zach would be if Julianne left him. “That’s going to be one hell of a blockbuster, I tell you,” she said with a laugh. And when she saw Liam looking at her with wonder, her smile disappeared. “What?”

“It’s nice to actually hear you laugh.”

“Ha-ha, funny. Let’s go. We still have work.”

“Are you cool with the article?” Liam asked as they walked out of the café.

“About Cameron not taking pro bono cases? Sure, I am. It would definitely put a little strain on his reputation. He might back off for a few days.”

“But?”

“But, as Julianne said, it might push him to make a move that would throw us back.”

“If he does, we’ll surely win the fight. Willie’s my son. And if we can prove it with legal means, the only reputation going down the drain is his.”

Chanty gulped. She hoped this case with Cameron would not go that far. She was really hoping the guy would back off for good after realizing that a mere article could already ruin him. How much more a big scandal of him having a child he left behind years ago? No one should know who Willie’s father is, Chanty thought. No one.

“Hey,” Liam’s head popped inside her office.

Chanty looked up to see his smiling face. “What?”

“Let’s go home.”

Her frown deepened. “I am going home. You are going home. What made you think we will go home together?”

“I want to see Willie.”

Chanty sighed. “Liam, let’s just take this slow, okay? Let’s not bombard Willie with all of this.”

Liam stared at her for a long time, his expression serious. He was probably weighing things and when he finally nodded his head in agreement, Chanty sighed. “Okay, but you can’t keep him away from me forever, Chanty. I have this plan to make things right for you, myself and my son. Remember that. You’re no longer alone in this.”

She had no right to receive anything from Liam, especially something this big.

But this is all for Willie, part of her mind said when her conscience attacked.

Are you sure? You know you need someone more than ever right now, one corner of her brain uttered.

Shaking her thoughts away, Chanty smiled at Liam and said, “Thanks for understanding.”

Liam opened the door wider, stood before her and took a deep breath. As he did so, he stuck his hands deep inside his pants pockets. “Me giving Willie some space doesn’t include you though,” he said with a mysterious grin.

Chanty’s smile slowly faded. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that since I cannot be with my son today, I should at least take you out on a date.”

“Liam–”

“I don’t mean now, Chanty, so relax. I have important things to do and that includes the article regarding Cameron. But I will take you out tomorrow.”

“I have work–”

“After work then,” he cut in.

“I can’t–”

“Why do I have this feeling that I don’t ever want to hear the words ‘can’t’ and ‘no’ from you? I hate it when they come out of your mouth when you’re talking to me. You can use it in front of Cameron, but I really wish you’ll stop saying those words to me–”

“Okay, okay! Fine! I’ll go! Just stop it with the blabber,” Chanty cried out and received a big kiss on the lips from him. “You can’t–”

He held up one finger as he said, “Ah, what did I tell you?”

“Fine, but stop doing that. We’re in my office for Christ’s sake.”

He laughed and gave her another full kiss before he winked and walked out the room.

Chanty was just about to go home when her phone rang.

“What?” she answered dryly.

“You need to go home, dress up and I’ll come pick you up in an hour. Like right now, Chanty,” Angelica’s voice boomed in her ear.

“Why? Where are we going?”

“Just dress up, okay?”

“But Willie is–”

“Your babysitter is on her way to take Willie to Cass. Philip will look after him while we’re gone–”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Chanty said, confused. “Cass is coming with us? Where are we going?”

“Just get dressed and–”

“I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me–”

“We’re going on a girls’ night out, girl! With Julianne! O-M-G, I can’t still believe I am calling her by her first name. Can you believe it? J. Green has agreed to go out with us and now Zach is about ready to kill me and I know because he gave me a call after I talked to his fiancée but that doesn’t matter now because–”

“Ange! Ange! Stop! What the hell are you talking about? We’re going on a girls’ night out with Cass and Julianne?”

“Yes! Can you believe it?!”

“Has it ever occurred to you that they are pregnant? Julianne is in her first trimester and it is a very crucial stage. Cass should be giving birth anytime soon as well and–”

“And has it ever occurred to you as well that I am a freaking doctor?”

“But they should not be going out at the usual places we go to because–”

“Come on, Chanty, we’re going, right? It only means that I successfully gained Philip and Zach’s approval, well, sort of, but the point is, the guys are okay with it. I will not take any of you anywhere where there are cigarette smoke, loud music and a lot of alcohol. So just go home and get dressed before Philip and Zach change their minds. You very well know that could happen anytime.”

“What about Henry?”

“He’s out again and this is actually the first time that I am glad he’s out on a mission. Just go home and get dressed. Will be there in an hour.”

There was no stopping Angelica now, Chanty was sure of it. Once her friend made up her mind over something, it would usually happen no matter the outcome. Of all the things Angelica did, Chanty would not even be surprised if they would end up in trouble tonight.

“She’s pretty, right?” Angelica uttered when Julianne finally came out of the hotel lobby, dressed in a simple loose, silk blouse and white pants.

Chanty and Cassandra exchanged looks. They never received such compliments from Angelica when she saw them tonight. Cassandra was very much pregnant but she looked great in her classy blue dress and Chanty, after re-dressing three times because of Angelica, was wearing a chic aquamarine dress that stopped above her knees.

“Oh, Zach’s here,” Angelica muttered under her breath when Zach came into view, his expression pissed. “We should have picked up Julianne first,” Angelica added.

“You have to bring her home before twelve as promised, Ange,” Zach said the moment he and Julianne reached them.

“Of course–”

“You will not,” Zach finished for her and then turned to Chanty, “so I will ask you, Chanty, to bring my future wife home before twelve sober, smoke-free and happy.”

Julianne turned her head and looked at Zach, her expression calm. When he saw it, he shut his mouth.

“How can you do that?” Angelica asked Julianne with awe. “I really am starting to believe you are the perfect match for him.”

“Just bring her to the hotel safe,” Zach snapped at them.

“Yes, we will, okay?” Angelica said.

“I’ll be fine, Zach. And I need this,” Julianne said to him.

“You don’t go out at night like this, Jules,” he said.

“Well, now I do. I have been stressed because of my book and you lately that I need to get away for a while.”

“What?” he asked in disbelief.

“You’re over-reacting,” Jules told him with a smile. She stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be fine. Let’s go?” she addressed the question to Chanty and the others.

“Yeah, before he changes his mind,” Angelica said and grabbed Julianne by the hand, guiding everyone, except Zach, to the exit.

In Chanty’s great relief, Angelica took them to a restaurant where she managed to get a more private room for them to eat, talk and drink. The two pregnant women didn’t even touch a glass of wine just for precaution.

“I can only have one glass of wine a week and I already took one just yesterday,” Cassandra declared before she gulped down water. “But I really hope I give birth pretty soon. I sure miss my beer.”

“How about you, Julianne?” asked Angelica.

Julianne shook her head. “I don’t really drink. The last time I did, I was still in the show. I don’t think I did well.”

“Really? What happened” asked Chanty. She was really curious what happened in that show that turned Zach to the man he was now.

“I can’t really remember. It must have been in Las Vegas or something. I honestly don’t remember. Things happened so fast in that show.”

“Cass has the worst experiences in drinking though, I guess,” Angelica said, looking at Cass with laughter.

“Why?” asked Julianne.

“Nothing really worth mentioning–” Cassandra started but Angelica and Chanty cut her off.

“Let’s see,” Angelica said, counting with one hand as the other held her wine. “First, she received a proposal from Philip while she was drunk inside a café. Second, she threw up on him at a bar during their honeymoon. Third, she picked a fight with him in a pub because she was jealous over me–”

“I was not jealous over you!”

“Oh, yeah…I remember now. It was Beth the bitch, right?”

“Oh my God, yes!” Chanty exclaimed. “But let’s not talk about her. Julianne doesn’t know her and she’s so history to begin with.”

“Agree,” Angelica nodded and then her face lit up once again as she turned her head to face Cassandra once more. “Oh, wait. I forgot the part where you got drunk in Boracay and you and Philip almost did it on the beach if that dog and its owner did not pass by and–”

“Okay, okay, stop, please,” Cassandra pleaded while Chanty and Julianne laughed. “I need to go to the bathroom,” she added, standing up.

“I’ll go with,” Angelica said and followed her friend.

“You have great friends,” Julianne said to Chanty when they were finally alone.

“You mean crazy friends,” Chanty rolled her eyes. “And you won’t believe the things they did in the past, especially Angelica. She almost died countless of times and even until now she’s giving her husband tiny heart attacks every now and then. I can’t imagine how he can keep up with her, honestly.”

“Really? She’s that…what’s the word?”

“Crazy. She’s just crazy. Can you believe that she tried to attack the man who wanted to kill her when we were in the Philippines just because he broke her heel? And when she recounted her story when she was kidnapped–“

“Wait, she was kidnapped?”

“Yeah, long story and you should hear it from her. Anyway, when she told us of the story, we only grasped the part when she was thinking about making an appointment with her dermatologist because her skin had been scratched. Can you believe it? But she’s a great friend. She’d die for you. She’d fight your fight if she has to,” Chanty added the last three sentences to ease Julianne’s mind. For all she knew, the woman was already planning her escape route by now.

“So, where’s Liam?” Julianne asked when they were finally done talking about Angelica.

“Uh, I don’t know. He told me he’s going to be busy with the article. You know about it,” she answered.

“You’re lucky the father of your son is willing to stick around. Some people just don’t,” Julianne said, her expression flat but Chanty knew there was something behind her words. Well, whatever it was, she would have more time to know about it. They were still in the stage of friendship where they couldn’t talk about deep, personal things.

The door suddenly burst open and Cassandra and Angelica appeared, their faces in panic.

“What? What happened?” Chanty asked, not really in the mood to panic like Julianne. She was already used to her friends. She wouldn’t be surprised if they were looking like that just because the toilet paper ran out.

“We saw Cameron!” Angelica uttered.

“He’s here!” Cassandra added.

“And you won’t believe who he’s with!” they said in unison.

Chanty’s heart started to hammer. Okay, maybe it was time to feel a little bit alarmed.

Chapter 12

August 2005, NYU

 

“Who’s that?” Angelica asked Chanty.

“Who?” she asked without looking up from her book.

“The one Liam’s with.”

Chanty looked up and glanced at the corner of the café where Angelica’s gaze was focused.

Liam was talking to a pretty black-haired girl and he seemed to be enjoying the company.

“She’s pretty. Must be his new girl,” Angelica said.

“I don’t care,” Chanty uttered with a sigh. “You should be back at the hospital now, Ange. You’re not supposed to be here spying on people.”

“Hey, I missed you, okay? After I graduated, it’s like I am alone again. It’s nice to visit NYU and you. And I like keeping tabs on things around here.”

“And Liam interests you?”

“Yeah. He’s a pretty cool guy if he’s not with Zachary. But the two of them are not that bad either. You should come with us next time.”

“Yeah, maybe. Whatever,” Chanty said, stealing another glance at Liam and the girl he was talking to.

 

2013

“Who?” Chanty asked her two wide-eyed friends.

“Beth the bitch!” they cried in unison.

“What?” Chanty shot to her feet. “Julianne, let’s go!”

She stormed to the door and Cassandra and Angelica moved to the side to make room for her. She went out the door, turned to the right and walked to the end of the corridor.

“They’re over there at the corner,” Angelica whispered in Chanty’s ear.

Chanty poked her head out of the partition wall that separated the private dining rooms from the main dining area of the restaurant.

“Oh my God! What the hell!” Chanty cried out in a whisper, grasping the edge of the wall with one hand. “It’s really her! What are they doing together?”

Angelica joined her, her head right below Chanty’s. “I think they’re on a date.”

Cassandra walked toward them and joined in with the peeking. “Yes, I guess so too.”

“Who’s Beth the bitch again?” asked Julianne, her head below Angelica’s.

“She’s our all-time favorite enemy,” Angelica answered.

“She’s my ex’s twin sister,” Cassandra explained.

“The ex who broke up with her two years before she met Philip,” Chanty added, her eyes still focused on the couple at the far corner.

“And she hates Cass’ ass like hell,” Angelica said.

“Why?” Julianne asked.

“Because she had been stalking Philip for years, that bitch,” Cassandra answered with ire.

“I’m really confused,” Julianne uttered.

“It’s pretty simple. Cass has an ex. Beth is his twin sister. Beth blames Cass for the accident that happened to her brother years ago. On the other side, Beth has been chasing Philip for years but Philip ended up with Cass. So yeah, Beth hates Cass,” Angelica explained, looking down at Julianne.

“And whoever Cass’ enemy is your enemy?” asked Julianne.

“Oh no, girl. I have been chasing after Philip for years as well, just before he met Cass, remember? Beth has been more of a pain in the ass than Cass.”

“This is really interesting. I can make a great story about this, you know,” Julianne uttered with amusement. “You girls are very interesting indeed.”

“I know, right?” said Angelica. “You shouldn’t forget to point out how amazing I am, Jules.

“You shouldn’t let Zach hear you call me Jules,” Julianne said. The four of them were still peering at the couple fifteen meters away from them.

“He can’t do anything about that,” Angelica uttered.

“Even my friend and editor opted to shift back to calling me Julianne because he insisted it,” Julianne added.

“Urgh, please let’s not talk about your possessive, childish fiancé . Let’s focus on those two. This really presents a problem, Chanty.”

Chanty nodded. Cameron alone was bad enough. Him with Beth the bitch was worse. The black-haired woman who had been on the top of their Most Hated People Wall of Fame was fearless. She and Cameron was actually a great pair. Seeing the two holding hands across the table and talking while looking into each other’s eyes made Chanty sick.

“Beth knows a lot of people, too, Chanty. She can use her connections to find out the truth. If that happens–”

“No one’s taking my son away from me. Especially his father,” Chanty blurted out angrily, leaning away from the wall. And before she knew it, Julianne was already gaping at her with a mixture of curiosity and shock.

Cassandra and Angelica must have realized the same thing because they stood rooted on their feet, looking at Julianne’s reaction.

“So that’s why I thought something was off yesterday,” Julianne finally said, her voice flat. “I sensed you were lying, Chanty.”

Chanty gave up.

“It’s for a good cause! I swear! I tried telling Liam the truth but he wouldn’t hear of it!”

“But you should have told him the truth again and again until he believed you. He could have understood, you know.”

Chanty began to panic. Julianne had known Liam more than her. “Julianne, please, don’t tell him yet. I just need to take care of this matter with Cameron before I can face this Liam problem.”

Julianne stared at her for a long time without a word, studying her.

“Julianne, you have to understand that this means a lot to Chanty. You don’t know what Cameron is capable of,” Angelica said after a moment.

“Let me think for a moment,” Julianne said, stepping away from them.

Chanty looked at Cassandra and Angelica helplessly before she followed Julianne back to their dining room. Cassandra and Angelica followed behind them.

“Well? Have you thought about it?” Angelica broke the silence when they finally closed the door behind them.

Chanty threw her friend a look.

” What? ” her friend mouthed. “ We need her to keep this a secret, right? ”

“Shut up,” Chanty hissed at her and turned to Julianne who was already seated at one corner.

“This is really hard for me. I am pregnant and I don’t think I can carry this much stress of knowing your secret, Chanty.”

“I know, Julianne. You can tell Zach and Liam. I can accept that. I have led you guys to believe my lie.”

“But she never really intended to,” Angelica spoke up in her defense. “It just started out as a white lie, didn’t it, Chanty? It was just to make Cameron back off for a while. But Liam was in the room when Chanty told Cameron and he believed it.”

“And when Chanty tried to tell him the truth, Liam didn’t believe her,” Cassandra added.

“But I’ll fix it. I will tell them if you want,” Chanty said.

“No!” Angelica and Cassandra cried in unison.

“I don’t think I can take more of this as well, guys. Julianne is right. This lie is very stressful even for me. In fact, I can go right ahead and tell Cameron the truth right now. I’ll tell him Willie is his, but I won’t give him the privilege of becoming his father. I will tell him right now. I can win in court if it has to come to that.”

Angelica gave an exaggerated gasp. Cassandra’s mouth fell open. Chanty started to turn around.

“You might lose in court,” Julianne uttered as Chanty walked to the door.

Chanty paused.

“She could?” asked Angelica.

“Cameron’s a lawyer. And he can play the cards well if he’s as good as what you all believe he is. He can throw back the things that you did right back at you. He could tell the court that you hid his son away from him. That you lied to him.”

“That’s true,” Cassandra seconded.

“So I guess this lie can go on for a while. But please, don’t let it drag for long, Chanty. I am not a very good liar. Zach will eventually notice.”

“Then don’t let him. Don’t talk to him about Chanty and Liam,” Angelica said.

“Liam’s his best friend,” Julianne pointed out, but Chanty was already hugging her before she could add something.

“Thank you so much. I owe you a lot, Julianne. I will tell Liam as soon as everything’s settled.”

“And how do you intend to settle things?”

“Let’s just hope that the article will make Cameron back off. If that doesn’t happen, I’m planning on attacking him more before he could make his move. I will attack and attack until he would be forced to talk to me and settle things. We will sign on it and he will finally be gone, on his way to senate or whatever.”

Angelica, Cassandra and Julianne looked at her doubtfully.

“How do you intend to attack him?” Angelica asked.

“With what?” asked Cassandra.

Chanty smiled at them. “Girls, I have not been in a relationship with that douche bag for years for nothing.”

When her friends finally realized what she was trying to imply, they smiled.

“Oh, I like where this is going,” Angelica said.

“Zach will definitely freak out if he finds out,” Julianne said an hour later.

They were now driving back home after they waited for Cameron and his date to leave the restaurant. Since Chanty and Angelica drunk quite a few more wine and later a few shots of tequila, Cassandra was behind the wheel. Julianne was riding shotgun while the other two were seated at the back, their heads resting at the windows.

“You don’t have to tell Zach everything,” Angelica droned. “I don’t tell Henry everything.”

Chanty scoffed beside her. “You only follow him almost everywhere if you don’t have anything to do.”

“He lives a very dangerous life, you know.”

“And you can protect him if something bad happens?”

“Hey, I did save his life countless of times!”

“And from what I gathered from your dear husband,” Cassandra said from behind the wheels, “you almost got yourselves killed that night when you followed him to that Russian thing.”

“Those Russians were really bad people. It was a good thing I followed Henry.”

“Wait, I don’t understand,” Julianne spoke up.

While Cassandra filled her in with the details of Angelica’s crazy adventures, Chanty fell quiet, looking out into the darkness of the street. They were driving to Angelica’s place first because it was much further out the city than Cassandra and Philip’s place. Then they would take Angelica’s car back to the city to drop Julianne and Cassandra would sleep at Chanty’s place for the night.

She thought about Beth and Cameron and how faith could be so playful to even bring those two together. Everything was messed up in Chanty’s mind. It might be the alcohol, she thought. How could she face this problem with Cameron and what was he really up to? And how about Liam? Julianne was another bit of a problem. Chanty didn’t know her well yet to trust her to keep her secret for some time before she could figure out a way to get the hell out of this mess.

“What’s happening?” Angelica’s voice woke Chanty up from her trance.

The car was slowing down and Cassandra was pulling up at the side of the road.

“We ran out of gas,” Cassandra said.

Chanty groaned. She looked out the window. “Let’s just call for a taxi.”

“It would be a wise decision if I am living within the city, Chanty,” Angelica answered. “In case you forgot, my address changed recently.”

Her friend was right. They were a few miles away from the city. Angelica and Henry bought a house far from the city to keep Angelica away from the mall. That was just what everyone’s guess, but Angelica had argued that it was best to live in a quiet place especially when she and Henry were planning to build their own family.

“We should have dropped Julianne first,” Chanty said. “Zach would kill us.”

“We decided I stay, remember? In case Cassandra needs a sub,” Julianne reminded them.

“Then let’s call the husbands,” said Angelica, “and fiancé,” she added.

“I don’t know, I don’t think it is a good idea,” said Julianne. “Zach will freak out. He would think of the worst possible scenarios.”

“Urgh,” Angelica rolled her eyes. “Henry will kill me.”

“Along with Philip. Why didn’t you fill your tank earlier, Ange?”

“I was in a hurry to even think about it. Why didn’t you check before we left the restaurant?”

“I was thinking you would have already taken care of it and–”

“Hey, hey, hey! Stop it,” Chanty cried out. “Okay, calm down, ladies. It’s not the end of the world, okay?”

“Zach’s calling,” Julianne uttered, taking out her phone.

“Don’t answer that,” Angelica told her.

Julianne threw her phone back inside her bag. “Now what? Husbands?”

“I just told you, my husband will kill me if he finds out I went out without telling him. And he’s on a mission, I guess.”

“Philip?”

“I just told you, he’ll kill me too. He’s been calling me five times already. I should go home without having to tell him something like this happened.”

They fell quiet.

“How can a simple incident like this be so overly dramatic?” asked Chanty. “Fine, I’m calling Liam.”

“What a great idea,” Angelica said dryly.

Chanty dialed Liam’s number and he picked up on the first ring. “Hey, we kind of have a problem. No, no, we’re fine. I’m with Cassandra, Julianne and Angelica. No, Angelica did not make another trouble,” she said with a smile as she looked at her gaping friend.

“Why does everyone thing I always bring trouble?” Angelica asked aloud.

“We kind of ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere,” Chanty told Liam. “So we decided to call you because we can’t tell the other guys. I don’t know. They just think it is better if they don’t find out. So keep this to yourself.”

Liam sighed. “Okay, text me your location. I’ll come right away.”

When he placed his phone back on the table, the eyes of his companions were on him.

“Was that Chanty?” asked Zach.

“Yeah,” he answered, not really knowing what to say. “I need to go.”

“Wait,” Philip stopped him. “Isn’t Chanty with my wife?”

“Uh…” Liam scratched his head. He really didn’t know what to say. “I guess so?”

“And most definitely Angelica,” Henry said, standing up. “You don’t have to tell us anything, Liam. We might not know what happened, but I’m pretty sure they need our help.”

“I knew this is going to happen! That’s why she wasn’t answering her phone,” Zach said as he followed Henry and Philip, who was also saying, “that’s why she hasn’t been answering my calls,” to the door of the pub. “Well, aren’t you coming?” Zach asked Liam who was still in his seat.

Honestly, he didn’t want to go at all. He could imagine Cassandra and Angelica throwing daggers at him. And Julianne would definitely not like this and he didn’t want to find out what that lady could do.

“Heaton, get your ass off that chair and let’s go,” Henry said over his shoulder.

Liam sighed. He never planned his boys’ night out to end up this way.

Chapter 13

September 2005, NYU

“You didn’t tell me those two are coming,” Chanty threw Angelica an accusing look as she murmured under her breath.

“Come on, Chanty. We’ve been going on a road trip for years, just the two of us. It’s refreshing to have some fun company.”

“Those two are not fun at all, Ange,” Chanty retorted fast, watching Zach and Liam walk toward them with their large backpacks.

“Hey, just give them a chance. And don’t tell Cameron.”

She wouldn’t dare tell Cameron. He’d freak out once he knew she’d be on a weekend getaway with his enemies.

 

2013

“What’s taking Liam so long?” Angelica whined, stumbling out the car. She tried to steady herself by leaning against the trunk of the car. “My husband might be home anytime.”

“I thought you said he’s on a mission?” asked Chanty, peering at her phone. The alcohol was still taking effect and it seemed that it would take a few hours before she could see things more clearly.

“He comes home without notice most of the time. And when he does, I should be home, especially after midnight.”

“You two should get back inside–oh God, Philip’s calling again. What should I do?” Cassandra said to them, opening the driver’s door. “He’ll kill me if he finds out we are trapped in the middle of the road. And then he’ll decide to bury me in the woods behind our house if he knew I was driving.”

No one paid her panic attack any attention because Angelica and Chanty were secretly trying not to throw up (which was the reason why they went out for some air).

“Where are we again?” asked Julianne, joining Chanty and Angelica at the rear. She looked around, but couldn’t see a thing, except the long empty road, thanks to the car’s headlights.

“We’re at freaking-I-don’t-know,” Angelica sighed, gulping. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

Chanty groaned, “Oh my God, me too.”

All of a sudden, the two of them jumped to the nearest tree and emptied everything on the bushes.

“Oh my God, my hair!” Angelica was shouting.

“Are you guys okay?” Julianne asked, not daring to come closer.

“Yes, we’re fine!” Chanty shouted, patting Angelica at the back. Her friend was doing the same thing with hers.

“You guys are a picture of true friendship,” Cassandra shouted from inside the car. Her laughter rang out in the dark, cold, silent night.

“Jules! Take my phone for a sec, Liam’s calling,” Chanty said, holding out her phone behind her back.

Julianne walked toward her and grabbed the ringing phone. “What should I tell him?”

“I don’t know. Just say something so he could get us the hell out of here,” she uttered before she bent over once more with a gag. Angelica was busy catching her breath while holding her hair out of her way.

“I’m never drinking again,” Chanty groaned.

“You always say that,” Angelica said. “Oh God, my hair!”

“Where are you?” Liam asked the moment Chanty answered the phone.

“This is Julianne.”

“Julianne? Where’s Chanty?”

“Uh…she’s busy at the moment.”

That didn’t sound good. “Where are you guys?”

“Wait. Cass, where are we? Liam’s asking.”

“Just tell him to take the way to Ange’s place.”

“I don’t know where that is,” Liam said, hearing Cassandra’s reply. “Forget it. I’ll figure it out. Just stay inside the car. Don’t get out.”

“Uh…okay.”

He then dialed Henry’s number. He peered at his rearview mirror. Zach was driving behind him, followed by Henry and lastly Philip. “They said they are on their way to your place,” he said to Henry when the guy picked up. “Lead the way.”

He slowed down his car and within a few seconds, Henry was revving past him and led the way.

“I hope no one gets killed tonight,” he murmured under his breath.

“Liam’s here!” Julianne cried out. The two ladies were still by the bushes, trying to do some last-minute stomach drainage. “Oh-oh.”

“What? What oh-oh?” asked Cassandra from inside the car.

“Uh… I think Liam–”

But she was not able to finish her sentence because Henry was already storming toward them, his face serious.

“Angelica!” he cried out. “Where is she?” he said to Julianne.

Julianne pointed to where Angelica and Chanty was without a word.

“It’s Henry!” Chanty told Angelica. And then she thought she heard someone say, “I said stay inside the car, right?” Was it Liam?

“What do you mean it’s Henry? He’s out on a mission–”

“Angelica!” Hearing her husband’s voice, Angelica straightened and whirled around. Henry was attacking the ground with his shoes, his eyes deadly.

“How do I look?” Angelica asked Chanty.

“Hell,” she answered, knowing her friend had leaves stuck in her hair and some–something else.

“Not a good answer,” her friend said before forcing a smile as her husband neared. “Darling! I was just about to call you!”

“Call me? I have been calling you and you weren’t answering. Did you drink?”

“What? Of course I…did. But only a little, I swear,” her friend answered, stepping away from her husband.

Chanty wasn’t listening because she was on her way to Liam who was already out of his car. And then she saw Philip and Zach behind him.

“You called them?!” she accused.

“I didn’t. We were together. Are you okay? I told you guys not to get out of the car.”

“You were together?” Chanty repeated, glaring at Zach and Philip.

They just looked at her and went to Julianne and Cassandra respectively.

“Are you okay?” Liam repeated.

“Yes, I am. I thought you are going to do something important?”

“Well, I made that up. You said you can’t go on a date with me tonight so I thought I should call the guys.”

She sighed. That date again. She couldn’t think about it for now because she suddenly remembered one important thing. She turned around and stormed to where Philip and Cassandra were.

“You’re driving?” Philip was saying to his wife.

“No, of course not! I was just sitting here while waiting.”

“I know when you’re lying, babe. And you’re lying now.”

“Babe, I swear I am just–”

“Philip!” Chanty cut her sister-in-law’s words. “Where the hell is Willie?”

Her brother turned and looked at her panicky face. “He’s with Mom.”

“What? We entrusted him to you!”

“And you think Mom will not be doing a better job that I would?”

“No, of course not, but you could have called!”

“If I did, I wouldn’t have found out that my wife is driving a long way in her very pregnant state,” he said, turning back to face Cassandra.

“Babe, calm down,” Cassandra said.

“Just get your ass out from the driver seat, Cassandra. And let’s go home. Now.”

Cassandra glared at him but followed his orders. Nowadays, whenever Philip would call her by her given name, it meant serious. “I am not talking to you!”

“You will when we get home,” Philip said, following her to their car.

Chanty cringed and turned around to survey the scene. Henry was pulling Angelica away from the bushes only to guide her back when Angelica gagged. “You promised me you’re not drinking tonight,” Henry was telling her.

Liam walked over to Chanty. “What now?”

“I don’t know,” Chanty sighed.

Zach was busy talking to Julianne, but he seemed to be calmer than Henry and Philip.

“Jules, you should have called.”

“We didn’t think this was going to happen, Zach. And why didn’t you tell me you are going out?”

Cassandra, on her way to the Philip’s car stopped in her tracks when she heard Julianne. She whirled around to face her husband. “Yeah, why didn’t you tell me you are going out?”

Philip stepped back in defense. “I thought you’re not talking to me?”

“You did not even send a text! What if something happened and we didn’t have anyone else to call but you, huh?”

“Hey, babe, calm down. You’re overreacting.”

“Now I’m the one overreacting? What did you just do earlier?”

“I was worried!”

“Why should you be?”

At that point, Chanty couldn’t quite figure out who was talking, who were in defense and who were on attack mode. “STOP! EVERYONE, STOP IT!” Chanty shouted. “This is not the time for this!”

Angelica was in the process of wiping her mouth, Julianne was saying something to Zach and Cassandra–well, in short, everyone stopped and stared at Chanty.

“Great job,” said Liam beside her.

“Okay, so can we just all stop and go home? I am drunk, I smell awful and I feel dirty.”

“What about my car?” Angelica asked when everyone started to move.

“Did you check the tank of gas at the trunk?” asked Henry.

“There’s a tank of gas at my trunk?” Angelica asked her husband.

“What?” Chanty, Jules and Cassandra cried out in disbelief.

“I placed it there for emergencies.  There are four of you and no one checked.” Henry said dryly. “Forget it. You’re not driving,” he said to his wife and then he looked at Chanty, Julianne and Cassandra. “None of you is driving for a week or I’ll arrest you personally.”

“You can’t do that–” Chanty protested but Liam grabbed her hand to stop her with a whisper, “I won’t argue if I were you.”

“Okay, fine! Just take me home! No, I want to see Willie, my son whom I entrusted to my dear brother,” she said, walking past Philip with a glare, “and who is now with my mother!”

She walked straight to Liam’s car and went straight to the backseat.

“You won’t ride shotgun?” he asked.

“I smell terrible,” she explained.

“I’ll open the windows.”

“Fine,” she answered, climbed out of the backseat and bumped against Philip. “Don’t you dare kill your wife and bury her in the woods!” Her brother just rolled his eyes and guided his pregnant wife to his car. “And she didn’t drive!” Chanty yelled before she climbed beside Liam.

“Done?” he asked with an amused smile.

“Yeah,” Chanty whispered and closed her eyes. All of a sudden, everything was swirling all over again.

When Liam opened the windows, she could make out Henry and Angelica’s voices as they walked to Henry’s car which was parked before them. And Julianne must have decided to continue lecturing Zach about why he said he was not going out of the hotel and ended up with the other guys while he explained that they were inside the hotel bar so he did not really break his words while she, on the other hand, ignored his calls.

“I am going to face one hell of a mess tomorrow, won’t I?” Chanty asked Liam as they drove back on the road, leaving Angelica’s car behind to be towed later.

“Yeah, most probably,” Liam said beside Chanty.

When she woke up that morning, she woke up in a bed she didn’t recognize.

At first she thought it was just the hangover, but when she tried to get out, she bumped into a wall. That was when she discovered that one side of the bed she was in was against the wall, a wall she didn’t recognize. And when Chanty finally managed to distinguish the smell of alcohol from the smell of the cushions and the air in the room, she jumped out to the other side of the bed. She looked down. Not her room. Not her carpet.

Struggling with the sudden whirl of the room due to her abrupt change of position, she looked around. She took in the gray wall, the white furniture and the photos at one corner.

Liam.

“Liam!” She intended it to come out as a cry, but she barely heard her own voice. Her hand went up to her throat, swallowing to ease the dryness. “Liam!” she tried again and this time she succeeded.

“You’re awake?” his handsome face poked through the doorway.

“Where am I?”

He frowned. “Guessing by your reaction, I think you’ve already figured that one out.”

“I told you to take me to my mom’s!”

“And if I did? What could have I told her if she asked why her daughter was dropping by to pick up her son drunk?”

He got a point. “But still! You should have followed my orders!”

“Chanty, as far as I know, we work together. I don’t follow your orders. And we are dating, remember?”

She groaned. “Do you have an obsession over dating me? We haven’t even been on a date for you to declare the dating status!”

“And whose fault is that?” he asked and broke into a grin. He motioned with his head saying, “Breakfast is ready. You can shower after that. Then we can fetch Willie and then go to work.”

“That’s a lot to take in.”

“I’m not the one with the hangover. I didn’t even get the chance to get drunk last night, thanks to you and your crazy friends.”

Chanty groaned. She looked down and saw that she was still wearing her clothes from last night. Good thing Liam didn’t bother with the usual change-the-girl’s-clothes-and-make-her-think-something-happened-last-night thing, which happened to Cassandra and some other ladies in the movies.

“I think I need to shower first,” she shouted. “Can I borrow something to wear?”

“Go right ahead!” Liam answered from outside.

After showering and having breakfast with Liam, they drove to pick Willie up. The child was excited to see Liam and Chanty tried her best to act like it was a normal thing. Liam then drove to her home so she could change out of his sweat pants and shirt.

Once she was done changing into a simple black dress, Liam insisted that they ride with him. “I can’t trust your hangover state,” were his exact words.

So she obliged, knowing she didn’t want to waste a lot of energy arguing with him, and they dropped Willie off at daycare.

Everyone in the office was looking at the two of them when they arrived.

“Get ready for later,” Liam whispered beside her.

“Later?”

He looked down at her. “The date, remember?”

Chanty did not answer but turned and walked inside her office.

Chapter 14

October 2005, NYU

Liam wanted to drag Zach out of the cinema.

“Stop that,” he told his friend.

“Stop what?” his friend asked with a chuckle, threw another popcorn and this time it landed on Cameron’s head.

Liam rolled his eyes and elbowed Zach when his friend threw another piece.

“What? This is the main purpose why we followed their date, right?”

“This was your idea, not mine.”

“Shh!” The lady beside them said.

Zach said sorry and threw another cheesy ball.

“One more and I’m going out,” Liam warned. Cameron was busily looking around for the third time. Chanty said something to him. Liam watched as the guy leaned forward and started kissing her.

“Oh-oh,” Zach uttered beside him.

Liam reached out and grabbed a handful of popcorns and sent them flying toward the kissing couple.

 

2013

Chanty paced around her office. She had given up work ten minutes ago. Liam’s eagerness to go on a date made her feel uneasy.

She had attempted to call him or barge inside his office and announce that they couldn’t go on a date; that he didn’t have to take it this far; that she was not ready; that he was not Willie’s father; that it was all just a lie that went bad. But how could she? She didn’t know how he would react.

Looking at her phone, she looked for Angelica’s number.

No, she couldn’t call her friend. She might be in some kind of domestic dispute right now and Chanty didn’t want to hear any evidence of guns or knives thrown–most probably toward Henry.

She typed Cassandra’s name.

No, her friend/sister-in-law was probably on hunger strike while secretly chewing on crackers that she always kept inside her drawer in case she had to go on hunger strike if ever she and Philip fought.

Chanty was about to call Julianne but the lady was probably with Zach. That was not a problem, really, but she knew Julianne would panic if she was to talk about the lie that the girls just told her last night. Julianne was not very enthusiastic about the lie as Cassandra and Angelica were.

Giving a big sigh, she opted for the first option.

She called Angelica. Who else could she talk to?

“Yeah?” Angelica answered groggily.

“Is it safe? Can I talk to you?”

“What do you mean it’s safe?”

“You are not in the middle of a fight with Henry?”

“Chanty, I am always fighting with that man. He’s in the bathroom, taking a shower. I was about to join him when you called.”

“He’s not that angry?”

“Of course, he is! But he thinks it’s better not to talk about it.”

“He told you that?”

“Of course he didn’t. I just figured it out. No big fight, really. He treated me with so much silence. Enough of that. What do you want to talk about?”

“Liam told me to get ready for our date later,” Chanty said with a grimace.

“Date?” Angelica laughed out loud after she said that. “He is really serious, is he?”

“I feel so damned guilty right now, Ange, I could blurt out the truth.”

“You can’t do that just yet. Remember Willie. Remember Cameron. And that Beth the bitch. Remember them.”

“You don’t really give good advices.”

“I am just telling you the truth. Well, of course, you can tell Liam. But didn’t we agree last night that you will settle things before you tell him? You have a lot of dirty stuff to throw at Cameron, right? Get them ready and throw them until there’s nothing left. As of now, don’t get confused.”

“Why do I get this feeling that Liam likes this?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, he kind of likes the idea of us dating. He doesn’t appear to just be doing it because of Willie. I get this feeling that he really wants this.”

“The forever ignorant Chanty,” Angelica said with a sigh. “You really don’t have any idea.”

Chanty frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t act like you haven’t known, dear.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You don’t really know?”

“What?!” Chanty was losing her patience.

“Liam has always liked you since I could remember, moron! What the hell is wrong with you that you haven’t even noticed that? Oh, wait, Henry’s done showering. Need to act like a good alcohol-free wife and fix him breakfast. Call you later.”

And with that, with that statement that Liam had always liked her since forever, her friend was gone like she just said something not entirely important.

All Chanty could do was stare at her phone with her mouth hanging open.

Liam was pacing around his office when Kyle walked in carrying a bunch of papers.

“What’s wrong with you?” the man asked.

Liam looked at him and blurted out, “Where do you use to take her?”

Kyle frowned. “Take who where?”

He cursed under his breath. What the hell. “Chanty. Where do you use to take her to dates?”

The architect just looked at him with a frown for a while before his face softened and a smile broke out. “Don’t tell me you’re still bothered about the past–”

“No, of course not,” he cut in. “I just want to know where you used to take her.”

“Why?”

Liam walked to the door and closed it. Then he turned around and faced Kyle with a serious look on his face. “Just tell me.”

The man shrugged. “I don’t know. We went out for dinners, movies, coffee–anything random. Why do you ask?”

Liam just nodded. “What are those?” he asked to change the subject.

Kyle must have thought it strange as it was apparent on his face but he let the topic go and said, “The layouts for the stores in the ground floor. Just thought you might want to check them out.”

“Yes, I would. Thanks,” he said, taking the papers. “Is there anything else?” he added when Kyle did not make any move to walk out of the office.

“I’ve never really done fun things with her. You might want to try that.” And then he was gone before Liam could say anything.

Fun things, Liam thought.

Chanty almost threw her phone out the window.

Angelica just texted her that Henry was really serious about arresting any of them, Cassandra and Julianne included, if he caught them driving for the next three weeks.

“Three weeks! Like hell!” she blurted out. Deep inside, she knew she had no choice. Henry could be quite persistent and consistent with his words.

“Hey,” Liam’s voice distracted her from her thoughts.

“What?” she snapped at his head popping through her door.

“Be comfy later. No dresses and high heels,” he said before disappearing.

Chanty closed her eyes and prayed for things to be over soon. She didn’t know how Cameron took the newspaper article, but she was hoping he’d take the hint and back off. Chanty badly needed her life to go back to normal. That included not telling lies to someone like Liam. And when everything was over, she hoped no one was going to be hurt.

After lunch, Chanty received a call from Liam.

“Shall I pick you up later?”

“No, you have to take me home.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t drive for the next three weeks!”

She heard him chuckle from the other end of the line. “Henry was really serious about that?”

“Yes. So you have to take me home. I can cook for you later.”

“What do you mean cook for me?”

“I don’t think I would like to go out tonight.”

“Chanty, I told you I’ll take you out on a date. No backing out. I’ll take you home, you get dressed, then we’ll go somewhere.”

“But–”

“If you’re worried about Willie, I already asked Zach and Julianne to watch over him.”

“What? Why them?”

“Because I can’t contact Philip. And you haven’t really introduced me to your mom and your grandparents yet so I thought they are out. And I am not sure Angelica will be up for the challenge of taking care of our son.”

Our son.

Oh, God, Chanty groaned inside her mind. “And you think Zach would?”

“No, but I think Julianne will. And she already said yes. Just get ready by four. We’ll go home and drop Willie at the hotel.”

She tried not to panic. What if Angelica was telling the truth earlier? That Liam had past feelings for her? How could she deal with that? How would he deal with the truth?

“You know, I see myself in you right now, man,” Zach said with a meaningful smile.

Liam snapped his head toward his friend. They were watching Chanty giving Julianne instructions about Willie’s bedtime routine. “No, I don’t think you see anything similar between us.”

His friend chuckled. “You are trying to win over Chanty like I did with Julianne. Desperately.”

He scoffed. “I know how to properly do it, unlike you.”

Zach shrugged. “At least I got the girl. What about you?”

Liam looked at Chanty. “I don’t know, but I’m trying.”

“Start by telling her about NYU.”

“Shut up.”

Chanty felt the intense awkwardness. She didn’t know about Liam, but she was intensely restless. She fidgeted from one position to another. “Where are we really going?”

“The amusement park,” he grinned.

“What?”

“That’s why I told you to get comfy,” he said as he maneuvered the car out of the hotel.

“No, I can’t ride rides.”

“Come on, Chanty, it will be fun.”

“I haven’t even done it with Willie. I just can’t ride those things!”

“Then let this be your first time,” he said with a wink.

She didn’t know why she suddenly remembered the kiss they shared a few days ago. She hated this. She hated everything about this! She should be at home right now taking care of her son and not at some place where she would be thrown around, whirled around and tossed around for a fee!

The amusement part was actually Zach’s idea.

Liam thought it was ridiculous, but after racking his brain for the whole day, his friend’s suggestion was the only one he had left.

“I took Julianne to a Halloween Fair once. It was kind of fun.”

“Yeah? I heard you were freaked out.”

“I had to act like I was freaked out,” his was lying when he had said that earlier. “It actually worked.”

Liam had always loved amusement parks since he was young. “It’s been a long time since I visited one, actually,” he told Chanty.

“When was the last time?”

“The day my father left.”

Chanty’s head turned to face him but didn’t say a word.

“You don’t have to say anything. That was a long time ago and I miss riding the rides. I wonder if they still have the same ones.”

Of course, there were a lot of rides that still existed from years ago, but there were also new ones–scary ones.

“It’s getting late, I think it is not safe to ride that,” Chanty said when Liam pointed at the free-fall ride that seemed more than a hundred meters high.

“Come on, Chanty, this is going to be great!” He took her hand like an excited child. Chanty almost remembered the Liam she once knew from NYU, the one who had thrown popcorns at her and Cameron numerous times in a movie theater, the one who dressed up as a zombie with Zachary to scare her off and the one who had always persistently followed her around like an irritating shadow she didn’t want around.

She let him guide her toward the entrance and before she knew it, she was strapped in a chair that slowly ascended up in the air.

“Ahhh! I’m going to die! I don’t want to die!”

She heard his laughter from her right. “Relax! It’s going to be fuuu-aaahhh!”

“Ahh!”

They didn’t have much time to talk because they were suddenly dropped down the ground. Chanty’s hair, which she forgot to tie, flew up in contradiction to gravity.

Her voice was barely a whimper when they finally touched ground.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked.

“Chanty? Are you okay?”

He jumped off his seat and walked toward her. She was bending down and breathing heavily.

“Hey, Chanty. Don’t joke around. Are you okay?”

She shook her head and gripped his shirt in her fists before throwing up right all over his shirt.

“I told you I can’t ride these things!” she cried before she gagged again.

Liam didn’t dare breath through his nose, but he had to take her somewhere first. “Okay, just keep it in for a while,” he soothed her, trying to ignore the condition of his shirt. A few people looked at them but soon realized that they were just witnessing a common scene and walked off. But Liam saw the sympathy in their faces when they saw his drenched shirt.

“This is your fault, this is your fault!” Chanty cried as he dragged her to an open space far from the rides. He looked around and saw two kids sitting on a bench, eating cotton candies. Guiding Chanty toward them, she fished for a few coins and gave them to the boys. “Go get another bench.”

They did as he asked after counting the coins and skipped away.

“Here, sit,” he ordered. She did as he asked and rested her elbow on her knees, burying her face in her hands. “Wait here,” Liam uttered and walked away.

Chanty felt like she was suffering from another hangover. Good thing she was sitting and closing her eyes and she thought she had fallen asleep when Liam finally returned. Tilting her head up, she saw him slowly take his shirt off and put on a shirt with the amusement park’s logo printed in front.

“Here,” he said, pushing a bottle of water at her face. He looked around for a while before throwing his soiled shirt under the bench. “You okay?”

Chanty just glared at him.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. I never really thought you were serious earlier.”

She continued to glare at him like she did years ago.

He sighed. “Okay, this is not working. Let’s go somewhere else.”

When she didn’t move, he bent down to grab her hand. “Come on, Chanty. Let’s not spoil this.”

“I can’t do another ride, Liam. Please. Let’s just go home.”

“One last stop. One,” he said, almost begging.

Chanty sighed. “Fine. One last stop.”

Chapter 15

December 2005, NYU

“A couple’s glove? Come on, Chanty, that’s old school. Not to mention cheesy.”

Chanty snapped her head to the direction of the voice. “What are you doing here?”

“Like you, I’m shopping,” Liam said. “I bought something for you. A Christmas gift. Wanna see it?”

“The best Christmas gift you can give me is to leave me alone,” she said, dropping the two pair of red gloves in her basket. She walked away from Liam without a word.

Liam figured he didn’t say the right thing. He took the white scarf from his shopping bag and approached the store’s personnel. “Can I return this? It just got turned down.”

 

2013

Liam was desperate. He needed to think faster than the speed of his car. He wanted to call Zach for help but then he remembered it was Zach who told him he should take Chanty somewhere like the amusement park. It did scare the shit out of her to the point of throwing up. But it didn’t work. There was no magical moment.

Or maybe Zach was just exaggerating. There was no way Julianne could have fallen for such a trick as well.

They were driving down a less trafficked road and he only realized it when Chanty said, “I don’t think there is something for a date around here.”

Shit. She was right. The only place the road led to was an old cemetery.

That’s it! A cemetery. Nothing could be spookier than that! With renewed hope, Liam increased the speed.

“Why are we here?” Chanty asked when he stopped the car outside the old cemetery. “You’re not trying to introduce me to a dead aunt or something, right? It’s really not the time for this, Liam.”

The fear in her voice heightened his hope. “Don’t worry, Chanty. We’ll do something exciting.”

Her head snapped at his direction. “You’re not planning to force yourself unto me, right? Because if you do that, let me just tell you that I know karate. I really do.”

Liam’s laughter rang out. “Of course not! This is not the time for that,” he said with voice full of meaning. He made a motion with his head saying, “Come on. Get out of the car.”

She hesitated, but unbuckled her seatbelt.

Good. It was a good sign that she somehow trusted him. Liam climbed out of the car and met her outside.

“If you are planning to do some cheesy A Walk to Remember scene, it’s not working, Liam.”

He laughed for the second time. It was cold tonight, but not chilly enough to keep them from getting inside the cemetery. Unlike Zach who could easily get spooked, Liam was rather brave when it came to places like this one.

Taking her hand, he led her to the broken gate of the cemetery. It was not a big one. It was old and poorly maintained in fact, one of the reasons why there were no guards roaming around. Anyone could freely enter without being held back.

“Liam, what’s your plan, really? You’re not here to spook me out, right?”

Okay, she got him on that one, but it was no time to back off. He was getting excited. “As a matter of fact, I was hoping for that.”

“Okay, I am spooked. What do you want me to do now? Hug you to death until we get out of here? I’ll do that. Let’s just get out.”

Liam chuckled. “As much as I would like that, I think we better move along. I like a quiet place for a date and I think this is the perfect place.”

“We can always go home. It would be quiet in the house tonight. And there will be wine and food.”

He squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be okay. Look, people come here often. Let’s just go on.” He took out his phone and turned on the flashlight mode. “And then there was light,” he uttered with a grin.

The cemetery did really get a few visitors now and then because there were pieces of trash everywhere. He saw a few cans of beers, chip wrappers and others. Liam deduced that teens often went here to do their weird activities.

“What are we gonna do here, then?” Chanty asked, looking around and stepping closer beside him.

“Let’s see if we can find ghosts,” he joked.

“Liam!”

“Relax. Okay, since we’re here, why don’t we do something?”

“Like what? Stargazing?”

He crunched up his face. “Too cheesy, you think?”

“Yeah.”

Liam looked around the dark place. The trees were not even moving. It seemed that everything in the place was dead. “Why don’t we look at the gravestones? Let’s talk about the life of the dead. Up for the challenge?”

Chanty frowned in the darkness. “I don’t see any fun in that.”

He led her to the nearest tombstone and pointed the light. “Melody Brennan. She was seventy-five when she died.”

“Obviously, she died of old age,” Chanty uttered.

“Or maybe she entered the wrong door and died of a heart attack.”

“What door?”

“A stripper club.”

Chanty chuckled. “Yeah, right.”

“She saw her husband.”

This time she laughed.

He led her to another tombstone just a few feet away. “Tessa Miller. Hmm, young. She died when she was twenty-five, just a year ago.”

“I bet she’s a stalker.”

Amused that Chanty was playing along with his game, he looked down at her and asked, “Why?”

“She stalked Henry around and Angelica found out about it and she killed her.”

Liam laughed. “Nice one.”

“Too bad for her though. She’s really young. She had a lot to look forward to,” she said in a more serious tone.

“Maybe she was able to do all the things she was supposed to.”

“Okay, next.” This time, it was her who led him to the next tombstone. “Thomas Fuller. Oh, he died fifty years ago. He’s been here for a long time.”

“I suppose he got killed in the war,” he said.

“Yeah, I think so too. Okay, next.”

“Samantha Roberts. Just died recently. Thirty.”

“This one died when she found out Zachary Astor is finally engaged for real.”

Liam laughed. “I don’t think anyone would die for Zach. They actually get over him fast.”

“Really?”

He thought for a while. “Yeah, sure, they really do. Except Samantha.”

Chanty giggled. “Next.”

“Cameron Goodman,” Liam read.

“He died when he met Cameron.”

Liam looked at her with a smile. It was good to know that she could joke about Cameron at this state. “Why?”

“He felt so ashamed that someone with the same name could have the bad luck of having the same last name.”

He laughed out loud. “Cameron really is unlucky to have that name. He should change it.”

“He actually likes it,” Chanty answered with a grimace.

“He does?”

“Yeah, he likes it. Says it has a nice ring to it.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Yeah, it’s weird.”

“Next,” he said, pulling her to their next target. “Samantha Dela Cruz. She was…forty when she died two years ago.”

“I think she died somewhere tropical.”

“Yeah, this time Cass killed her.”

“Cass?”

“They went to the Philippines for their honeymoon twice, right?”

“Yeah, I guess I remember that.”

“Cass may have met Samantha on their first honeymoon. Killed her on the second.”

“Why is that?”

“Because Samantha wouldn’t kill Philip? She could have asked me, actually. Would be happy to do that.”

Liam laughed. “Okay, we should probably stop talking about our friends killing other people. We might be next.”

“Okay, next.”

Chanty never thought she’d enjoy the trip to the cemetery. After going through almost fifty tombstones of the dead and making up stories about them, she had laughed and even cried (when they found three tombs of a mother and her two children).

“How are you feeling?” Liam asked as they made their way back to his car.

“I’m actually feeling great. Thanks, Liam.”

“No problem. Sorry about the ride though. I didn’t think it would end that way.”

“Just don’t take me there again.”

“Maybe I’ll take Willie. You can come. You’ll buy our drinks and wipe our sweat.”

He seemed excited of the thought and she felt guilty all over again. Was this the right time to tell him the truth? But he didn’t even believe her when she tried the last time. And things could get better in a day or two. Cameron hadn’t made contact, probably busy clearing his name about the article in the newspaper. And he was dating Beth the bitch. Things could get better for him and he just had to realize that.

I’ll wait, Chanty uttered in her mind. And then I’ll tell him, she added, stealing a glance at Liam’s smiling face.

“Thanks, Liam.”

“You already said that.”

“But seriously, thanks. You were able to help me forget about my own story tonight.”

“We created a lot of stories to cloud your worries, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, quite a lot,” she giggled. “And thank you,” she added again. Thank you for being the answer to my problem. Thank you for being there.

Again, she was reminded of the words Angelica told her earlier. “What is it?” he asked when he saw her face. They had reached his car by then.

Chanty hesitated.

He let go of her hand and walked to the hood of his car.

With uneasy steps, she followed him. He looked ridiculous in that shirt he bought, she thought. But she also noted that he looked rather handsome tonight. Well, he had always been handsome and she knew that. But he was the different kind of handsome tonight. She had seen his face a lot for years, especially in college, and she had never thought she’d see him the way she was seeing him now.

“Angelica told me something today.”

He frowned as he crossed one leg over the other as he leaned against the hood of his car. His arms crossed over his chest. “What about?”

Chanty looked down, placed her hands in the front pockets of her pants. She was silent for a long moment before she looked up to meet his gaze. “She told me you’ve had feelings for me since NYU.”

The shock on his face was apparent. And so was the truth.

Chanty’s mouth hung open. “It’s true?”

Liam blinked a few times. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again and closed it once more. His face colored a little and he involuntarily coughed on his last attempt to say something.

“Liam,” she called. “It’s true?” Chanty was amused now. He was still coughing.

“Give me a moment,” he uttered, his face very red now.

Chanty chuckled as she watched him gather his composure–or perhaps his courage to face her.

“Yes.” His word shocked her nonetheless. She never expected him to admit it, really. She thought he’d deny it and tell her Angelica was just being her usual self, making up stories and thinking way out of reality.

This time, it was her turn to blink a few times. She found it hard to believe that the man standing before her had past feelings for her years ago. As far as she could recall, he never did anything that had suggested such a thing. “Really?”

His face was serious now and the flush was slowly fading. He was looking at her intently. “And you never, not for a second, guessed it?”

Slowly, Chanty shook her head.

He scoffed. “You must have been too in love with that jerk to even notice.”

“But, Liam–” Chanty didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t formulate the right sentence. “But…You…But you have always. You have always been such an ass!”

“Zach has been an ass. Not me. Even Angelica noticed it!”

“She did?”

“Why did you think we invited you to come with us countless of times to the club? Why did we go to that road trip just to annoy you? Come on, Chanty, I wouldn’t even spend a minute talking to you if I didn’t have feelings for you.”

She took in a sharp intake of breath. “I really didn’t…then why didn’t you tell me!” she accused.

He scoffed again. “Come on, tell me. What would you have done then?”

“I could have…I could have,” she blinked a few times. “I don’t know.”

“See? That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“Wait. So that night–”

“Yes. It might have been a mistake on your part, but it was the best night of my life.”

He said it too bluntly and too seriously that she felt so guilty she couldn’t remember half of what happened that night.

A long silence reigned between them as they just stood there, outside the creepy old cemetery, looking into each other’s eyes.

Chanty thought he was going to lean away from the hood and kiss her right there and then. Or maybe she hoped he would. But she knew that could not happen while the big lie was between them. Knowing that he had had feelings for her didn’t mean he still felt the same. His past feelings could only be the reason why he wanted Willie. And maybe it was because of those past feelings that he felt he they could have a chance–that he could like her again. But would it still be the same?

Before anything could get any further, Chanty blinked the magic away. She cleared her throat and said, “Let’s forget about that. Everything’s changed. We all changed. Shall we go?”

She started for the car but he grabbed her gently by the arm as she passed by.

Her heart started to hammer against her chest like crazy.

Inside her mind, Chanty knew she could pull away and continue walking to the car and everything would be over. But no, she didn’t. She let him pull her toward him. She felt his cold breath touch her bent face. She couldn’t look at him because she didn’t know what to say.

Liam held her chin with his other hand and tilted her head up with a gentle pull.

“It didn’t change, Chanty. I thought it did, but I guess it never did,” he whispered just inches away from her face. Chanty’s eyes involuntarily lifted to meet his. Everything he wanted to say was there. Everything. “The only change I love so far is that you’re no longer with Cameron. And the only change I am hoping for is that you stop seeing me as just the guy who used to piss you off years ago. Having said that, I guess nothing really changed in my part.”

It seemed that her breath was snatched out of her and if it would last for another minute, she would be among the people buried underneath the ground in the cemetery behind them. Liam just freaking confessed something big to her.

“You know,” she said, her voice cracking because of its near-whisper state, “if you have said that to me ten, five, or four years ago I wouldn’t believe you–not one word.” She swallowed. A big part of her brain was telling her she was doing something wrong. She shouldn’t be saying these things right now. What she should be saying was the truth! But she found herself staring at Liam’s eyes and saying, “But as I’ve said, things changed.”

The transformation of his face from worry to relief was a sight to Chanty. And when he crushed his lips against hers, she reckoned he understood what she meant.

For Liam, it might not be their second real kiss, but for Chanty, this was their second that she could remember. It was not a hungry kiss. It wasn’t urgent either. It was slow and long.

His arms wound around her and hers around him.

And then it changed.

She felt it when his hand started to move, gripping and caressing. She felt it when her hands went around against his chest, up his shoulders and around his neck. She felt it when she stood on her toes to deepen the kiss. She felt it when he lifted her up on the hood of the car. She felt it when she parted her legs and trapped his body between them. She felt it when he slid her hips closer against his.

But he stopped. He leaned his forehead against hers, their chests heaving to catch their breaths. “Not here,” he whispered.

“I guess it’s time you say ‘yes’ to going home,” she breathed out.

Chapter 16

January, 2006, NYU

“Hey! Chanty!” Zach called out.

“Not hearing you, Zachary!”

“Liam wants to ask something!”

“Not hearing you! Go piss someone else off, Astor!”

“Will you go out on a date with him?!”

“Stop following me, Astor!”

And then she turned to the right, disappearing into a long hallway.

“I told you it won’t work,” Liam said, pushing Zach to the side with full force.

2013

Chanty could feel the different air inside the car. Neither of them spoke a word, both afraid that the magic that enveloped them would fade. She felt it was just a thin sheath of paper that could break with a word.

She didn’t know how fast Liam drove, but she knew that they reached her house safely. She unbuckled her seatbelt, climbed out of the car and led the way to her house. Liam followed close behind.

Chanty struggled with her key, but she eventually opened the door.

She didn’t dare flick on the lights. Now that they were inside her home, with the warmth and the muffled street sound of the outside, the intense yearning to pull Liam closer only got stronger.

And it seemed he felt the same way because their mouths closed in on each other the same time the door closed behind them. Liam reached behind him to lock the door while Chanty worked with his jacket with one hand and the buttons of his shirt with the other.

They inched their way to the living room, on the couch and rolled their way down the carpet, joining Willie’s colorful blocks. Liam’s left shoe was somewhere down the hall, his shirt probably on the couch, his right shoe across the room, and his jacket somewhere by the door. On the other hand, Chanty wasn’t even aware that she barely had any clothes on. She wasn’t sure which got off first, but she was pretty certain her underwear was coming next.

Liam could feel the rush of blood through his ear as his hands roamed around Chanty’s willing form beneath him. He wanted to show her what she could barely remember years ago. He wanted her to feel what he felt that night and not regret it afterwards.

Yes, he didn’t want her to regret it.

So, with what was left of his strength, he stopped Chanty’s restless hands from unbuckling his belt and gave her one last deep, shattering kiss before breaking away, breathless and angry at himself for stopping.

But he had to do it.

“What’s wrong?” Chanty asked, breathing heavily.

“I know you know this is going too fast,” he answered when he finally managed to catch his breath. He went to the couch and dropped down heavily, trying to control–well, everything. His arm went over his head and covered his eyes as he tried to concentrate.

“Liam, are you okay?” Chanty asked.

He felt her move and he stopped her. “Don’t! Don’t touch me or you’ll regret it.”

“I don’t think I’ll regret it, Liam.”

“You did the last time, remember?” he countered, his eyes still closed.

Chanty didn’t answer. He didn’t dare peek and see what she was doing because he might just jump on her and continue where they left off.

“I just want it to be done right this time,” he said.

“But Liam–”

“This is not working,” Liam cut her off, jumping to his feet. “I need a cold shower.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. After puking over me and after…this,” he said, waving his hand over the carpet without looking at her. “I definitely need one. Where’s the bathroom?”

Chanty immediately pulled her pants right back and grabbed a shirt from her closet the moment Liam entered the bathroom. She flew to her phone and dialed Angelica.

“Okay, please tell me you slept with him, please!” Angelica said as hello.

“No, that’s the point. We didn’t.”

“You stopped it? Are you crazy? Don’t get me wrong, Chanty, but Liam is hot.” Her friend said the last three words in a whisper.

“No, I didn’t stop him. He stopped me. It’s so embarrassing!”

“No, you mean he’s still the scared boy I knew he is! That coward! Where is he now? He left?”

“He’s in the bathroom taking a cold shower.”

Angelica laughed from the other line. “Wait, Cass needs to know this!”

Chanty waited as Angelica dialed Cassandra’s number. “What?” her sister-in-law answered.

“You’re still having a fight with Philip?” Chanty asked.

“Don’t mention that moron! Now, what’s up?”

“Chanty got turned down by Liam in bed,” Angelica said.

“On the carpet,” Chanty corrected with a grimace.

Cassandra and Angelica laughed. “What the hell happened?” Cassandra asked.

“We went on date. It was in the cemetery.”

Another round of laughter from both ends.

“And then I confronted him about what Ange told me earlier. I asked him if did have feelings for me back then.”

“And he said he did and he still does,” Angelica said it as a statement. There was no doubt in her voice.

“Yes.”

“Then you made out in the cemetery?” Cassandra guessed.

“Outside the cemetery,” she corrected.

Another long round of laughter.

“And I invited him to my house. And then we kind of started it and he stopped. Said he doesn’t want me to regret it later. Something about taking it slow.”

“Moron,” her friends said in unison.

Chanty groaned. “What do I do?”

“Where is he?” asked Cassandra.

“In the bathroom, taking a cold shower,” Angelica answered for her, stifling a laugh.

Chanty groaned further.

“Act natural, Chanty. Don’t let him think it affected you,” Cassandra said.

There was a long silence between the three of them before Chanty finally said, “I guess it’s only right we didn’t do it. I don’t want to regret it again, after all. I have to go. I think he’s coming out.”

“Wait–” Chanty pushed the red button before her friends could say anything further.

“Who were you talking to?” asked Liam as he appeared from the bathroom.

“Cassandra. She’s talking about how Philip is giving her hell,” she lied. “You’re going?” she asked nonchalantly.

He looked at her, his hair wet from the shower. He had on a pair shirt and sweat pants Philip would use whenever he stayed the night with Cassandra in her house. “Do you want me to go?”

“It’s your choice,” she said with a shrug. “But it’s late. You might want to have dinner here.”

“You’re cooking?” he asked with a smile.

“Yeah, sure,” she answered, jumping to her feet.

As she walked to the door, he caught her hand and pulled her to him. “We’ll take it slow, Chanty,” he whispered before claiming her mouth for a soft, lingering kiss. “So it will be worth it,” he added before letting her go.

Chanty was in a daze the following day. Liam went home early to get dressed with the promise to pick her up before going to work because she couldn’t drive her car.

“We need to take Willie from Zach later,” he said while on the road.

“Are you sure Willie’s fine?” she asked.

“You called them last night, remember? Willie’s doing great. Julianne’s taking good care of him.”

“Just tell Zach not to teach my son anything like joining a stupid reality TV show,” she uttered.

Liam laughed. “Julianne would kill him before you could.”

“What do you want to do tonight?” Liam asked while they waited for the elevator doors to open.

“What? Another date?”

“I told you, we’ll take it slow but not too slow,” he said with a wink.

“I need to rest, Liam. It has been stressful lately.”

“Then I’ll take Willie. We’ll both go out. That’s okay with you, right?”

Chanty turned to look at him. “Where?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll go with you and Willie.”

“Great. I have a great plan.”

“Please, no more rides.”

Liam chuckled. “No more rides for you. I bet Willie would like it someday though.”

She didn’t comment. She didn’t want to think this would be for a long haul. It was at that moment she was grateful nothing happened last night because it would only complicate matters later on. Liam might take the truth badly and he wouldn’t want to see her again. Sex would only complicate things if that were to happen.

For the rest of the day, Chanty kept herself busy. She went over the floor plans with Pete and talked with suppliers and other associates. She also received a call from Philip about some papers she needed to sign and she almost cried out in frustration when her brother told her she had to come get them herself at his house.

“And bring Liam,” he added.

“Why?”

“I want to talk to him about something. Don’t worry, it’s about work.”

“Can’t you get your ass out of that house and come here instead?”

“No, because I need to watch over my wife.”

“Why?”

“You know why. I can’t have her jumping out the window again.”

“Philip, she’s pregnant.”

“I won’t be surprised if she would do it. Pregnant or not, she always finds a way. And she’s not talking to me so you better get here and talk to her.”

“What do you want me to say to her? I’m at her side, you know that.”

“Yes, of course,” her brother answered dryly before hanging up.

Liam was racking his brain for the best date for Willie and Chanty when she popped her head in his office door.

“Cancel that date.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“We need to go to Philip later.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I need to sign some papers and he needs to talk to you about some business stuff.”

“Should I bring Zach?”

“I don’t know, should you?”

“I’ll just ask him. And we need to fetch Willie from their hotel later, anyway.”

Chanty nodded and said, “Okay, see you later.”

Once working hours were over, Liam flew to Chanty’s office and almost dragged her away from Pete. “Come on, we need to go.”

“Liam, I still need to–”

“Willie’s waiting for us,” he said and with a smile, faced Pete. “You’re done here, right?”

Pete looked at him in a dreamy fashion and nodded. “We’ve been done for hours. Go enjoy.”

“What’s the rush?” Chanty asked him.

“Nothing, I just want to get the hell out of that building,” he answered, driving the car to Zach and Julianne’s hotel.

“You’re up to something,” she noted.

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” he said with a smile.

Zach and Julianne said yes to Liam’s invitation. Well, it was only right considering Zach was supposed to be the one doing Liam’s work in the first place.

“I had promised my father the last time he was in the hospital, that I would try getting my hands on the business,” Zach reasoned when Chanty voiced her curiosity as to why Zach would suddenly get involved in his family’s business.

“He just wants to look good in Julianne’s eyes,” Liam said to Chanty when they were back inside the car with Willie at the backseat.

“We’re going to see Aunt Cass?” Willie asked.

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

“You’re coming with us, Liam?” the boy asked again.

“Yes,” he answered, looking at Willie through the rearview mirror.

“Eggzoiting!” Willie cried out.

“Where did you learn that word?” Chanty asked, amused. “Did Uncle Zach teach you that?”

Willie shook his head. “Aunt Ange did.”

With Zach and Julianne tailing right behind them, Chanty sensed something was not right. She knew Liam was planning something.

The long drive to Philip and Cassandra’s house was not boring at all because Willie and Liam seemed to have hit it off right away like the first time they met. They talked about things that Willie enjoyed and Liam seemed to enjoy talking about them as well. Like he genuinely enjoyed it.

Chanty was smiling at a joke her son shared with them which he learned from Zach the other night only to feel panic upon seeing the familiar car outside her brother’s house.

She felt blood draining down her face and she groaned.

“Grandma’s car!” Willie shouted, pointing right ahead.

Chanty couldn’t breathe. Her grandparents and her mother were here.

Chapter 17

February, 2006, NYU

Liam waited outside Chanty’s apartment. He’d give it a shot today. She might say yes to a coffee without Zach around.

Her door opened and her brother, Philip, came out.

Liam had already walked a few feet to the door, expecting Chanty.

“Can I help you?” Philip Strindberg asked.

Liam gulped. And then he smiled, reaching out his hand. “Liam Heaton. I heard you are Chanty’s brother. We’re friends.”

 

2013

When Chanty looked at Liam and saw the lack of shock in his face, she instantly knew.

“You invited them, didn’t you?” she accused.

“Naturally,” he said, looking at her. A grimace appeared on his face. “Well, actually, Philip hinted it the last time we talked and I thought, ‘Why not?’. So here they are.”

Chanty lowered her voice as she spoke, “You talked to them?”

Before he could speak, Willie cried out, “Let’s go! Let’s go! Grandma!”

She closed her eyes to calm herself. This was getting too complicated. She should have known her family would meddle in her affairs.

Deep inside, she was hoping that her grandmother, Hope, wouldn’t have a heart attack if she found out about the truth.

And her grandfather! She didn’t want to think what he would do.

“Mommy!” Willie called snapped her back to the present.

“Okay,” she said aloud, more to herself than to her son. She threw Liam a piercing look before she unbuckled her belt and got out of the car to help Willie with his car seat.

Zach and Julianne were already waiting for them outside.

“We have company?” Zach asked, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Chanty.

She glared at him. “Don’t talk to me right now. I know you are in on this.”

“I’m not,” Julianne said in a hurry. “I told them it is a bad idea.”

“But I don’t remember inviting them though,” Liam said as he approached the group with keys in hand, his eyes looking behind Chanty. He grabbed Willie’s hand to take him away from Chanty as she walked to the approaching car. It stopped right behind Zach’s and the Bell couple got out looking confused.

“What’s wrong?” Angelica asked.

“Your presence?” Zach answered.

“Excuse me?” Angelica asked, her hands dramatically planted on her chest. “We were invited!”

“She actually invited herself,” Henry answered, walking over to shake Liam and Zach’s hand. He also acknowledged Willie by bending down to shake the child’s hand with a smile. “Hey there, buddy.”

“Ange,” Chanty said to her friend.

“Chanty, I just thought you need support, right, Julianne?” Angelica said, looking at her and Julianne consecutively, her eyes full of meaning.

The men must have sensed something was happening between the three of them but they didn’t mind. They started walking to the door with Willie still clutching Liam’s hand.

Chanty hated to see her child with him. It made her want to blurt out the truth. Willie would still be hurt no matter how things ended up later. Liam would still go away.

Cassandra opened the door the moment it rang and she walked past the guys and toward the ladies. Her very pregnant state wasn’t a hindrance for her to look at the guys with an arched eyebrow and her hands on her hips. “Well? What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going in?” she asked them.

Henry, Zach and Liam eyed Cassandra, Angelica and Chanty with suspicion. And at the last second, they must have realized they didn’t have to ask what they were up to now.

“Come on, buddy,” Liam told Willie as they followed Zach and Henry inside the Strindberg residence.

“What do you plan to do now?” Cassandra demanded at Chanty. “Mom is here. And so are Hope and William. What do we do?” she asked the group. “Oh, hi, Julianne. Welcome to our home. I hope you like it.”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Julianne answered with a smile, looking around the place.

“You will appreciate the back more,” Cassandra added.

“But right now, we have to talk about the situation, right?” Julianne asked.

“Yes, yes, of course!” Cassandra turned to Chanty who was still at a trance. She didn’t know what to do in front of her mother and her grandparents.

“Let’s just pretend like this is just some normal dinner,” Angelica suggested. “Really, girls, this is going to be easy.”

“Easy for the lady who always succeeds in crashing into parties by pretending she’s a Hilton, yes. But for us who are not really used to this, it is bad,” Chanty snapped.

“I’ve done it before, remember? I sat down at a dinner with your family just a day after I learned I am marrying your brother. And I spent the entire wedding with all of you believing a lie,” Cassandra told her. “You can do it too.”

“That was different. This is different. Willie will be sitting around with us!” Chanty cried out.

“Then make Willie’s presence your advantage,” Julianne said.

“What do you mean?” asked Angelica.

“Just tell everyone Willie doesn’t know the situation yet because you’re taking it slow. He just knows that Liam is your special friend. Everyone will agree that it is best to keep quiet about you and Liam around Willie.”

“Philip won’t like it,” Cassandra said. “He wanted you guys to tell Willie.”

“He’s my brother, Cass, not the boss of me. I can very well do anything I want.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll understand once you explain everything,” Cassandra assured her.

“Hey, what’s keeping you?” Zach said, his head popping out the door.

“Coming,” Angelica answered.

“Jules, let’s go. I want you to meet everyone.”

Julianne rolled her eyes but followed her fiancée anyway.

Chanty and Philip’s father was long gone, but their grandparents were still around. And the two of them together could be overwhelming to anyone who didn’t know them well. Hope, for instance, though she was too old and too frail, was energetic in so many different levels. And you could tell that by the look in her eyes. She expresses that energy in ways that would either make you feel awkward or uncomfortable. William on the other hand was a cool guy, but he could get really serious when needed. He had changed a lot when he handed down the family empire to his son who died earlier than him, and later on to Philip and Chanty. Mary, their mother, was a sweet woman but she was too protective over Chanty who had had her heart broken when Cameron left her pregnant.

But Chanty wasn’t sure how she would handle the lie in front of them. She was pretty certain they already knew about Liam being the real father of Willie when they dropped Willie off the last time they had their date. But no one said a word for Chanty made sure they left in a hurry.

This dinner was going to be a tragedy if she let her anxiety rule over her.

She had expected Liam to be uncomfortable, but he wasn’t. Chanty could see him outside in the lawn through the glass walls surrounding the living room of Cassandra and Philip’s house. The lawn was directly connected to the woods at the back where Cassandra and her husband would sometimes camp if they feel like it. And during family gatherings, a table was always set up outside in the lawn for fresh air.

Chanty could see Liam talking with William and Philip like they were discussing a normal business matter. Was she the only one who felt like this was supposed to be an awkward situation?

But she might be wrong because she saw her mother and grandmother walk toward her. They were like a pair of vultures ready to eat their prey. And she was the prey.

“Mom! Grandma!” she greeted with the best smile she could muster.

“We gave you days to at least give us an explanation. And you never did,” her mother said right away.

She wanted to ask them how they found out or who told them. It could have been Philip, but it could be other people from the office as well. Chanty looked over her shoulder where her friends were standing just a few seconds ago only to find out that she was alone. They left her to be eaten alive by these two women! Angelica was already tugging at Henry’s hand, Cassandra was touring Zach and Julianne around the house. Willie, the only person who could have rescued her at that moment, was still clutching Liam’s hand while he talked with her brother and grandfather.

“If Liam didn’t talk to us on his own…” her grandmother added, looking up at her with disappointment.

“I’m sorry, okay? But I can’t talk to you about this especially if Willie is around. He doesn’t know the truth yet.”

“We know. Liam told us,” her mother answered.

Chanty took a step back in surprise. “He did?”

“He was the one who asked us to keep this quiet for a while. He said he just found out himself. How could you have kept something big like this, Chanty? You led us to believe it was that moron Cameron.”

“And we never imagined that you and Liam had this kind of relationship before,” Hope said, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry,” was all she could come up with. She actually meant she was sorry for leading them on. And she was sorry that she couldn’t tell them the truth. Not now when everything was still so complicated. She had to sort her own thoughts first before she could make a decision on how to come clean and tell everyone the truth. And the first person to know should be Liam.

“But I’m glad it’s Liam,” her mother said.

“Me too,” Hope agreed.

Chanty groaned. They would be greatly disappointed, if not furious, once they learned of the truth. “What does grandpa think?”

“About your lie or about Liam being the father?” her grandmother asked.

“Both.”

“He is very disappointed with you. And he’s happy that it’s Liam.”

“For business, of course,” Chanty said.

“No, for Willie and you.”

Chanty choked. “Me?”

“You deserve someone like him,” Hope said with a gentle smile.

“Grandma, it’s nothing like–”

“Oh, please, stop denying it. We know you two are dating.”

“It’s for Willie!”

“I know you, Chanty,” her mother cut in. “You wouldn’t do something you don’t really think you want.”

Does she? Was her mother right?

“Please, let’s not talk about this. My friends are here, you guys are here, Willie is having a great time, and there’s food…so let’s just enjoy the night. Please?”

Both women looked at each other and sighed. “Fine,” Mary said. “But you’re not forgiven yet, Chanty.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

The three of them started to walk out the glass doors to join the group outside. Hope wound her arm around Chanty’s and whispered, “He’s hot, isn’t he? I’m really glad he’s Willie’s father.”

“Grandma!”

Hope chuckled. “Don’t deny it, dear. You know it’s true.”

Chanty was thankful that Liam was more in control the whole night. He acted so cool like nothing changed. And it eased everyone. He was supposed to be the one who should be making a big deal out of everything but he didn’t. Because of that, Chanty was spared of her grandfather’s sermon.

Willie, on the other hand, never left Liam’s side. He was just like how Philip was when their father was still alive. He followed Liam like a shadow and Liam never ignored him. He was very aware of Willie’s presence that one would even think they had never gone a day without each other since Willie was born.

Angelica, Cassandra and Julianne stopped Chanty when she tried to take Willie away from Liam.

“Don’t deprive him of this, Chanty,” Cassandra said seriously.

“Your child needs someone he can consider his father,” Angelica added.

“But Liam’s not his father,” she hissed under her breath.

“All your son knows is that Liam is a special person in his mother’s life. That means a lot to him. Liam knows what he’s doing. He won’t blurt out being Willie’s father without your permission.”

Chanty sighed. “I should have made him believe me when I tried to tell him the truth,” she groaned.

“He wouldn’t have believed you anyway,” Julianne said. “I think he believed what he wanted to believe.”

“I agree,” Angelica uttered, sipping her wine. “He has always liked you. And something happened between you two in the past, enough for him to believe everything.”

Chanty didn’t answer. She just watched Liam and Willie as the former cradled her son in his lap while talking to the other men.

The following day, Liam dropped by her house to have breakfast as he had promised last night. Willie immediately flew to him.

“Hey, you have to sit on your chair. Liam’s getting tired of carrying you around,” Chanty told her son.

“It’s alright,” Liam said, sitting down. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Bacon and eggs. You want something else?”

Liam looked at Willie inquiringly. Then he bent down and asked aloud, “Is mommy a good cook?”

Willie smiled and nodded his head vigorously. “Better than Aunt Cass!”

Liam chuckled. He stared at Chanty, his eyes utterly amused and happy. “I’ll have whatever’s available.”

Cassandra called just right after they dropped Willie at daycare since the sitter was not available.

“You need to help me with something,” her sister-in-law said.

“What about?”

“I need to shop for materials for the baby’s room.”

“Where’s Philip?”

“He said he’s not coming. He wants the room to be done by some decorator we don’t even know. Can you believe that? I’ll buy paints, wood and other materials for the room later. You have to come with me. Ange and Julianne already said yes.”

Chanty looked at Liam beside her in the car. “Yes, of course, I’ll come with. But are you aware that you are very much pregnant right now? You cannot possible saw and drill woods right now, Cass.”

“Philip will be doing those things. He can’t do anything ones the materials are in. I’ll pick you up by five.”

“You know Henry told us not to drive!”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.”

“I’ll drive you guys,” Liam volunteered.

Cassandra heard him and said, “Great! I’ll get a taxi from here to your office.”

“You don’t have to do it,” Chanty said as she dropped her phone back in her bag. “We can go get a taxi.”

“That’s okay. I’ll just drop you guys off.”

Liam drove them to the hardware store and left to get Willie from the daycare.

“It’s weird to see you with someone that is almost your husband,” Angelica commented.

“Don’t mention it,” Chanty snapped, putting on her sunglasses. “Can we grab some coffee before we do this?”

“Of course,” Cassandra said. “I’ll text Julianne. Zach’s driving her here.”

“Tell her he can’t come with us,” Angelica ordered.

The three of them were having a nice, quiet afternoon over coffee while waiting for Julianne outside the coffee shop. The sun was hot so they sat under a big umbrella wearing their sunglasses.

“I can’t believe this bitch,” Angelica uttered all of a sudden, catching Cassandra and Chanty’s attention. “Of all places!”

“What?” they both asked.

Angelica tilted her head to the right. “Beth the bitch.”

“What?!” Cassandra and Chanty cried at the same time, whirling around their chairs to look.

And there she was, wearing a floral dress with her hair bounding behind her as she neared. Beth was looking smug as she approached the three ladies.

The last time the three of them had an encounter with the bitch, they won the fight. And they knew she was coming for a payback.

“Get ready for rumble, ladies,” Angelica warned as she straightened in her chair, squaring her shoulders. “Oh my God, I haven’t been doing this for a long time. This is going to be fun.”

“Me too,” Chanty answered as she crossed her leg over the other and turned on her chair to face the approaching enemy.

“I am so ready for this, pregnant or not,” Cassandra added, flipping her blond hair back.

Chapter 18

May, 2006, NYU

 

Chanty was walking down the hall when she saw Liam laughing with a girl.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Hey, Chanty!” Zach called from behind her. “What’s up?”

“I didn’t know that guy is dating Shirley,” she said.

“Who? Liam? Oh, well, I don’t know. They’ve been dancing around it for quite some time now.”

She just nodded, took one last look at Liam and his new friend, and walked away.

“Well?” Liam asked Zach the moment Chanty was gone.

“I don’t know, she was curious, but not curious enough,” his friend answered. Liam frowned

“By the way, thanks, Shirley,” Zach added to the girl Liam was laughing with earlier, causing her to blush.

 

2013

“Hey, ladies,” Beth’s purring voice said as she neared.

Chanty, Cassandra and Angelica slipped their sunglasses down to look at the lady and then placed them back in place, feigning disinterest.

“Ah, Beth, it is nice to see you out in the sun,” Angelica said with a sigh, leaning back with her arms resting on the armrest of her chair. She crossed her legs as she looked down at Beth up and down.

“It has been so long,” Cassandra agreed, sipping her drink.

“If you’re here for Philip, you know you came to the wrong place,” Chanty said dryly. “My brother’s very preoccupied right now.“ Memories of Beth chasing after Philip the same time Angelica did years ago almost gave Chanty a feeling of nausea. It seemed that it was just yesterday. And now, Beth was still here, reminding her of more things that bothered her.

Beth gave a fake laugh as she flipped her black hair back. “You very well know who I am with right now, Chanty.”

“Oh?” Angelica, Cassandra and Chanty asked at the same time, this time, leaning over to look at Beth. “Who?”

Beth raised an eyebrow. “And I know it was you behind the article written about him a few days ago.”

“Oh?” the three girls chorused once again. “Who?”

It was clear that Beth was getting pissed. Just a little more and she would blow, Chanty thought. Beth looked down at Chanty, her gaze hard and menacing. She scoffed before saying, “You know who I am talking about, Chanty.”

Angelica turned her head to face Chanty. “She must be talking about that douche bag, Cameron, Cameron, Chanty.”

“Oh!” Cassandra exaggeratedly gasped out loud, her hand flying to her mouth.

Chanty rounded her eyes at Beth and followed Cassandra’s loud gasp. “Oh, yeah, him. What about him?”

“I know it was you behind that article.”

“What article are you talking about?” Chanty snorted. “Did you really come all the way here just to ask me that? Or do you have other things to talk about?”

“I do, as a matter of fact,” Beth said, squaring her shoulders.

“Really? Let’s hear it then. We are so itching to look at the view behind you. You’re blocking it,” Angelica said with a sigh.

Beth shot her a look before she returned her gaze at Chanty. “Can we talk alone?”

“Whatever it is, just spit it out, Bethany,” Cassandra uttered.

Beth snapped her head at Cassandra, her twin brother’s ex-fiancé. “I wasn’t talking to you, Cassandra.”

“You know, I am still friends with your brother, right? He might hear of this.”

“Just spit it out, Beth,” Chanty butted in.

Beth crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine, if you all insist.” She fixed her gaze back on Chanty. “If you are trying to use your son to make Cameron go back to you, Chanty, it is not going to happen. We’re engaged and whatever fantasy you have in your head about getting back together with Cameron, get rid of them.”

The three women gave out a genuine laugh this time.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it,” Chanty said in between laughs.

“Really? You came here for that ?” Angelica chortled, slapping the table with her palms.

Cassandra was the fastest to recover and she addressed Beth saying, “Are you even aware that it is your fiancée who is going after Chanty? But not in a way that will alarm you, of course.”

“He only wants his son.”

“Who?” The three of them asked once again.

“Just stop lying, Chanty. We all know who the father is.”

“Oh, so you were there when I was making Willie?” Chanty asked. Deep inside, she was cringing. The question just popped out of her head and then out her mouth.

“But don’t worry,” Chanty continued. “I am not ever going back to your fiancée. He’s all yours.”

Beth raised her eyebrow.

“You can now go back to your second-hand fiancée, Bethany,” Angelica uttered, waving her hand to dismiss the lady.

Beth gasped and before she could say anything, Cassandra uttered, “You really do like hand-me-downs, do you? Enjoy them while they last. Philip’s not included, by the way,” turning her back at Beth to return to her drink.

“I very well understood your intention today, Bethany. So, if you wish to go home with your integrity intact–if it still is–just go,” Chanty finished.

“This is not the–”

“End?” Angelica cut in. “Come on, Beth. This is the freaking sequel. And in case you haven’t heard, you just lost it. Again. Go hibernate somewhere else. See you next season.”

Beth squared her shoulders ones again, looked at the three of them with her deadly eyes that could have almost delivered them to the front door of hell itself, and left.

The rest of their day went well. Zach and Julianne arrived and after they shooed him away from Julianne’s side, Zach left them alone to do all the work.

“You know you cannot use these paints,” Chanty reminded her sister-in-law.

“My husband will do all the painting. And you guys can help to if you want. Except Julianne, of course.”

When they were done, Cassandra was picked up by Philip after she threatened to do all the work by herself if he didn’t come. Henry was unavailable so Angelica went with Zach and Julianne, telling them to drive her wherever her husband was because she wanted to kill him before his enemies could.

“I can’t imagine how Henry could live with Angelica’s outrageousness,” Liam commented, shaking his head.

“He is used to it by now. He once told me he had mastered how to omit some things Angelica tells him. And he had mastered the art of knowing when to take her seriously.”

“She’s quite a handful,” Liam agreed.

“You don’t like that?” Chanty asked.

“I like things simple,” he said, giving her a quick glance as he drove. “No complications. Just a simple relationship.”

“Define, please.”

“You know, just going out on dates, talking, laughing and fighting from time to time. And utter honesty.”

Chanty almost choked so she gave a series of cough as she stared out the window. Utter honesty. Simple for him to say.

After they picked up Willie, Liam took a different route.

“Where are we going? This is not the way to the house,” Chanty observed.

“Hey, buddy,” Liam called out to Willie, peering over at the child through the rearview mirror. “What do you think about going to a very large aquarium?”

Willie, who had been almost asleep at the back, slowly came to life as Liam’s offer slowly sank in his sleepy brain.

“I want to!” the child cried out excitedly. “We went there, mommy, right?”

Chanty shot Liam a look. He had always been planning things without telling her lately. “Yes,” she answered her son, her eyes boring holes into Liam’s temple.

He reached out to grab her hand and squeezed it. “Relax, it is going to be fun.”

“I don’t think I’ll have the energy, Liam. You don’t know what we girls went through today.”

“You don’t have to do anything. Right, buddy? Mommy can just stay and sit on a bench while we go around the aquarium, right?”

Willie looked at Chanty with worry. “Mommy is sick?”

“No, honey, I’m just tired.”

Willie’s face lit up. “Then you can sit!”

Chanty sighed. So much for hoping her child would at least suggest postponing the trip for mommy.

“Just sit here,” Liam ordered when they neared a bench just by the entrance of the aquarium. There were only a few people around since it was a weekday and mostly, they were young couples going on a date. Willie had already walked near the entrance but Liam called after him to come back.

“What?” Willie asked excitedly, his feet restless and his face aglow with joy.

A sudden surge of warmth filled up inside Chanty’s chest as she stared at her son looking up at Liam.

“Let’s go buy something for mommy first. We don’t want her sitting here hungry, right?”

Willie turned his brown eyes at Chanty. “You want hotdog, mommy?”

“Why don’t we surprise her, huh? Let’s go?” Liam suggested, grabbing Willie’s hand. He gave Chanty a wink before he walked to the different stalls of food nearby outside the entrance.

The two of them returned with some hotdogs and drinks for the three of them.

“Let’s eat with mommy first,” Liam told Willie. “And once you’re done with your food, we can go.”

Chanty was surprised that Willie nodded his head and attacked his food with gusto. And he actually finished everything which he rarely did.

“Please remind me to call you whenever it is meal time,” Chanty said to Liam with amazement.

He chuckled and stood up. “Sure you’re not coming? You can change your mind.”

She shook her head. “I’ll just wait here. You guys enjoy.”

He didn’t press her and took Willie’s hand to enter the entrance to the aquarium.

Chanty watched them as they walked away. Why did it seem okay that Liam was taking Willie away from her when she barely knew him and not okay for her child to meet Cameron?

Seeing Liam with Willie felt right and wrong at the same time.

Liam walked around the aquarium with Willie in his hand. He watched the child look up in awe as a whale shark swam over them.

“Look!”

“It’s huge, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Huge!”

He couldn’t help but smile. Chanty had entrusted Willie to him. It was a great improvement on his part. He didn’t have to spend a lot of time talking her into it. But it bothered her that she was looking uncomfortable earlier. He wondered what she was thinking.

When he was done answering all of Willie’s questions, those that he could answer, and when the child had had his fill of the mysteries of the ocean world, they went back to Chanty.

She spent the next half of the hour listening to Willie’s narration of everything they had seen inside the aquarium. Liam couldn’t help but join in, telling her about the things Willie missed.

“Seems like the two of you had a great time,” she said to the both of them.

“We did. You should have come,” he said as he maneuvered the car out the parking lot. “But don’t worry. Tomorrow’s date night.”

“What?”

He gave her an amused look before he said, “I have to make up for the last one, don’t I?”

The next day, Liam got a call from Philip. The man wanted to have a meeting regarding the project.

“I have an important thing to attend to tonight, but I can send Zach if you want.”

“Okay. As long as he would know what I would be talking about.”

“He has been updating himself with the project lately,” Liam lied.

Five minutes later, he was talking to his friend. “Philip demands that you show up, man,” he lied again.

“What for? I thought you’re handling this project?”

“You should be doing it, remember? Your signature is need for this one.”

He was expecting Zach to say no as he always did, but he got a surprise when his friend said, “Fine. I’ll be there. What time would it be?”

“Eight. At their house.”

“Fine. I’ll bring Julianne. She likes the neighborhood.”

Now there was just one thing to settle before his date with Chanty: Chanty herself.

“What do I have to wear?” she asked even before he opened his mouth.

Liam beamed at her. “It’s good to know you are excited for later.”

She rolled her eyes behind her table. “Well, I know that it wouldn’t work if I suggest to postpone it so why not?”

“Just wear something comfortable.”

“You’re not going to take me to the amusement park again, are you?”

“No, never. We’re going somewhere better.”

He knew she was trying to hide a smile as she said, “Fine. Now go. I need to work.”

Liam closed her office door, ignoring the naughty looks Pete was throwing at him from the other side of the room.

This time, he was going to make it right. But first, he had to bring Willie to his grandmother.

Chapter 19

October, 2006, NYU

Chanty was on her way to the bar just outside the campus.

Angelica had been calling her nonstop about coming and if it was possible she could bring Philip along. Her brother would rather die than stay inside a bar with Angelica in it.

Zach and Liam would be there along with their dates.

Who could believe it? Liam would be bringing along a date? She had never seen him with anyone that could be considered serious. Zach, yes, but Liam was different.

The last time she checked, Shirley was already dating someone else.

Who could it be?

She shook her head.

Liam was not even a close friend to bother with.

For now, she had to force herself to show up without Cameron. Just to keep Angelica quiet.

 

2013

“Are you going to tell me where we are going?” Chanty asked him later that night.

He stole a glance where she was sitting at the passenger side. “We’re going to watch the world wake up.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see. By the way, I heard Bethany Wiles had another encounter with you, Cass and Ange.”

“How did you know about that?”

“Zach,” he shrugged. “He mentioned it in passing.”

“And how do you know Beth?”

“I’ve worked with her in some projects. And I heard from Ange that she used to chase Philip around,” he said with a chuckle. “What’s with your brother? He had a lot of women chasing him around.”

“I don’t have the slightest idea,” she answered with a sigh. “We gave her shit.”

“What?”

“Beth. We gave her shit.”

Liam noted anger in her words. “What did she do?”

“Nothing. She thinks I want to get back together with Cameron. You know they are together, right?”

“And do you?” he asked before he even thought about it.

“Do what?”

“Want to get back together?”

Chanty snapped her head at his direction. “Not a cell in my body wants to be near that man, Liam.”

“Good. Because I am not letting you.”

---

Chanty wondered if this was the right moment for her to tell Liam the truth.

But he was looking so damned content and happy.

I should tell him before something worse happens.

But what would be the worse? Him falling for her completely or her falling for him?

Because now, at this moment, as she watched him drive them to somewhere to watch the world wake up , she could feel it. She felt comfortable in his car. She felt good talking to him about anything and anyone.

Right now, as they were driving, she could no longer see the Liam from NYU. It was like meeting him for the first time and this date they had was just one of those that gave her the jitters.

It felt right. It made her feel like they were driving to a promising place.

---

Liam drove to the place he barely remembered, but he hoped he was taking the right path. He had not been there for almost a decade and the last time was not even worth remembering. Zach and some other friends went there to have some private party and one barely made it alive.

“We’re almost there…I think,” he uttered absently.

“You think?” Chanty asked with horror.

“Kidding. Of course, I know we’re almost there,” he lied. He concentrated on driving through the rough road which was wet, too wet in fact. There were a lot of puddles and his car gave a heavy grunt every time they passed by a deep one.

“You take your dates to the weirdest places,” Chanty said, her hand grasping the dashboard as they bumped their way through the last few meters of the road.

“We’re almost there,” Liam promised, not quite sure they were not lost. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the familiar clearing.

“A cliff?” Chanty asked.

“Yes. Just wait until you see the view,” he said as he parked the car just a few meters away from the road.

Nobody else was around but them. He wasn’t sure if it was a private property or if they were even allowed to be there. The place still looked the same like it did years ago.

“How did you know about this place?” asked Chanty when they both climbed out.

He walked toward her, took her by the hand and guided her near the edge of the cliff. “Back when we were in NYU, Zach and I went here with some friends. Party, got drunk and one of them almost fell off this cliff.”

Chanty took a step back. “No way.”

Liam chuckled and pulled her forward. “Yes. But you have to admit, the view is fantastic.”

Chanty nodded. She looked ahead and there, at the foot of the hill they were on was the whole city with its twinkling lights of blue, white, yellow and red. It was like looking at the sky upside down.

No one had ever really brought her to the places Liam had: The cemetery, the aquarium, the theme park and now, the cliff.

She found herself wondering where they would go next. Where they could have some time for themselves again, away from the job and the people.

“Wait here,” Liam told her. He walked back to the car and opened the trunk. When he came back, he was carrying a large stainless thermos bottle and a large comforter. He grinned at her and said, “I came prepared this time.”

Chanty smiled. “Good. Coffee?”

“Well, yes,” he said, giving her the thermos bottle. “And a place to sit on.” He proceeded to  spread the comforter on the ground and sat down. He patted the space beside him. “Well?”

With a smile, she walked over to him and sat down beside him, facing the view of the city.

“I just realized the city doesn’t really sleep at all.”

“It does. Well, most us do,” he said. “The lights are starting to disappear.”

“But not all of them,” she said, bending her knee and resting her chin on them.

Liam followed the same position and looked at her. “What are you thinking?”

Chanty sighed. “I am thinking about a lot of things at the moment, but the main thing that’s lingering around my mind right now is how thankful I am for everything that you have done.”

“You don’t need to thank me for anything, Chanty. You know I am doing this not only for Willie, but for you and me as well. Well, mostly for me because I am not letting you go again this time.”

She rested her right cheek on one knee and looked at him. “I just hope I won’t end up disappointing you or hurting you.”

“How could that happen?” he asked innocently.

“There’s just a big chance that I will. I always disappoint people. I disappointed Cameron in the past so he left me. I disappointed my family when I got pregnant with Willie. I disappointed a lot of people, really.”

“Stop thinking that,” he snapped. “I hate the way you said it. You never disappointed anyone and your family and your friends can vouch for that. Take that bastard Cameron out of the picture. He’s just the way he is. He had always been. You just didn’t see that.”

“You really hate his guts, do you?”

“You have no idea how much,” he said with exaggeration. “Let’s stop talking about him.”

“Then what do you want to talk about?”

“Nothing, just anything but him,” he said, opening the thermos bottle.

“Well, can I ask a question?”

“What?”

“Did you bring me to this isolated place to seduce me?” she asked, stealing a glance at his white shirt. It left a lot for the imagination, but her mind was very willing to imagine a lot of things at the sight of him.

Liam’s laughter rang out in the still, night air. “Is it working?”

“No, not really,” Chanty lied, turning away to face the city once more. “But I have another serious question.”

“Sure.” He was now pouring himself some coffee.

“I want to know about your childhood. How you grew up.”

When she turned to look at him again, his expression was serious. His eyes looked up from what he was doing. He didn’t say a word. He took his time sipping his coffee instead. And when he looked at her again, he gave a faint smile. “My childhood is far from a fairy tale story.”

“I have guessed that. But if it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to tell me.”

“It is nothing dramatic, but yeah, I’ve been through some bad stuff. And I’ve been through some good ones as well.” He finished his coffee and poured some for her. When she took it from him, he continued, “My real father left me and my mom when I was around five. See this?” he pointed at the scar at his right temple. Chanty nodded. “I got this when I took my bike the afternoon I learned he walked out and was never coming back. I pedaled really hard until my legs gave way. I didn’t know where I was going, I just wanted to find him, you know. I wanted to go after him and beg him to come back to us like he did for five years. The bike gave up and I fell. Have this scar to remind me of that day.”

Chanty felt a stinging grip right at her chest. She reached out her head to hold Liam’s and said, “I am sorry.” Her eyes started to water.

“Hey, don’t cry,” he said with a chuckle. “It was a long time ago. The pain was not on that day. It was on the days that followed when I had to wake up in the middle of the night hearing my mother cry inside her room. It was during the meals that followed that I had to force myself to swallow the food on the table. It had been the years that followed after he left that was painful, not the scar I got that day he left.”

“And that’s why I am crying! I can’t imagine the pain you went through the day after he left and the days and years…”

“Hey, I came out alright, didn’t I? My mom met my stepdad and he accepted me like his own son. He changed my name and he changed my life. And now, I am happy.”

“You are?” Chanty asked, tears streaming down her face. She desperately wanted him to affirm that he was okay–that he was happy.

“Of course, stupid,” he answered, reaching over to wipe the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs. “Now, stop crying and let’s talk about something else.”

And so they talked. They talked about Willie and how he started walking when Cassandra and Philip were babysitting him. They talked and planned Willie’s future, where he would go to school and what could be his future. They talked about future trips, future dates and future things to do.

Chanty let go of any thoughts that would spoil their night. She would deal with them later, probably very soon, but not tonight when everything was perfect, when Liam was being perfect.

---

Liam could sense that despite their perfect evening, Chanty was bothered about something. He chose to ignore it. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be that bad, right?

“This is going to be a very long night,” he said later when they fell into a comfortable silence.

She nodded. “Yes, it will. The lights are just starting to go to sleep.”

“While everyone goes to sleep, why don’t we watch some movies?”

“What?” she asked incredulously.

“Why not?” he shrugged. “I bought my computer. I have some awesome movies there.”

She chuckled. “Okay, then, impress me.”

---

Hours later, Chanty felt Liam shaking her to wake up.

“It’s almost time,” he whispered beside her.

She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with him. They had fallen asleep on the comforter, out in the open.

When she turned on her back, the sky was still dark, but there was a faint, distant evidence of the sun coming up. She slowly sat up and saw what he meant. The city below them was starting to wake up. The noise of the traffic was audible. She could imagine people cleaning their shop windows, families getting out of bed for a shower and wives making breakfast.

“It’s amazing. Now I know why God still lets us live. It is still a pretty sight to see people waking up and continue what they are doing,” she said with wonder.

Liam sat up beside her and combed her hair with his fingers. “Slept alright?”

“Yeah, that movie was boring.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, it was. Disappointing.”

“But still, thank you,” she said, leaning over to plant a kiss on his lips.

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Just that?”

“Why?”

“I was hoping for a very grand show of gratefulness.”

“Well, since I also did my part, why don’t you do it?” she challenged.

“You bet I will.” He was grinning as he closed the distance before them. The kiss he gave her was nothing like the one she gave him. “Thank you,” he rasped a while later. “Now, let’s watch the world wake up.”

---

Everything was nearly perfect by the time they got back. Willie was still with his grandmother but Chanty and Liam needed some time to rest.

He took her home and had fallen asleep on the couch when he said he’d only take a few minutes to rest. Chanty smiled at his sleeping form and grabbed a comforter to wrap him with.

When there was no sign of him waking up, she went to her room and took a bath.

Her phone was ringing when she stepped out of the bathroom. She answered it and that was when everything started to fall apart.

“I have acquired a court order for that DNA test,” Cameron’s voice said from the other line.

Chanty swallowed. “Court order? On what grounds?”

“You know what I am talking about, Chanty. You better stop this game of yours and let’s just settle matters like adults.”

“Please, just leave us alone, Cameron. Willie is–”

“Don’t tell me he is not my son, Chanty, because I know he is. There is no way you would have cheated on me years ago. And whatever it is you are planning with Heaton, make sure you do it right because I am not giving up without a fight. Let’s do the test.”

“Cameron–”

He didn’t let her finish. The line went dead and Chanty started to panic.

Her fingers were shaking as she dialed Angelica’s number.

“Yeah?” her friend answered after three rings.

“I don’t know what to do. Cameron just called and he wants to do a DNA test, said he got a court order. Can you check with Henry if that is possible?”

“What? Court order? However did he manage to do that?!”

“He has connections, Ange. I need help. Like right now!”

“Well, can’t we fake it?”

“Fake what? The DNA?”

“Well, yes.”

“I am already living a lie. I don’t think I can fake a DNA test just so I could continue living it. That would be crazy.”

“Well, it was just a thought.”

“Well, think of something else! Cameron will take Willie away from me if he as much as prove that he is Willie’s father. I can’t have that. I have made up this big lie to keep my son. I can’t lose him and–”

“Hey! Calm down! Okay, I am coming over now. You’re home?”

“Yes, but–”

“Then I am coming over,” Angelica said before Chanty could say Liam was with her.

She stared at her phone in defeat. How could everything be a mess now after a perfect night?

Right now, she had to think about what she should do. She should probably get ready and take Angelica somewhere. She couldn’t just wake Liam up and tell him to go home.

---

When she walked out in the living room five minutes later, Liam was putting on his shoes, his face serious.

“You’re leaving?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered, his voice bare of emotion.

Chanty frowned. “Are you okay? Are you feeling sick or something?”

When Liam looked up, his eyes were blank. As a matter of fact, his whole face was unreadable. “You tell me, Chanty. What do you think?”

“I don’t know what you mean–”

“Oh, you don’t? Well, let me try lay everything out for you,” he said, standing up.

Chanty’s heart started racing. She knew something was wrong.

“I woke up feeling tired and wonderful at the same time and when I walked to your room, I found you talking on the phone. I was about to walk off and let you be but then I heard my name.” His face was flat, but his voice was angry as he explained.

Chanty panicked. “Liam, let me explain–”

“Explain what? That you really meant to tell me the truth? Well, when would that be, Chanty?” He ran his hands through his hair. “Have you even ever seen me as someone you could actually care about? Or am I still just that guy who spent one night of passion with you when you desperately needed someone years ago? Well, maybe I am, right? Maybe I am just still that guy whom you could never consider being with you. I could never be that guy, right? I have always been just Liam, the guy who could understand. And I have been foolish enough to think that I could at least have a shot at you.” The stare he fixed her was cold. It was not Liam at all.  “Well, then, I guess it is time for me to finally give up. It had been too long and too tiring for me.”

He bent down to grab his jacket and started for the door.

No, scream. Go after him, you dummy! A part of Chanty shouted as she watched him walk to the door.

She tried to open her mouth to say something, to make him halt and freeze. But nothing came out.

He opened the door and walked out without a sound. Fear washed down on Chanty. Fear that he was never going to enter that door again.

Chapter 20

February, 2007, NYU

Liam and Zach were sitting by the bar when they saw Chanty and Cameron walk in.

“Look who is out on a date!” Zach said, beaming at Chanty.

Cameron’s face turned grim. His hand wound around Chanty’s waist to pull her closer.

“Don’t mind them, Cam. You should get used to their unwanted presence,” Chanty uttered, looking at Zach and Liam dryly.

“I didn’t know you guys are still together,” Liam said before he could stop himself. There was just something about Cameron that pissed him off. And to see him with Chanty was not helping at all.

“You know what? I think one of you,” Cameron uttered, looking at the two of them with ire, “has something toward Chanty. Is it you?” he asked Zach who exaggeratedly leaned away with his mouth agape. Cameron turned Liam next. “Or you?”

For a moment, Liam’s eyes met Chanty’s and his world stopped. The loud buzz of people and the clatters of glasses inside the bar suddenly faded away. Then slowly, a grin crept up his face and he said, “Come on, Cameron. Why do you ask? Are you, in any way, threatened by one of us?” he said, pointing his thumb at Zach.

“Or both?” his friend added.

“Come on, Cameron, let’s not let them spoil this night,” Chanty murmured, pulling Cameron away.

Zach and Liam forced out a laugh as they watched the couple walk away.

“Jerk,” Liam muttered before swallowing a glass of tequila. “Let’s go get lost. This place stinks.”

 

2013

It was a good five or ten seconds before Chanty finally gathered everything that happened. And when she did, she forced her feet to start moving. One small step and she began to walk to the door.

And then she ran.

Her heart was racing and she could feel her hands shaking as she tried to open the door.

“Shit!” she shouted when it wouldn’t turn.

She tried once again. It did open and she swung the door wide and shouted, “Liam! Wait!”

But he was already pulling out of the driveway, his head turned over his shoulder as he guided his car to the road.

“Liam!” she cried out once again. She didn’t care if she was running along the pathway in her bare feet. The only thing she could feel right now was a great deal of alarm and fear woven into one.

“Liam!”

But he didn’t glance back at her as he revved his car away.

Chanty felt the tears running down her face.

He was gone.

He drove off.

Away from her.

As the sound of his car drifted away, Liam’s deadpan voice rang inside her head loudly.

Maybe I am just still that guy whom you could never consider being with you. I could never be that guy, right?

Something inside her was starting to creep up to her chest. And then it began to squeeze right at her heart.

I have always been just Liam, the guy who could understand. And I have been foolish enough to think that I could at least have a shot at you.

Flashes of Liam from years ago appeared before her eyes as they filled with tears. He had always been a constant shadow. A shadow she had ignored and considered a nuisance. A shadow she never missed when it went on a hiatus for four years. A shadow she never appreciated until now.

Until it was too late.

Well, then, I guess it is time for me to finally give up. It had been too long and too tiring for me.

 

Chanty’s knees buckled and she dropped down on the side of the street, one hand clutching her chest, as she cried soundlessly.

---

Liam suddenly stepped on the break. A car passed by with an angry honk at its wake.

He didn’t mind.

He closed his eyes and tried to center all his attention on what had just happened.

He walked out on Chanty, the woman of his dreams.

For years, at the back of his mind, Chanty had always been the one.

And he didn’t know why.

She was never the most beautiful. She was not the best in class. She never even did anything good to him in the years he had known her.

What did he see in her?

This had always been the biggest question he never had the answer to.

And he never really cared to find out the answer because as long as he felt the same, old feelings for her; as long as she still managed to make his heart pause and skip a beat whenever she appeared before him; as long as he could still do anything for her, he was willing to wait with that question unanswered.

But this time, it was different. She had lied to him.

He felt used. Just like that night four years ago.

Just like that night when she didn’t have anyone else to turn to and he was there to give comfort.

Right now, all he could think of the past few weeks Chanty spent with him was that it had all been one, big lie.

He turned the gear of his car and started to drive again.

Maybe it was finally time for him to give up.

He scoffed when he thought of how Zach would react.

His friend would laugh at his face for being so stupid over a woman who never and would never see him as a man she could be with.

---

“What the hell happened to you?” Angelica’s voice said above her.

“He’s gone, Ange. He left,” Chanty said, her face buried in her arms. She was still beside the street, her arms hugging her knees. Her eyes were dry, but she couldn’t even make herself get up and move back inside the house. There was nothing there. Willie was not there to give her a hug. And the other person who could give her the comfort she so needed just drove off and probably cursing her to damnation at the moment.

“What do you mean he’s gone? Who?”

“He found out! Ange, what do I do?” She lifted her face and saw Angelica’s worried face above her. Her friend was still literally in her sleeping attire, wearing nothing but her fluffy bedroom slippers.

If Angelica would go out of her house looking like that for you, you should be thanking all the saints, because it meant you were one hell of a friend she would suffer a great deal of humiliation for being a fashion wreck just to get to you.

And the thought of that brought another batch of tear strike. Chanty whimpered and reached out for Ange. “He’s gone. He left! What do I do?”

“The first thing you have to do is go after him because you certainly have feelings for the man,” her friend said without doubt, her voice a strong pillar for her to hang on to.

“I did! Barefooted!” she cried out.

“Then why the hell are you still here? You do have a car, stupid!”

“I can’t face him right now. He was so angry, Ange. And I had never seen him that angry! I can’t look at that face again!”

“You are such a coward, Chanty. Come on, get up and get inside that house. Let’s have some talk before we go hunt down that guy.” Angelica pulled her up and almost dragged her back to the house.

“I’ll call in reinforcement,” Angelica said when Chanty fell into the couch and cried harder. “You can cry really hard, but please, keep your voice down. I need to call Cass and if she hears you like that, she might get here in just her underwear and that’s even worse than what I am wearing now,” Angelica added as she worked with her phone. “You have to get here NOW,” Chanty heard her say. “And drop by Julianne. We might need her help. I am at Chanty’s. No, everything is a wreck, including her. You are wearing appropriate clothing, are you? Okay, good. Then get your ass down here! Don’t utter a word to Philip.”

“I don’t know what to do, Ange. Cameron, Willie, Liam…everything!” Chanty continued, her voice muffled by the couch.

“Cry. I know what you are going through,” Angelica’s gentle voice told her. Her friend sat down on the couch beside her and rubbed her back as she lay there in a fetal position. “It will hurt more later–”

Chanty cried louder at the thought. How could it hurt more? She didn’t think she could bear more!

“But you have to be strong. Liam is not just the only problem here. There’s Cameron and Willie. But you are not doing this fight alone. I am here. And Cass, too; and hopefully, Jules as well. Just cry for now because later, we are going hunting. And you can’t hunt with your eyes flooded with tears. It will get in the way of your vision and your target. Cry, because you will need your eyes dry for later. Liam will be quite a hard target. You’ve given him more reasons to run away than stay.”

“I didn’t mean to–”

“You don’t have to deny it, my dear,” Angelica cut in. “The guy’s been struck a lot of times than mended. Accept the fact that you are one of the major contributors of his wounds. You’ve hurt him more than anyone, Chanty. Just accept that so you could chase him down and beg for his mercy.”

“Oh, God, I hate you right now,” Chanty cried at her friend.

“Well, you don’t hate me as much as Liam hates you at the moment.” This time, Chanty kicked Angelica off the couch. “You don’t need sympathy from me, Chanty. You need to hear the truth. So just stop fake-hating me and cry your heart out. Cass and Jules will be here any minute.”

“I hate your mouth right now. I hate it!”

“Okay, fine, you’ll take it back later anyway. For now, cry while I make some coffee. And I need to borrow some clothes. And shoes.”

Chanty didn’t hear her friend. Angelica’s words echoed in her head. She had thought of those things earlier outside as she cried beside the street. But hearing them from someone other than herself and Liam, Chanty felt she was finally pulled out of the pool of denial she had been floating in for a long time.

She really was one big of a bitch. Liam had always been her victim. She had hurt him in many ways. He might never forgive her. No, scratch that. He would never forgive her.

---

“You don’t really hate her, do you?” Zach asked.

Liam shot him a look, but before he could say a word, he saw Julianne briskly walk out of the hotel room’s closet.

“Where are you going?” Zach asked her.

“Out. Cass is picking me up.”

“You’ve been going out more than I have lately, Jules, and I wonder what–”

But Julianne was not hearing him. Instead, she was looking at Liam in a weird way as she walked to Zach to give him a goodbye kiss. “I’ll be back before you know it.” And she gave Liam another awkward look before she said, “’Bye, Liam.”

“Jules! Be careful–”

The door closed behind her before Zach could finish his sentence. “I wonder what’s up now,” he said aloud.

“I think I have an idea where she’s going,” Liam said with bitterness. He took another gulp of brandy.

Zach looked at him for a moment and then realization struck him. “You think Jules also knows about it? She wouldn’t keep a secret from me–”

“That’s the thing, Zach. We always think they are perfect. But they are not. Women, after all, are just like us. They know how to keep a secret and they know how to lie.”

“Well, that’s true,” Zach said, avoiding his gaze. “But that doesn’t mean we cannot give them the chance to explain. They give us more than just one second chance. You should go back to Chanty and demand for an explanation.”

Liam shook his head. “I am beat, man. I don’t think I can face her again.”

“Look, I know you feel betrayed or used or whatever. But I remember you told me a few weeks ago that Chanty told you that you are not Willie’s father. Well? Do you remember that?”

Liam almost cursed. Yes, now he remembered. Chanty was almost begging him to believe her.

And then he shook his head. “She should have tried harder. But what did she do? Instead of insisting, she continued on with the lie because it was an advantage for her. I was willing to embrace it without question. And I was a fool to fall for that.”

“You know, almost a year ago, we were talking and I was at your side of the table. I didn’t believe in all this love shit and you were so insistent on how wonderful it is. Where is your ‘the one’ speech, bro?”

Liam scoffed. “Stuck somewhere. I am starting to believe I don’t have one in this lifetime. But congratulations to you, you found yours.”

“What the hell,” Zach uttered, standing up. “You are talking nonsense. In fact, you’re talking more nonsense than I did that night I decided to be the Bachelor.” Liam watched him fish for his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“I am calling the guys. We need to talk about this, just like what our women must be doing right now. You obviously need more than just me on this one, dude. You’ll need all the help you can get.”

---

“Liam’s at the hotel, drinking with Zach,” Julianne uttered softly. “I think he is in a mess right now, Chanty. And I feel guilty as hell because I am part of this lie.”

Chanty groaned. She was now sitting on the carpet, her arms on the center table, a great achievement compared to the previous fetal position she was in on the couch earlier. Julianne was seated at the winged chair adjacent the couch behind her.

Cassandra was pacing the living room, deep in thought.

Angelica, to her surprise, didn’t say anything from where she was sitting behind her in the couch.

“I need to explain everything,” she said desperately.

“Yes,” her friends answered in unison.

“Should we call Zach?” Julianne asked. “We can go back to the hotel so you could talk to Liam.”

No one answered. Chanty guessed everyone was worried what might become of the hotel room if they as much as show up. She knew Liam didn’t have any violent streak in his body. But still, she feared the worse. Her mind was wondering to all possible scenarios.

“I know I suggested we hunt him down so you could explain,” Angelica uttered behind her, “and I still believe we should do that. Nothing is more advantageous than a surprise attack.”

“This is not like a simple, chasing game, Ange. We know Chanty blew it big. And we are part of her problem because we kind of pushed her to do it,” Cassandra explained.

“I think Zach knows I know,” Julianne said with worry.

“Philip will kill me,” Cassandra added.

“Henry might throw me in prison along with the bad guys who wanted to kill me,” Angelica said with sureness.

“Can we talk about me and Liam for a second here?” Chanty asked the group. “And that stupid asshole, Cameron?”

Julianne straightened in her chair. “I know I am just a new friend and all, but I want to say something.”

The three women looked at her, their faces full of desperation.

“Come clean, Chanty. Talk with the guy. And if he doesn’t want to listen, go to battle the right way. The clean way.”

“God, that sounds so easy,” Cassandra said, walking around. “What about the dirty little secrets you have on Cameron?”

“We can threaten him like he did threaten you,” Angelica agreed.

Julianne looked at the two women with awe. “You are suggesting Chanty continue on with the lie?”

“No, of course not,” Cassandra and Angelica answered.

“Liam already knows. And Zach probably knows already as well. The lie is over,” Chanty said.

“But Cameron doesn’t,” Angelica uttered. “We can still make him–”

“No,” Chanty cut in strongly. “I am done with this lie. I am done with it. Julianne is right. I should come clean. I will talk to Cameron.”

“Okay,” Cassandra and Angelica answered in an instant.

“What about Liam?”

Chanty looked over her shoulder at Angelica and transferred her gaze to Cassandra. Both of them were wearing the same expression: Hunt him down.

She remembered how Cassandra tried to fight for Philip when she thought he was giving up on her. She heard about how Angelica came up with her brilliant plan to get Henry to his senses.

Making up her mind, she stood up and looked at her friends. “I am going to hunt him down if that is what I have to do. I might not have this much courage tomorrow if I sleep on it.”

She watched Angelica jump from the couch, Cassandra run for her purse, and Julianne standing up to walk to the door.

When she didn’t move, the three women turned to look at her. “Well?”

Chanty nodded. “Yes, now or never.”

---

When they reached the hotel, no one was there. Julianne tried to call Zach but the man was evasive.

“Jules, I think it is best if you girls leave Liam alone for now. And we will need to talk once I get back,” he had said before he hung up.

“Where could they be?” Cassandra asked.

“They are drinking, I know it,” Angelica uttered.

“Where?” Chanty asked.

Angelica smiled wickedly. “I know a lot of people. And I am sure a lot of people know Zach. They are just a few phone calls away.” She took out her phone and started tapping. “Let the expert handle this.”

---

After two hours of waiting for Angelica to finally hit something, Chanty’s strong will started to wane. Fear began to creep into her nerves. Her friend had been calling people she knew and asking questions about Zach, the former Bachelor and if it was possible they saw him somewhere.

“Stop that,” Angelica shot at her when she started pacing.

“It is getting late. I need to get to Willie.”

“Let’s settle this matter with Liam first,” Cassandra told her. “Willie is safe with mom. You just checked on him a while ago.”

“Oh my God, I am so stupid,” Julianne suddenly cried out from the couch.

“What?” Cassandra, Angelica and Chanty looked at her with alarm.

“GPS. Shit, how could I forget?” Julianne took out her phone. “I can track Zach through his phone.”

“Then what the hell! Go find him!” Angelica cried out.

They waited anxiously as Julianne worked on her phone. “I found him! They are here,” she showed the girls the map.

“Let’s go,” Angelica ordered. “Chanty, let’s go!” she shouted when Chanty didn’t move.

Cassandra pushed her to the door. “Get over with your nerves. Let’s face this.”

---

When they reached the bar, there was a big commotion.

There was a crowd gathered outside the door.

“Why do I get a feeling that this is not going to be good?” Cassandra asked.

“Let’s go,” Angelica ordered as they stepped out of the taxi. None of them were too eager to drive given the situation.

“I don’t think it is safe for the both of you,” Chanty addressed Julianne and Cassandra.

“The hell it is,” her sister-in-law answered, walking past her, pushing people out of the way saying, “Pregnant women passing through!”

They walked past the crowed with ease, but the problem presented itself when they reached the entrance of the bar. There were guards blocking the way to the door.

“There’s been a commotion inside, ladies. You can’t come in,” said the bigger man.

“My husband is inside that bar!” Julianne lied. “He is still inside,” she said to the ladies, showing them her phone.

“Who is your husband?”

“Zachary Astor. Step aside and let us pass.”

“We really can’t do that–”

“Hey, do you know me?” Angelica asked the man. “I know a LOT of people, buddy and I–”

Angelica’s words were cut short when they saw a group walking toward them from inside the bar.

Chanty immediately saw Liam, his hand on his head. And then she saw the blood. “Oh my God!”

Cassandra exclaimed the same thing when Philip appeared with bloody shirt.

“Zach!” Julianne cried out when she spotted the man with an icepack on his left eye.

“Oh God, we are so dead,” Angelica murmured when Henry walked ahead, his eyes seriously deadly despite his torn shirt.

“Oh no, Ange, THEY are so dead!” Cassandra added with her hands on her hips.

“What are you four doing here?” Henry asked them as they neared.

“We should be asking that question,” Angelica retorted, her eyebrow arched. And then she frowned. “Why are these cops holding you guys?”

“We’re being arrested,” Philip said calmly.

Chapter 21

May, 2007, NYU

Zach and Liam exited the clinic while holding their aching and bruising jaws.

“I told you it was a bad idea,” Liam groaned.

“She told me they were almost over, man! Who would have thought he was in a football team? Crazy, coward…”

“This is your fault,” Liam shot at his friend.

“Oh, hey, there, Chanty!” Zach called, not hearing his words.

Liam turned around and saw Chanty walking toward them with a frown.

“What happened to the two of you?”

“Do you care that much?” Liam asked in his jesting tone.

Chanty rolled her eyes. “I actually want to thank the ones responsible for your injuries. Oh, well, whatever the two of you have been doing, it would have been really bad, as usual.”

And then she was off to her classes.

“Now she thinks I am a douche,” Liam sighed.

“Buddy, in case you haven’t noticed, Chanty has always seen us that way.”

“It will change. Once that bastard Cameron is out of the picture.”

“Man, I hate to say this, and I am only saying this VERY rarely,” Zach said, facing him, “I think it is time for you to give up on her. She doesn’t see you as you see her.”

Liam didn’t answer, his mind reeling with thoughts of Chanty Strindberg walking away from them.

2013

“What do you mean you are being arrested?!” cried Cassandra and Angelica at the same time.

Julianne was silently shooting daggers at Zach who was cowering behind Henry.

Chanty’s eyes flew to Liam but he was not even moving his head to look at her. It seemed that he was too focused on his bleeding forehead.

“They had caused quite a scene. There were damages,” the cop explained while he tried to make his way through the crowding ladies.

“I want a full report on–” Cassandra started but Philip cut her off saying, “Babe, just go home. Let us handle this.”

“Handle this?” Angelica asked incredulously, specifically fixing her gaze on her husband, her hands on her hips. “What do you plan to do? Call your attorney? Well, let me tell you, he is quite busy getting arrested as well! You have no choice but us, your wives and fiancée and…” Angelica’s gaze flew to Chanty for a few seconds before she added, “well, girlfriend or whatever.”

“Angelica, not now,” Henry said dryly, his voice tired. “You are obviously overreacting. Go take Cassandra and Julianne home. I will be home before you know it.”

Henry had that authoritative voice that if he used, could really mellow the ladies down. Sure, Philip was bossy, but Henry was scary. Well, they only felt scared in his presence after they learned he was a freaking NSA agent.

“And did I forget to tell you we have a lot of talking to do?” Henry added to his wife, quickly throwing Chanty a glance and then his eyes went back to his wife.

Chanty groaned. Henry knew. And obviously, by the way Philip was looking at her and his wife, he was also made aware.

There went her perfect lie. Out in the open.

She didn’t bother listening to the exchange of Cassandra and Angelica and their husbands. She was already looking at Liam, silently calling out his name to turn his head and look at her. But he wouldn’t. And she knew it. He was aware of her presence and he was not even looking at her.

The two groups of estrogen and testosterone continued their battle until the biggest of the cops decided to step in, shouting, “Okay, enough!” with impatience. It was only then did they all close their lips.

“Glad you can all understand those simple words,” the cop said, smiling at them sarcastically. “Now, move aside, ladies. These men are going to have a trip to the precinct.”

“Can’t you first attend to their wounds before you arrest them?” Chanty spoke for the first time, her eyes still on Liam and his bleeding forehead.

The cop closed his eyes in impatience. “Lady, if you have seen the state of their opponents, you would know that your men here are in a fairly, better and healthier state.”

“Hm,” Angelica and Cassandra uttered at the same time. “Good.”

They all stepped aside to let the cops and the four men walk through toward the waiting vehicles with Cassandra muttering something like, “You did good, babe. I didn’t know you had it in you!” to Philip as he passed by.

The four ladies followed the group.

“Wait,” they heard Henry say. “Our cars. Ange,” he called to his wife.

Angelica walked toward him, followed by Chanty and the others.

“You guys take our cars. We won’t need them for a couple of hours. The ‘no driving’ rule is off for tonight,” Henry ordered, passing his key to his wife. Philip was fishing for his in his pockets while a cop collected Zach and Liam’s keys.

“Chanty, you take Liam’s,” Angelica ordered, shoving the key to her. Did her friend forget how awkward this situation was? Or was it just Chanty who remembered Liam didn’t want to see her, or talk to her, at all?

“What?” she asked, her eyes darting to Liam who was now looking at her, his face blank. She asked him a question with her eyes and he shrugged his shoulder in answer before turning away to walk to the nearest police car. “Fine,” she muttered under her breath.

They all watched the men get into two police cars. “What now?” Julianne asked, playing with Zach’s keys in her hand, when the cars finally revved off the road.

“We go after them, of course. They might need back up,” Angelica said with certainty.

“I don’t think your husbands will like that,” Chanty told them.

“Oh, things are almost leading to a divorce anyway. He divorced me once, remember? I think the second time would not hurt as bad,” Cassandra said, waving off Chanty’s words.

Knowing Angelica was a little serious about her statement while Cassandra just obviously said hers in anger, Chanty knew better than to disagree. And she wanted to be there if the guys needed any help in any way.

---

The police station was peaceful until they all rushed in.

The same big cop faced them with disinterest when they came through the glass doors.

“They are still being questioned, ladies,” he said dryly.

“Then we can wait,” Angelica said, holding her chin high.

“Is there coffee?” Cassandra asked.

“No, but there is an extra holding cell if you don’t setting down and keep quiet,” the man said. “Pregnant women not exempted.”

“Let’s just sit down,” Julianne suggested.

“Yeah, because I am tired,” Angelica answered, looking at the cop. “Not because I was ordered to.”

The man just shook his head and turned to walk away.

An hour later, they all got impatient. This time, it was Julianne who walked to the desk. “I want to see my husband now.” Chanty didn’t know why she had to keep on lying about Zach being her husband.

The clerk looked as if he was assessing the situation. “I suppose you can talk to them for just five minutes. And then you cannot bother us again.”

“Enough time to talk,” Angelica agreed much to everyone’s surprise.

Chanty stood up and said, “Lead the way.”

---

“We told you to go home,” was Philip’s words the moment they all entered the small visiting room. They were being separated by a glass window with tiny holes so they could hear each other.

“Why are you being detained? And why are we meeting in this place? It looks like you are about to be hanged,” Angelica exclaimed.

“Relax. We handled things. We are just waiting for a few calls,” Henry reassured them.

Looking at them, Chanty could tell that their wounds were not that serious as she first thought, but Liam had a small bandage on his forehead.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

He was standing behind Philip and when he heard her voice, he looked up. “Yeah,” he answered.

Chanty felt the same crushing feeling in her chest. Gone were the smiles and the glinting eyes he often threw in her direction.

In fact, she had never really seen him look at her like that except today. And looking back at all those years she had known him, she could now say that Liam had always been affectionate toward her just by the look he had been giving her. And she had been stupid to have not noticed it before.

And now it was gone.

And it was all her fault.

“Tell us what really happened,” Julianne demanded.

The men looked at each other in silence.

“Zachary,” Julianne addressed her fiancé seriously, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Jules, it was nothing. We didn’t start it–” Zach started to explain.

“From the beginning,” Julianne interrupted.

“Well, if you really want to know, it all started when Zach called us for a few drinks,” Philip answered. “And after a few bottles, we all found out that you, ladies, had been keeping a secret from us.” He fixed Chanty a look, his voice with a slice of anger in them. “Especially my sister.”

“Ah, so it is about that stupid lie,” Chanty said, finally breaking down in frustration. “It all happened because of my lie. Great! Blame it all on me, sure. I know it was my entire fault. Happy now? Are you happy now that I admit I got you all in trouble again?”

“Hey, calm down,” Angelica whispered beside her.

“Chanty’s your sister, Philip. How can you say such a thing?” Cassandra demanded.

“Fine. I am sorry. But we still need to talk, Chanty,” Philip told her stonily.

“But that was true though,” Zach said after a long silence. Liam looked at him and was about to say something but he continued, “I invited everyone for a drink because Liam obviously needed to get out and get some air. I know, the bar was a bad choice, but it had always worked out for us in the past. We didn’t even talk about what you girls did because we were all angry in our own, private ways after we learned you lied to all of us. So we just–”

“Drank,” Henry finished. “Until some guys showed up.”

“Who?” the women asked in unison.

“Some guys who got a call from my wife,” Henry answered.

At first, Angelica was frowning. And then realization struck her. “We were trying to find you guys. I called a few people and–”

“Well, to make the story short, we overheard them talking by the next table about you,” Henry said. “They obviously didn’t know Zach, but they knew you.”

“And Chanty,” Philip answered, his jaw clenching.

“And?” Angelica and Chanty asked.

“And they talked like they were stripping you of all your garments,” Zach provided when no one spoke. “You should have heard it. You would have handled the matter on your own because–”

“When did the brawl start?”

“When Liam stood up and–” Zach did not finish his words. He sighed, obviously mentally beating himself for saying too much. He looked at the other men and they all shared a look.

If it was their secret look to say, ‘Shut the hell up!’, it was pretty much close to the version the girls would use.

“What?” the women asked.

“Liam stood up and things just started to get…busy,” Zach finished. “We couldn’t just let them continue talking about you girls like that.”

“You’re lying,” Julianne pointed out.

“Jules–”

“We are not at a liberty to answer all your questions at the moment,” Henry stated in his authoritative voice.

“Liberty my ass!” Angelica exclaimed.

“We were read our Miranda rights, you know,” Zach tried to reason but grimaced when he saw the disbelief in Julianne’s face.“

“That was the story,” Philip said, putting a stop to all the craziness. “We got into a fight, like most men, because we were together, because Zach called, because the truth finally came out and we are all upset about it,” he finished in a tone that said the conversation was over. “Look, this has all been a mess from the very beginning. Let us talk some other time, Chanty, and remember that I am still your brother and I am family. I deserved to know the truth. Whatever you,” he pointed at Liam, “and Liam have between you is between you, but when it comes to Willie and your problems with Cameron, I need to step in and you have to let me help you. That goes to all of you as well,” he said to everyone else in the room. “Your problems with your wives and husbands are to be solved on your own. But not right now.”

A long silence followed and they could all hear the ticking of the clock on the wall.

“Fine,” said Angelica.

“Fine,” said Julianne.

“Fine,” said Chanty.

“Does that include the two of us?” Cassandra asked.

“Yes,” Philip answered.

“Fine,” said Cassandra.

And with that, the ladies walked out of the room to wait outside.

---

“We shouldn’t have told them anything in the first place,” Liam told the rest of the guys, scratching the uninjured side of his head. “They will only want more answers.”

“Well, what we told them was the truth, right? We got into a fight because of them,” Zach reasoned.

“You don’t really want to repeat those words to Julianne, man,” Liam told him.

“Now they must be thinking we have been talking about them,” Henry said, sitting down on the bench. “I know Ange is already planning her next move by now. She’d try to dig for more details.”

“They don’t have to know everything,” Philip said.

“Just tell her the truth. Liam stood up and told those morons to get lost,” Zach suggested.

“That’s not what he really said,” Philip answered, a smile twitching on his lips.

“Oh, yeah,” Zach added with a laugh, looking at his friend. “You called her a ‘lying, beautiful witch who is too good for any man in the room’. Your exact words, man. It was sweet and harsh at the same time.”

“Shut up,” Liam said, lightly kicking his friend at the shin.

“And then Philip stood up, intending to punch you for calling his sister a lying witch, but he missed and hit the other guy instead.”

“And all hell broke loose,” Henry finished with a sigh.

“I am not sorry about what I said though, Philip,” Liam said seriously, looking at Chanty’s brother.

“I understand. She has done a stupid mistake,” Philip said, nodding his head. “And I am sorry for trying to punch you, but I am also sorry I wasn’t able to hit you.”

Liam scoffed while Henry and Zach chuckled.

“We should definitely not tell them the whole truth. They will take it wrongly and offensively,” Liam suggested.

“It sounds crazy,” Zach nodded.

“Crazier than them,” Henry agreed.

---

“I know they are not telling us what really happened,” Angelica whispered to them.

“They are men, Ange, they hate to explain everything in detail,” Chanty said, now feeling tired.

“I will know everything. Henry will tell me,” her friend said with confidence.

“I don’t think so,” Chanty said.

“But Zach will,” Julianne said in a simple tone. “He can’t keep a secret. He is not a very good liar.”

“Good,” Cassandra said with a nod. “Philip rarely talks about these things. I am even surprised he got into a fight. It’s not him.”

“But I can’t believe they tried to point everything to us,” Angelica said with frustration.

“Well, we did lie to them,” Chanty said. “Especially me.”

“Oh, shut up. They will understand us once they are free from intoxication and once they get a few days off to think,” Angelica assured her.

When they heard the doors to the detention room open, they all jumped to their feet.

There, walking toward them were the guys. And they didn’t look like they were exiting a freaking detention room in a police station. They were walking as if they just walked out of a football game.

Their reunion was as normal as well.

“Where’s the car?” Henry asked Angelica.

“Outside,” his wife answered, handing him the keys.

“Let’s go home,” Philip said to Cassandra. And then he turned to Chanty. “You need a ride?”

She was about to say no but then she looked at Liam. Her heart sank and she walked toward him, giving him his keys. “Your keys,” she whispered brokenly before turning to face her brother. “Can you drop me by at mom’s place?”

“Of course,” Cassandra uttered gently, taking her hand.

“Hey, you, men from the bar!” the big cop called out behind them.

The four men turned to look at him.

“No driving for you. You all failed your BAC test.”

Keys were returned to the ladies. But since Liam had no one to give his keys to, Angelica said, “You can ask Chanty to take you home.”

Chanty’s heart started to hammer against her chest.

Liam looked uncomfortable as hell and she felt like she was not ready to face him now, much alone be with him in a car.

But the look her friends gave her reminded her of the reason why they went searching for Liam and Zach in the first place.

“Sure, I will,” she said in the most nonchalant tone she could muster.

“I can hitch a ride with Zach–” Liam started, but Zach was already walking out the door with a wave.

“Next time, man!” his friend said, guiding Julianne beside him.

Philip looked at Chanty like the big brother that he was.

“I am fine,” she told him. Philip nodded and let Cassandra lead the way out the door.

“Liam, your keys.”

“I can get a taxi and–”

“Just give me the damn keys so we could drive and talk,” she told him, surprised at her newfound courage.

Angelica and Henry looked at the two of them, probably anticipating another trip inside the detention room. It was only when Liam shoved his keys in her hand did the couple walk out the door.

“Let’s get this over with,” Liam said coldly before he followed the Bell couple outside.

Okay, so now he was back to being the cold Liam. Gone was the restless one who didn’t want to give her his keys. How could she manage this side of him?

Chanty took a deep breath and silently prayed for more strength.

Liam would obviously make it difficult for her.

Chapter 22

August, 2007, NYU

“It is a good thing you came, Chanty,” Angelica shouted over the sound of the music.

“Why?” she asked, covering one ear.

“Because you have been around that boyfriend of yours for too long! You should have some fun!”

“Cameron and I have a lot fun in our own ways!”

“Oh, but not the fun like those two could offer!” her friend said, pointing at Zach and Liam laughing hard at their spot in the bar. Liam was slapping the table as Zach wailed his arms, telling some funny tale.

“They have been nothing but a pain in the ass! You should attend one class with them!”

“But they are fun! I sure think one of them likes you!”

Chanty’s brows furrowed. “Who?” She looked over at the boys once more.

Her friend winked at her when she returned her gaze. “Guess.” Angelica laughed as she pulled Chanty back to the table. “Come on! Forget about that kill joy boyfriend of yours for tonight and let’s dance to some music!”

2013

Chanty started to doubt her own driving skills when she finally sat behind the wheel.

Liam’s strong scent from the bar was not helping her panicking senses.

She inserted the key into the ignition and looked for the hand break.

It was already dark outside and her hands busily searched under the steering wheel.

Liam shifted his weight from the left to the right, indicating that he was getting impatient.

“Hand break…” she muttered under her breath.

“Right side,” he said in his neutral tone she had trouble getting used to.

“Right,” she said, finally grasping the handle. She pulled the hand break free, turned on the ignition and placed the car in gear.

Liam never uttered a word which made Chanty feeling more uncomfortable. She was not getting used to this Liam.

Just this morning, they had been okay. Everything was almost magical. And it all went crazy in just a couple of hours.

It was only when she turned the car to the direction of the main road did she realize that if she would take Liam home, she would have to find her own ride back to her place.

She should have taken Philip’s offer.

Or maybe she should call Cass and get a ride.

But she needed to talk to Liam. She had to clear everything.

---

Liam couldn’t point out what he was feeling since he was a bundle of emotions at the moment. Add the fact that he just came out of a precinct after a chaotic night at the bar.

And Chanty was driving him home.

But he was certain of one thing: he could still feel the anger.

He was rational enough to admit that Chanty had tried to tell him the truth back then and, as Zach had pointed out, he ignored it because he desperately wanted to believe he was Willie’s father.

But his emotions were not as rational as his mind at the moment. He felt he had been used. Just like that night four years ago which was a slightly different because that time he was willing to be used. He was willing to give her anything she needed.

Now, he was not so sure.

This thing he had for her, the feelings he had kept for too long, along with the crazy things he had done for her just sort of compressed themselves together in a thin plastic sheet which suddenly burst into a complete mess when she added in the lies she had told everyone except her friends.

If he had a limit for Chanty, this must be it.  

Maybe this was that moment Zach had been talking about. This was the time for him to give up.

It would be hard when he had been secretly hoping for something all these years.

It was one reason why he was also angry. He was angry at himself because he didn’t know where to begin. And he was not even sure what to begin with.

With Chanty, it had always been like that.

He could ignore it, put it aside like he did for about four years, but it would always come back the moment she’d reappear in his life.

He heard her clear her throat.

Liam knew she wanted to talk.

He was not ready to listen to her. He knew she would make some sense.

He was not sure he would.

---

“Liam, I want to say sorry for what I did,” Chanty started. She had expected tears to come, but thank goodness none came. She was perfectly fine, except for the fact that she desperately wanted the old Liam back. “You know I tried to tell you the truth, right?”

He did not answer. He was facing his side of the window as if he was watching a freaking blockbuster and he could not be disturbed.

“I tried to tell you that day but you wouldn’t listen to me. And then I tried to tell you on the days that followed but a lot of things started to happen. You went on planning a lot of things and I got deeper into my own lies. And I know I should be blamed for all that. I am sorry.”

Chanty was about to step on the break and force him to face her and say something but she stopped when his voice rang out in the silence of the car. “I accept your apology, Chanty.”

She felt relief wash over her but it soon died down when he faced her with the same flat expression on his face.

“After all, I don’t have the right to hold a grudge, right? I was, in all sense, a willing victim.”

She stole him a desperate glance. “Liam, you were not–”

“You don’t have to explain anything. I get it. Just drive.”

“I just want you to know that everything that happened between us was–”

“All forgotten, Chanty. Don’t waste your breath,” he cut her off.

Okay, she had to admit that hurt.

  All forgotten?

Was this Liam she was talking to?

“But for the sake of Willie and your family, I am not going to say anything. You made up the lie, you fix it.”

“What?” she swallowed. “What do you mean?”

“It means that I will keep this to myself. Expect me to stay away from this mess without a word. You talk with your brother, your family, your friends–you fix it. I am man enough to keep quiet, but don’t expect me to play another game of lie. I had enough.”

“But–”

“If you are thinking about work, don’t worry. We have a contract and I will do my job as I always does.”

“I am not worried about–”

“It is a good thing you insisted on not telling your son I am his father.”

That was a blow right at her chest. Your son. Not our son. Just a few hours ago, he called Willie his.

Your son. Why did it sound so wrong?

“You made the wrong turn,” he cut off again.

“What?”

“You made the wrong turn. Go back,” he ordered.

She couldn’t do anything but obey because she was feeling numb. He had accepted her apology, but obviously, he couldn’t give her his forgiveness.

Which sucked big time.

Maybe she should tell him what she felt.

But what did she feel anyway?

Whatever they had was short-lived, thanks to her crazy ideas. She didn’t even have enough time to assess anything, except that she had missed a lot of what Liam could have offered her. He could have given her so much–they could have made so much together. And it hurt to think there was nothing to look forward to by the hostility he was emitting she could almost taste it.

When they were finally outside his home, Liam looked at her and asked, “Well, how do you plan get home now?”

“I’ll just call a cab or–”

“You can sleep in the couch,” he said before she could finish and climbed out of the car.

Chanty’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

---

“I could murder him right now,” she hissed on the phone.

“Well, do you need any help?” Angelica asked. “Because I am sleeping in the couch as well, if you must know.”

“You chose to sleep there. I didn’t. God I hate him right now. He threw me a blanket and a pillow and then he was gone in his room. I drove him here after he got himself arrested. And after everything I did to him I know I kind of deserve this, but a little thank you would suffice.”

“Well, you got yourself into this mess, Chanty. Or we all did. That’s the reason I chose the couch. There was no way Henry would sleep here when I was the one who made the biggest mistake of all.”

“You’re only saying that because you’ll be back in that bed tomorrow anyway.”

“What did you tell him? I mean, did you explain everything?”

“In the best way I can. I didn’t go into the details because I was not even thinking straight. And I was driving.”

“And?”

“I told you. He said he accepts my apology. And that’s it. He told me he’d stay out of my mess.”

The other line was silent and for a moment she thought that her friend doze off but then Angelica asked, “Well, did you tell him you love him?”

“What?!”

“You are obviously bothered by his reaction, Chanty. You obviously love him.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Okay, fine. It is your freaking feelings anyway. But you better figure it out before it is already too late. You would not have cried like a child this morning if you don’t care for him at all.”

“Can you pick me up?”

“And what? Risk getting locked up for a month? You’re safe right there. You’ll get by.”

“Maybe I should go home. Call a cab or something.” She looked around the dark living room of Liam’s place. The only light was the lampshade beside the couch. His bedroom was silent and it seemed that he was having a nice slumber.

All forgotten.

Maybe he was telling the truth. He easily forgot everything that happened between them.

“Don’t be stupid, Chanty. Just sleep and then leave in the morning. Face whatever Liam has for you. Try talking to him again tomorrow.”

“I don’t think I can face more of this side of him, Ange. It is not what I am used to.”

“Honey, whatever it is, it is part of him. Just because you are not used to it doesn’t mean it is not him. He is angry at you. What do you expect him to do? Smile? Laugh with you? Have sex with you? Of course he’d leave you with a blanket and a pillow. Stop moping and let’s go to sleep in our own couches.”

Chanty ended the call without saying goodbye, hoping she was at the same situation as Angelica. Her friend was not at all bothered that she was having another fight with her husband because she felt secured Henry would welcome her back in their bed anytime soon.

She, on the other hand, didn’t have the same security as Angelica or Cass or even Julianne.

The only secure thing she had was Willie and her son was not around to even offer her comfort.

She lay on the couch and tried to cry as silently as she could, muffling her lips with her pillow.

---

Liam almost flew out of his room when he heard her crying.

But he stopped himself.

He had to learn how to control his feelings for her.

He lay on his bed instead and faced the ceiling as Chanty’s silent sobs crept inside his room.

Don’t move, he ordered himself.

He had to stop rescuing her when she was not even asking for help.

---

The following morning, Chanty left Liam’s place before he woke up.

She left him a text that she had to go home early to get Willie from her mother’s.

“What happened to your eyes?” her mother asked when she arrived.

“I cried after watching a stupid movie,” she lied. God, she had to stop lying.

“Your son’s been looking for you. If you are out on a date with Liam, you have to let him come sometimes, darling. He has been talking nonstop about his father and–”

“I would love to talk some more, mom, but I am getting late for work. Will talk to you really soon, okay? Let’s have some dinner at my place during the weekend,” she said in a rush. “I need to tell you something important.”

Her mother’s face lit up in excitement. “Oh, I hear wedding bells!”

“Mom, it is nothing like that. Just be ready for something bad,” she admitted, heading to get Willie from the play room.

“What do you mean–”

“I’ll tell you over dinner. Bring grandma and grandpa.” When she entered the room and saw her son, her tears started pouring. “Hey, buddy!”

“Mommy! You’re late!” her son cried out, running to meet her halfway. “What’s wrong? You’re crying.”

“I am just happy to see you, that’s all.”

She saw her mother frown from the corner of her eye but she ignored it.

“Okay, let’s go. Where’s your bag?”

---

The babysitter was not available and she was already running late for work so it was nearly impossible for her to take her son to Cassandra and Philip. She couldn’t send him back to her mother because the woman would bombard her with a lot of questions.

She had to no choice but to bring Willie to the office with her.

“I will see Liam?” he asked.

She pretended not to hear her son. She ushered him to her office as fast as she could as a wave of hellos from everyone in the office was thrown at Willie’s direction which her son responded to with a shy smile.

Chanty immediately took her spare clothes from the closet and changed.

“You stay here, okay? Don’t go anywhere while mommy works,” she told her son when she emerged from the bathroom.

“I can’t go to Aunt Cass?”

“No, honey. Aunt Cass is busy,” she lied. She was not sure what her sister-in-law was up to now. She must be on another type of strike just to piss Philip off.

“How about Liam? I wanna see Liam!” Willie jumped on the chair, throwing his bag on one corner.

“Stay put, Willie. Liam’s not around right now. He’s at home and he is sick.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, opening her computer. “Do you have your coloring pens?”

“Yeah.”

“Here are some papers. Make me something nice, okay?”

“Okay!” her son obliged happily and skipped to get the papers from her.

---

For almost two hours, Chanty was busy working while Willie was making his third drawing. She sensed he was getting bored and she hoped to finish her work early so she could take him somewhere.

If Liam reported for work, she was not sure.

“When will we go home?” Willie asked.

“In a couple of minutes,” she said the truth. She felt tired anyway since she didn’t get a lot of sleep last night in the couch. “I just need to finish this.”

“We won’t visit Liam? He’s sick.”

“No, he can manage,” she answered absently, looking at her computer.

A knock came to her door and her secretary, Dana, poked her head in with a grim expression on her face.

“What is it?”

“He’s here again.”

Chanty frowned.

“Cam-Cam,” Dana said in a whisper.

“Who?”

“Cam-Cam,” Dana repeated, darting her eyes to Willie and then back at her.

When she finally understood what the lady meant, Chanty sprang to her feet. “Don’t let him in!”

“He’s on his way. The lobby guys were not able to stop him in time and–”

But Chanty was no longer listening. She went to Willie and took his hand away from his work on the floor. “Let’s go, Willie. You want to see something?”

“What?” her son asked.

She panicked. She didn’t know what to say. “Uh, Liam’s office. You want to see it?”

“Sure!” her son answered.

“Don’t let Cam-Cam go anywhere near Liam’s office, do you hear me?” she hissed at her secretary who nodded furiously.

Everyone outside her office was in alert mode, obviously made aware of their unwanted visitor.

“Pete!” Chanty called out.

“Yeah, I know! I am on it! Don’t worry, girl! Will take care of Cam-Cam !” Pete said, standing to full height.

Chanty almost dragged her son to the only place in the floor that she could think of. She turned the knob and pushed the door open. “Faster, Willie.” She ushered her son inside, looking behind her for any sign of Cameron.

“But mommy, my bag–”

“I’ll get it for you later,” she snapped at her son as she closed the door. “Now,” she said, going down on one knee. “Don’t go out, okay? We will play a game. You hide here as long as you can and if you don’t go out and look for mommy for a long time until I come and get you, we will go to that trip you want.”

“The lodge?!” her son exclaimed excitedly.

Chanty couldn’t help but chuckle. Why not? She could use some time away from everything. “Yes. But only if you stay here for a long time.”

Willie nodded his head vigorously. “Deal! I will stay here until the sun goes away!”

She leaned forward and gave her son a kiss. And then she hugged him closely.

“We will ask Liam to go with us!” Willie added.

“No, honey, it would only be the two of us. I told you Liam is not available because he is–”

And that was only then that she noticed Liam sitting behind his desk, watching them.

Chapter 23

November, 2007, NYU

“Hey, where are you okay?” Liam asked the moment he saw Chanty briskly walking by, her eyes puffy. Something inside him stirred, knowing she had been crying.

“I am fine,” she answered as she walked on.

He followed, concerned. “You don’t look fine.”

“I am fine! Just leave me alone, Liam. I don’t have time for your jokes right now.”

“Why do you think I always have a joke up my sleeve?”

“Just leave me alone,” she snapped and continued walking, this time faster.

“Chanty–” and then he gave up and watched her walk away.

 

2013

“Busy,” she finished in a whisper.

Liam didn’t say a word so she stood up and straightened to full height.

Willie turned around to see what distracted his mother and his eyes lit up when he saw Liam. “Liam! Mommy said you are–”

“He’s busy, Willie,” she cut in. “Let’s just go find another place for our game, shall we?” she asked, bending down to grab her son’s hand.

“But I want to stay here–”

“Willie, I don’t have time for–”

“He can stay here,” Liam interrupted, his voice flat and unreadable as he stared at her but when he transferred his gaze at Willie, his smiling fun, smiling face returned. “What to play some games while you’re waiting for your mom?”

Willie nodded his head vigorously.

Chanty felt confused. She didn’t know what to do. Cameron must probably be inside her office right now and she shouldn’t make him wait. The longer he stayed, the longer she had to suffer.

“Fine. I will be right back,” she uttered. “Willie, remember our agreement, okay? Don’t go out unless mommy returns, okay?”

Willie smiled at her. “Sure!”

Chanty looked at Liam but he was already giving Willie his full attention. “I’ll be back,” she addressed him, but did not get a response.

Slowly, she walked to the door and walked out. Willie would be fine with Liam. Now, she had to face Cameron alone.

---

“I hope you know you are disrupting my work,” she said strongly as she rushed inside her office.

Sitting calmly in one of the chairs in front of her table like he owned the whole room himself was Cameron. He raised his brows in question. “Oh, well, I just thought I should drop by to check if you got my message.”

Yeah, that message. The one that ruined her perfect plan. The one that drove Liam away.

“I told you, Cameron, we don’t have anything to talk about. Willie is my son, not yours. You were never his father.”

“I find that hard to believe, Chanty,” he said, fixing her one of his serious looks.

Years ago, she had found herself mesmerized and amazed by his gaze. They had that intense power in them that would hold you to your spot. And maybe it was one of his best weapons as a lawyer. But right now, they were not working. Chanty couldn’t feel a tinge of emotion as she stared at him except anger and irritation.

“Let’s assume Willie is your son,” she started as she sat down in her chair facing him. “Why do you want to see him all of a sudden? Why do you want to take him away from me after all these years? Is it for your campaign? I know you are soon running for Senator. Having a son and a new wife will give you the perfect picture.”

Cameron didn’t seem shocked that she knew about his political plans. Instead, he was looking at her with confusion. “Is that what you think of me? That I only want my son for such petty things? Come on, Chanty, we’ve been together for years in the past. You know I separate my personal life from my work.”

“Oh, really?” she said, giving an exaggerated shocked face. “I didn’t think that, actually. I think I remember feeling like some kind of medal you hang around your neck whenever you need to impress people.”

Irritation flashed across his features. “Do you always think I have some sort of plans whenever I do something? Is that what you have always felt?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. I had always thought that everything you do was well-calculated. Every step, every move you made and still make always has a hidden agenda. Don’t think I wasted years being with you not knowing who you really are, Cameron.”

“But this is our child we are talking about, Chanty. I am not that heartless to use my child for my own personal success!”

“I don’t think I can believe you right now, Cameron.”

“I admit I didn’t know what to do when you told me you were pregnant four years ago. I had bigger dreams for my career and taking care of an unplanned child was not part of it. It was a stupid move walking out on you when you needed me the most, Chanty, but I have regretted that for years. And I understand if you cannot forgive me for doing that. As I can see, we have both moved on in terms of our feelings. But I want to know my child, take care of him and be a father to him before it is too late. Don’t take that away from me.”

Chanty gave a sarcastic laugh as she leaned against her swivel chair. “But Willie is not your son, Cameron. He never was and never will be.”

“I don’t believe you. And you are saying Liam Heaton is the father? Come on, you hated that man for years, Chanty. Every time we were together, you would always have something bad to say against him and Astor. How could you even make me believe you had had an affair with the man?”

Chanty fixed him an unwavering gaze. “You really think you knew me that much, do you? How could you be so sure you didn’t neglect me that much to make me stay loyal? Liam had been there when I needed someone the most. You weren’t. I guess that answers the question.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Cameron said, standing up and checking his watch. “I have an appointment in fifteen minutes. I came here thinking I could have a nice, sensible conversation with you. Let’s reschedule.”

He started for the door and Chanty didn’t say a word.

Before he walked out, he said over his shoulder, “I hate to say this, Chanty, but I would like to push with the DNA test.”

She gritted her teeth but didn’t say a word, afraid he’d find an evidence of her lie.

When he was finally gone, Chanty swung her chair around and faced the wide window.

Maybe Cameron was telling the truth. Maybe he really just wanted to be a father to Willie, she thought.

But how could she be so sure?

How could she be certain that he wouldn’t hurt her child like he did her four years ago?

Willie was fine without a father.

“Oh God, how many times do I have to say that?” she asked herself. Of course, Willie needed a father! She could see that every time his son was with Liam.

But she was not willing to put his son’s feelings in his own father’s hands. Cameron had the tendency to run away.

And no one was running away from Willie.

---

Liam guessed why Chanty was keeping Willie in his office. It only meant one thing: Cameron, Cameron was here for another visit.

“My mom said we are going on a trip if I stay here,” Willie informed him.

Liam raised his brows and focused on Willie instead of thinking about what might be happening in Chanty’s office at the very moment. “Is that the game you are playing right now?”

Willie nodded. “But we can play another one while I wait.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “Sure, buddy. What do you want to play?”

“I will stay standing there,” the child said, pointing at one corner of the room, right beside a plotted plant. “And I won’t move.”

Liam frowned. Was that even a game? “And what do I have to do?”

“Nothing. I will just stay there until mommy comes.”

Liam didn’t know where the game was leading. “And what do you get out of it?”

“If I stay there without moving until mommy returns, you come with us!”

“Come with you? Where?”

“The trip!”

“Buddy, I don’t think–” Liam stopped himself from saying no. Even though Willie was not his son after all, the kid already gained a place in his heart. “Okay, deal,” he ended up saying.

Willie jumped to his feet and ran to the corner he was talking about. “I won’t move at all even if a fly comes by.”

Liam chuckled. “If you say so. But I hate to say this, buddy, you might just lose. Your mom may not come for you sooner than you expect,” he said, walking back to his desk.

“She will. She always does. And she promised. She doesn’t break her promise.”

Liam just nodded. Chanty had never promised him anything so he was not sure about that.

“Okay, then. Are you sure you are okay standing there?” he asked.

Willie just nodded, leaning against the wall.

Ten minutes passed and no Chanty arrived.

“You’re not tired? You can sit on that chair,” Liam asked Willie but the child just shook his head.

He was starting to feel the old feeling of pity toward the child. Willie really wanted him to go to that trip.

“I will go to that trip even if you don’t play this game, Willie,” he said after fifteen more minutes passed.

“I am not tired,” the child answered with a smile.

Liam was about to stand up and check where the hell Chanty was when the door opened. She came in looking stressed. The look on her eyes told him she had been crying and his heart almost went out for her. He stopped himself from asking if she was okay. He had been doing that for years and she had never told him what she was really feeling except that one night four years ago.

Chanty averted her eyes when their gazes met and pretended to look for Willie.

“Where is he?” she asked in panic when she didn’t see her son who was standing behind her in one corner. Willie was covering his mouth with his hands to muffle his laughter, stepping right behind the plotted plant to hide.

Liam shrugged, giving Willie a wink as Chanty searched the place in panic.

“Where did he go? Why did you let him leave?” she demanded, glaring at him.

“I didn’t. I’m sure you can find him easily if you just search the place,” he said in a flat tone. He sent Willie another wink as Chanty bent down to look under his desk.

“Liam, don’t play any games with me. I don’t have time for this. I have to take him home right now and–” she stopped when she saw Willie hysterically laughing behind the plant. “Oh God, Willie, that was not a fun game,” she sighed as she walked to her son.

Liam watched as she hugged Willie close.

“I won!” Willie screamed over her shoulder.

“Yes you did,” Chanty answered.

“Two games!”

“What?” she asked.

“Two games! I won two games!”

“What do you mean?”

“Liam is coming with us!”

Chanty’s frown deepened. She looked over her shoulder to look at him. “What does he mean?”

Liam shrugged, keeping his face neutral now that he was talking to her. “He said I will have to come to the trip if he stays in that corner without moving. I guess he won.”

“Yes! I won! Liam is coming!”

“Willie, it’s only you and I–”

“That’s okay. I made a deal with him. I can’t break it,” he found himself saying. He saw how Willie’s eyes lit up with joy and how Chanty’s widened with surprise.

“It would be a weekend-long trip. You’re busy.”

“I am, yes, but I made a promise, right buddy?” he asked Willie.

Willie nodded, obviously not aware of the tension between him and Chanty.

---

Chanty swallowed. “Fine,” she said before she could stop herself.

Willie squealed in excitement. “Yes!”

“We’re leaving Friday afternoon.”

Liam nodded, fixing her a look that did not even register any form of excitement. “Fine. I’ll do the driving.”

“Fine,” she agreed, guiding the oblivious Willie to the door.

When they finally walked out, Chanty wondered how she could endure a weekend with a cold Liam. Oh lord, it seemed like that date on the hill was just a distant memory. She knew it was not happening anytime soon. Or maybe ever. And that was the most difficult to deal with at the moment.

---

Philip called her that afternoon and she knew what her brother wanted to talk about.

“Have you told mom?” he asked.

“No, not yet. I was planning to do that this weekend but something came up. I will go on a trip with Willie. I will talk to them when I get back.”

“Where are you going?”

“Just somewhere. I need some break, Philip.”

“It’s just going to be the two of you?”

She wondered if she should lie to her brother, but she had already been lying too much. “Liam is coming.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t have to. I am even surprised he is coming alone. Willie made sure he does.”

“I am not going to meddle in your affairs with Liam. I just want you to clear things up with the family. They still think he is Willie’s father, Chanty.”

“I know, and I am sorry about leading you guys on. I promise to talk to them when I get back.”

“Please do that.”

“And Philip, thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not meddling.”

Her brother was silent for a few seconds. “Be careful this weekend. Patch things up with the guy, Chanty. He didn’t deserve what you did.”

“I know.”

She stared at her phone after her brother disconnected. She wanted to call her friends and ask them to come with her, but she knew they all had their own lives to deal with, men to tame and careers to take care of.

She had to face this one alone.

---

Liam stopped the car right outside Chanty’s house.

And before he could even climb out of his car, Willie came bounding out the door with a backpack behind his back.

Chanty followed with two large bags. He walked to the trunk and opened it just in time for Chanty to load everything inside.

“Are we going now?” Willie asked excitedly.

“After we take care of your car seat,” Chanty told her son. “Wait right here.” She walked to her car and grabbed Willie’s car seat. Liam met her halfway and took it from her without saying a word.

Hell, he was not sure what to say to her. Sure, he wanted to be friendly and all, but things had been different for the two of them since that day he found out about the lie.

Civil was the perfect word, he thought.

For the rest of the week, he never spoke to her unless they were in a meeting or if he needed to discuss some important matters about work. Other than that, he didn’t do other stupid things such as plan for a date night or even drop by for a cup of coffee in her office.

If people in the office noticed anything different between them, no one said a word.

Liam knew Chanty was having a hard time because he was not acting like himself anymore.

Well, she better get used to it because he was not ready to go back to being the old Liam just yet.

It was hard enough to go on this trip with just her and Willie.

It would take a lot of control on his part not to do something stupid again.

He promised to stay away from Chanty as much as he could.

He just hoped Willie was enough distraction.

---

What are you doing now?

Angelica’s text came through as they were driving out of the city.

Nothing. Willie had been doing all the talking, she replied.

He’s not talking to you? I mean Liam.

Chanty didn’t even have to think about the answer. No.

Then try talking to him, moron.

She stole a glance at Liam’s direction. What should I say?

Anything. Just not the weather. That’s so old school .

I’ll try. Not promising though.

Good luck. Just text me if you need a getaway car.

Chanty cleared her throat as she replaced her phone back in her bag. She cleared it again as she stared out the window and focused on the rushing view outside. After a minute, she did it again.

God, this is difficult, she thought. The tension between her and Liam was very palpable and the only person in the car that could have helped them had fallen fast asleep, oblivious of adult problems.

“Do you need anything for your throat?” Liam finally asked when she did it again for the fourth time.

“What?” she asked, pretending not to hear.

“Your throat. Do you need anything for it?” he asked, his voice flat. There was not a tinge of concern.

“It is fine,” she answered. “I just thought this ride is awkward, that’s all,” she blurted out. She wanted to spank her stupid mouth for saying that.

“Well, it is bound to be awkward,” Liam said as he leaned forward to look at a road sign. “We’re supposed to make a turn here, right?”

Chanty almost wanted to cry. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it. “Yes. And I guess we don’t have to talk about the awkwardness. You are obviously comfortable with it.”

“I have always been comfortable being ignored so I learned how to deal with it. I think we’re going to reach the place before it gets dark.” He said the first sentence without a trace of sarcasm, but she felt it. She knew what he meant when he said it.

Chanty didn’t answer. She just turned her head to hide her struggle to keep the tears from falling. She was riding the car with a Liam she was not used to. Was he doing it on purpose to make her suffer or to protect himself?

She hoped it was not the latter because she didn’t want him to think he had to protect himself because she was bound to hurt him again. She had no intention of doing that.

Telling that to his face right now may not be a good thing because he would not believe her. How could he, right? She had never given him any reason to believe every word she would say with what she had done.

Chanty closed her eyes and a tear ran down her right cheek. She carefully raised her hand to wipe it away, pretending to scratch on her cheek. She then pretended to fall sleep.

Her mind was working full blast though.

She knew she had to do something.

This was not going to work if she wouldn’t make an effort.

She did this to herself. And if she wanted Liam back, she’d have to be witty and strong.

Finally, Chanty admitted one thing: maybe the table had turned after all.

Maybe this time, she should do the waiting and wooing.

If Liam had been doing it for years, so could she, she thought with determination.

Chapter 24

January, 2008, NYU

Chanty watched as Cameron jumped out of bed and started dressing up.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I need to do something.”

“It’s a Sunday. What could you be doing on a Sunday?” she whined.

“Just stuff.”

Just stuff.

That was what he had always been telling her.

Just stuff.

When he was gone, Chanty dressed up and started cleaning the apartment.

She was in the middle of washing the dishes when Zach’s call came in.

“Hey! Chanty! Angelica and Liam and I are going out tonight. Wanna come along?”

She looked at the clock. It was nearly midnight and Cameron had not sent her any messages.

“Okay, fine. Tell Ange to pick me up.”

 

2013

Chanty’s confidence to go on with her plans was slowly ebbing away as Liam continued to ignore her presence even after they arrived at the lodge.

The lodge was owned by Angelica and Henry and they would often go there for a few days if they wanted some time alone from the city. Most of the time, it was Henry’s choice and Angelica would just tag along knowing her husband would make a big fuss if she would suggest anything extravagant.

Willie had been there once and he had always begged Chanty to go back, claiming he had not collected enough bugs for his collection.

The place did not offer much space for two people such as herself and Liam to roam around and not bump into each other. It was a one-bedroom lodge with a small living room with a fireplace and a kitchen all rolled into one. It was made up of wood and large stones, located just outside the town where Angelica and Henry once spent days for a short getaway.

There was a small backyard that connected to a nearby stream. It was where Liam decided to spend the rest of the afternoon before the sun began to set behind the distant mountains.

Willie had gone to bed earlier than expected after roaming around the backyard looking for bugs with Liam’s help.

She expected her son to wake up soon for dinner which she had not planned for, which was another problem.

She took a step toward the picnic table Liam was sitting on beside the stream. He was facing away from her, bent on his computer.

But she thought making a fantastic dinner would be a good idea to somehow get Liam’s attention. He would not surely ignore her fairly good cooking skills.

So Chanty stepped back and started her own work in the kitchen and as she did so, she wished she had taken Liam here weeks ago, when everything was still okay.

Regret should be out of the picture , she thought.

Now that she had driven Liam away, she had to face the consequences and make it up to him not just because she made a mistake, but because she finally realized she wanted to know what they could be together without the lies and the reservations. She wanted to know if another chance would give her the chance she had always wanted to be happy.

Yes, stupid of her to realize it quite too late. If she could just turn back time and return to NYU, she would have given Liam more attention. She should have dumped Cameron sooner and she might probably be having the best time of her life right now.

But then she wouldn’t have Willie.

She wouldn’t have her son, the one person who had been filling the tiny gaps in her heart for four years now.

Her train of thoughts was put to a halt when the back door opened and Liam came in carrying his computer.

He looked surprised when he saw her standing before the stove.

Chanty forced a smile on her face. “Dinner will be ready in a while.”

For a moment, she saw confusion flash across his face, but he was fast to recover and his blank expression came back as he shrugged. “I am not hungry.”

Chanty felt like a bucket of ice cold water was poured over her head.

She had the initial urge to send the frying pan across the room toward him when he continued walking to the living room where the couch was.

“You’re not eating? You haven’t eaten anything since we left the city,” she argued.

He laid the computer on the small table beside the couch where he eventually sat down right in front of the fireplace. “I don’t usually eat dinner,” he uttered dryly before lying down, placing his forearm over his eyes.

“You’re sleeping?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes.”

“But–” she stopped when he turned and faced the back of the couch. “Okay, but I’ll put some aside for you to eat later in case you wake up feeling hungry.”

She waited for a response but didn’t get any.

Her shoulder sagged.

Nice try, Chanty , she thought.

---

Liam did not sleep at all.

He even regretted pretending to be in deep slumber in the first place because he had to stay in one position and bear it for an hour or so while he listened to Chanty working in the kitchen. He heard her waking up Willie and asking her son to eat.

“We’ll go out and catch some tiny fishes tomorrow morning,” he heard her make a deal with her son.

“We will?!”

“Shh… Liam is sleeping. Keep your voice down. And yes, we will go catch some fishes tomorrow, I promise. Just finish your food.”

“Liam will come with us?” Willie asked in a whisper loud enough for Liam to hear, making him smile in secret.

“If you ask him, he might,” Chanty whispered back.

“You ask him,” Willie insisted.

“Why can’t you?”

“I want you to do it.”

“Why? You do it.”

Liam’s shoulder almost shook with laughter.

“Because you two are not talking, mommy.”

“Of course we are,” Chanty denied in her normal voice. “Of course we are,” she repeated in a whisper.

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, we are.”

“Did you fight?”

“No.”

“You’re lying, mommy.”

“Fine. We did. Now, eat your food. Or we’re not going fishing.”

“Because of me?”

“What?”

“Did you fight because of me?”

“No. Don’t you ever think it is because of you. It is because of what mommy did.”

“What did you do?”

“I lied to him.”

“Why?”

“Because I was very afraid to lose something very important.”

“Are you crying?” Willie asked with concern.

Liam’s head almost turned to see for himself but he stopped himself.

“No,” Chanty denied. “Just eat.”

“Did you say sorry?”

“Yes, of course. Now, eat.”

“He will forgive you.”

“What made you so sure?”

“I lied to you also. And then you forgave me. Because you love me.”

Liam waited for Chanty’s reply but it was a long time before she whispered, “Sometimes, people’s love is not enough to make them forgive.” Liam felt a pang in his chest when he heard those words from her. “But with you,” he heard Chanty continue, “I am willing to do anything and I will forgive you until forever ends because I love you so much. But know that when you do something bad, mommy feels bad. But I will still forgive you. Always remember that, okay?”

“You’re crying, mommy,” Willie uttered.

Liam heard Chanty sniff. “Yes, I am. Now, finish your food and we’ll go to sleep.”

“Liam will forgive you,” Willie said after a few moments.

“We’ll see. Mommy will make sure he will also forget what I did,” Chanty answered.

“Uncle Henry said he forgives Aunt Angie all the time.”

Chanty laughed lightly. “Honey, Uncle Henry is the only person in the world capable of doing that.”

“Uncle Philip said the same thing.”

“Because he can’t live without Aunt Cass, that’s why.”

Liam was deep in thought as he listened to mother and son talking about other things the rest of their dinner together.

Was he giving Chanty a hard time?

Maybe he was.

But he was guarding himself at the moment.

For now, he was not yet ready to give more of himself to anyone. He had licked too many wounds to try another chance with Chanty or any other woman.

---

In the middle of the night, Liam couldn’t take it anymore.

His stomach was grumbling like crazy, making a protest on his stupidity and pride. He never missed a dinner in his life–well, none that he could remember.

The room Chanty shared with Willie was already closed and there was not a sign that the two of them were awake.

He slowly made his way to the kitchen and found a plate covered with another one at the center of the wooden dining table.

When he opened it, his mouth watered. There were mashed potatoes and beef steak. He knew he had to reheat them but he didn’t care anymore.

He wondered what Chanty would think if she found out the plate was gone the next morning.

After an internal struggle, his physiological needs won and he attacked the food with gusto.

He expected the food to be great, but what he didn’t expect was Chanty walking out of the room, half awake.

She jumped in surprise when she saw him sitting around the table, bending over the plate.

The fork was halfway to his mouth and it stopped there when he saw her state. Her hair was rumpled; her pair of shorts was too short for a cold night; and her shirt, though large, was not thick enough. He gulped down the rest of his food and choked almost instantly. A series of cough followed and he dropped his fork and it cluttered on the plate as he stood up, bending down to control the coughing. His fist was punching his chest as he did so.

“Are you okay?” Chanty asked as she rushed toward him.

He held out one hand to keep her away from him. He did not dare look at her again. “I am–” he couldn’t finish his sentence as another series of cough attacked him. Blasted beef!

Chanty stepped back and he heard her rummaging the kitchen cabinet for a glass. When she returned she handed him a glass of water. “Here, drink this.”

He was careful not to look at her as he accepted her offer and drank the whole glass.

Chanty stayed outside his personal space as she watched him clear his throat.

“I am fine. You can go back to sleep,” he uttered in the flattest tone he could muster.

“Are you sure you’re–”

He turned around and realized she was not standing too far away as he thought. And he had to take another step right back to keep his distance. “Yes,” he answered as he grabbed his plate and fork. “Thanks for the food,” he added, walking to the sink and far from her.

“Let me do that,” she offered when he started cleaning up.

“I’ll do this. Go back to sleep,” he ordered.

“I–okay.” He heard her footsteps hesitate before she said, “Willie and I are going fishing tomorrow and he wants you to come along.”

“Sure.”

“Good night,” Chanty said in a cheery tone.

“’Night,” he answered back in a deadpan voice.

It was only when her footsteps faded away that he started to breath normally.

Liam shook his head. Going to this trip was not a good decision, he thought.

---

Chanty wondered why Liam was looking tired and stressed the very next day.

Maybe the couch was not comfortable for him.

She thought of offering the bed to him that night as Willie dragged him to the stream, both of them carrying nets tied to a pole for catching the tiny fishes in the stream.

“Mommy! Hurry!” Willie cried out excitedly.

“Yeah! Coming!” she answered as she struggled with the basket full of food for breakfast.

“How many fishes do you want to catch today?” Liam asked Willie as they approached the stream.

“A lot! Lots, lots, lots!”

“Okay, then, we better get started!” Willie shrieked with laughter when Liam suddenly bent down and hauled the child over his shoulder. Chanty smiled as she watched Liam run the rest of the way to the stream with Willie screaming in laughter, his head dangling and facing the ground.

“Careful!” she shouted with a smile as she followed behind.

For the next few hours, the three of them were immersed in their activity as they tried to thread the water with very careful steps so as not to scare the fishes.

Willie came up with a game of catching more fishes than the others and that whoever won would get the pie Chanty brought along for their trip.

As fun as it was to spend some quality time with her son, Chanty was disappointed that Liam only had his eyes and attention for Willie.

He never uttered a word directed toward her. And if he needed to, he would just deliver it in a sentence consisting of not more than five to ten words.

It was frustrating especially when she was trying hard to come up with a conversation he could join in. But he didn’t seem interested in whatever she had to say. He would listen, he would nod, but he never looked at her for more than a few seconds until he would go back to Willie’s side and converse with her child like they were the only people there.

Though her confidence was fading the other day, she found that it was getting challenging and she was determined to take the challenge especially if it was Liam she was going to get in the end.

If Angelica was there, her friend would tell her a lot of crazy ideas to get the man.

But no, she was on her own and she had no one to rely on but her own instinct and creativity.

If Angelica could do it, so could she.

“Want to share a pie?” she asked Liam with a smile after the winner was announced. Of course, it was her son because Liam had been secretly dropping fishes in his bucket during the course of the game.

Liam looked at the pie Willie was sharing with her.

He shook his head and said, “I think I need to take a bath. See you later, buddy,” Liam said, messing with Willie’s head before he walked away to the direction of the lodge.

“Liam’s still angry at you, mommy?” Willie asked innocently.

“It won’t be for long, honey,” she said with confidence.

Challenge accepted, she said in her mind as she watched Liam walk away.

---

After their fishing escapade, Chanty asked Willie a favor.

“What?”

“Can you take a nap?”

“Why?”

“So I can talk to Liam,” she whispered.

Willie’s face lit up with excitement.

“But you can’t tell him that. Just take your usual afternoon nap.”

“You will say sorry again?”

Chanty thought about it for a few seconds. “I already said sorry and he said he already forgives me but you know what?”

“What?” Her son’s eyes glittered as he whispered. Willie liked secrets.

“I think he lied when he said that. I think he is still angry.”

“Of course, mommy, you lied to him.”

Chanty was taken aback. Sure, Willie could sometimes act or say things like an adult, but she had at least expected him to be on her side. On the other hand, her son was right. “Yeah.”

“So you’re going to say sorry again?”

“No, but I will do something sweet.”

Willie frowned. “Like what?”

Chanty smiled at her son. “If you take that nap later, I will tell you the moment you wake up.”

---

Later that afternoon, Chanty walked out of the room with a smile on her lips.

“Where’s Willie?” Liam asked as he added more woods into the fireplace.

Chanty walked to the couch with a sigh. “He fell asleep.”

Liam did not say another word. Instead, he decided to sit right in front of the fireplace.

She was not sure what he found interesting there, but it must probably be less boring than her because it seemed like he was watching a blockbuster movie.

“I left a piece of pie from earlier if you want to eat,” she said, breaking the silence.

“That’s fine.”

“What do you want for dinner? I hope you eat some this time.”

“Anything will do.”

Chanty took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. He was making this difficult.

“I want to watch a movie. What do you want to see?”

Finally, as if he had had enough, he stood up and said, “I need to do some work.”

Liam picked up his computer and started to go to the kitchen.

All the things she was planning to do with him earlier suddenly flew out the window as she started to panic. How could she make him stay in the same room with her without Willie’s presence?

Chanty jumped to her feet when he settled behind the dining table. He would not go away soon, right? That would make it too obvious that he was trying to avoid her, right?

“Okay, I’ll just make dinner then.”

He did not comment.

Chanty shrugged and went to the room she shared with Willie and positioned in front of the mirror. She fixed her hair and retouched her lipstick. After making sure that her face was okay, she straightened and fixed the dress she just put on earlier after Willie fell asleep.

“You’re looking great, Chanty. You can do it,” she murmured to herself.

On her way to the door, she grabbed her phone.

As expected, he was still sitting in front of his computer when she got out. Chanty squared her shoulders and, pretending not to mind him, went to the kitchen and started taking out ingredients. Before she got busy, she played some jazz music on her phone and placed it on the counter facing the dining table.

All the while, she did not dare glance at Liam. Because she was busy, right? And she was supposed to not bother him.

Pasta would be the dinner tonight because Willie loved it and she had to give her son a prize for granting her request to take a nap.

As she waited for the water to boil, she made two cups of coffee. Liam was just behind her and she took a lungful of air for confidence before she picked up the cups and turned around.

Her hands almost went limp when she caught him looking at her. It only lasted for a few seconds but Chanty thought she saw the old Liam before he cleared his throat and his eyes flew back to his computer, wearing his new cold face.

Chanty smiled inwardly as she carried the cups of coffee to the table.

“Here, drink some,” she uttered with a controlled voice of a woman who was confident and sweet. Liam looked at the cup but did not utter a word.

She didn’t give him the chance to decline the coffee because she didn’t know how she would take that and turned around to walk back to her cooking. She had not mastered her patience in this wooing or winning-the-guy-back thing yet.

But at least she managed to get his attention, right?

She caught him watching her and she didn’t know it would feel so rewarding.

Tomorrow would be their last day and she better make good use of it.

Once they were back in the city, things would be a lot more difficult.

Chapter 25

March, 2008, NYU

Liam approached Chanty with careful steps.

She was staring blankly at her coffee and she did not even glance up when he sat down across from her.

“You know, it is not a pretty sight to be sitting in a coffee shop alone looking like a zombie,” he said with a grin.

“Go away, Liam. I am not in the mood to talk right now.”

“Are you having some kind of trouble? You’ve been partying hard lately.”

“No, I am fine. Now, can you go away?”

“I am sorry about what happened earlier in class–”

“Our professor thought I was cheating with you and Astor earlier. Of course, you should be sorry. How many times have I told you not to talk during a test?”

“He was asking me about something else entirely,” he defended.

“He was asking you the answer for the last item.”

“Well, that too. But we were actually talking about you.”

“You were what?”

“Well,” he said, gulping. “We were concerned. You are not acting like your normal self in class.”

“And of all time, you decided to talk about me during a test?”

“Yeah, well, we finished the test early.”

Chanty rolled her eyes and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Far away from you.”

 

2013

When Willie woke up, he bombarded his mother with questions.

“Liam and you are okay now?”

“Nearly,” Chanty lied.

Willie frowned. “Why nearly?”

“Because mommy still has to do more convincing,” she said with a wink.

“And it will be okay?”

“Yes,” she lied again.

How she wished it would be as easy as that.

Willie was looking contented and positive about it, like it was just the same as a broken toy that someone could easily fix or find a replacement to. He might talk like an adult at times, but he was still a child and he thought everything could be easily fixed.

---

During dinner, Liam surprisingly joined them.

“What do you want to do tomorrow?” she asked her son as they ate his pasta. “It’s our last day.”

Willie looked at Liam and then his gaze went back to his mother. He appeared to be thinking for a few seconds before he shrugged and said, “Depends.”

Chanty sighed. There he went again.

He knew her son was up to something whenever he talked like that.

“You want to explore the woods?” Liam finally offered with his eyes on Willie.

Willie’s eyes suddenly lit up and he jumped on his chair with excitement. “Yes!”

Liam transferred his eyes to Chanty and her heart started racing. After spending the day with him barely looking at her, her heart had the right to jump out of her chest. His eyes were asking a question and she shrugged her shoulders. “Sure, why not?”

“You will come with us?” Willie asked.

“Yes, baby, I will. What do you think of mommy? I can go hiking too,” she bragged.

That moment, Liam snorted.

“What?” Chanty snapped at him playfully, enjoying the slight twitch she saw on his lips.

“You cannot hike nor walk on uneven ground,” he uttered, looking at her straight in the eyes.

“Of course I can. Whoever told you that?”

“No one has to tell me. I know from experience,” he said with confidence and for a while, Chanty saw the old Liam back.

And then, it disappeared. That deadpan face returned as he cleared his throat and got up. “I am done. Thanks for dinner.”

Chanty caught Willie looking at her and she winked. Her son smiled widely at her, hiding a giggle with his hand.

---

Later that night, Chanty couldn’t sleep.

Careful not to wake her sleeping child, she slowly climbed out of bed and silently opened the bedroom door.

She found Liam still working in the living room, his face a yellow-orange glow from the only light in the room which was the fireplace.

He seemed startled when he saw her slipping through the small crack of the door.

“I can’t sleep,” she explained her presence.

For a while, he just stared at her. Chanty felt the surge of invisible electricity that connected her to him in a physical way. That look on his eyes told her that spark never wavered. But when he ripped his gaze from her and returned his attention back on his computer told her he was not planning to do anything to put the flame out.

A little flustered, Chanty padded her way to the couch and slumped down right beside him, putting a good distance between them else he might jump up and walk away again.

She sighed dramatically, watching him from the corner of one eye.

A smile crept up her face when she noticed that his fingers were still on top of his computer’s keyboard, his eyes too fixed on the screen as if he was in the middle of boring a hole through it with his eyes.

“I want to watch a movie to pass the time,” she quietly uttered, more like talking to herself.

---

Liam knew he should continue working, or at least pretend that he was.

But when Chanty got up and walked to the rack full of DVD’s, he couldn’t help but follow her with his eyes.

What was with her and shorts and over-sized shirts?

“I’ve watched almost all of these,” he heard her say.

“Well, you can go back to sleep,” he couldn’t help but answer.

She turned around and Liam was somehow expecting she would snap at him with anger, but she was smiling. “Don’t you have any movies in that one?” she asked, eyeing his computer.

He had a lot of movies in his computer, most of them he had not watched yet.

“I take that as a yes. Care to share some of them?” she asked.

“I am working, Chanty,” he complained.

“Well, I have my tab with me. Just transfer and share one movie,” she said pleadingly.

“Fine.”

Chanty jumped with glee and scurried back to the bedroom.

Liam shook his head as he searched his computer for an appropriate movie.

She came back hugging her tab against her chest. She handed it to him with both hands and he took it.

“What movie is it?” she asked before she sat back down beside him.

“I don’t know. What do you want?”

“Just anything I haven’t watched yet.”

“I don’t know what you’ve watched before.”

“That’s because we never watched a movie together before. And we didn’t get the chance to watch any.” Liam stiffened. “Just saying,” Chanty added when she sensed his reaction.

He chose to ignore the remark and continued to scan his computer for any movie to give her.

“Oh, you have Annie!” she piped in. “I haven’t watched that version. Why do you have that?”

“I grabbed whatever was free that time. You want this?”

“Sure, why not?”

Liam immediately went to work and gave her tab a copy of the movie.

When it was over, she gladly took the tab from him and leaned deeper into the couch beside him.

He frowned and looked at her. “You’re watching it here?”

Chanty nodded as she put on her earphones. “Continue working. I am fine.”

“I didn’t ask if you are.”

But she probably did not hear him because she did not say anything. Her eyes were already focused on her tab but her presence was still bothering him.

He wanted to get up and carry his computer back to the kitchen to stay away from her. The greater the distance between them the better, because seeing her in her sleeping clothes was not easy at all.

But since she was not doing anything but watch the movie in silence, Liam thought it was safe to go back to work.

After a few minutes of getting his head together and keeping his nerves in place, Liam was able to work properly.

Almost two hours later, his concentration was stirred when he heard Chanty sniffing beside him. He frowned and turned his head to look at her.

She was crying and busily wiping her tears as she continued to watch.

“You’re crying over that movie?” he asked incredulously.

“It is so sad,” she said in between sobs. “I am just glad this one will have a happy ending.”

“Then why the tears when you know they’d still all live happily ever after?”

“A good ending is not an assurance that you won’t get hurt along the way,” she argued, her eyes still on the screen. “God, I hate this,” she uttered as she wiped off more tears.

Liam couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. “Just skip to the last part where Annie and her guardian live happily ever after.”

“How I wish that’s also possible in real life,” she said half in whisper and half in whimper.

She caught his eyes and they stared at each other for a long time and the only sound was the cracking of the fire in the fireplace.

They both moved in a very slow, fluid motion that Liam was certain he could have done something along the way before he found himself pulling her toward him until his lips were on hers. Only then did the pace break loose and he was sharing another nerve-shattering kiss with the very same woman he had been avoiding for days.

---

Chanty couldn’t believe what was happening.

Her earphones were still on and she could hear Annie talking. At the back of her mind, she thought she should pull at the cord because she couldn’t help but picture out a child such as Annie witnessing what she was doing with Liam. But that thought was quickly replaced by the different feelings his kiss was bringing to her senses.

It was just like the previous ones they shared, but this one gave her the feeling that she should take whatever she could because it might be her last chance.

The tears brought about by the movie were still there, but Chanty knew she was not crying over some pitiful orphan this time. She was crying because she didn’t want this moment to end and if it would, she prayed it would change everything.

When Liam pulled her closer with his hands on the small of her back, she sensed that the kiss was nearing its end. Somehow she got the feeling that he was trying to stop himself and he was taking one last bite from the cake he was not supposed to take in the first place.

And she was right.

His hold loosened and he started to lean away.

Chanty grabbed his shirt to pull him back but she stopped herself.

Breathless, she opened her eyes and found him looking at her, his eyes as blank as it was five minutes ago.

Her heart dropped, realizing her wishes were not heard at all. She let go of his shirt.

“Go to sleep, Chanty.”

“Liam–” she started, but he held up his hand.

“Don’t think it meant anything.” His voice was cold as he started clicking on his computer like nothing happened.

“But–”

“You know I am still attracted to you, Chanty, but don’t think we can have a happy ending. I am not up to anything close to that just yet.”

Chanty felt a pang in her chest.

Was that full-blown rejection?

Really?

This early?

“Liam, you know I have been trying to do something to make it up–”

“Well, then, I guess you got what you wanted tonight, Chanty,” he cut in, looking her straight in the eyes. She felt like crying when she saw in his eyes the anger that he still felt for her. Was it that hard to forget? Well, obviously, it was. “Or would you like something more?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You know, just like that night four years ago. But this time, I promise not to go home and wait for a call from you, hoping you’d at least want to talk about it. We can do it now, on this couch, with no attachments the next day. Is that what you want?”

Chanty wanted to box him to his senses.

But was this Liam talking to her?

“No,” she found herself answering in a whisper.

Liam sighed and turned to look back at his computer. “Then I suggest you go back to sleep because I cannot promise anything more than that.”

Chanty didn’t have to wait for another minute to hear a word from him because she was not sure if she could take more of it. She hastily got up, one earphone still lodged in her ear, carrying her tab with her.

She couldn’t go back to the room because Willie was sleeping and Chanty was not done crying yet.

The only place she could think of was the stream so she walked out through the back door and left Liam sitting in the couch.

---

He wanted to hang himself.

Seriously, if it was possible, he would have hanged himself.

He knew he hurt her.

He saw that in her eyes.

But what else could he do?

---

Chanty silently cried outside, facing the stream, sitting around the picnic table.

Despite her tears, she continued watching the movie.

“The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow,” she sang along, her cry almost close to a wail. “Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow ‘til there’s none…” she continued as she watched Annie being comforted by Grace. “The sun will come out tomorrow so you got to hang on ‘til tomorrow, come what may…”

And then she started to cry louder and pushed her tab away, pulling at her earphones.

“Oh God, I am being silly. Get a grip, Chanty. Get a freaking grip,” she told herself as she wiped her tears. A few minutes later, she was blankly staring at the sparkling spring lit by the moonlight. “The sun will come out tomorrow,” she hummed as tears started to flow again.

---

“You did what?” Angelica asked before she started laughing hysterically from the other end of the line. “Chanty, I can’t believe you sang that song while you were crying.”

“Please, I hate myself enough every time I remember that. I don’t have to hear that from you. Now, tell me what should I do?”

“Well, you should go on with your plan.”

“But he told me he doesn’t want anything more from me.”

“Do you know how many times I have heard such words from Henry before he realized he loves me? And do you know how many times I had to pretend like he didn’t say those things? You have to be strong if you really want this. Chanty, you did some crazy stuff. Of course the guy would make it hard for you. Just continue whatever you are doing because it is damn well working.”

“It is?”

“He kissed you, didn’t he?”

“Yes. Well, I was not sure who made the first move.”

“Still the same. So, honey, just hang in there. You can do it. Don’t let his words put down your spirit. And when you get back here and things are still the same, we’ll talk. You definitely need some advice if Liam doesn’t break during your trip.”

Chanty gulped. “Okay. Sure, I can do it. Thanks.”

---

Liam was hesitant to get up the following day. He didn’t know how he could deal with Chanty. She had spent quite some time outside last night. He slept before she even returned inside.

So it was given that he would feel a little bit nervous as to what she came up with last night.

Would she attack him and leave him alone out of anger?

He was thinking of the worse possible things Chanty might do to him now that she had probably cleared her mind and think straight.

He deserved a big slap on the face for the things he said last night.

What he didn’t expect when he woke up though was her smiling face greeting him when Willie woke him up.

“Are you ready for the hike?” she asked.

Confused, he slowly got up and looked at mother and son.

And then his gaze went back to Chanty. Maybe she was acting cool for Willie’s sake.

Or maybe she isn’t, he thought when she leaned down, took his hand and pulled him right out of the couch.

“Come on, Liam, get up. We’re going hiking.” She let go of his hand and started for the kitchen. “Breakfast is ready. And then we’re leaving. I am going to show you that I can hike, right buddy?” she added with a wink at Willie.

Willie nodded and dragged Liam to the dining table with excitement.

---

Chanty’s heart was racing.

She was putting up a happy face, but deep inside, she was thinking her next step.

The hike would not be that hard, but she was not really sure if she was up to it. Liam was right. She had never gone hiking before.

But if it meant she could spend more time with him doing something outdoors, she was up to the challenge.

Her mind was already thinking of the things she would have to do when they got back to the city.

She’d have to face Cameron again, and when she did, she wanted Liam to be by her side like he was weeks ago.

And she was going to do it by hook or by crook.

Chapter 26

June, 2008, NYU

“Do you think she’s having trouble with Cameron?”

Zach looked at Liam dryly. “It is bound to happen, my friend. And you have to grab the chance to comfort her, be the man who bears the shoulder for her to cry on. “

“I think I will be the last person she’d go to.”

“Well, look who’s getting pessimistic today!”

“Hey, you guys,” Angelica’s voice said behind them. She was carrying her usual books in a fashionable way that only Angelica Dalton could do.

“Why are you here?” they both asked her.

“The hospital doesn’t need my young, brilliant mind. And the coffee shop loves me back. Are you guys talking about Chanty and Cameron again?”

“Of course not,” Liam said too fast.

“Yes, of course, who else?” Zach said at the same time.

“So I am not the only one who thinks something is wrong with those two?”

“They might just be going through something tough, you know the usual stuff couples go through,” Liam uttered.

It was Angelica’s turn to look at him dryly. “You’re only saying that so we will tell you the opposite so you can have the confidence to come up to her and tell her you’ve been crazy over her for years, are you?”

“Spot on…” Zach said in a sing-song voice.

“Well, let me tell you a secret,” Angelica said, leaning forward. She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “I am almost sure Chanty wants to leave the man. She doesn’t know it yet, so she might just need the push. I know she’s thinking about the years she had spent with him and the trouble the breakup would cause her life. She had planned a future with him and every other shit most girls in a relationship think about. So, as her best friend, I will try to talk to her and put some sense into her head. But I will not in any way make any effort to help you, Liam. You have to do it yourself. In what way, I don’t know.”

“Well, that makes it easier,” Zach said after a while. “You just need to man up, man.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“If Cameron is out of the picture, you will do it?” Angelica asked.

“They very second she decides and agrees with us that the guys is a douche, yes, I will.”

 

2013

“Willie, be careful!” Chanty said, chasing her son who was skipping his way along the rough path that led deeper into the woods.

She was already panting with exhaustion and she was falling behind in a bad way. Liam was busy watching over Willie who was taking the lead, guiding the boy back in the right trail if he made the wrong turn.

Once or twice, Chanty saw him glance over his shoulder to check on her. Maybe he was doing this on purpos e, she thought.

He and Willie were too fast for Chanty to catch up and it seemed like Liam was not doing anything other than urge Willie on, praising the boy for his stamina.

“Can’t we stop for a while? I need to catch my breath,” she finally pleaded.

The two boys before her stopped and turned around to look at her with bewilderment.

“We just started ten minutes ago,” Liam pointed out, checking his watch.

“I know,” she said breathlessly, mentally making a note that she should make an appointment to a nearby gym the moment she arrived home. But right now, she was not doing good. Her heart raced the moment the trail started to incline. And then her legs started to ache in a way that was beyond the strain her high heels could evoke.

“You okay, mommy?” her son asked with concern in his voice, but when Chanty had a good look at his face, he was wearing a happy smile on his face, the rays of sunlight that peeked through the leaves of the trees around them washed his face with radiance.

Chanty couldn’t help but smile in return. “Yes, I am. I just need a few minutes, honey,” she reassured him.

“You will catch up?”

For a moment, she was blank, but when she realized what her son was trying to say, her eyes widened. She instinctively searched Liam’s face for help. He understood and looked down at Willie.

“Buddy, your mother needs a few minutes to rest and we are staying with her. We did make a promise not to stay away from the others, right? We can’t just leave her behind, right? Anyway, we now both know she can’t hike.”

Chanty groaned. But hell, her legs and feet were killing her and her breathing barely came back to normal as it was.

“Mommy’s got to stop lying,” Willie uttered with a pout.

Chanty stiffened and she was sure that Liam was nearly holding his own breath.

She looked at her son with warning. Despite his awesome look right now, with his hair almost a golden brown with the sunlight, she needed to do it.

“You said you can hike. You lied,” her son accused more gently this time after seeing her face, trying to explain his words.

“Well, yes, but I didn’t say I can do it for a long time,” she argued. “Don’t ever talk like that again, okay?”

“Okay.”

“And mommy doesn’t lie for no reason at all. Well, yes, it is bad and all but when you grow up, you will understand that there are things you have to do but when you do them there will be consequences and then things would start to fall apart–” Chanty stopped herself and took a deep breath. “Forget it. We should probably go,” she murmured to her son as she stood up.

Clearing her throat while maintaining her gaze down on the ground so she wouldn’t have to accidentally look at Liam, Chanty walked with Willie who was taking it slow in consideration to his mother. Whatever Liam was thinking now after nonsense blabber about lies, she didn’t want to know. He had made it clear last night that he didn’t want anything to do with her.

She had every intention to change that perspective of his, wherever he picked it up. He had been around her life too long for him to give up now, she thought. He couldn’t just give up. He should at least give her the chance she never gave him in the past.

God, I am so selfish, she thought as she followed her son.

---

Liam didn’t ponder on Chanty’s words deeply.

As he had told himself countless of times, he was giving himself enough space from her. He shouldn’t be bothered by her feelings. He shouldn’t be bothered that she couldn’t hike and that she might get injured along the way if she continued on with that kind of walking she was doing now. And most of all, he should not be too attached to her son.

But shit, he was having trouble doing all those things when he was with no other people but them.

This is the last day, he assured himself.

Then they were going home.

Back home, he could sleep in his own bed and be in his own house with a lot of other things to think about other than Chanty’s choice of sleeping clothes. Back home, he didn’t have to share one roof with Chanty. He didn’t have to be with Willie all day.

As they hiked further into the woods, with the trail guiding them, Liam prayed he would not be the one to get his heart broken in the end. AGAIN.

I have to do something about this once and for all, he decided.

---

They were having a break at the end of the trail which they reached after five more stops as Chanty requested.

“Don’t go too far, Willie,” Chanty told her son as she watched him walk to some bushes, bending down to look for bugs for his collection.

Liam was sitting on a rock a few feet away from her, wiping his face with a towel.

Chanty offered him some water which he took with a small thank you.

“It’s a nice day. We can go back home without any rains,” she uttered, looking up and squinting her eyes against the sunlight that was playing hide and seek with the leaves. The woods were quiet, free of any mechanical noise. It could turn out to be the best day of her life if Liam was not making it difficult.

Liam did not utter a word.

Chanty moved her head to look at him and say something else, probably the rough road, just to get a response from him. This would not work one-way. He had to at least cooperate, right?

But then memories flooded her brain and it was like she was having a fast forward review of the past and she saw the countless of times she had ignored and pushed Liam away. Most of her time in NYU, she had been an ass. Back then, she thought Liam and Zach were nothing but trouble.

Along with the flashes of memories was the feeling of regret. Why didn’t she figure it out back then? Why didn’t she see? Why didn’t she just shut up and let Liam stay with her those times when he walked up to her in the coffee shop?

Back then, she only remembered the times they played pranks on her, laughed at her and Cameron and many other things. Now, she could actually identify those moments when they were being jerks and those times when they were really trying to be real people.

Her mind was brought back to the present when she realized Liam was speaking.

“I’m sorry, what?” she asked when she didn’t catch it.

He looked at her again, his brown hair almost damp with sweat. She could almost spot that tiny mark on his temple that gave him his charms. But his eyes were serious as he looked at her and said, “I said I am going to hand over the project to Zach once we get back.”

It took her a while to process his words. She recognized them, but her brain had trouble arranging the words in proper order to make some sense out of them in return for her to comprehend. But when she finally understood, her eyes widened and she shot to her feet. “What? Why?”

Liam shrugged. “I just think he is ready now that he has somehow changed and he has a family to think about.”

“That’s bullshit, Liam, and you know that! This is not about Zach at all!” Chanty cried out. “You can just tell me that you hate me that much you couldn’t work with me anymore.” Her voice was shaking now. In fact, her whole being was shaking out of anger and fear and a lot of other emotions swirling at her core.

“I don’t hate you, Chanty. I just can’t work with you anymore like I could weeks ago. At the moment, I find it hard to even look at you and not remember what you did to me. I understand why you did all those things and I might have done the same if I was in your shoes. But that was not the case.”

“I thought you said you forgive me and–”

“Well, I do. But forgiving is not the same as forgetting. I might forget everything in time, but right now, I couldn’t do that with you around. I could have done anything for you, you know. You had a choice to tell me the truth. Yes, you tried, but you should have tried harder. You chose the most convenient path at the time and I was a willing–” he stopped and brushed his fingers through his hair. “This is getting frustrating. We have been talking about the same thing over and over again and it is one of the reasons why I have to stay away.”

“But Liam, you can see I am trying to–”

“Where’s Willie?” he asked, standing up, concern on his face.

“What?” Chanty whirled around to look at the spot where her son was just a few minutes ago. “Willie?” Panic built up inside her once more. “Willie!” she shouted this time, walking over to the bush where Willie had been bending over earlier.

Liam was at the other end, calling out Willie’s name at the top of his lungs.

“Oh God, Willie!” Chanty cried out, the tears streaming down her cheeks. She was crying for her son and she was crying over the conversation she just had with Liam. How could she be so unlucky today? “Willie! Are you hiding? Come out! This is no time to play, you know! We’re going home now!”

There was no answer.

Chanty forgot everything about the argument she had with Liam.

“Wait, don’t move too much,” she heard him say behind her.

“What now?” she asked impatiently. “Willie!”

“We don’t want to ruin his tracks. Let’s try to find him through his tracks.”

“I can barely hike properly, Liam. I don’t even recognize my own footprints.”

“Just be still, damn it. Don’t move.” Chanty obeyed, watching him scan the ground for any signs of Willie’s footsteps. “He was here earlier,” he uttered as he investigated the area around the bushes. “And it seems that he went here…” he started to move and Chanty felt it was finally safe to follow him.

“Willie!” she shouted once more. “Oh God, there are no lions here, right? No giant birds that could grab him and take him far away, right?”

Liam looked at her incredulously before he went back to tracking Willie’s trail.

“Are you sure you are following the right trail? What if it is just that of a dog’s? Or a bear? There are no bears here, right? Oh, God! Willie!”

“Stop panicking, Chanty. It is not helping. Just keep on calling out his name,” Liam told her in a very calm manner. “Drop something along the way so we don’t get lost later,” he ordered. Chanty searched her small bag for anything. She picked a piece of bread and dropped it on the ground. Liam saw it and sighed. “Do you think that break would still be there later? We are not the only animals here, Chanty. Drop something not edible.”

“Would stones work?”

He thought about it for a while. He shrugged. “Fine.”

Chanty searched for two large stones and placed one over the other. And then she proceeded to follow Liam, calling Willie’s name along the way.

“I never imagined I’d be lost in the woods. I know Julianne and Zach got lot in one,” she said as she tried to calm herself. She could get too talkative when she was in a panic.

“I don’t think they were,” Liam answered.

“Really?”

“I know Zach. It could have been part of his plan,” he explained, looking intently on the ground.

Chanty thought about it. But Julianne was pretty sure they were really lost that time.

And then the fear for her son came back and she dropped the calm act. She shouted his name once again.

“Wait,” Liam stopped her. He was looking at the ground. While he studied some leaves and twigs, Chanty took another rock and placed it on a bigger one nearby.

If something happened to her son, there was no one to blame but her. Her cheeks were wet with tears as she went back to where Liam was.

“We’re going to find him, just pull yourself together,” he told her when he saw her tears.

“I can’t help it. Oh, Willie! Willie!”

Liam turned right and she followed. A few more steps and he stopped. He looked to his right and then he turned to her with a smile. “We found him.”

Chanty rushed past him and found Willie leaning against a tree, his hand around the jar resting on his lap. And he was asleep.

She went down the ground in front of her son, tears of relief pooling out of her eyes. “Willie, honey,” she whispered as she dried her tears. “Hey, buddy,” she gently shook her son who looked like he had a long day.

Slowly, Willie opened his eyes. Chanty was now busy checking his arms and legs–all parts of him–to see if he was hurt. “Mommy?”

“Willie, where did you go? How did you get here?”

“I was looking for bugs.”

“You should have told us where you were going, buddy,” Liam said behind Chanty.

“I did. You didn’t hear?”

Chanty looked at her son guiltily. She and Liam were probably too busy arguing they didn’t notice Willie walking away.

“Next time, you have to make sure mommy is really listening, okay?” she told her son as she pulled him up to his feet.

Willie looked confused but nodded.

“Shall we go?” Liam asked the boy. “You can ride on my back this time.”

Willie looked tempted but he shook his head. “I can walk all the way back!”

---

Liam was still thinking about the great amount of fear he felt earlier when Willie got lost in the woods.

It only meant one thing: it was too late for him to not fall for the child.

They were now on the road back home.

Willie was asleep at the back and Chanty was looking ahead, her eyes blank.

“You know I would do anything for my son, right?” she asked him quietly, her tone barely a question.

He just stole her a glance but did not answer.

“I would do anything for him, Liam. Anything to keep him safe and happy. Even if it means I have to hurt a bunch of people,” she continued.

He didn’t comment. What could he say? That it was wrong? It was a mother he was talking to and he was sure his own mother would agree with her.

“Of all the things I had done, I regret those that I did to you the most,” she said without looking at him. “And I intend to make you forget all of them.”

This time, Liam frowned.

He was about to open his mouth to say something but Chanty cut him off by saying, “Don’t leave just yet. Give more time, Liam, please. I want to prove to you that forgetting doesn’t mean staying away. Just give me a chance here, please.”

Chanty begging him for a chance was probably one of the things he never imagined his entire life. Liam swallowed and turned his head toward her. He looked at her for few seconds before he returned his attention back on the road.

“My decision is final, Chanty. I will leave the moment I settle everything with Zach and Astor Industries.”

---

Chanty felt like she was being dragged down endlessly in the deepest part of the ocean and Liam was up there, floating in a boat. And she was drowning, reaching out her hands for him to pull her up. But he was not doing anything. And she was drowning deep, deep, deep.

She wanted to ask him why he was doing this to her. How did he come up with the decision? Had he been thinking about it for a while now?

She forced her tears to make a u-turn. She couldn’t cry right now.

She had to think. And she had to do it fast.

He said he’d settle matters with the company before he left. It would take at least two weeks.

Two weeks.

It had taken Liam years to make her see and notice him.

Could she do the same in just two weeks.

After taking one last glance at him, she was certain he was not backing out of his plan. He had thought this through.

Her plans had to change. She had to be a bit more aggressive with her efforts now. They were nearly home where the real world awaited them–Real world with her family, her friends, her job, Cameron and Liam.

Could she deal with all of them on her own?

---

Liam did not stay after he dropped them off.

He carried the sleeping Willie to his bedroom and left after a short goodbye to Chanty.

After tucking her child in bed, she went to take a long, warm bath to give relief to her aching body after that blasted hike and to think.

She called Angelica.

Her friend picked up after three rings.

“He’s leaving. I mean he is really leaving. The company and all.”

“Well, I had thought of that.”

“You did?”

“It is not a surprise. People have the tendency to leave if they can’t deal with the problems anymore. What’s your plan?”

“I can’t give up, right?”

“Girl, you should just tell him you love him. He’d stay forever.”

“I am not even sure how I feel. I just know I can’t let him go this time. I need time to figure out my feelings.”

“Fine. I’ll help you.”

“I didn’t ask for you help–”

“Chanty, you need my expertise. You don’t have more time. We need to be aggressive, girl.”

“I have already thought of that.”

“And I just know how to be really aggressive,” Angelica told her in that wicked tone of hers. “Operation Liam is now on.”

Chapter 27

July, 2008, NYU

Chanty had been waiting outside the library where Cameron was working part-time.

She checked her watch once again. He should have been out an hour ago.

And she had been waiting that long and while she did that, she managed to edit her paper and stop herself from calling him, knowing he’d be pissed if she bothered him at work.

When she finally had enough, she dialed his number.

He picked up on her third try.

“Where are you?” she demanded.

“I am at home,” he answered.

“What?! I told you I’d be waiting for you outside the library!”

“I got off work early. I am sorry, I forgot to tell you.”

“I am coming home right now. We really need to talk.” She could feel angry tears pooling her eyes.

“Oh, I am going out. I am just on my way to the door when you called. I have an important meeting with my law buddies for our mock trial months from now.”

Chanty hung up without saying a word. Her conversation with Angelica the previous week played in her mind. Maybe her friend was right after all.

“Hey, Chanty! Wait up!” a very familiar voice rang out behind her.

“What now, Liam?” she asked, briskly brushing away her tears before he’d see them.

“You okay?”

“Yes. What do you want?”

“Angelica and Zach are at the café. I am just on my way over there. Wanna come?”

“Sure.”

Liam seemed surprised at her answer. “You are coming?”

“Hell, why not? I know where this coffee stuff is leading to.”

2013

“No, I am not doing this!” Chanty cried out, looking at Angelica with horror. Her head shook furiously at the thought of Angelica’s plan of the day.

“Why not?” her friend asked, looking at the cake in her hands with a frown. “It looks delicious to me.”

“No, Ange. That’s not what I meant. I can’t do this,” Chanty gestured at the cake with her hands. “This is just absurd.”

“Weren’t you the one who told me that you are willing to get another chance with Liam by hook or by crook? Well, my friend, I am giving you the chance by kick or by cake. Just kick the damn pride and give him the cake. And don’t forget to tell him you baked it.”

“I can’t bake such a cake! Look at the frosting!”

“The man will not notice. Because he will not eat it. He will not glance at it. You know why? Because he still hates you. He will probably throw it in the bin or give it to his people.”

“Then why would I give him a damn cake?”

“Because you want him to know you are making an effort. Remember, it is the effort that counts.”

“Has this ever worked for you before?”

“Well, with Henry, it did. I gave him a cake when he got angry with me a few months after we got together. He called me the next day. He said never to lie to him about baking any damn cake.”

“Oh God, Angelica, this is crazy–”

“But it worked…somehow. See? He talked to me. He saw my effort. But in your case, Liam would probably trash the cake.”

Chanty took a deep breath. “Fine,” she finally said when she thought of what she went through that weekend. She almost threw herself at him so what’s wrong with a cake?

---

Liam looked up from his desk when he noticed a shadow of a woman walking back and forth outside his office. Since he had had the glass walls frosted, he could not see very clearly. But he very well knew who it was from the way she walked and her shape.

Chanty.

He went back to work.

Finally, when he couldn’t take it any longer, he leaned back against his chair to find out what she was up to. She seemed to be carrying something.

After three more trips back and forth in front of his office, she finally walked to his door and knocked.

His eyebrows shot up.

As far as he knew, they didn’t have a meeting.

“Come in,” he said.

She entered with a box in front of her, looking uneasy.

Just like those nights last weekend. Liam shook the thought away.

“I came by to drop this,” she uttered, walking close to his desk. She placed the box on the table and added, “I baked this. Enjoy.”

And then she was gone.

Liam didn’t know what to make of that. He reached out and grabbed the box toward him and peeked inside. A cake.

She baked this?

He closed the lid once more and called his secretary.

“Ms. Strindberg dropped a cake for you guys to eat. Get it in my office.”

---

Of course, Chanty saw everyone eating the cake she gave Liam.

And it hurt.

But she brushed it away, thinking it was bound to happen as what Angelica said.

Her friend was texting her about another plan she came up with when her phone started ringing. It was Cameron again. For a second, she wondered how the bastard even got her number in the first place. She chose to answer, feeling a little brave after what Liam had done to the cake. “Yes?”

“Chanty, I would like to set a proper meeting with you this time and please, be open-minded about things. We have to discuss a lot of things. Trust me when I say that there will be no other agenda other than Willie and the DNA test.”

Chanty closed her eyes and composed herself for a moment before she opened her mouth. “Fine. I will be available this Friday afternoon. One o’clock sharp. Don’t be late.”

She did not give him time to answer and ended the call.

Ange, what’s the next step? She texted her friend.

---

Liam’s phone rang.

“Yes?” he answered dryly.

“Hey, you don’t have to sound like you are bored when you’re talking to me,” Zach’s voice boomed from the other line.

“What do you want? Have you seen my email?”

“What email?”

“The one where I told you I will be leaving in a few weeks and that you are going to be in-charge of everything here.”

“Why?”

Liam was surprised. “You are not going to make a big fuss over it? Really? No long speeches about not being ready to take on the responsibility and all that shit?”

“Well, you know I am trying to take more responsibility where the company is concerned now that I am a changed man,” Zach uttered with pride, and Liam bet Julianne was right next to him.

“Well, then, that makes it easier. I’ll send you the papers you need to sign and you have to start coming in the office soon. I need to orient you on a lot of stuff. You have to be present in meetings and–”

“Hey, calm down, buddy. You haven’t answered my question yet. Why do you want me to take over all of a sudden?”

“You know why.”

“Chanty? Come on, man! You have not forgiven her yet? You and I both know we’ve made up a lot of lies to women before. Why couldn’t Chanty make the same foolish act? See what I mean?”

“It is not about the lie and you know that. It is about the fact that I am tired of all things Chanty.”

“But you guys went on a trip, right? I thought you have fixed things with her.”

“I just cleared a few things. And now I want to go far away and be by myself. As I told you, I am tired. I thought I could do this again when I signed up for this project. I thought I would be okay. But it turned out to be one big, freaking mess. And a child is in the middle of it. I don’t want Willie confused and hurt.”

“You know, I have a very good idea. I know how you can fix this problem.”

“How?”

“Forget everything and start to freaking woo her again, you idiot. What the hell! You are like Julianne with all the pregnancy hormones, man!” Zach added the last sentence in a whisper.

“Well, maybe I am. But I am serious, Zach. I want out for now. I am taking that advice of yours from years ago. It is time to give up.”

“I heard Chanty’s making some efforts. Don’t tell me you are doing this to get back to her for all the years she ignored you.”

“I don’t even know what she’s up to with all the efforts she’s trying to make and that’s just as confusing as before. I just want out right now. I can’t take all the drama. So, will you go to the meeting tomorrow or not?”

“Fine, I’ll be there. Just let me find a good apartment to stay in and I will be in action. Wanna get some drinks later?”

“If you are planning to invite the other men, no. I am not up for another night in jail.”

---

Chanty and Angelica were talking outside the café about Chanty’s plan to tell her family about the lie she made up.

“Just tell them. They will still love you,” Angelica said, rolling her eyes. “Remember when Cass and Philip told them about their secret when they first got married?”

“My mother almost had a heart attack, Ange. Remember that?”

“Well, I was there when it happened. Cassandra made sure a doctor was around when they told them. And I’ll be around when you tell them. Don’t worry. They’ll take it lightly. Your lie is nothing compared to Philip’s, really.”

Well, that might be true. Her brother made up a relationship and presented Cassandra a few days before their wedding. Everyone was surprised he was marrying and even more so when the couple told them after almost a year that it was all just part of a contract Philip signed with Cassandra’s father. Hope and William were not as surprised as Mary when they learned about it. Maybe the old couple had had a lot of surprises in their younger years that it didn’t bother them.

“I don’t know how to tell them.”

“Just tell them the truth. That you did it for Willie and that things just went out of control before you could do something about it. But they will hate the fact that Cameron is the father AGAIN.”

“That sounds funny,” Chanty uttered with a worried smile.

“Yeah, it was meant to be. Wait, someone’s calling.”

Chanty watched Angelica take the phone to her ear and listened. And then she saw the change on her friend’s face. And then she heard the shriek.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, alarmed.

But Angelica was not hearing her. Her friend shot to her feet and was jumping up and down.

“Ange!”

Her phone was ringing as well and she picked it up. “Philip, what is it?”

“We’re in the hospital and Cass just delivered our son.”

“What?!” And then Chanty shrieked.

---

Everyone started coming to the hospital and suddenly, Cassandra’s room was packed. The whole clan was there, including Cassandra’s parents. Henry and Angelica were present. Zach and Julianne arrived with Liam an hour later.

And Chanty was with Willie who was having his moment with his cousin cradled by Philip as he sat in a chair at one corner.

Hope and Henry and her mother were talking with Cassandra’s parents.

“Did you do okay?” Chanty asked her sister-in-law.

“Yes, thank goodness for that,” Cassandra said with a smile as she watched her husband with their son and Willie.

“What’s his name?” Willie was asking.

“Jean Philip,” Philip answered.

“Does he have another name?”

“JP,” Chanty uttered when Philip and Cassandra did not answer.

“Yeah, I like that,” Cassandra said with a nod.

“Congratulations,” she whispered to her sister-in-law as everyone started to go to Philip to have a glance at the newborn.

“How are things with Liam?” Cassandra asked under her breath.

Chanty’s eyes flew to Liam who was standing at one corner of the room looking like he regretted going there. “Not so good. Ange is sort of helping me get to him.”

Cassandra groaned. “Henry would disagree on that plan, whatever that is. Don’t tell him.”

“We’re not. And they are plans. Not plan. Plans, with an S.”

Cassandra laughed. “Of course, with Ange, there is always more.”

---

Liam slipped out of the room unnoticed. He was dragged by Zach to the hospital a few minutes ago and now he regretted coming. It meant he had to see Chanty’s family again. He had to meet Willie again. And of course, there was Chanty.

He needed some coffee so he walked to the nearest vending machine.

“You won’t like the coffee here,” Chanty’s voice said behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder. “I can deal with it.”

She brushed her brown hair away from her face and motioned with her head saying, “Come on, I know a better place.”

“No, I can–”

“I am getting coffee for everyone anyway,” she said, waving a few bills in his face. “I will need two extra hands.”

He looked around, hoping Zach would turn up so he could ask him to go with her. But they were alone. Everyone else was busy with the baby. With a resigned look, he turned and followed Chanty to the exit of the hospital.

---

“Did you like the cake?” she asked, knowing the answer.

“I didn’t eat it,” he answered flatly.

They crossed the street.

Chanty thought she should try harder. “I see. You don’t like cakes?”

“I just didn’t feel like eating earlier.”

Again, that flat tone.

“And if I buy you coffee from this coffee shop,” she pointed at the one they were about to enter, “you will not drink it because it came from me?”

“Chanty, that’s not what–”

“Don’t worry about it. I know what you mean. Come on, I am buying the coffee but this is not my money so don’t worry. Your coffee will not be coming from me.” She couldn’t help it. She was hurt.

He seemed uneasy but she ignored it as she ordered the coffees. She ordered a large black coffee with no sugar for him. And she handed it to him with a smile. “Here, I hope you’ll drink it.”

“Thanks,” he uttered under his breath and helped her with the other cups.

As they walked back to the hospital, Chanty broke the silence by saying, “I will have a meeting with Cameron on Friday. I am starting to sort everything out the way I should have from the start.”

At first, she didn’t think he’d say something but he did. “You’re going to tell him the truth?”

She nodded. “Yes. I’ll tell him the truth and see what happens after that.” She glanced up at him and repeated, “I am trying to sort everything one step at a time.”

“How is it going for you?” he asked, his eyes as flat as his voice.

“So damn hard,” Chanty admitted and they walked on in silence, both of them thinking about Friday in a different way.

Chapter 28

August, 2008, NYU

Chanty found herself in the company of Zach, Liam and Angelica once again.

She didn’t want to go back home to the apartment and find Cameron out again. He was probably with his law buddies doing whatever he had always been doing.

Angelica was trying to urge the two guys to tag along at the Christmas vacation she had planned since last month. Chanty knew her friend didn’t want to go home and spend the holiday with her dad.

“My mom will not like it,” Zach told Angelica.

Chanty had already said yes to Angelica because she didn’t want to go home and be bombarded with questions as to why Cameron didn’t come (because she was sure he was not coming). Philip wouldn’t be there as well because he’d be busy–as always. Angelica was her best fun option for the holiday.

She found Liam looking at her and she raised her eyebrows at him in question. “What?”

“You’re coming too?” he asked.

“Of course she is,” Angelica answered for her. “Well? How about you?”

“Well,” Liam’s eyes wavered as he looked at the group. “I might just make it.”

“You have to say yes or no now because I need to make the reservations as early as now.”

“Fine, I’ll go,” Liam quickly said without looking at Chanty.

Chanty just sighed. She could handle Liam. Well, whatever. She was not really expecting to have a great time this Christmas.

She tried talking to Cameron about their relationship and how she thought it was not going anywhere, but he kept stalling. Maybe if he found out Liam and Zach would be going, he’d freak out.

“Well? How about you, Zach? Yes or no?” she heard Angelica ask.

“Fine. Yes, I am coming. My mom will kill me, but I am coming anyway because I love you guys.”

“Oh, shut up. We know you’re only going because you can’t face your dad right now,” Angelica said, rolling her eyes. “So that’s settled. We are all going. I’ll make the reservations and no backing out.”

“Sure,” the two men answered at once.

Chanty kept quiet, feeling a little confused.

2013

As a celebration for their great grandson’s arrival into the world, Hope and William invited everyone for a late dinner in the restaurant nearby.

Philip and Cassandra, of course, couldn’t come, but everyone else did.

Willie wouldn’t leave Liam’s side so he went much to his own disappointment. He wanted to get away from the bunch and be on his own. He hated to pretend that he was Willie’s father in front of Hope, William, Mary and Cassandra’s parents.

They occupied a rather long table in the restaurant and everyone was talking jovially, excited for the new baby. Liam studied Chanty, wanting to ask her if she had any plans of breaking the truth to her grandparents and her mother before everything turned out complicated.

Drinks were served around the table and Liam took two glasses of wine to ease his mind.

Chanty was looking uncomfortable as well and he knew why. Her family had been talking to her, indicating that she should start planning on how to introduce Liam as Willie’s father.

Once, he caught her eye and they exchanged a look of understanding.

He had told her it was her problem to tell her family the truth about her lie.

Liam knew she’d eventually do that, but when?

When he couldn’t take it anymore, he stood up and told the group he’d have to go home.

“We still have a few bottles of wine,” Angelica said in contradiction.

“I’ll drive you home if that’s your concern,” Henry offered. He did not touch a single drink the entire dinner, keeping watch on his wife.

The only one who could stop Liam at that moment was Willie but the child was already asleep in his grandmother’s arms.

Hope and William let him go easily.

“I really need to go. I have a lot to do in the office tomorrow. Zach,” he added, looking at his friend who was sitting beside Julianne. “You have to be there tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Zach answered, looking at the group. “I have decided to take over Liam’s job in the company. Well, most of it anyway since I cannot do it all alone,” he added with a grin.

The old people around them seemed surprised. Liam was looking at Chanty the whole time and he couldn’t tell what her reaction was because she was bending down and looking down at her plate like it would suddenly turn into a magic well and she couldn’t blink an eye when that happened. Liam hoped she would have gotten over the news already. It would make things easier.

“Does Philip know about this?” William asked.

“I already told him when Liam broke the news,” answered Henry.

“Well, I am old and retired. I don’t give a shit what you young people would do with the company,” the old man said with a sigh, looking at his wife who was looking horrified.

Hope was looking at Liam suspiciously and then her gaze traveled to Chanty who was still pretending to be busy with her plate.

“Goodbye, guys, and congratulations,” he added to Cassandra’s parents and Philip’s family.

“Send a text once you get home,” he heard Chanty blurt out as she slipped away from his chair.

---

Chanty couldn’t just keep quiet knowing he was leaving.

It was not for show for his family.

She really wanted to tell him something before he left.

After that announcement of leaving everything to Zach, she felt like she’d never see him again. And a sudden sensation of panic surged up inside her once again.

“Just so we know you arrived in one piece,” she added when Liam didn’t say anything.

He just nodded and walked away, giving the group one last nod.

Chanty watched him walk out the door of the restaurant with purposeful strides. And his purpose was to walk away.

---

When dinner was finally over, Chanty was left behind with Willie who was now sleeping in her car with the windows open. She was standing outside with Henry, Angelica, Zach and Julianne.

“He didn’t text he’s home,” she said to Angelica, checking her phone.

“He’s probably tired,” Zach said dismissively.

“Or he just didn’t take your request seriously,” Henry assured her, juggling his keys in his hand.

“I was serious when I said, ‘Send a text once you get home’. What if something happened?”

Her friends almost rolled their eyes at her. “Well, that could be the case,” Angelica said. “What?” she asked around when everyone threw her a look. “That’s possible. Or he might have lost his phone. Or worse, he is homeless and doesn’t have a home so he can’t say he’s home. ”

“Now you’re starting to talk nonsense. Let’s go home,” Henry told her. “Don’t worry about it, Chanty. Liam’s just not in his right mood right now.”

Zach nodded. “He’s acting like a woman with PMS, really.”

“He’s angry with me,” Chanty said.

“Well, he’s being angry with exaggeration,” Angelica pointed out.

“Or maybe he is angrier with himself,” Julianne spoke for the first time.

Everyone looked at her.

“He’s angry because he let himself be fooled by the lie. He should have been wise enough to listen to you when you tried to tell him the truth,” Julianne continued.

Zach nodded. “I have to agree with Jules. Liam had always been a fool where you are concerned, Chanty. I guess he is just coming into terms of how a fool he had been since the moment he met you.” He grimaced when he realized what he just said. “That came out quite wrong, I guess.”

Chanty closed her eyes and sighed. “I need a good sleep. I have a lot in my mind right now.”

That night, Chanty drove feeling uncertain with everything: Cameron, her family and Liam. But first, she had to face Cameron. She wanted the guy out of her life once and for all.

---

Chanty never had the chance to talk or even be around Liam after that night because she was planning a battle that she had to fight alone the next few days.

She had an appointment with Cameron on Friday and she better be ready. No more lies. No more secrets. She’d tell him everything. But they had to do the test, she thought. It would ease everyone’s mind.

And then, she had to tell her family the truth the following day, Saturday. She had already set up the date and the place for the reveal. She chose one that was near a hospital in case something bad happened and someone took the news badly.

Philip had told her he’d be there to back her up. He had been in a good mood lately now that his son was finally born.

Angelica kept on giving her ideas on how she should pursue Liam (bombing his house was also considered if he continued with his PMS-like attitude), but Chanty was already going through a lot of things at the moment to even bother making an effort to make Liam stay, much more consider giving her another chance.

She had set her priorities: Willie, her problem with Cameron and then her family. Liam would have to wait until she was ready and recharged. He’d be the final battle and she had to clean up her mess to make it right with him.

---

Liam was sitting in his office with Zach. His friend had been studying some documents he needed to sign to make things official. They had only a week to sort everything and then Liam would be gone.

He was staring into space, thinking about that moment when he could finally go away and have some time for himself. Where would he go? How long would he be gone? How long would it take?

“I can’t deal with this,” Zach murmured. “Friday’s not my day ever since I started school. I always get distracted.”

“What?” Liam asked, his mind absently wandering around the imaginary map he had in his head.

“I said I am not a Friday person. I always look forward for the weekend and I can’t focus right now. Jules and I have some plans for tomorrow and I can’t focus on these documents.”

“It’s Friday?” Liam asked, suddenly alert. He straightened in his chair.

“Didn’t I just tell you?” his friend asked with a frown. “Were you even listening?”

But Liam was already busy checking his watch. He grabbed his phone and called Henry.

---

Chanty paced around her office. She was nervous as hell.

She almost jumped when Dana poked her head inside her office and announced, “Cam-Cam is on his way.”

Chanty nodded after taking a deep breath.

“You need anything?” her secretary asked with concern.

“Send us some coffee when he gets here. And just water for me. I don’t think I can take more caffeine. How do I look? Do I look frail or confident?”

Dana looked at her outfit which was the usual collared blouse and pencil skirt and pumps. “You look like a warrior. You need a sword?”

Chanty smiled. “I can manage, but thank you for the offer. I might ring for a bomb though so keep watch.”

“Aye, aye!” Dana said with a salute and left, gently closing the door behind her.

Chanty sat behind her desk and arched her back. She had to be strong.

You can do it, Chanty. Just tell him the truth. Be wise. Be confident.

A knock came on the door and Dana opened it, and this time, she was delivering Cameron. But he was not alone. He was with Beth the Bitch and another guy Chanty couldn’t recognize.

She frowned. “I thought this is going to be a one-on-one meeting?” she asked with an accusing glare at Cameron.

“I am here to support him,” Beth said, flipping her hair and pretending to check out Chanty’s office as she strode inside.

“I brought my lawyer with me,” Cameron said with a smile. “I just thought it is better to have one in case you have more surprises for me, Chanty.”

Chanty felt betrayed and weak. She was beginning to feel like she was looking at a losing battle. She was up against three people who were determined to see her fall.

“This is Raymund Flint, my lawyer. Raymund, Ms. Chanty Strindberg.”

The lawyer with graying hair and wrinkled face walked up to Chanty and held out his hand. Chanty stood up and took his hand in a grip she prayed was enough to break someone’s neck.

“Good morning, Ms. Strindberg. Don’t be alarmed with my presence. I am only here to make sure that things go well for both you and Cameron.”

“You mean only for him,” she uttered strongly. “You should have told me you are with a lawyer, Cameron, but that’s okay since I cannot possibly kick these two out of my office now. That would be unprofessional of me, wouldn’t it? Please take a seat, all of you,” she offered in the end, sitting back in her chair because her knees were almost giving up.

This is now or never, she thought as she fixed a firm smile on her face. “Should we start?”

And just as everyone nodded, including Beth the Bitch who sat in the couch at the corner of the room with her leg crossed over the other, her office door opened and Liam burst in.

“Sorry we are late,” he said in his confident voice, his smile fixed on Cameron, Beth the Bitch and the old lawyer. “Henry was caught on traffic.”

And that was when Henry came in looking like he ran a mile. “Good morning, everyone. I hope you didn’t start without us.”

Chanty’s mouth was hanging open as she watched Liam close the door. He walked toward her, grabbing a chair along the way, and settled beside her. Henry did the same, sitting at her other side.

“So, let’s start?” Liam asked the group before them who was looking as startled as Chanty.

Chapter 29

December, 2008, Somewhere outside NYU

Liam wanted to snatch Chanty’s phone away from her hand.

She had been checking the thing every five minutes and the reason behind that was that bastard, Cameron.

If he wanted to come, he would already be here.

“Hey, you want me to bury that phone six feet under the ground?” Angelica asked the question Liam had been trying to keep to himself. “Cameron will come if he can. And by the look of things, he is not. So, get over it, girl, and let’s have a good time.”

They were having a barbecue outside the small cabin Angelica rented for the holiday. Zach and Liam were watching over the meat while Angelica set up the table.

Chanty looked at all of them, their faces expectant. Liam smiled at her warmly to erase whatever feeling Angelica’s words brought to her.

“Come on, Chanty, don’t be such a joy killer. Let’s have a good time here,” Zach called out.

Liam went to the large cooler by the table, opened it, and took out a can of beer. He went to where Chanty was sitting. “Here, drink up. Let’s not think of the people who are not here right now. Let’s just have some fun.”

She hesitated for a moment before she sighed and looked at her phone. “You’re right. Cameron can get lost. I’m turning this thing off.” And she did just that much to Liam’s amazement. He popped the can open for her and she took a big gulp the moment he handed it to her.

“Let’s put on some music,” Angelica said with excitement.

Liam went back to Zach.

“Nice job, man. You’re getting there,” his friend murmured.

Liam did not say anything. He was busy looking at Chanty dancing with Angelica with the beer in her hand. He really hoped this vacation would turn out right. He desperately wanted to get somewhere with Chanty even if it meant making her forget some bastard was waiting for her back in NYU.

 

2013

Chanty’s heart was beating too fast. She almost felt afraid that Cameron, who was sitting right across her table, would see it. She felt a mixture of different feelings woven into one. Her senses were not helping as well. She could feel Liam’s presence right beside her and it was almost tangible. As if a colored gas she could see and feel. It was seeping right through the pores of her skin. She could hear his calm breathing. She could smell his smell–his signature smell that she never smelled from anyone else.

She could see that Cameron was talking by the way his mouth was moving, but she could not clearly hear it. Her hearing was too busy right now with Liam’s breathing and her own blood rushing through her ears.

For a moment, Chanty closed her eyes and tried to calm her nerves. She collected whatever sense she had left and placed them at the proper order. It was not the right time to swoon over Liam’s sudden appearance, obviously to rescue her from the piranhas before her.

When she opened her eyes, she focused on Cameron and Henry’s conversation.

“That’s why I am here,” Henry was saying. “To make sure that you and Ms. Strindberg will not make any decisions that would make things worse. I understand you want to have a DNA test done?”

Cameron nodded, shifting his gaze to Chanty.

“I have something to say before anything else,” she finally said. She looked at Liam and he looked back at her with encouragement. Gone was the flat affect he had been wearing for weeks after he learned of the truth. Right now, he was back to being Liam, the old Liam.

But was he here to make sure that she told Cameron the truth?

She brushed the thought away, knowing it was no use to think about Liam’s motives.

“I admit that I panicked when you suddenly showed up weeks ago, saying you want to see your son,” she addressed Cameron. “And I also admit that I lied to you about Liam being his father.”

“Why are you suddenly admitting you lied to me?”

“Because it won’t hurt me at all even if you go to court with the claim I lied to you, right Mr. Bell?”

Henry nodded. “You may have a chance if you fight for a custody, but it will be a very slim one. Chanty had been Willie’s sole provider since he was born. You walked out of her life the moment you learned she was pregnant. Do I have to continue?”

Chanty expected Cameron’s lawyer to say something but he didn’t. He was silent the whole time and she wished it would stay that way.

She didn’t realize she was gripping her armrest with all her strength until she felt Liam’s hand cover hers. The warmth his hand offered almost brought tears to her eyes.

It gave her courage.

But he let go even before she could turn to him for thanks.

“But I am Willie’s father, right? That’s just what I really want to clear here,” Cameron asked strongly.

“I am pretty sure you are the father, Cameron. 90% sure, as a matter of fact.”

Cameron straightened in his chair. “What do you mean 90%? I am 100% sure I am the father.”

“I lied to you about Liam being Willie’s father, Cameron, but I did not lie to you when I told you I cheated on you.”

Cameron looked at her incredulously but immediately washed the look away with a serious one he would often wear if he was feeling confused. “I thought the two of you were just acting…” he trailed.

Chanty arched an eyebrow at him and sat back against her chair with a small smile. “That’s why I also want to do this DNA test. I also want to be 100% positive of the fact.”

She saw Cameron struggle with his emotions. He closed his eyes and Chanty held her breath as she waited for him to say something. She prayed Henry was right–that Cameron had a slim chance if he would fight for custody. She prayed Cameron would not be that stupid as to think he could win this.

“Can we have some time alone?” Cameron asked her, his eyes now open, staring at her, almost begging.

“Of course, not,” Liam spoke for the first time since the meeting began. “Whatever you have to say, say it now.”

“This is between me and Chanty,” Cameron shot at him. “This is about our child. So back off for once, Heaton.”

“You bastard–”

“Leave us alone,” Chanty said loudly, stopping Liam’s words.

Liam looked at her with disbelief. “You are not talking to this guy alone, Chanty.”

She did not dare look at him. She fixed her eyes on Cameron. “Yes, I am. So, please, leave us alone. If you’re not, the two of us are going to get out of here and find somewhere else to talk.”

She heard Liam take a deep breath and murmur something sharp under his breath before he shot to his feet and walked out the room without a word. Chanty almost wanted to call out to him and beg him to come back. But as Henry stood up along with Cameron’s old lawyer and Beth the Bitch, she composed herself. This was her fight and she was going to face this alone.

“Now I understand why I should not have brought my lawyer,” Cameron said, relaxing against his chair. “We should have done this like adults.”

“That’s what I was expecting. You still brought your lawyer.”

“And Heaton is still barging in like he always did. I am surprised he did not drag Astor along with him on this one.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Zach is busy with something at the moment. Let’s not stall, Cameron. What are you really planning to do? You now know the truth. I lied to you. I told a lie. I made up a story. I am sure you now have an amazing plan at the back of your mind right now.”

For the first time since she saw him, Cameron just smiled. Not his lawyer smile, but the Cameron smile she once knew, before everything else went wrong.

“You changed a lot, Chanty. When I first met you, I never thought we’d end up like this.”

She did not say anything but waited for him to continue.

“When I proposed to Beth, I realized I wanted to sort everything out. You and Willie had always been at the back of my mind since that day I left you. I knew when you gave birth. I tried to contact you hundreds of times, but work got in the way. I got busy chasing my selfish dreams, as what you called them.” He paused for a while, shifting in his chair, looking uncomfortable for having to confess something about himself. “But when I realized I was ready to have a family with Beth, the first thing that popped into my head was Willie. He’s my son and I never made any effort to get to know him.”

Chanty kept her silence.

“And when I finally decided I was strong enough to face whatever challenges I had to know my son, I came to you. But I never expected you to give me a hard time. Yes, of course, I expected a slap here and there, a cry of anger and all that, but I never expected you to make up a lie. I almost believed you, you know. But then I know you enough to know that you were lying. And then I realized you did it to protect yourself. You have every right to make up anything just to protect yourself and Willie from me. I challenged you with the DNA test and you freaked out. That newspaper article about me told me you would die for Willie. And I blamed myself for a moment because it was my fault. If I did not run away from you, Willie would have a father. But then I thought, what if I stayed? I would have been miserable because I was not chasing my dream. And I would be making you miserable in return. And our child would grow up as miserable as his parents.”

Chanty felt tears pooling her eyes. She remembered those days when she cried for Cameron, hoping he’d come back. She remembered when Willie was born without a father to hold him. She remembered the nights her son would ask her where his father was. But Cameron was right. If he had stayed, they would have been miserable. He was too ambitious and selfish to not be chasing his dreams just because a child was holding him back. He could have chased them still if he stayed, but there would be a lot of delays. He’d have to change diapers instead of writing his papers. He was right: They would have been miserable together.

“I have no intentions of going to court or anything, Chanty.” His words brought her back to the present. She arched an eyebrow at him in disbelief and he laughed in return. “I find it amusing that we can no longer trust each other. I brought my lawyer because I believed you would do the same thing. And I was right. And now I am sincerely telling you that this is a personal choice of mine to know my son–no other agenda whatsoever–and you don’t believe me. But I am telling the truth here, Chanty. I want to know my son and I want him to know me. Please don’t deprive us of that. I am not asking you to forgive me for what I have done. I am asking you to understand that Willie and I need to know each other. If not for me, please do it for him.”

Chanty looked at Cameron for a long time. She wanted this problem to be over with. She wanted this to be history so she could start living the life she wanted for her and Willie. And so she could start to freaking go after Liam. Him not being here was not enough for her.

“Okay, let’s do that. But don’t get too excited, Cameron. We still need to do the DNA test. I was being truthful when I told you I am not entirely sure you are the father.”

He shook his head with a smile. “Of course. We’ll do it as soon as we can. Just tell me the date.”

“And, before you leave,” she said, opening a drawer under the table where she kept her most important files. “I had Henry draw this up in case things turned out as expected. And it did,” she said with a smile as she laid the folder before him.

Cameron frowned. “What’s this?”

“It’s just some agreement that you will never go to court to get custody.”

“What do I get in return?”

Chanty smiled. “Nothing. If Willie turns out to be your son, I decide what happens next.” When he did not make any move to open the folder, she added, “You sign it here and now, Cameron. Or you will not get a chance to know your son.”

She watched him struggle for a moment. His lawyer-oriented mind must be reeling right now but Chanty didn’t care. She had to make sure that no one was going to take Willie away from her.

After a long moment of silence, Cameron finally shook his head and reached for the paper. “You better hand me a pen right now before I change my mind, Chanty.”

Chanty gave him her precious Parker pen with a triumphant smile.

---

Liam paced around his office. “I can’t believe she let him talk her into this. I don’t feel good about her being alone in that room with that bastard.”

He heard Henry chuckle. “Relax, man. Chanty can handle this. You don’t have to always be there for her, you know. She has to fight this one on her own.”

Liam looked at his friend. “You know something I don’t.”

“Of course, I do. Chanty called me up two days ago to draw up some contract. I can’t tell you about it, but I can say that it was a pretty damn good contract. It was an amazing idea on her side, actually. Let’s just hope that things turned out as she hoped.”

“It better,” Liam snapped. He wanted to punch himself for panicking earlier and dragging Henry here. He should have just let Chanty handle this one on her own. This was her mess. Why did he even interfere?

As what Henry claimed, she had already made plans. And she did it without him. It meant she was determined to clean up this mess without anyone’s help.

But then, here he was, acting like he had to help her. But he couldn’t help it. It was like a default thing in his system.

I need to stay away as soon as I can, he thought.

---

The moment Cameron and his lawyer walked out with Beth the Bitch tagging along, Chanty heaved a sigh of relief.

Everything went well, she wanted to shout out loud. Everything went well!

Whatever the DNA result was, Cameron could not touch Willie. It would be Chanty’s decision whether or not to introduce him to Willie.

Now that the Cameron problem was slightly solved, it was time to get ready to face her family.

She walked out of her office with her bag in hand.

“Where’s Liam?” she asked Dana.

“In his office with Mr. Bell.”

Chanty walked to Liam’s office and knocked on the door. When a short answer came from inside, she walked inside and looked at Liam’s expectant face.

And then she turned to Henry and smiled. “I did it. He signed.”

Henry jumped to his feet with a smile. “Well, then, I guess I can finally say that you are legally safe, Chanty. Willie is all yours.”

She couldn’t help the smile on her face as she strode toward Henry to give him a hug. “Thank you so much,” she said.

“Hey, as your lawyer, it is my job.” Henry checked his watch. “I need to rush back to the office. I have other uh…things to do.”

Chanty knew what those things were so she nodded.

Henry nodded at Liam sitting behind his desk and walked out the room.

“Thank you,” Chanty told him when they were finally alone. “I know you called Henry. I really do appreciate it.”

“If you had told me you already had a plan, I would not have done anything,” he said dismissively. “But congratulations, Chanty. I guess I can now stop pretending I am Willie’s father in front of that bastard.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t have to see him again. We’ll be doing the DNA test in a few days so I guess it will only be me, Willie and him from now on.”

Something flashed across his face but it was gone in an instant before Chanty could decipher it. “Good,” he added. “I don’t want to leave this place with a memory of that guy.”

Chanty laughed and started for the door. “But just so you know, Liam, I am not giving up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am not giving up on you. Don’t forget that. After I am done telling everyone about my perfect lie, you’re next.”

And then she walked out the room before he could say anything. She had to go home to Willie and get ready for tomorrow.

Part of herself wanted the DNA test to prove that Liam was the father, but that was unlikely. It would be a big joke on their part if that was the case. But it would make things easier for her. But then again, that was unlikely.

---

Liam started packing that weekend. He was not bound to leave until next week, but he just needed to do something or else he’d go nuts. He knew Chanty was planning to break the news to her family today. Henry had told him yesterday.

He wanted to go and be there for her when that happened, but he had to stop himself.

This matter was between her and her family.

And he felt that she was doing the right thing.

She had planned everything the right way and he was proud of her for that.

Once this thing with her family was resolved, she would do that DNA test.

Maybe he should stay for the results, he thought. After all, no one was quite certain who Willie’s father was after all.

He couldn’t help but smile at the thought if he turned out to be the real father. Chanty would have to go through the same process again. She’d have to tell everyone once more that her lie was in fact true.

His mind wandered back to the last words Chanty threw at him in his office.

After I am done telling everyone about my perfect lie, you’re next.

He was not stupid as to not understand that. But would he be fool enough to accept her back in his life?

---

Chanty was sitting right across everyone.

They were just done with dinner. Cassandra was holding her baby, looking at Chanty with encouragement. Philip was sipping his wine, his eyes telling him the family would understand.

She had left Willie with Angelica and Henry.

Their mother was looking at her expectantly.

Hope was looking suspicious.

William, well, he was looking all relaxed.

Chanty cleared her throat and remembered that her lie was not at all that big compared to the one Philip and Cassandra had two years ago.

“I have a confession to make…” she started. “I lied to you about Liam being Willie’s father.”

Their expressions were priceless, of course, the moment her statement registered in their brains.

Mary gasped, her eyes widening by the second. Hope looked as if she finally found the final piece of the puzzle she had been working on for a decade. And William looked like he was about to fall off his chair.

“I am sorry,” she said, tearing up. “I lied to everyone, including Liam, because I felt threatened when Cameron suddenly showed up.”

Questions bombarded her. Most of the time she answered the herself, and some others were answered by her brother and Cassandra.

“You knew about this?” Mary accused Philip and Cassandra.

“They found out later,” Chanty answered.

“I found out earlier than the rest,” Cassandra admitted with a grimace.

“But, Chanty, how could you let us believe such a lie?!” her mother cried.

“Because she wanted all the things that came with it, didn’t you dear?” Hope said with tenderness.

Chanty felt the tears roll down her cheeks. As she looked at her grandmother’s understanding face, she knew that old woman knew.

“You wanted the security Liam brought into Willie’s life and yours. And you wanted him. But I think you just realized that,” Hope said with amusement. Her grandmother chuckled. “Silly girl, I can’t believe you just realized that now.”

Cassandra was smiling smugly like she had known from the start. Philip was looking at her with confusion. William was smiling at her. Her mother, well, was still in shock.

“Grandma, please, this is not the time for that. I just told you I lied to you. Your granddaughter just lied to you and you are turning things around like it’s a joke.”

“Silly child, you are forgiven,” William uttered. “What do I always tell you kids? Huh? We are too old to take all the drama that you young people bring. Don’t expect us to react any more than we do because we just don’t have the energy for that.”

“But I do,” Mary contradicted. “It just breaks my heart that my children have a lot of secrets from me. I am deeply hurt, Chanty.”

“Mom, I know it will not be easy for you to understand, but you are a mother as well. I don’t expect you to understand, actually, because I could have done things differently. It just turned out that I was as silly as I was when I was still in NYU. Still the silly Chanty. Still the reckless Chanty.”

“Stop blaming yourself for the past,” her mother snapped. “But are you sure Liam is not the father?”

Chanty almost blurted out in laughter at her mother’s hopeful tone. “We still need to do the DNA test to confirm that, but I am pretty certain he is not.”

“When is the DNA test?” William asked.

“Monday.”

“We’ll be there. We’re old, but we can go to some damn clinic.”

---

Monday came and Chanty was ready to deliver Willie’s hair to the laboratory.

When she turned up, Cameron was already there with Beth the Bitch.

“Where’s Willie?” he asked.

“He’s not coming. He won’t understand why we are here. So I brought his hair,” Chanty answered. Of course, she was not alone. The whole clan was with her, including baby JP.

“I don’t suppose you would consider this a good morning if I greet you,” Cameron addressed the people behind her. William grunted, Hope shook her head, Mary said, “No.”, Philip just stared and Cassandra glared.

“Okay then,” Cameron said with a smile, his confidence strong as ever.

They all entered the building, but Chanty and Cameron were the only ones allowed to inside the clinic itself. Everyone else had to stay at the reception area. She wished Beth the Bitch would still be alive. Cassandra was there and though the bitch was friends with Philip, Chanty was not sure he’d do anything if his wife opted to do something.

Without any words, Chanty and Cameron filled in the forms and signed the consent. Cameron opted for his inner cheek to be swabbed and Chanty surrendered a lock of Willie’s hair for the test.

Once they were out, Beth was not looking good. She jumped to her feet to meet Cameron.

“I’ll see you when the results come back,” he told Chanty who just nodded.

“We’ll make sure it comes out as soon as possible,” William said, turning to Philip. “Can you do that?”

“Of course,” her brother answered, already on the phone.

If Philip could call some people, the results could be out in three days or less.

---

Liam was sitting in his office when Chanty barged in without knocking.

He looked up and gave her a questioning look.

“We did the test.”

“I suppose you did it the right way?”

“Of course.”

“I was afraid Angelica was able to convince you to fake the result.”

“The result will be out tomorrow, or so they said.”

He just nodded.

Chanty looked at him. “You could be the father, you know.”

He did not say anything. Well, that could be true.

“A lot of people hope it’s you.” It seemed as if she was about to add something else but she said, “I’ll let you know if the results are in.”

He didn’t know how to answer that so he just nodded. Yeah, what if he turned out to be the father?

Chapter 30

December, 2008, Somewhere outside NYU

Liam looked at Chanty. “You’ve had too much to drink, Chanty.”

“I am faaayyyyyyne,” she uttered, her eyes drooping down.

He looked around for help but Angelica had already fallen asleep inside the tent Liam had set up for himself earlier. And Zach was inside one of the rooms in the cabin.

“You need to sleep,” he said.

“No, I am faayyyynnne,” she repeated.

“Come on, get up. There’s no more beer,” he lied when she tried to reach for the cooler. He grabbed her hand and pulled. She was not that drunk, but he still struggled with her. She was leaning against him as he walked her to the empty bedroom she was supposed to share with Angelica. “Careful, Chanty. You are not as light as you think.”

“Cameron thinks I am fat,” she said with a giggle.

“He’s an idiot,” he answered. They had now entered the dark room.

“Yes, he is, isn’t he?”

“Yes. I bet all my money on that.”

He eased her down on the bed.

“Liam,” she called when he straightened to full height before her in the bed.

“What?”

“Will you kiss me?”

“What?” he asked incredulously.

“You’re drunk, Chanty. You better sleep.”

“I am not drunk. I am tipsy. I am just a few scores over sober. Kiss me.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you enough to respect you. You are not thinking straight.”

“Come on, just one kiss!”

“Why?”

“I wanna know if Cameron is not the only RIGHT kiss out there.”

“You wanna know if someone else can give you the RIGHT kiss?”

Chanty nodded.

When Liam didn’t say anything, Chanty stood up and said, “Well, then, maybe I should wake up Zach and find out–”

He did not let her finish. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward him, giving her the kiss she wanted.

Liam didn’t plan to go further than that, but to finally have Chanty in his arms, her hand pulling at his shirt and dragging him to bed was something no fool would ever back away from.

He might be taking advantage, but the way Chanty moved against him told him she knew what she was doing. And she was doing it right.

That night, he let go of all inhibitions. He’d take what he could even if it meant losing her the very next day. This could be his last chance, he thought. And he was taking it.

2013

That night, Chanty couldn’t sleep.

She wanted to give Angelica a ring, but she didn’t want to bother anyone.

Her friend would be tired now that she was back working in the hospital. Cassandra would be busy with her baby. Jules, well, she would tell Chanty whatever was on her mind and Chanty was afraid the girl would say the right things no matter how hurtful they might be.

Without anyone to talk to, and without anything to do to help her sleep, she went to Willie’s room and watched her son sleep.

He looked peaceful and innocent with a small smile on his lips as he slept. She wondered what he was dreaming about.

She wished he would never have to grow up and experience the things adults would. She had tried to make him grow up without setting up a standard for him to follow. He didn’t have to grow up like Philip or any other men in the family. He could grow up as Willie and be Willie and stay Willie.

She didn’t want him to grow up with a lot of pressure like Cameron did. She wanted him to grow up without expecting others to judge him.

He just has to be Willie, she thought.

But would he be ever complete without knowing his father?

He won’t, Chanty uttered the bitter truth in her mind.

A tear fell down Chanty’s eyes. Her son would grow up the way he wanted to be. He’d grow up on his own without her making the decisions for him.

Tomorrow, once the result was out, he’d ask Willie what he wanted. Her child would make the decision.

---

Liam couldn’t sleep. Though he didn’t want to admit it, he was hoping the result of the DNA test would come out negative. Willie didn’t deserve a father like Cameron.

And you are the right one? You are planning to leave, man , a big part of him said.

He stayed away from his phone to stop himself from calling Chanty. He was certain she was not getting any sleep. He doubted any of the Strindberg was getting a minute of slumber tonight.

By 3 AM, he gave up and climbed out of bed. He made coffee and watched the light slowly creep through his windows.

By 5 AM, he got ready for work.

---

Chanty drove Willie very early to her brother’s house and went to work before everybody else.

She sat behind her desk without doing anything, just waiting. She knew the results would not be out until later that morning, but she felt that she had to be ready.

She heard some noise outside and eager to have some company after staying up all night alone, she walked out of her office.

Liam’s tall frame greeted her and they almost bumped into each other.

“You startled me!” she cried out. “What are you doing here at this hour?”

He tore his gaze away from her and cleared his throat. “I need to start early. Zach and I have a lot of things to do before I leave.”

There it was again.

Why did he have to always bring that up?

“You know you don’t have to leave, Liam.”

“I know, but I want to.”

“I will make sure you stay,” she said with confidence.

He arched an eyebrow, his features challenging her. “How would you do that?”

“I have some ways,” she replied.

“You have some ways…like that cake?”

“It didn’t work, did it?”

He shook his head.

“Well, then, I guess I just need to do more.”

He did not answer but asked, “Why are you early today?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night.”

He nodded. “Today’s the DNA test result.”

“Yes.” Chanty stepped away from him and leaned against the wall right beside her office door. “What would you do if it turns out negative? It would mean you are Willie’s dad.”

His eyes narrowed as he thought about his answer. And then he looked at her seriously. “Why? What would you do if I am?”

“What I should have done a long time ago,” she said with a snort.

He looked confused. “What would you have done a long time ago?”

Chanty opened her mouth to answer but Pete came rushing in with the most unfortunate timing. The magical moment was suddenly gone as her friend gushed about the early morning traffic and the things he needed to get done.

Pete must have realized that he interrupted something important and he said, “I’m sorry, were you guys talking?”

“No, we were just on our way back to our work,” Liam answered and then he was gone.

“Is something wrong with you two?” Pete asked Chanty.

“Nothing,” she answered and escaped back in her office.

---

Chanty got the call before an important meeting and she dropped everything to go to the testing clinic and get the results.

She did not call anyone because she wanted to know the truth on her own. Everyone had to wait.

On her drive to the site, she composed herself. Cameron would surely be there as well and he might not be alone. Maybe she should have begged Liam to come with her.

No, she’d face this.

After parking her car, she rushed inside the clinic and found Cameron sitting by himself.

“I thought you’d be late or you’d be with someone,” she noted.

“I figured I’d want to go alone this time.”

She just nodded and they went to claim the result.

---

“Well, it looks like you lied after all, Chanty,” Cameron said the moment they walked out of the building ten minutes later.

Chanty nodded. “Well, poor me, right? Liam would have been a much better father.”

Hurt registered on Cameron’s face, but he smiled. “I could be a good father if you’d let me.”

Chanty stared at him for a long time before nodding. “That would be up to Willie.”

“So you are not going to make it hard for us?”

“You know, I stayed up all night just staring at him while he slept and I thought I could not be as selfish as you were four years ago. I want to give him everything and if it means giving him his father, why not? But that’s all up to him. If he wants to meet you, then he can. If he doesn’t, then good for me.”

“I wonder when will you ever forgive me.”

“Maybe I already do. I no longer wish things did not turn the way they did because if they didn’t, I’d be stuck with you and I just can’t imagine what that would feel like at the moment. I fought hard for you, you know. Everyone told me to give up but I didn’t. The only thing I did was cheat on you and as I think about it now, it was the only right thing I did while I was with you.”

Cameron covered his hurt ego with a chuckle. “I never imagined you’d fall for Heaton, Chanty. You hated him back in NYU.”

“There is a thin line between hate and love, Cameron. So, anyway, now that everything is clear that you are indeed my son’s biological father, let’s move on with our lives.” She started to walk away.

“What about Willie?” he called behind her.

“I told you,” she said over her shoulder. “That’s up to him.”

“I’ll be waiting, Chanty!”

She waved her hand without turning and walked to her car.

---

Liam got the news from Zach who got the news from Henry who got the news from Angelica who got the news from Chanty.

He was disappointed.

He was ready to be a father.

But things ended up as they originally where.

“You want to drink?” Zach asked when he found Liam staring blankly in the air.

“No, what I need is to fly out of this place tomorrow. I hope you are ready?”

“You know I’m not,” his friend said with a sigh. “But I know you’re just a phone call away. Where do you plan to go anyway?”

“Somewhere.”

“Why do people always have to go away? I just don’t get it.”

“You just told me a week ago that you want to get away whenever Julianne’s having one of her moods.”

“That’s different, man. I don’t mean it when I say it.”

“Just give me time,” Liam said. “For all you know, I might get back in the game in no time.”

“What do you mean by that? Is it Chanty-related?”

“Doesn’t have to be. But we’ll see.”

“You are nuts, you know that? Bipolar son of a bitch. Last time I heard, you don’t want anything to do with her. Now you MIGHT just consider getting back in the game with her. What’s wrong with you? PMS or something?”

“Shut up.”

“And you shut me up when I am finally telling the truth. Remember what you asked me when I first started the bet with you before I entered that damn show?”

“What question?”

“You asked me what I’d do if I meet THE ONE. Well, my friend, let me ask you this: What if Chanty’s THE ONE? She’s just within your grasp this time–finally, after so many years–and you let her go. Well, what of that?”

“You know, we don’t really own those we love. Owning someone’s heart is an illusion because if you really love someone, you make them feel that they are free. They feel that they can do anything and at the same time, they feel the security. It is opening the birdcage and letting the bird fly out knowing the door is open when it decides to go back.”

Zach was looking dumbfounded. “Where are you going with this?”

“Chanty is free. She’s free to do whatever she the hell she wants. And I am free to do what I want at the moment. That’s what I am saying.”

“Ah, so you are saying you are going to leave her be?”

“Yes, exactly. Now that her problem is gone and settled, she is free to make the next step. I won’t be there as a choice. I won’t be there as an option. She’s free to look for whatever she wants.”

Zach shook his head. “I can’t imagine giving Jules that much of freedom. She might just slip away like poof. At this stage of our relationship, I am not that confident.”

Liam chuckled. “Having put up with your shit is enough to let you know she loves you, man. Get over it.”

“Of course she loves me,” Zach said smugly. “You’re the one who should get over it like a real man should. Well, anyway, let’s get this over with so you could go fly away from here.”

---

Chanty sat across from Willie. Her son was looking at her expectantly.

Whenever she told him she was going to tell him something important, he would always have that hopeful look on his face. She never asked him about it in fear that he would say he was hoping she’d finally tell him about his father.

“Remember when I told you your dad went somewhere really far and he might not be coming back?”

Willie nodded his head vigorously. Chanty was aware of the fact that for the past year Willie never asked her about his father because she found it hard to explain. He was growing up indeed.

“Well, he is back.”

A flash of excitement appeared in her son’s eyes.

“Willie, honey, do you want to see him?”

“Does he want to see me?”

Chanty felt a pang in her chest. Seeing her son doubt the fact that his father might not want to see him was hurting her. She nodded her head with tears brimming her eyes. “Yes, he does.”

Suddenly Willie’s face became worried. “Will you go with me?”

“Of course, I’ll be with you.”

“And we go home together?”

“Of course, silly. We’ll go home together anytime you like.”

Willie appeared like he was thinking, but Chanty already knew what his answer would be.

“Okay, let’s meet him.”

---

Chanty knew when her son was nervous and he was more than nervous as they drove to the restaurant where Cameron was waiting.

She had specifically told him that he had to come alone.

“Are you ready, buddy? We can always drive back home anytime,” she asked her son after she parked the car outside the restaurant.

Willie shook his head. “Let’s do this,” he said, making Chanty laugh.

“I am so proud of you. Okay, let’s go meet your father.”

Hand in hand, the two of them walked inside the restaurant. Cameron chose a quiet and private one.

“Mr. Cameron made a reservation?” she asked the concierge.

“This way, please,” the man said, leading the way. Chanty and Willie followed. She looked down at her son and gave him a wink.

When she looked up, she saw Cameron. He was dressed in a casual collared cream shirt and he looked fresh. It was one of the looks she had loved years ago and she was glad he wore it today. He was reading the menu and when he sensed their presence, he looked up and his eyes met Chanty’s. His eyes traveled down and he saw his son. Chanty squeezed her son’s hand in hers.

The smile that crept up Cameron’s face as he looked at his son told Chanty everything would be alright.

---

Chanty’s phone started ringing and she excused herself from Cameron and Willie’s presence. The two of them were talking about Willie’s collection of bugs and though she hated the thought of leaving her son with his father, she had to start getting comfortable with it.

And it was not like she’d go far, right?

She was just answering a damn call.

“What is it?” she hissed at Angelica.

“I know you are at an important meeting or something with Cam-Cam, but I just thought you should know that–yes, Jules, I am telling her right now–”

“Are you with Julianne?”

“And Zach,” Zachary’s muffled voice answered. “And don’t call her Jules.”

“Give it to me,” Julianne’s voice said and the next thing Chanty heard was, “Liam’s leaving this afternoon.”

Chanty thought she heard Angelica mutter about being the one who always had to call people when someone was leaving but she was no longer listening.

Liam was really leaving.

“Is it time for me to panic?” she foolishly asked.

“YES!” Angelica and Julianne cried out at the same time.

Chapter 31

Febuary, 2009, NYU

Chanty was crying when the knock came on her door.

When she did not answer, it opened and Angelica barged in.

“Where is that bastard?”

“Gone,” Chanty answered, staring at nothing.

“What do you mean he’s gone? He left you?” Angelica looked around the apartment. “His things are gone? That bastard! I am going to kill him!”

“Let it go, Ange, it’s over.”

“But you told him, right? You told him?”

Chanty nodded and tears started streaming down her face once more. “He said he couldn’t face the responsibility. What a bastard, right?”

“I am so going to kill him!”

Chanty cried some more and Angelica cried with her. The two of them spent hours sprawled on the floor, crying and cursing Cameron to hell.

“Are you sure he’s the father?” Angelica asked with a hopeful tone when they were finally dry from tears.

Chanty doubted her answer for a second before she said, “Of course, he is, stupid.”

“Just wanted to be sure I’ll kill the right guy.”

“Will the pain go away?”

“Yes, it will. In time. Trust me,” her friend reassured her in an embrace.

2013

Chanty couldn’t just announce that she and Willie would have to go NOW.

Her son was obviously enjoying his father’s company (a big surprise knowing Cameron was never good with children). And she didn’t want to spoil their very first meeting.

So she sat back in her chair beside her son and pretended to be listening to the never-ending topic of bugs. Well, honestly, she felt bugs were itching her feet at the moment because she was getting restless. She kept checking her watch. It was still early. Liam would leave this afternoon for the airport.

For a moment she thought this must have been what Philip felt when Angelica called him up and told him that his then-transient wife was flying out of nowhere.

Not knowing where Liam was going was even more unbearable. What if he was going somewhere and he would love it there and would never return? What then would Chanty do?

Knowing Liam, he would not tell a soul as to his whereabouts.

Cameron was listening to Willie’s narrative of his recent bug adventure with a smile. When he happened to look at Chanty’s direction, he frowned. “Are you going to another appointment?”

She could have lied and said yes, but she shook her head. “I just need to chase someone in about an hour,” she honestly said.

A look of confusion crossed Cameron’s face. “Chase someone?”

“We kind of have this unfinished business and I want it to be over with once and for all before he goes to his next…business,” she explained.

Willie was looking at her with a smile. “Is it Liam?”

Chanty’s mouth hung open in surprise. “Yes, honey,” she answered when she fully recovered.

“I assume it is important?” Cameron asked, raising an eyebrow. “After all, you are working with him on a project.”

Chanty nodded vigorously. “A very important project.”

“Liam is very angry with mom,” Willie explained to Cameron.

“No, he’s not,” Chanty lied despite everything. “He’s just pissed because of the said unfinished business.”

Cameron leaned back against his chair. “Well, if it is very important…”

“We can meet again!” Willie uttered before Chanty could say a word. “Right, mom?”

“Of course. Anytime you want, buddy.”

Willie jumped off his seat and walked to where Cameron was and held out his hand. “It is very nice to meet you. Can I call you daddy?”

A look of overwhelming tenderness washed over Cameron as he looked at his son. He shook Willie’s hand and said, “Of course, Willie. If you give me a hug, you can call me whatever you want.”

Willie beamed and jumped up to hug his father. Chanty couldn’t help but smile with tears. She cleared her throat and collected her bag.

“I’ll see you soon,” Cameron whispered to his son.

Willie turned to Chanty. “Liam is waiting?”

“Yes, honey. Are you sure you are ready to go?”

Willie nodded, giving Cameron one last look. He waved at his father as Chanty guided him out of the restaurant.

---

“Willie! Buddy! Hey!” Angelica’s voice called out from the car.

Chanty rushed to them with Willie in tow. “I thought you said I’ll meet you guys at the airport?”

Zach leaned out of window of the driver’s seat and said, “Get inside, Chanty. We know where he is at the moment.”

Chanty ushered Willie into the backseat and strapped him down beside Angelica.

“Hi, Chanty, how did it go?” Julianne asked from the passenger seat.

“Great,” she answered, slamming the door beside her. “Can we go now?”

“Of course,” Zach said, maneuvering the car out of the parking lot.

“How about our car, Mommy?” Willie asked.

“It can wait, honey,” Chanty answered.

“Can’t you go any faster?” Angelica asked Zach.

“I am trying. Stop pestering me, Ange.”

“You are not a very good driver,” Chanty added. “You are going really slow, Zach.”

“If you must know, my fiancée is in the car with us and she is pregnant.”

“Okay, that’s it, get the hell out. Stop the car!” Angelica cried out.

“Why is everybody shouting?” Willie asked.

“Sorry, buddy, we are not. We’re just making sure everyone hears us,” Angelica answered. “Zach, stop the car!”

“I am not–”

“Stop the car, Zachary, or we are going out,” Julianne said calmly.

Zach stopped the car and got out with a huff. He exchanged places with Angelica and settled beside Willie. “Hey, buddy. How did it go with your dad?”

“He’s great.”

There was no comment as Angelica started the car and sped down the road.

“Henry will definitely hear of this, Ange,” Zach said as he gripped the driver’s seat before him. “Willie’s in the car with us.”

“Willie loves fast cars,” Angelica shot over her shoulder.

“Look at the road!” Everyone except Willie shouted.

“Fine, fine. What the hell is wrong with you? I am not over-speeding!”

“Just drive, Ange,” Chanty told her. “You okay, buddy?” she asked her son.

Willie nodded. “Are we going to chase Liam because he is leaving?”

“Yes.”

“And you are going to make him forgive you?”

“I will try.”

Zach looked at Willie. “You like Liam, don’t you?”

“Of course. He is awesome.”

“Like your dad?”

Willie frowned. “I don’t know him that much yet. Liam is awesomer.”

Julianne laughed at Willie’s last word. “That’s not a word, Willie, but I like it.”

“I think I used that once, buddy. See? It works,” Zach said as he continued to grip the driver’s seat. “Ange, please, slow down a little.”

“We’re driving just fine,” Chanty said, her eyes on the road. “Where are we going again?”

“At Liam’s house, of course. Zach called him earlier and he kind of hinted that he is packing up some things before his flight,” Angelica said as she turned a corner.

“Are you sure he is there?”

A long silence followed.

“Well, we are quite certain–” Zach answered and Chanty cried, “What? You mean you are not sure?”

“We are pretty sure, okay?” he answered. “I know Liam. He doesn’t have anywhere else to go right at the moment.”

“You better be sure he is there.”

“He will be, don’t worry.”

---

Liam knocked on the door and Cassandra’s smiling face greeted him.

“Liam! Why are you here?”

“I just need to drop a few things for Philip. He’s home, right?”

“Of course,” Cassandra answered, stepping aside. “He’s upstairs with the baby. Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’ll be leaving in a short while. I just need to drop these,” he said, holding up the three manila envelopes in his hands.

Cassandra looked at him quizzically. “Are you okay? You don’t look okay.”

His gaze wavered and he cleared his throat. “Of course. I’ll just go upstairs?”

She nodded slowly and he walked away, fully aware of Cassandra’s gaze following him.

---

“Mom, your phone is ringing.”

“What?” she asked her son, distracted.

“You phone.”

“Ah, yes, it’s ringing.” She opened her bag and took out her phone. “It’s just aunt Cass. Answer her for me, will you?” she said to Willie, handing him the phone. “Ange, I know a shortcut.”

“I know, I know. What do you think of me? I know where to go, Chanty. Relax.”

“Hello?” Willie said beside her, answering Cassandra’s call.

“If you can go a bit slower, we can relax,” Zach said beside Willie.

“No, the speed is just right,” Chanty uttered, checking her watch.

“Mommy, Aunt Cass says Liam is in their house.”

“If you take the next turn, we can cut a few more minutes,” Chanty addressed Angelica.

“I hate backseat drivers! Can you just stop–WHAT did you say, Willie?”

“What?!” Chanty and Angelica exclaimed at the same time when Willie’s words finally made contact with their brains.

“Aunt Cass said Liam is in their house,” Willie repeated.

“You said he’s at home!” Chanty accused at Zach.

“Hey! I didn’t know about any plans of going to your brother’s house!”

“Everyone, just stop!” Julianne cried out. “Ange, stop the car and turn around!”

Chanty snatched the phone from Willie’s hand. “Cass? What do you mean Liam’s there?”

“He’s here,” Cassandra said in a whisper. “I think something’s wrong with him. He’s dropping something for Philip. I just think something is off because he doesn’t come here unless it is really important.”

“He’s leaving in a few hours. Don’t let him leave! Do you understand? We are on our way!”

“Wait, what do you mean we?”

“Just don’t let him leave. Bar the doors, strap him in a chair, anything! Just don’t let him leave!”

“Okay, okay! I’ll do what I can!”

“Ange, go faster, please,” Chanty said to her friend as she threw her phone back in her bag.

“Oh, God,” she heard Zach murmur. “I think we’re going to die young, buddy,” he said to Willie.

---

“I don’t feel so good about this, Liam,” Philip said as he signed the papers.

Liam sighed. “I just need a break.”

“You’re coming back, right? Zachary is not that ready. The company needs you as badly as before now that the mall is on its way.”

“You can always give me a ring,” he offered. “You know my number. I won’t change it.”

“But you’re not telling me where you’re going.”

He nodded as he watched Philip sign the last page.

Philip straightened to full height and gave him the paper. He walked to the crib where his son was and took him in his arms. Liam almost wanted to laugh. Seeing a man like Philip cradling an infant in his arms was just unimaginable in the past.

“How about Chanty?” Philip asked.

“What about her?” he asked nonchalantly, replacing the papers back in the manila envelopes.

“Don’t act like you don’t know, Liam. I know my sister and she’s in love with you. You can’t just walk away.”

Liam scoffed. “I wonder how you ever came up with that thought. As far as I know, Chanty never said such a thing.”

“My wife is probably right.”

“About what?”

“That you’re stupid and that you are acting like a girl.”

Liam smiled despite the bitterness he felt. “This thing between me and your sister has always been complicated.”

“You can make it uncomplicated by staying. Just let her sort things out first. She’s been through a lot and most of them are because of the wrong choices she has made. But she’s dealing with them in the best way she could.”

Liam shook his head. “As much as I want to stay, my mind is telling me to get a rest. I guess it is time for me to listen to my brain.”

Philip shook his head. “Whatever you want, man. But just so you know, I won’t be there to stop Chanty if she happens to meet another guy other than you and settle down.”

For a moment, Liam felt threatened. “We’ll see then,” he said, moving forward to shake Philip’s hand. “Just give me a call if Zachary does something stupid.”

“You’d get a call from me every day then,” Philip said as let go of his son with one hand and shook hands with Liam.

Liam was on his way down the stairs when Cassandra met him with a tray of drinks.

“You’re going?” she asked.

“Yes. I need to rush.”

“Why don’t you have a few drinks first?” she offered.

“I am fine, thanks. See you soon,” he said, taking another step down.

“But I need to talk to you,” Cassandra said in a whisper, almost conspiratorially.

Liam frowned. “Cass, I really need–”

“This is life and death, Liam.”

His frown deepened.

“It’s about something I found out lately that I cannot tell Philip.”

“Whatever it is, if it is a marital issue, I don’t think I want to be involved.”

“No, no, it is not a marital issue. It is something about me…my health.”

There was something in Cassandra’s eyes that told him something else was up. But maybe she really had a problem and she couldn’t have anyone else to talk to.

“You may find it is better if you talk to your friends.”

“They already know. Plus, you are a friend. And I need a man’s opinion. It would be closer to Philip’s reaction and I want to be prepared when I tell him the truth.”

Liam checked his watch. He still had less than an hour left before he was bound to go to the airport.

“Liam, please.”

Cassandra’s eyes were already brimming with tears. He sighed. “Okay.”

She almost jumped on her feet as she said, “Thank you! Let’s go to Philip’s office.”

---

“Cass is not answering her phone.” Apprehension was apparent in her voice.

“She’s probably busy gagging Liam’s mouth. Or she’s holding him captive in a dark room, holding two knives. You’ll never know,” Angelica uttered as she stepped on the gas. They were now driving freely down the long, wide road leading out of the city and to Philip’s house.

“Why does he have to live in such a far place?” Chanty asked no one in particular.

“I love the neighborhood,” Julianne spoke up, changing the topic. “We can get a place near there, Zach.”

“What? Out of the city?”

“Or I can get a place there if you don’t want to,” Julianne added.

“Of course, I would love to live there. Quiet and peaceful.”

Chanty was not listening to whatever plans the couple was making. She was trying to calm her nerves and come up with the best possible speech she should say in front of Liam. All crazy plans Angelica made with her in the past few days were now history. She’d have to do this one without any crazy ideas.

You just have to be freaking honest, girl, one part of her mind said.

“Well, if Cass is not very successful, we will surely meet Liam halfway, right? He’s going to travel the same road. And then we can chase him to the airport. Don’t lose hope yet,” Angelica uttered, looking at Chanty through the rearview mirror.

“Just focus on the road,” Chanty told her, trying to call Cassandra’s number.

---

Cassandra was crying now and he didn’t know what to say.

Hell, he didn’t even know what her problem was because she started howling even before she started speaking.

“Cass, you have to tell me what it is about so I can tell you what you need to know,” he said in a soothing voice, rubbing her back as she cried.

“I just can’t imagine what Philip’s reaction would be,” she said in between sobs. “I cannot just tell him outright. I don’t know where to start. I just…I just can’t have the courage.”

“Are you ill? Is that what you are talking about? You look fine and healthy.”

“I don’t know where to start,” she said, shaking her head. “I came to the doctor last week because…I…because I started to notice some symptoms and…”

“What symptoms?”

She looked at him for a second before she bent down and started crying once more.

Liam took a deep breath, trying hard to be patient. He checked his watch again. He really had to go.

“Cass, if you can’t talk about it right now, we can talk about it some other day.”

“No, no, no! I need you to hear this from me. Or else I might change my mind. I have the tendency to do that, you know. I always change my mind in matters like this. Oh, God, how do I tell Philip?”

“You can tell him now. He’s just upstairs.”

“No! I don’t think I can do that!”

Liam sighed. If this is what it meant to have a wife, he was not sure he was ready. Cassandra stood up and started pacing, sobbing louder by the second. “So I went to the doctor last week and did some tests. I didn’t tell Philip. I told him I was going shopping for some hams and eggs and he didn’t like it, by the way. You know I can’t cook, right? So I went anyway. And…and the doctor said…”

Liam was nodding his head to urge her to continue but she started crying once again.

“Cass, I have a flight to catch. I know you are having a bad time, but we can surely talk about this some other day if you are not up to it.”

“Wait, what? You’re going away today?” she asked, her face now full of shock. Gone was the crying face. “Oh my gosh, is this why…Okay, wait, let me calm down a bit,” she said, walking to the window. She looked out the lawn and she said, “I will be fast. Just don’t leave yet. I really need your help.”

“I am in a rush here, Cass,” he said, now having a feeling that something was definitely not right with her. “Are you sure you really have a problem?” He was getting suspicious.

“Of course! I do! I do!” She turned around to face him and then jumped on her feet when a noise erupted the silence outside. Cassandra walked back to the window and she faced him. “I am so sorry, Liam, but I just did it for the best.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on?” he asked, standing up.

“Nothing. Just stay here one second and I’ll go get something, okay?” And before he could say anything, she rushed out of the office and closed the door.

Curious and impatient, Liam stood up and went to the window. There, just behind his own car was Zachary’s. He saw his friend climbing out with Angelica, Julianne and Willie. He craned his neck to look at the front door which was now being opened by Cassandra and saw Chanty rush in.

“I’ll be damned,” he cursed under his breath and walked to the door. Whatever his friends were planning, he was not up to any of it. He reached for the knob but it didn’t turn. Cassandra locked him in!

---

Chanty stood outside her brother’s office, her heart pumping loudly.

“He said he’s going away in a few hours,” Cassandra whispered behind her.

“No one’s going away today,” Angelica said, standing beside Cassandra.

“I don’t want to witness this,” Zachary said, walking to the living room. “I need a drink.”

“Cass, open the door!” Liam was saying from inside the office. “I have a flight to catch and I am not going to be a part of this game you have planned. I am serious. I will break this door down if you don’t open it at once.”

Chanty whirled around and faced Angelica, Cassandra and Julianne.

“I can’t do it.”

“You can. Just get the hell inside. I didn’t cry just so you could let the man get away,” Cassandra said, pushing her to the door. “Here’s the key. We’ll be waiting here.”

Chanty took the key from her with shaking hand.

“You can do it, Mommy,” Willie said, looking up at her.

She nodded. “Okay, sure, I will. Go find JP, will you? Mommy needs to be alone with Liam for a while.”

Willie obliged and walked away to find JP.

Without further encouragement from her friends, Chanty worked with the key and turned the knob. She hastily opened the door, got in and slammed it shut behind her.

Liam was taken aback for he stepped back looking angry.

“What is this all about, Chanty?” His voice was cold and flat.

“I just need to talk to you, that’s all.”

“I don’t have time to talk. I really need to go now.”

“Just listen to me, Liam, damn it!” she shouted and she thought she heard her friends gasp behind the door.

But Liam did not falter. He took another step back though and looked at her without hinting any emotion.

“You are not getting out of this door unless you listen to what I have to say.”

A long silence lingered between them before Liam finally nodded and walked to the nearest chair across Philip’s desk. “Fine. Say what you need to say so I could get the hell out of here.”

Chanty flinched at the coldness of his voice.

“I don’t blame you for being so bipolar right now because I know exactly how you feel. You hate me and you hate yourself for being in love with me for many years. No, you have to listen to me,” she said when she saw him open his mouth. “You have loved me for years and you hate yourself for that. You have been in love with me since NYU, right?”

She waited for him to answer but all she got was a scoff.

“That’s your problem, Liam. You never found the courage to really tell the truth until it is too late and you never got to chance to admit it. You are a coward.”

“A coward?” he asked so sharply that Chanty almost stepped back and ran out the door. “I have done a lot of things for you, Chanty. You may have been blind for them since NYU, but I did a lot of crazy things. I did what I thought I could have years ago. And I did what I could have these past months only to end up the same way I did after that night in the cabin. It was you who chose to lie to everyone to protect yourself. Who is the coward now?”

“Oh, yeah? Well, let me tell you one thing you so cowardly never told me for years, Liam: I love you. See? Who’s the coward now? I may lie about a lot of things, but I never lie about what I feel. Years ago, I never lied about how I felt toward Cameron and you and Zach, how I found the two of you so annoying. I never lied about how miserable I was when Cameron left me. You said you want to go away. Fine! Go the hell away! But get this: it would really be too late for you and me if you walk out that door.” She took a few deep breaths before she continued. “I have made up lies to keep my son, I know that. I have used you, I know. But haven’t you wondered if I would have done the same thing if it was not YOU?” Chanty couldn’t see his face clearly now because tears were pooling her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away and continued, “You don’t want to hear any more lies from me, right? Well, then, hear this, you coward! I love you! I don’t know if I loved you way back in NYU. Heck, I don’t know if I could have loved you back then, but I love you now. And I hate it that I didn’t know what you felt for me back then. And I hate you for not telling me ten years ago! We could have worked, you know.” A whimper escaped her lips. “We could have worked.”

Chanty thought she should say more, but it seemed like all the words were cramped at the doorway of her mouth that none could get out. And Liam was so silent that she felt she had been speaking to a portrait hanging on her brother’s wall office. A sudden gush of embarrassment and panic overwhelmed her as he continued to just sit there and stare at her with those same expressionless eyes.

Chanty angrily wiped the tears from her cheeks and stepped back.

“Okay, I guess I am done talking,” she said, lifting her chin. “You can go now. Well, I should probably go first because I just can’t make myself watch you walk out the door. I watched you walk away from me twice and that is enough,” she added as she turned around to leave. Her hands were shaking and she was not sure if she could open the door in one try, but she had to go now or else she’d die. The ache in her chest was getting stronger and she was finding it hard to breath.

Liam didn’t say a word. He just looked at her with the same expressionless eyes.

“Is that the truth?” Liam’s voice asked, breaking the aching silence.

Chanty stopped. “Yes.”

“The full truth?”

“Yes,” she choked, not turning around.

“Nothing but the truth?” Now she noted amusement in his voice and she almost choked in her tears.

A half-cry, half-laugh escaped her mouth as she said, “Yes.” But she didn’t dare turn to face him. Not yet. She was not ready to see the same coldness in his eyes.

“Then will you honestly tell me what you want for yourself, Chanty? What you want right now?”

“You,” she said without taking a second to think. She whirled around to face him, taking all the courage she had left in her to tell him what she desperately wanted at that very moment. “I just want you back,” she added in a whisper.

Before she knew it, Liam was standing before her and she was facing his chest.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately, but I guess that’s just what I really needed to hear from you,” he said, his voice hoarse above her. Chanty tilted her head and smiled at him, new tears streaming down her eyes.

“Good, because you wouldn’t like whatever plans Angelica had in mind for me to get you.”

“I have one question though,” he said.

“Ask away.”

“The last time we talked, you said you would have done what you should have done years ago if I turned out to be Willie’s father.”

Chanty nodded but did not say anything.

“What should you have done years ago, Chanty?”

Chanty smiled. “I should have stopped you from getting into that cab. I should have asked if you wanted to stay for a cup of coffee.”

Liam beamed down at her. “Well, unlucky me, I guess. But you still have a lot to make up to, you know,” he said, narrowing his eyes down at her. He raised his hands and cupped her face, wiping her tears with his thumb. “You can’t watch me go, can you?”

“No, of course not. I watched you get into a cab five years ago. I watched you drive away weeks ago. I can’t let you go again. Not for the third time.”

“If the two of you are done with whatever it is you’re doing there,” Philip’s amused voice rang from outside, “Can I have my office back?”

Chanty and Liam chuckled before they dismissed Philip’s request with a kiss.

Epilogue

February, 2009, NYU

“You know I am willing to stay with you if you ask me to, Chanty,” Liam said seriously, looking down at her.

She shook her head. “I can’t make you stay just because I need someone. You know we made a big mistake, but that’s all. It was all just a mistake and we should forget it.”

Liam wanted to say more, but looking down at her and knowing what she had been through was enough for him to give him what she wanted. “I guess we can call each other friends so you know you can always call me.”

Chanty smiled at him. “Okay, sure, I might give you a call someday.”

Liam smiled and looked around. “I can’t believe we are finally leaving NYU.”

“Yes,” she said faintly.

“Anyway, we’ll surely see each other around,” he uttered, bending down to give her a hug. “I’ll always be here if you need me, Chanty.”

Chanty nodded and returned his embrace. Yes, she needed someone right now, but she couldn’t be selfish to Liam. He had a big future ahead of him and she couldn’t hang on to him just because Cameron left her. He should chase his dreams. THEY should all chase their dreams.

“Goodbye,” Liam whispered in her ear and she felt that weird electrical feeling she had never felt with him in the past.

“Goodbye.”

“Give me a call sometime, okay?”

“Yes,” she lied. She wouldn’t bother him again. “But remember, I still hate your ass!” she added with a laugh as he walked away. “And tell Astor I hate him equally!”

“Yes, yes, of course!” he said without turning around, walking to the cab waiting beside the street.

Chanty had a sudden urge to call out to him and ask him to stay for just a few more hours. They could get a cup of coffee somewhere. Or maybe he could delay his apprenticeship for a day. She shook her head. She was not able to make Cameron stay. How could she make Liam, a guy she happened to have shared one night of intimate moment with and years of bantering, stay?

She gave a final wave as she watched him climb inside the cab.

She’d let him go like she did Cameron. She could make it alone.

2014

“I don’t think it is a good idea, Angelica,” Liam told her.

“It is the best idea! Right, honey?” she asked her husband.

“Let me just tell you from my own experience, Liam,” Henry said, looking him squarely in the eyes. “Propose before she does.”

“Come on, you proposed to me,” Angelica uttered.

“No, Ange. I felt you were the one who proposed.”

“Well, whatever. Just do it,” Angelica said.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Zach said with a nod. “If she says no, it wouldn’t really hurt. I have been proposing to Julianne and I just got numb after the second one.”

“She’ll say yes if she feels it is the right time,” Julianne answered without looking at Zach.

“Does anyone ever considered that I am her brother and that I have at least the right to say something?” Philip asked.

“I invited you because I wanted you to know about my plan. That already says a lot,” Liam told him.

“Don’t be such a kill joy, babe. Liam’s proposing and that’s it. I am sure Chanty will say yes,” Cassandra said excitedly.

“But I am not so cool with Angelica’s idea. It does sound absurd. You only get to witness it in the movies,” Liam explained. “I can’t imagine Chanty would be okay with it.”

“Hey, I know Chanty. I’ve known her longer than you do. Trust me, it will be okay.”

Liam was still doubtful but he nodded. “Okay, let’s hear your plan first. But don’t expect me to agree to it.”

Everyone listened as Angelica laid out her plan, all of them in one corner of the coffee shop just outside the building where Chanty was working, having no idea what the gang was up to.

---

“Remember, your toothbrush is in the right pocket of you bag. Your PJ’s are at the bottom. Your books are at the front pocket. Do you really memorize my number? How about Liam’s? I will jot it down for you later in case you forget. And make sure that your dad picks you up on time, okay? You know how busy he can get. Did you bring the phone I bought you? The charger is in your bag and you need to make sure that you charge every–”

“Hey!” Liam cried out the same time Willie said, “Mom!”

“What?” she asked, turning around from the passenger side to look at his son strapped at the back, and then at Liam.

“Relax,” Liam said laughingly as he maneuvered the car to the big house. He stopped right outside and faced Chanty. “He’s going to be alright.”

Chanty sighed, closing her eyes. “I should leave you with Philip and Cass. I don’t think I can sleep a day after this.”

“I will be fine, Mom,” Willie reassured.

“Okay, fine. But buddy,” she added in a whisper as Cameron’s front door opened and he walked out with Beth the Bitch. “If Beth says or does anything–anything that makes you uncomfortable–you tell me, okay? You tell your dad and you call us, okay?”

“Beth is nice to me,” Willie said.

“Yeah, of course, she is,” Chanty murmured under her breath. In Beth’s defense, she had been nice to Willie. But this was the first time Chanty would let her son sleep for more than one night with his dad and his now-wife.

As Cameron approached, Liam climbed out of the car and opened the trunk of the car to get Willie’s bags. Chanty followed and met Cameron halfway. “Call me if anything happens. You have my number. He doesn’t have any allergies or anything, but he sleepwalks every now and then so be careful.”

Cameron smiled. “Relax, Chanty. We are going to take care of him. And you already told me these things yesterday and the days before that when he would usually spend the night here. I have a very good memory. I have your number. You are on my speed dial. Don’t worry.”

“If you can’t reach her, you call me,” Liam uttered beside Chanty, handing Cameron the bags.

“Seriously, don’t fret, Chanty. Willie will be fine. I have a bunch of great movies prepared for him,” Beth uttered with a smile.

Chanty still disliked her but over the many encounters she had with the lady, and from what Philip had said about her, Beth could be trusted. There was just the fact that Beth still didn’t like Cassandra because of his twin brother. But for Willie and Cameron, she learned how to compromise and be civil.

Chanty nodded. “Okay, cool.” She turned to face her son. “Willie, remember what I told you. Don’t give your dad or Beth a hard time. She’s pregnant. Be a good boy.”

“Don’t worry, I can manage,” Beth said as she held out her hand for Willie who took it. “Say goodbye to your mom, buddy.”

Willie turned to Chanty and gave her a big hug and a kiss. He then turned to Liam who bent down to give him a bear hug.

“You are really getting bigger,” Liam told him.

“Have a nice vacation,” Willie told them both. “Can you bring me something from the Philpines?”

“It is Philippines, honey. Yes, of course, we are going to bring you a bunch of stuff,” Chanty told him.

“We can’t promise a lot of bugs though. The airport might not let us take them home,” Liam added.

The adults then turned to each other with a smile.

“Have a nice honeymoon, you two,” Cameron said.

“Thanks. Take care of him, please,” Chanty begged.

“I really hope that you get to erase that line every time you drop him here,” Cameron said with a laugh. “But okay, yes, I will do my best.”

Chanty gave Willie one last hug and kiss before she let Liam guide her to their car.

She waved at her son as they sped away.

“He’s going to be alright,” Liam assured her, taking her hand in his.

“I just hope he’ll be.”

“Don’t worry about it. Cass said she and Philip will drop by every now and then to check on him. And you know your grandparents and your mother. They will definitely drop by.”

Chanty’s mind eased a little at the reminder.

Willie would be fine.

“We have a flight to catch, Mrs. Heaton.” He chuckled after he said that.

“What?”

“I don’t know, I just find it quite unbelievable. After eleven years, I can finally get to call you Mrs. Heaton.”

Chanty laughed. “I hope you are not disappointed. I like the name.” She reached out and planted a kiss on his cheek as he drove. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For keeping up with me for the five years we were in NYU. For the four years we were apart. For the next two years that followed with all that drama.”

“Would you care to elaborate, Mrs. Heaton?”

“Gladly, Mr. Heaton,” she said coyly and started counting with her fingers. “You never stopped loving me for five years in NYU. You never stopped loving me for the four years we were apart–or so I hope. And you never stopped loving me for the two years that followed with all that drama.”

Liam shook with laughter. “Wow, you really think I love you that much, do you?”

“Don’t you?”

Liam shot her a look and said, “Nah. I could love you for the next years to follow.”

“Cheesy, but I love it.” She planted another kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Mr. Heaton. Thank you for the surprise last week. I can’t believe we were able to settle things before today.”

Liam laughed. “Well, it was actually Angelica’s idea. I was thinking of proposing. She thought it would be a waste of time so she proceeded with the wedding preparation that followed the day after the proposal. But she originally planned the wedding to follow right after the proposal but I told her it had to wait just in case you give the wrong answer.”

Chanty laughed. “I kind of got the inkling that it was her behind it. Just glad the dress perfectly fit.”

“That was my idea.”

Chanty flushed. “Everything happened so fast. I can’t believe I am now married.”

“We wasted a lot of years, Chanty. Don’t think I’d waste more.”

Chanty looked at Liam and smiled. “I know.”

---

As Liam and Chanty waited for boarding time, Liam couldn’t help but look around.

There were those people coming by, all of them with different things in their heads and all of them going to different destinations. Liam wondered if they felt the same happiness he was feeling right now.

He wanted to shout and let everyone know that he finally got the girl of his dreams. He felt excited and happy that he didn’t know where to begin.

He was not sure if the years ahead of him and Chanty would be smooth. It would surely have its own rough times. They would go through a lot more than they already had. They still needed to build a house of their own once they got back. They would have more work, more decisions to make. They would take care of Willie, watch him grow. They still needed to make their own children as well. There would be a lot of things to do and they could never be certain of anything.

But he was certain of one thing: He was glad he stayed.

---

Check out other works from the same author:

  ![](https://img.wattpad.com/50a6e7152d6d7115cb1fdce38d8e7d69b722996c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5f363138544b46656b655a684d673d3d2d35393131393933312e313638333736383030653833643761653935353839383031363436312e706e67)

  ![](https://img.wattpad.com/3a0406b659ed6896b2caab8e5ed41b6642736262/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6a58784a764b4b2d5653375879413d3d2d35393131393933312e313638333736383064366437663532653731333030363639303431312e706e67)