He drops his to a much quieter boom. “Told you. I looked into you.”
“My social, though?” How? And what the hell am I gettinginto? All of a sudden this feels planned, constraining, eerie. “Excuse me.”
I bolt out the back door, needing fresh air and a little more space. The thoughts swirling are vise-like.
He knew. He chose. He planned.
It’s a scheme. It was all a ploy.
And I’m a victim of some elaborate plot.
This feels less and less like a choice and more and more like I’m prey in the sights of a predator.
I don’t even notice the tears until the wind catches them to cool as they cascade down my cheeks.
I was prepared to make the hard choice, to do the right thing, to help him… at a cost to my heart, and to my time and energy. But why? And how do I get out of it now?
The snick of a door latch doesn’t prepare me for what’s coming. And that’s because I truly expect to be bulldozed by the man himself—the lion… or the snake.
“Hey,” the soft feminine voice says. “May I sit with you?”
I nod, knowing I can’t be rude to Sariah. She’s been nothing but kind and welcoming. She didn’t come up with this scheme. She sits, not close but not far away, allowing me my space as I stare off into the tall trees in her backyard as they dance in the soft breeze.
“This situation is… Well, I’ll say it. It’s fucked.”
I whip my head toward her. That’s not at all what I expected her to say.
“Ci filled me in yesterday. He and I spent the better part of the evening trying to figure out an alternate solution. It seems quite a reach, you know?”
I nod again, not trusting my voice not to crack under the weight of my emotions.
“I’m guessing you don’t know my story, and this isn’t the time. But I will say this, if it were anyone but Liam, I’d tell you to run for the hills. Hell, I’d drive you there myself.” She folds her knees up to her chest before wincing and readjusting. “No, I wouldn’t tell you to run. There’d be no need to. All that to say that I trust that man with my life, with my children’s lives. Inamed my son after him.” She pauses to let those words sink in. “I can, without hesitation, say he’s the best man I know after the love of my life, so you’ll be safe with him.” She takes a deep breath and taps my knee. “So, weirdly, I’m going to ask if he’s safe with you.”
I tilt my head to look at her, but before I can answer, she continues, “I would go to the ends of the earth for that man. I only want the best for him. If you’re not it, I’ll understand. We all will. We’ll find another way for him. No, we’llmakeanother way for him. He’s the roots, you see. In our family tree, we’re the branches or the leaves reaching for the sun. Some of us are fruit, like my Wills. But that man in there is the root system. He holds steady in every storm, unwavering, finding a way for all of us to live and grow and explore, knowing he will keep us grounded and safe. So, I have to know, can we trust you to take care of him while this is all going down?”
I stare at her, noticing the gold peeking through the iris of one of her eyes and the beauty mark high on her cheekbone on the outside corner. Thick chocolate brown hair and the warmth of a woman who knows what it means to be on the inside after being on the outside for too long.
“How do I know your words aren’t part of his plan?”
“In this case, you can’t. There’s nothing foolproof, and it really sucks. But if you stick around, I’ll tell you my story. And you’ll know why, no matter how much I’d like to be your friend, you’ll understand why I’ll have Liam Murphy’s back until the day they put me in my grave. And why, if you have his when I can’t, I’ll always be Team Lorien. We Murphys are a pack. If you’re one of us, you have us all. Think about it.” She stands and walks inside, leaving me spinning over her words.
We’ll make another way for him.
I named my son after him.
He’s the best man I know.
He holds steady in every storm.
I’ll have Liam Murphy’s back until the day they put me in my grave.
Who is this man that inspires such loyalty?
I spend another few minutes outside. Glancing through the windows into the living room doesn’t help. The man in question has his namesake on his chest. His face is peaceful.He’s the root system.
His face lights up when a young girl enters. He stands and she bear hugs him. He kisses the top of her head and she beams.
I wonder if Liam Murphy knows the devotion he inspires. His siblings create fantastic plans to save him. His sister-in-law is more worried that I’ll hurt him than if I’ll be hurt by him. And his nieces and nephew demonstrate how safe they feel in his presence and in his arms.
