“I’m so sorry! I’m afraid it will be mostly white now.” Fordham’s kind eyes and sympathetic smile reminded her of her father. Before Ben’s death... when he still cared about anything, including what happened to Carly.
Fordham retrieved his vibrating phone from his pocket. “Ah! Master Knight requests the honor of your presence for a cup of cocoa as soon as you get settled and freshen up.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll show you the way,” Liam told Carly, as he paused in the doorway of his suite. “It’s easy to get lost in this place.”
When Liam was gone, Carly shot a nervous glance at Fordham. “I’m sure the invitation wasn’t for me. I’ll be fine in my room. I’ve got a book to read.”
“Ah! But Branson specifically mentioned you in his invitation, Ms. Simon.” Fordham led the way to the adjacent room and unlocked it for Carly.
She stepped through the doorway and froze in her tracks.
“This is amazing!” The entry led straight into an open kitchen and living area larger than her entire apartment back in Houston.
“Down the hallway, you’ll find two bedrooms. Your luggage should be waiting for you in the master.” Fordham urged her forward and closed the door behind them. Then he cleared his throat. “I hate to bother you, Ms. Simon, but we need to confirm your identity and run a quick security check. All I need is some form of identification.”
“Identification?” She peeled her tongue from the roof of her mouth. What am I going to do? “Uhm... Can I tell you something in complete confidence?”
“Would it have anything to do with your name being Carlotta Simpson?”
Her throat swelled against her voice box, making her words squeak. “How do you know that?”
“We didn’t know for certain, but it was the closest we could find to Carly Simon registered to attend the Biomedical Engineering Convention.”
“Yes, that’s me.” She wished she was as small as she felt so she could crawl under a rug and disappear.
“The same Carlotta Simpson who is performing research under a grant from Limitless?”
“Yes, sir.” Her hand came up to press against her ribcage, where her heart turned a flip. Was she going to lose her grant? “Please. This has nothing to do with my research. That’s all on the up and up.” She couldn’t read his impassive expression. “I’m not a bad person or dangerous or anything. When I told Liam my last name was Simon, I thought I’d never see him again. And I sure didn’t think I would end up here.”
“You were attempting to ditch him, I assume.” Fordham folded his arms. “Before you realized you needed him.”
“It wasn’t like that at all. I couldn’t let Liam know my real name because...” Heat radiated from her face. “Because I’m the reason he’s paralyzed. Or at least part of the reason.”
Fordham’s eyes bulged, and he shifted back a step, his hands coming up in front of him. “You’ve shocked me, Ms. Simpson, and I don’t shock easily.”
“I understand if you want me to leave.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll make up some excuse. Just please don’t tell Liam who I am. I don’t want to dredge up all those old memories. It’ll just make him miserable. And to be honest, I’m afraid he hates me. I can’t bear to see him look at me that way.”
She kept her tears at bay... barely. It would’ve been the third time since meeting Liam. He’d really done a number on her well-contained emotions. She hadn’t cried in years. Sixteen years, to be exact. She hadn’t shed a drop since the night the police officer showed up at their door to tell them her brother was dead.
“Ms. Simpson—”
“Please, call me Carly. Ms. Simpson is what my professor calls me when I’ve done something stupid. I know I’m in trouble here, but—.”
“Carly.” Fordham touched her elbow and gently led her into the living room. “Let’s sit for a moment while you explain your claim that you caused Liam’s paralysis.” He urged her into the living area and onto a soft upholstered chair, but she perched on the edge. He seated himself on the end of the sofa, turning to face her. “The first time Liam came here, he told the story of the car accident. I’m quite certain that he never mentioned a girl being involved.”
I can’t believe I have to confess to a complete stranger. But I don’t have a choice...
“Did he tell you about the guy who was driving the car?” She clasped her hands in her lap to stop their trembling.
Fordham nodded. “According to Liam, he and his friend had both been at a party drinking—underage. He said the accident killed his friend and left him paralyzed. So how are you to blame? Were you at the party? Did you encourage them to drive home in an inebriated state?”
She clamped her eyelids shut. “The driver was my big brother.”
Fordham was quiet for a few seconds before responding. “I fail to see how that makes you culpable. You aren’t responsible for your brother’s choices.”
Poor Fordham was trying to make her feel better, but it didn’t work. She’d never told a soul the truth. Maybe getting the secret out would bring some relief to her guilt. Her jaw was so tight she could barely speak, but she forced the words out.
“I knew they were going out drinking.” She’d relived the details of that night so many times that the confession poured out by rote. Blinking her eyes open, she stared into Fordham’s eyes. “My father asked me where they were. But I lied and said I didn’t know. The decision to tell a lie cost my brother his life and Liam his legs.”
Fordham’s expression softened. “Carly, that doesn’t make the accident your fault. Those young men made poor choices that night. You can’t hold yourself responsible for their choice to drink or drive while inebriated.”
“Yes, but they were drunk when they made the decision to drive home. And like all drunk drivers, they thought they were in good enough shape to drive.” Her hands rolled into fists. “I was stone-cold sober when I decided not to tell the truth. And I did it for a completely selfish reason. I knew there was a possibility they would be too drunk to drive home safely, but I decided it was worth the risk. The only thing I cared about was getting Liam to like me. I didn’t want to spoil my chances forever by telling Dad where they were.”
Fordham shifted, resting his chin on his knuckles in a Thinker pose. “So you’re saying you did this because you had a crush on Liam at the time?”
“Every girl in school had a crush on Liam. I was two years younger than him; in my heart, I knew nothing would ever come of it.”
“In other words, you were very young.”
Fordham was making every effort to excuse her. It was pretty nice, considering he barely knew her and she’d lied about her identity. He already seemed to care more about her than her father. Then again, her father was a shell of the man he’d been before Ben died.
“I was fourteen, but in some ways, I was older than my brother. My mom died when I was eleven, and I became the woman of the house.” She took a deep breath and held it for a second before releasing it. “Look, I know I’m not the only one to blame. Ben and Liam shared in the responsibility, too. And Liam probably never realized that I could’ve saved them by telling the truth. But that doesn’t change the fact that Liam’s family sued mine after the accident. And Liam admitted he hasn’t forgiven everyone involved. I think it’s safe to say he would hate me if he knew who I was.”
“I don’t believe that’s safe to say at all.” Fordham sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. “In my experience, it is very difficult to read another person’s mind, even if you know them well. More often than not, you will find yourself reading a reflection of your own mind.”
Carly stiffened her spine. “Running into Liam on the plane was the surprise of my life, and it’s wonderful to know he’s doing so well despite his hardships. But the last thing I want to do is risk hurting him again just to ease my conscience.”
“Very well.” Fordham stood. “I may not agree with your reasoning, but I’ve never been one to interfere in such matters. I’m satisfied that you’re no threat, so make yourself at home.”
