“I...” For the first time since the night of the accident, Carly felt uncertain about her brother’s culpability. And Liam’s.
Her eyes stung, but she refused to cry. “They were good guys. They’d never even tasted beer before that night. The football team had just won a big game, and the seniors were throwing a party. Ben and Liam weren’t the only ones who drove home drunk.”
“Sweetie... good people make bad decisions every day. The fact that Ben and Liam made a bad choice doesn’t make them bad people. But it was still their mistake, not yours.”
All the feelings of that fateful night came rushing back like it had happened that day. The shock. The denial. The horror. Seeing her father fall apart and realizing she was the one who had to hold it together.
“It’s true. Ben should’ve known better.” Carly forced air through her frozen throat. “We’d already lost Mom. Why would he do something so stupid? We needed him, and he left us.”
The night Ben died, her father’s spirit went with him. And Carly had been alone ever since. The moisture puddling in her eyes blurred the room.
No! I haven’t cried since the night Ben died. I refuse to break down now.
She swiped the back of her hand across her eyes.
“You’re right.” Nora’s tone gentled. “Ben made a big mistake. He was a dumb teenager.”
Carly nodded, her pulse racing. “He and Liam were both dumb. But I can’t hate Liam for his part in all this. He’s already paid a horrible price, losing the use of his legs.”
“You don’t have to hate him.” Nora’s voice soothed like a warm blanket. “It was a horrible accident; no one has to be a villain. But let yourself be mad enough at those teenage boys to stop blaming yourself for what happened.”
She knew she would never stop blaming herself, even if she tried. But that wasn’t the real problem.
“What am I going to do? I think Liam likes me.”
“You could always try the truth,” Nora said. “Tell him who you are, and see what happens. He sounds like a nice guy.”
“I thought you didn’t like Liam.”
“I don’t like your fantasy-Liam—the perfect guy you immortalized way back when. But I don’t have anything against the real Liam... if you find out you like him.” She lowered her voice to a suggestive rasp. “Especially if he’s as hot as you say he is.”
Warmth curled in Carly’s belly, remembering how it felt when he held her hand. She could only imagine what it would be like to kiss him.
Except it’ll never happen.
“It doesn’t matter. When he finds out who I am, he’ll hate me.”
“You’ve always said Liam hates you, but I don’t believe it. That lawsuit wasn’t Liam’s doing. It would make more sense for him to feel guilty for his part in your brother’s death than angry at you.”
The realization hit her like a wrecking ball, and she gasped. “You’re right! And he’s such a nice guy, he’d probably date me out of pity. I have to drive him away for his own sake.”
“Carly! Why does everything have to be such an extreme with you? Even if he felt guilty, you could help him work through it. In fact, you could probably both help each other deal with the past. Do you really think it’s a coincidence that you ran into each other two days before the anniversary of the accident, and now you’re staying in the same house? It must all be part of God’s plan. It’s your destiny!”
“If we’re destined to be together, why didn’t God help me not act like a complete idiot on the plane?”
“It hasn’t bothered Liam so far.” Nora seemed unconcerned, even though Carly had admitted all her embarrassing blunders. “Could be that he prefers goofy, absent-minded-professor type women. Maybe it’s a good thing he met the real you.”
Carly’s spirit began to bubble with anticipation. Was it truly possible everything would turn out great, for once?
Then she remembered. “What are we thinking? He doesn’t know the real me. He doesn’t realize my hair is ninety-nine percent fake.”
“Carly...” Nora resorted to a warning growl. “Don’t do it.”
“Don’t do what?”
“What you always do... don’t sabotage this relationship by shocking him.”
“My baldness is reality. I can’t help it if a guy is surprised.”
“Surprised? Are you serious? You surprise a guy when you explain your history of dealing with alopecia. Ripping off your wig in a coffee shop is shocking.”
Carly jutted her jaw forward. “Perry was kind of... soft.”
“Exactly!” Nora huffed. “You keep saying guys don’t like you because you lost your hair. But Perry didn’t reject you. You scared him away. On purpose. And you’ve done something similar to at least three other guys.”
“They would’ve rejected me, eventually. All I did was speed up the process.”
“I don’t care how you chase off a guy if you don’t like him,” Nora said. “But for you to have a chance with Liam, you have to take a risk. Spend some time with him and see where it goes. Maybe it will work; maybe it won’t.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
“You’re giving in without a fight? Why do I not believe you?”
“Because you’re a jaded woman who doesn’t trust easily?”
“Nice try, pot. But this kettle isn’t buying it.” Nora chuckled. “Promise me right now that you won’t say no to a single opportunity to spend time with Liam while you’re there. On penalty of a month with no books or TV.”
“No books? That’s like torture.”
