“You saved me?”
“I should have gotten there earlier. You wouldn’t have been there at all if—”
“Thank you.” He stopped, looking into my eyes. I wanted to know the full story, everything that had happened, but it hurt too much to talk. It would all have to wait. But I did remember to ask, “Whitney and Theo, are they OK?”
His gaze darkened. “Yeah, they’re fine.”
“Where did you find me?” I couldn’t remember anything after being in a corner with Theo trying to kiss me. I left out that detail for Liam.
“On the lower level. Passed out on the floor.”
Try as I might, I couldn’t piece together what had happened. But I guess it didn’t really matter. Basically, I knew what I needed to know. My so-called friends hadn’t helped me. Liam had.
Whitney came to visit me that night. She cried as she sat at my bedside, real tears streaming down her pretty face.
“Don’t cry, Whitney. I’m OK.”
“But you were down there. I didn’t realize you were.” She really seemed wracked with guilt over it.
“It’s OK. I don’t even remember what happened.”
“You don’t?” Why did she brighten up at that fact? I didn’t even want to know.
“Well, I swear, if I’d really known you were down there…”
“It’s fine, Whitney. Liam saved me.”
“I saw him running with you.”
“You did?”
“It was like out of a movie. He moved so fast. I wish someone would care about me like that.”
I sighed. Leave it to Whitney to turn it around and make it about herself. After I assured her that I was all right and, maybe more importantly, I didn’t blame her for anything that happened, she chattered away about other things.
“Theo was so amazing the night of the accident. He was rushing around, making sure everything was handled right. He’s so alpha, do you know what I mean?”
I nodded, thinking that if Theo was her version of alpha she really had no idea what she was talking about.
“That interior designer,” Whitney shook her head. “What was she thinking? She put open flames all over the place, on top of all of those tapestries. She’s probably like a direct descendent of the guy who designed the Titantic. The one who made the call to only put in two emergency rowboats.”
And that person had probably been under as much pressure from demanding rich people, I thought but didn’t say. Aesthetics before safety! But it wasn’t worth the effort of pointing that out to Whitney. I had a feeling the two of us were going to see less and less of each other from now on.
No one had died in the accident, thank God. But several others had been injured. How had Theo been so reckless? I knew Whitney and I’m sure Theo were blaming the interior designer, poor thing. She’d never work again in that line of business. But Theo had OK’d it. I was sure he’d somehow manage to squirm out of any responsibility, though. I was sure he employed a whole team of lawyers to help him out of scrapes. That’s how rich people did things.
I should know. Back when Ian had gotten into the accident, the fact that he’d stolen the boat had gotten swept under the rug. I didn’t know any of the details about how that all had been handled, nor would I ever, but I was sure the Douglas family attorneys had been well employed. Chase’s family had money and connections as well, and Chase had gone on to a certain amount of prominence as an Olympic swimmer. I was sure they’d done their part as well to keep all the detail of the circumstance on the down low.
As for Jax and Liam? Their families lacked money or power, but they’d benefitted by association. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened had they stolen that boat on their own, or if anyone had been injured and placed the blame on one of their heads. They’d probably still be serving jail time right now.
Before long, Liam returned to my side. The doctors said I’d only need to be in the hospital one more night for observation. The worst of it was my smoke inhalation. They wanted a bit longer to monitor my lungs and neurological function, but so far everything looked normal.
My mom came by, too, still hysterical. Apparently my father was in Hong Kong but planning on flying back tomorrow. Liam tried to calm her down, reminding her the doctors said I was going to be all right, set to go home tomorrow.
But she turned on him, spitting out her words. “Why is it whenever you’re around my children get into horrible accidents? What are you even doing here?”
“Mom,” I stopped her, propping myself up on my elbows, speaking more loudly and forcefully than I had since the accident. “His name is Liam. And he saved my life. So be nice to him.”
Even that took a lot out of me and I lay down to rest after the outburst. But not before I saw a look of pure love on Liam’s face.
Regina visited while I was sleeping, but she left flowers. Margot and Eloise stopped by, too. Eloise brought peonies and lots of pictures, too, which she taped all around my hospital room even though I’d be leaving the next day.
I even got a phone call from Ian. He almost sounded like his old self. “What, are you trying to copy me?” he joked. “Going down in a burning boat?”
“Sorry, I’m not that original.”
“At least think up your own disaster movie to star in. You had to copy mine.”
“Next time I’ll do something on land.” I loved hearing him tease me like he used to.
But then he grew more serious. “How are you?”
“I think I’m all right.”
“Are you…burned?” He hesitated as he as
ked.
“Mostly first degree, a little second on my back. It’s not bad, though.” Nothing like yours, those were the words I thought but never would say. I knew it was what he was thinking, too, though.
“Well, Jesus, Soph. When I got Liam’s message I nearly threw up.”
“Liam called you?”
“Yup. What’s going on there?”
“Not sure.”
“All right. Just make sure he treats you right.”
“He saved my life, so that’s something.”
“First Chase, then you.” I knew Ian had never blamed Liam for jumping in after Chase, leaving him on the boat. How could anyone? Except my mother, of course. “Well, that’s two more people than I’ve ever saved, so he’s got that going for him.”
He got off the phone soon after, in a hurry to stop talking. From what I heard he kept mostly to himself most days. Maybe interacting was exhausting for him. And I was sure the topic was intense for him, too.
Then, finally, it was just me and Liam. He kissed me softly and held my hand.
“I’m so sorry,” he said again. He’d said it to me a bunch of times, as if he blamed himself for Theo’s yacht going up in flames.
“You don’t have to be sorry,” I reassured him.
“I’ve been an ass.”
“Sort of,” I agreed. “But saving my life made up for it.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“You’ve said that. Just show me from now on. You’ve said it enough.”
“All right. That’s a deal.”
“Can that be on my end, too?” I ventured to ask. “I’m sorry I hurt you so much. Years ago.”
“I can’t believe I even brought that up, as if I was holding a grudge.” He shook his head as if he were cursing himself. “You were only 18. For all I know it was the right decision. If some guy wanted to follow after my teenage daughter I might want to kick him in the teeth.”
“Well, I’m glad that didn’t happen.”
“Me, too.” He smiled at me, then added, “But joking aside, I want you to know. If you want me, I’m yours.”