I believe in whatever you do

I'll do anything to see it through

Chapter 27 ~ Change

       Liam Slater

I don't know if I ever made it clear enough, but I really did not like Trey.

If the eerie silence we had been sitting in for the past five minutes was any indicator, then he really didn't like me either. It wasn't like I cared, anyway. I didn't live to please him.

Trey snuck a quick glance at me briefly before glancing back toward the road. "You don't deserve him, you know," he said through the silence.

That made me laugh. "What? And you do?"

He gripped the wheel with both hands, a small smile curving his lips. "Yes."

I tried to hold in my laughter, but I let it loose when I realized I didn't care if my comment dented his ego. "Really?" I challenged him. "Because up until I came along, you refused to be seen with him in public."

Trey's smile slowly faded away, obviously recognizing that I was right. "At least I had sex with him," he grumbled.

"That's great," I replied with a forced smile. "Would you like a prize? What should the name of the award be? Biggest asshole of the year?"

I knew by the way Trey poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue that I had struck a nerve. "Whatever, you're still not right for him." He didn't allow me any time to respond, because he clicked on the radio and turned the volume to its highest setting, letting it blast through the speakers and drown out any remaining conversation.

And I was forced to sit next to that bastard for the duration of the drive, listening to music that I didn't want to listen to.

I started to wonder why Max had sent us out together in the first place. He knew we didn't get along, but he still insisted that Trey drive me to an unknown destination. I didn't do much protesting because I was just too happy that I had gotten Max back into my arms. The accident scared the living hell out of me and I made a promise to Max and myself that I would never let him slip through my fingers again.

I realized that I didn't love Scotty more than Max, or loved Max more than Scotty. I loved them equally, and there was enough room in my heart for both without pushing either one of them away.

As soon as Trey pulled into a familiar neighborhood, I perked up in my seat. I watched as we passed house after house and I started to realize where we were heading. "No," I said, "no, do not take me home."

Trey didn't even budge. "Max said I had to."

"I don't care what Max said," I spat at him. "I'm not going home. I'm not ready for that, yet."

But Trey kept driving. With every passing moment, we were getting closer to my house and I didn't want to go back to that judgmental place.

Trey turned the dial on the radio until the music was just indistinguishable background noise. "Then when will you be? They are your parents. You can't escape them."

"Hell, yeah I can," I retaliated. "Just take me back to Max's place, please."

"He told me not to come back until you talked to your parents."

I wanted to hurt Trey. I wanted to seriously hurt Trey. But because of my unfortunate broken leg situation, I managed to calm myself enough to stay still. "Fine, then just stop the car and let me out. I'll walk back."

"No can do," Trey responded with a satisfied smirk.

"Let me out," I repeated, louder this time.

I refused to face my parents. I knew the experience would be anything but good, especially since it had been a whole week and they hadn't tried to contact me. I could have ran away from home, I could have sold myself to prostitution, I could have committed suicide, and they would never know. They didn't care. I wasn't their golden son anymore.

I was gay.

I was an abomination.

A reject.

A mistake.

I tugged on the door handle, but every time I unlocked the door, Trey locked it again. Surely, he didn't know who he was messing with.

Finally growing irritated with his antics, I reached over the console separating us and latched onto Trey's neck with my bare hands. I didn't care that he was driving or that we could possibly get into accident. I would do anything if it meant not having to face my parents.

The car swerved to the left, but Trey desperately tried to return it back into the lane. "What the fuck!" he yelled, trying to regain control of the car and simultaneously trying to shove me away from him. When he finally pushed me back into my seat, he pulled along the curbside of someone's house and looked at me in bewilderment. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

I growled. "I don't care. I'm not going home."

His dark gaze lingered on me for a long while before he let out a defeated sigh. "Okay, fine, but what do I tell Max? He's going to find out and he'll force you back here."

"You're not going to tell him anything," I countered with a dry tone to my voice. "You're going to bring me back and you're going to leave me alone."

Trey leaned back in his seat and stared straight ahead, seeming to be in deep thought. "You love him, right?" he asked. "You love Max."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes I do. Why is that any of your business?"

"And he loves you, too," he stated. "You must know that he's only making me do this because he loves you, right? Because he wants you to sort things out with your family. Because he cares."

I gritted my teeth together, but I didn't respond. It wasn't like I had anything to say to that. For once in his life, Trey was right and that irritated me to no end. Max wasn't trying to torture me. He was trying to help me. He was giving me a little shove, because he knew I would've never done this on my own.

Releasing a sigh, I slouched back into my seat. "Okay, fine. Take me there, but I'm only staying for five minutes, no matter what the outcome."

"Awesome." He started up the car again and continued down the street until he turned onto the asphalt driveway of my house. He put the car into park, but I stayed seated, simply staring out the windshield at the house ahead of us.

Even when I convinced myself that this was the best thing to do, I still didn't want to. I already knew what my parents would say, so what was the point of actually hearing them say it? Their words would only cut deeper that way.

"Sometime today, please."

I sent him a sideways glare to display my irritation with him. His response was only a careless shrug and I reluctantly propped open the passenger door, purposely taking my time to inch out of the car to delay the impending encounter with my parents.

"If anything, I'll be right here if you need me," Trey called out from the car.

I rolled my eyes. "That's comforting," I replied, sarcasm practically dripping from my words.

But Trey didn't stop there. "But do me a favor though, try not to need me," he tagged on, relaying the words I said to him when I let him stay the night at my house. He was quite obviously trying to piss me off.

I stuck my middle finger in the air and started to make my way to the front door. I stood on the porch steps for a few minutes, debating whether or not I should follow through with this. I knew I shouldn't have, because I knew what was coming. Trey, however, gave me a little shrug by honking his horn.

Letting go of a suppressed sigh, I found the courage within myself to ring the doorbell. It took everything inside me not to bolt out of there as fast as I could and I immediately regretted that decision when the door swung open and my mother stood on the other side.

Her short, blonde hair was tucked behind her ears and she gazed up at me with bright, cobalt blue eyes. "Liam?"

I gulped. "Mom, I know that you probably hate me-"

I was caught off guard when she flung her arms around my neck and tugged me down to her height, almost forcefully. "You had us worried, Liam!" she cried out. "I've missed you so much."

I frowned. "You didn't try to contact me."

She pulled away from the hug and gave me a weak smile. "Owen told me that you needed time alone, time to recollect your thoughts or something. He said he would take good care of you, but please tell me you weren't out doing drugs."

I smiled. "No drugs, ma."

She smiled back. "Come here," she ordered as she wrapped her arms around me once more.

I certainly didn't expect a reaction like this one. I expected her to damn me to hell and disown me, but she hugged me instead. The hug lasted for what felt like forever before my dad appeared in the doorway, joining the hug as well and making me even more confused. I hadn't had a moment like this with my parents since before Scotty died.

When I found out the news, I withdrew from everything - my friends, school, my parents, and life. Yet here we were, hugging each other like a happy family.

"You don't hate me," I noted.

My mother pulled away from the hug, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Liam, you're my son. I could never hate you."

Dad nodded, agreeing. "She's right. Looks like you're stuck with us for the long haul."

It was hard for me to understand what they were telling me. They were quick to call Scotty names, but they accepted me when they found out I was gay? "But what about God? And the church and-"

"We love you, Liam," Dad stated, "and God loves you, too. No matter what."

I gave them a weak smile. "Thanks. I love you guys, too."

"So, are you going to come in or are you going to hang out with that boyfriend of yours?" Dad asked with a raised brow.

I chuckled at that. "That boyfriend of mine is the one who made me come here and I'm glad that he did."

"Good!" Mom exclaimed. "We made dinner."

Her hand ventured down to my wrist, letting her fingers slowly wrap around my flesh. She looked over her shoulder and flashed me her brilliant motherly smile, before leading me to the kitchen where a home cooked meal was awaiting me.

**

a/n: Sorry, it's a short chapter. I couldn't really think of anything else to write in Liam's POV. The delay of delivering this chapter was partly for that reason.

Now that this book is slowly coming to a close, what is your favorite moment or scene of the entire book thus far? Mine would have to be when Liam consoles Max after he got beat up by Marcy/Matt, and Max tells him he loves him.

Once this book is over, I'm thinking of doing another one shot competition thing like I did with KB, because I love reading what you guys come up with. This time, however, there'll actually be a winner!

I've also posted the first chapter of the third book in the KB series, "Breaking the Rules", as well the independent book of the KB series, Xavier's story which is called "Breakable" so check those out!

Lara <3