AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The truth socked Liam in the gut, knocking his breath away. Her research! She’d even chosen her research for him! Yet he’d never thought of her as anything more than his best friend’s little sister. And in the past sixteen years, he’d rarely thought of her at all.
“Carly, there are a couple of things you need to know that I think will help you let go of this guilt.” Her guileless gaze stirred something that made him want to hold her in his arms and keep the world at bay. “First, I don’t drink alcohol. None. I haven’t had a taste since the night Ben died.”
Her eyebrows pushed down over her eyes. “But I saw you—”
“Drinking kombucha from a brown bottle.” He pointed a finger at her. “And promise me you will never ever put your life at risk like that again.”
“I was desperate.” She shrugged, sporting the hint of a smile. “It’s not like I jump in front of cars every day.”
“I’ll take that as a promise.” He tapped his finger playfully on her nose. “And second, you need to know that my life wasn’t ruined. It took a turn I never expected. That makes it different, not bad. I got to choose my path instead of being pushed into football.” He saw her brows arch with surprise. “I’ve done things that will make life better for thousands of people, and that’s a lot more important than throwing passes and making touchdowns. If I hadn’t broken my back, it might’ve taken me my whole life to realize what you do for other people is more important than what the world defines as success.”
“You really mean that? Or are you saying it so I won’t feel guilty.”
“It’s completely true. That’s how I feel. Not at the beginning, but that’s what I believe now.”
“Thank you.” Carly flashed a wobbly smile. “Knowing that makes all the difference. And maybe it’ll inspire me to be selfless like you.”
“Good grief, Carly! Why do you keep putting me on a pedestal? I’m just an ordinary guy who’s trying to do something good with his life. I happen to be paralyzed, but that doesn’t make me any more noble than anyone else. Why are you judging me by a different standard?”
Her face crumpled. “But I’m not judging you by a different standard. Youarethe standard. You have been since ninth grade when I saw you sit down and eat lunch with Stanley Moorhead.”
“Who’s Stanley Moorhead?” The name didn’t ring a bell.
“Don’t you remember? He was the guy with the long greasy hair and ratty clothes. The stinky guy. He didn’t have a single friend in high school. But after you ate lunch with him, he changed. His hair was clean, and he didn’t stink anymore. The other kids quit making fun of him. He made friends.”
Liam blinked, his mind reaching back in time. “I don’t remember that at all. But I did try to eat lunch with someone new every day; it was my thing. It was no big deal.”
“It was no big deal to you, but it was huge to Stanley Moorhead.”
“You’re making me out to be this amazing, perfect person, and I’m not. I’m not even close!”
“I didn’t fall in love with sixteen-year-old Liam Bennett because he was perfect.” She jutted her chin forward. “I know we all make mistakes. I fell for Liam Bennett because of who he was every day.”
“I hung out at your house all the time. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I did.” Liquid pooled in her eyes. “The night I overheard you and Ben talking about the party, I finally worked up the courage to tell you how I felt. I begged you to take me with you. And you told me you couldn’t take me because I wasn’t invited. But if I didn’t tattle, you would eat lunch with me on Monday.”
A fat tear rolled from the corner of her eye. From the deep recesses of his mind came an image of little Lottie Simpson, staring up at him with those innocent gray eyes, confessing her love. How could he have ever forgotten?
That night, he had been a manipulative jerk, using her emotions against her. She had kept her promise, and her brother ended up dead because of it.
“I wish I could undo everything I did that night.” He cleared the gravel from his throat. “I’m so very sorry.”
“I told you I don’t have anything against you.”
He didn’t doubt she’d cleared his slate of wrongdoing, though he didn’t deserve it.
“Carly, if you can forgive a calculating, irresponsible teenage boy, isn’t it time you forgave yourself?”
“Don’t give it another thought.” Her hand came to rest on his arm. “It’s enough that you aren’t angry with me, and you understand why we can’t be together. You know it has nothing to do with your paraplegia.”
“As I see it, there’s no reason we can’t be together.”
“This is the reason.” She pointed to her head. “I don’t have cancer. This is how I am. My hair isn’t growing back. Even my eyelashes are fake.”
It took a few seconds for her words to register and process in his brain. From the hurt in her silvery eyes, he waited too long to respond. “I don’t care about that.”
“You don’t have to pretend just to make me feel better,” Carly said. “I’m good with it. My wigs are cute and fun. I like the way I look, even with no hair. But for most people, it’s too much. They’re fine with knowing I don’t have hair as long as they don’t have to see it. And that’s perfectly fine.” Her hand gripped his arm. “I’m happy, Liam. It’s okay.”
