Page 33 of Trusting Liam (Taking Chances 2)

July 11

Kennedy

“KIRA, ARE YOU really not going to go?”

I waited for Kira to turn and face me, but she never moved from the fetal position she was in on her bed.

“No,” she finally grunted.

After waiting a few seconds more for her response, I walked over and sat so I was resting against her back. “Well then, I’m not going,” I promised as I played with her long hair.

Last weekend she’d started staying in the condo instead of going out with Liam and the people we’d been regularly hanging out with. During the week, she’d been mostly normal at work—although more than a handful of times I found her staring at nothing with a worried look on her face. Then yesterday at work she didn’t say a word the entire time we were there, and hadn’t left her bedroom since we’d gotten home.

“Just go, Kennedy. I don’t want to talk today.”

My forehead pinched, and for a second, my hand paused in her hair. Once I started up again, I shrugged. “That’s okay. We don’t have to talk. But there’s obviously something going on with you. I’m not going to leave you when you’re like this.”

“I don’t want you here,” she responded immediately with a monotone voice.

“That’s okay too,” I whispered.

“No, Kennedy, really. Please leave.” This time her voice shook with her words.

I heard the front door open with a knock and looked up, waiting until I saw Liam fill the doorway to Kira’s room. I shook my head slowly in response to his question-mark expression, and he just nodded.

“Hi, Liam. Bye, Kennedy and Liam,” Kira mumbled, and I sighed.

Give

n the way she was acting, I normally wouldn’t have left her. But we’d gone through a similar conversation last night, and I’d ended up backing out of dinner with Liam to stay with her—which had resulted in Kira shrieking for me to leave her alone until I finally left her room.

Kira and I could bicker like there was no tomorrow, that’s just how we were and always had been. Probably because my parents were the exact same way, and while Kira was just like Mom, I was too much like our dad. But nothing that was said in this conversation could have made me pick a fight with her. I was too upset for her, and I wasn’t even sure what was bothering her this time. If she and Zane were fighting, I wouldn’t have known because she wouldn’t talk to me about him anymore.

“Kennedy—” she began, but I cut in.

“Okay, I know. We’re leaving.” I stood and walked over to Liam, but called back to Kira, “Call me if you need me.”

When she didn’t respond, I looked up to Liam and pushed him away from the door so I could close it behind us.

“We don’t have to go anywhere,” he assured me.

“No, it’s fine. Once I left her room last night, she never said a word to me or left her bed. I sat outside her door most of the night, and she never even cried. There’s no point in staying here again. She’ll call me if she needs me.”

Liam didn’t move toward the front door, and with a deep breath out, he asked, “Are you sure? I really don’t care if we don’t leave.”

“I’m sure.” Grabbing his hand, I started walking toward the door, but he didn’t budge. “Liam,” I groaned on a laugh.

He took a few steps forward, closing the distance between us, and pulled me close. “Your sister’s upset. I’m not going to make you—”

Pressing my mouth to his to make him stop talking, I smiled and stood on the balls of my feet to wrap my arms around his neck when he deepened the kiss.

“Nice distraction,” he murmured against my lips, and I made an affirmative noise in the back of my throat.

“Kira will be fine. I want to leave the condo, and I want to spend time with you. Please, can we go?” When Liam just stared at me with a torn expression, I added, “I’ll text Zane.”

“Fine,” he conceded. “But only if you text him.”

“As soon as we get in the car, I promise.”

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