Lo

I WAITED OUTSIDE HITTERS. Liam arrived right on time, a satchel slung over his shoulder, hair mussed up in his usual just-got-out-of-bed look. “Lo?” His eyes widened and then his brows pinched. But other than surprise I saw no flash of guilt there.

“Why’d you do it?” I asked flatly.

“Am I supposed to know what you’re talking about?”

“Why did you tell me your friend saw Maverick with a girl?”

“Oh, that,” he said as if it was nothing. “Listen, Lo, I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, and I’ve felt like a proper shitbag after telling you, but you’d rather know the truth, wouldn’t you?”

“Maverick wasn’t with a girl, Liam. So, either you’re lying, or your friend is.”

He dragged a hand down his face but still, I saw no sign of betrayal.

Liam was a good guy. I’d gotten to know him over the last two months. And yeah, maybe I’d kept my personal life to myself, but he had to know how much something like this would hurt me.

“So...” I pressed when he made no signs of replying. “Which is it?”

“Mya is a good friend, Lo. She has no reason to li—”

“I asked Maverick, Liam. I looked him in the eye and asked him and he had no idea what I was talking about.”

Liam let out a bitter laugh, but this time I thought I saw a hint of uncertainty around his eyes. “Of course he was going to say that, Lo. You caught him out. Guys lie all the time.”

Narrowing my gaze, I searched his face for the truth, but then Gus stuck his head out of the door and said, “Are you two going to stand out there all day, or are you going come inside and do some work?”

“Just coming, keep your hair on, old man.”

“Less of the old, thank you very much.” Gus disappeared back inside, and Liam settled his impenetrable gaze back on mine.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Lo. I told you because I thought you’d want to know. What you choose to believe is up to you.” He ducked inside and left me standing there.

Something didn’t add up.

After looking into Maverick’s eyes and seeing the truth, it wasn’t him I doubted. But what did Liam have to gain from lying?

As I pushed open the door to Hitters and went inside, I was determined to find out.

~

“LO, CAN YOU GO OUT back and fetch extra napkins?” Sarah asked. We’d been slammed. So much so, Gus had asked if I could work until closing.

“Sure.” I undid my apron and folded it into a neat square, dropping it on the bar as I made for the door marked Private.

The back of Hitters was a long hallway with three rooms off it. The kitchen, Gus’s office, and a storeroom which doubled up as the staffroom. It was empty, and I made quick work of locating the extra napkins. Back outside in the hall, voices floated out of Gus’ office. From the sounds of it, whatever had happened with Liam was serious. He was Gus’s longest standing employee, but the two of them didn’t always see eye-to-eye, and Liam loved nothing more than poking fun at our boss.

Trying to avoid overhearing something I didn’t want to hear, I hurried along the hall, but Gus’ voice stopped me in my tracks, “Lo, is that you?”

“Hmm, yeah,” I called. “I was just getting some extra napkins for Sarah.”

“Can you come in here a second please?”

I poked my head around the ajar door and smiled. “Is everything okay?”

Liam wouldn’t meet my eyes and a hollow pit carved its way through my stomach.

“Lo, take a seat.” Gus’ voice sounded wrong. Flat and hard. Nothing like the man I’d come to know.

“I think I’ll stand,” I said, and he nodded, dragging a hand down his face. “What’s going on, Gus?” My arms went across my chest. A barrier between them and me.

“I didn’t want to believe it, Lo. I really didn’t. But I’ve looked over the figures and Liam’s right, there’s only one explanation.”

“I don’t know what you think happened, Gus, but I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It hurts, you know,” he went on. “I like to think of us as a family here. When someone betrays that trust, it cuts deep.”

My confused gaze slid to Liam who was still looking anywhere but at me. “What did you do?” I said. Because whatever was happening here it had his name written all over it.

“Now, Lo, don’t be trying to put this on Liam. He did a good thing trying to defend you, but—”

“Defend me? Defend me from what exactly? What are you accusing me of, Gus?”

“The takings have been down for the last three weeks. Tuesdays and Thursdays, the odd Saturday.”

“Down?” The blood drained from my face as realisation sank into my bones. “You think I stole from you?”

“Lo, you can cut the theatrics. I know it was you.”

Anger rattled in my bones. “But it wasn’t me, Gus.”

“This isn’t helping matters, girly. Liam saw you.”

My head snapped over to him. “Liam didn’t see me do anything.”

“Come on, Lo.” He finally looked at me, and I saw all I needed to know in his eyes. Liam had sold me out. Only, I still didn’t understand why. “I gave you the chance to do the right thing,” he said as if he genuinely believed the lies spilling from his traitorous mouth.

“I see,” I said.

Gus harrumphed. “Is that all you have to say for yourself?”

“Well, you’ve made up your mind, haven’t you?” I fought back the tears. “Liam saw me, so it must be true.”

“Lo.” Gus looked flustered. “Liam has been here a long time, he—”

“I get it.” I met Liam’s eyes. “Are you going to call the police?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Gus spluttered. “I’ll deduct what’s missing from your last paycheck.”

“Whatever,” I ground out. “Should I go now? Sarah’s expecting me to—”

“I think it’s best you leave right away. Liam will help Sarah finish up.”

“Of course.” I was numb. I don’t know which was worse; that Liam had lied about me or that Gus believed him. But the old man wasn’t going to hear me out.

“Okay, I’ll see myself out.” I started for the door but paused at the last second, looking back at them. “I don’t know why you did it, but you win,” I said to Liam and then I walked out of there.

~

“LO, SWEETHEART, YOU’RE back early.” Dad was in the kitchen when I returned home.

“Gus fired me.”

He glanced up from his papers and frowned. “Fired you? What on earth for?”

“He thinks I stole from the cash register.”

“And did you?”

“Nice, Dad,” I seethed. “Real fucking nice.”

“Eloise Stone, watch your... I’m sorry, Sweetheart. That was uncalled for. Of course I don’t think you did it. You took me by surprise is all. Why don’t you sit down, and we can get to the bottom of this whole thing?”

I dropped into the chair and let out a frustrated breath. “Liam told him it was me.”

“Liam, the boy you work with?”

Nodding, I said, “He said things about Maverick too.”

Dad straightened, loosening his collar. “What kind of things?”

“That his friend who goes to SU saw Maverick with a girl.”

“Preposterous. That boy loves you more than life. Besides, he knows I will end him if he ever breaks your heart.”

The corner of my mouth lifted at that. I could just imagine it. Dad defending my honour against Maverick.

“I know Maverick didn’t do anything.”

“Well, that’s good. But I don’t understand why this Liam boy would say that. Is he jealous, maybe?”

It had crossed my mind. When I’d first started at Hitters, Liam had seemed interested. But we’d been nothing but friends since. Or at least, I thought we had.

“I don’t think so. I called him out on it before our shift started. Next thing I know, Gus is pulling me into the office and accusing me of stealing from him.”

Dad shuffled his chair back and started to stand. “We’ll go down there right now and straighten this out.”

“No, Dad. I appreciate the sentiment, I do. But it’s his word against mine.” Something told me Liam had aligned all the pieces to point in my direction. “I just want to forget about the whole thing.”

“But, Sweetheart, you were wronged. You’re not a thief, Lo.”

“Sometimes life isn’t fair,” I mumbled, and Dad’s expression softened.

“Why do I feel like this is going to be another thing that sets you back? Don’t think I haven’t noticed how quiet you’ve been lately. We all have. Are things with you and Maverick—”

“Let’s not, Dad. Things are hard, yes, but I’m trying my best to deal. In fact, I’m going to meet with someone. A counsellor.”

I’d finally made the call, and I was meeting with her next week.

“You are?”

I nodded. “I asked my guidance counsellor if she could put me in touch with someone... someone who specialises in grief.

“God, I’ve been so blind, haven’t I?” Devastation washed over his features.

“You’ve had a lot to deal with too.”

“But it’s no excuse, Sweetheart. You’re my daughter. I know things haven’t been easy and our relationship has suffered since... well, since everything happened. But I’m your father, Lo. You should be able to come to me with this kind of stuff. Most of all this stuff.”

“Dad, it’s okay.”

His hand slammed onto the table and it rattled underneath the force. “It is not okay.” The tightness around his eyes, in the muscles in his jaw, surprised me. Dad rarely lost his cool. So when he did, it was always unnerving.

“I’ve failed you over and over again.”

“Dad, please, I can’t do this right now.” I didn’t want to rehash everything. I wanted to go to my room and shut away the world. But maybe I needed this. Maybe deep down, I needed to face things head on. My past. My relationship with Dad. What had just gone down at Hitters with Liam and Gus.

A thought hit me out of left field. It was crazy and the old Lo would never have done it. She would have just accepted things, pushed down all the betrayal and heartache, plastered on a fake smile and gotten on with things.

But I didn’t want to be the old Lo anymore. I didn’t want to hide behind my fear.

“I’ve got to go.” I stood up.

“Go? Go where?”

“I need to call Maverick,” I said.

“Maverick, but sweetheart don’t you think—”

“I love you, Dad. But this is something I need to figure out on my own.”