Beyond Complicated by Mercy Celeste Read Free Book Online Page A

the couch, the floor, the bed, against a wall at least twice. I fucked him, he fucked me. It got quite intense. Wish you could have seen us. Fuck. Go home, kid.
    "Liam?" His voice dropped a few octaves from hysterical cast member of one of those Housewife shows to near normal. It didn't actualy hurt my ears. I didn't answer just on principle. Or because if I did, I'd say something I'd regret. "Are you drunk?"
    "Unfortunately, no. Wouldn't mind finding myself in that condition but that would mean I'd have to get up." I stil didn't look at him. Didn't want to see him or hear him or—
    "What's going on with you? I've never seen you like this." His voice sounded closer and not hysterical at al.
    "Yeah, sort of wish you weren't seeing me like this now. Don't you have someplace else to be?" I wrapped my arms around my knees and buried my face somewhere in the cavity I'd made there, trying to curl in on myself. I winced at the light touch that grazed my shoulder. His fingers were warm.
    "You're like ice. Liam? Have you taken something? You know like pils or…" His voice was right next to my ear. There was fear and concern and fear… did I mention fear? I felt the first tear slip down my cheek folowed by another and another until I was shaking. "Okay, it's okay. Whatever you took, I'l cal someone and get you some help. It's going to be okay."
    Something soft smoothed my hair. His fingers, I guess, I wasn't sure. I didn't want his touch, I didn't like the fear I heard in his voice. It shamed me. "I'm sorry, Kel, so damned sorry."
    And then I broke down. Just fucking lost it. My son puled me to him like I'd done him when he was smal and held me while I cried. He brushed my hair with shaking fingers, his arms so warm I sank into his embrace and didn't want to leave. He whispered platitudes but it wasn't al right. It was never going to be al right. It was so fucking past complicated now. He didn't understand. How could he understand? He sighed after a while and settled on the floor next to me letting me lean on his chest. I think I'd stopped crying, he kept his arm over my shoulder. I didn't have the strength to move.
    "Seth," he said the name softly and I flinched. I hadn't meant to. He noticed. "I figured you knew him by the way you left Friday night. I just didn't know you knew him, knew him." I stil didn't say anything. A whisper-soft warmth touched my forehead. Kel kissed me? He hadn't kissed me since he was maybe nine and declared kisses to be gross. "He said you were old friends who'd lost contact. Like an idiot, I gave him your address. I'm so stupid."
    I shrugged. I didn't agree nor disagree. My own stupidity sort of consumed me at the moment so I was in no shape to judge.
    "So he was the one, huh?" Kel said after a few moments of silence. "Four years ago, when you came back from wherever you'd moved away to, it was him you were running from, wasn't it? I noticed. I didn't ask questions, but I was old enough to spot a broken heart when I saw one. And Gran sort of said you'd lost someone you loved. I thought it was something worse, you know, more permanent. Where were you for those years?"
    "California, mostly. We spent six months in New York," I answered through my tear-clogged throat. "Working mostly. Fucking more than that."
    "How long were you with him?" I heard him sigh as he shifted beneath me and I leaned with him until he had me cradled with one arm under me and one over me. My kid, comforting me, how ironic.
    "Six years. I met him while doing a job. He was so damned young then. I just sort of fel hard in love with him the second he smiled at me." I tried to pul away to get myself together but he squeezed me tight.
    His hair grazed my shoulder making me shiver but I didn't think anything of it.
    "Six years? Shit, Liam. Why didn't I know about him? I wouldn't have… you know… if I'd known," he said, his voice breaking and I could feel him trying to keep himself together as his body shook. "I wouldn't have falen for