"Where have you been?" my mom asked, moving her hands to her hips.

"At the soup kitchen," I answered vaguely, stepping into the house.

"That's where you went, instead of coming with us for breakfast?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "That place is crawling with the homeless and drug addicts."

My mouth opened, then I shut it before saying something I'd regret.

"And so what, they don't deserve to eat?" my eyebrow shot up. My eyes landed on my dad, standing at the top of the stairs, leaning over the banister. He shook his head, giving a slight nod over at my mom. That was enough to warn me to not provoke her, only, I didn't have the energy to listen.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What did you mean then?" I challenged.

"What would happen if someone we knew saw you there? How would we show our faces to their galas and dinners?" she asked rhetorically. "They'll think you're one of them."

"This is unbelievable," I rolled my eyes, attempting to brush past her.

"I'm not finished, young lady," my mom said sternly. She stepped in front of me, blocking my path to the safety of my room. "You have been making excuses for the past two weeks to avoid coming with us to these events. That needs to stop."

"Hey, what's wrong?" Liam's voice sounded from behind me. I turned around to see him standing outside the door. "Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Liam had great timing.

"That's who you were with?" my mom's eyebrows shot up. "Is this why you broke up with Hunter? Or why you never come with us to dinners?" 

"What? No mom," I said quickly, in indignation. My dad began making his way down the stairs, which I was thankful for. This discussion needed a mediator.

"With all due respect Mrs. Wilson, Hunter is not a good person," Liam spoke up behind me. "That's the reason why they broke up."

My mom narrowed her eyes slightly at Liam's comment and I let out an irritated groan, gritting my teeth. Liam's words only seemed to add fuel to the fire. For once, I just needed him to keep his mouth shut. I shot Liam a glare, to which he only shrugged to.

"How dare you speak to me like that in my own house," she scoffed. She turned to me, her nostrils flaring. "Apparently a stranger knows my own daughter better than me."

My dad stopped at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes met mine as he shook his head. He didn't have to say anything. I knew that he was warning me not to lose my temper.

I sighed again, breathing deeply through my nose to calm my blazing cheeks.

"Liam, outside," I said through clenched teeth. He obeyed without a word, stepping away from the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" my mom demanded. I gave her with a flat expression as I followed Liam out the door, slamming it shut behind me.

Within the few minutes I'd been in my house, the sun had started to set, creating a bright pink and orange glow that lit up the sky.

"What was that about?" I snapped, glowering at Liam as I crossed my hands over my chest.

"I was being honest," he shrugged, "and trying to help you. Your mom was being unreasonable."

"Oh my god. For the last time, I don't want your help!" I said, exasperated. My brows lowered as I glared at Liam. "I don't need you to be some sort of hero that you always feel like you have to be."

He blinked at me, hurt flashing through his eyes. His jaw clenched, "You know, I don't know what's wrong with you, or what happened that's got you this way."

"W-what?" I managed to spit out, my brows furrowing.

"You freak out whenever I try to help you," he said, angrily and infuriated, with his shoulders tense and eyes hard. "Your computer that day in the library, at the beach, with Hunter and now this? Why do you push me away?"

"I-I..." I was speechless, my voice trailing off.

My anger had dissipated as quickly as it had come. I couldn't say anything because I didn't know what Liam was saying, or what he meant.

"It's like I'm some stranger you don't trust to be there for you. You push away everyone who cares about you," he shook his head, watching me me with wounded eyes. "You... you need to figure out whatever this is because I can't."

This wasn't what I wanted to happen.

I swallowed hard, dread creeping into my gut, "What are you saying?"

"I'm done," his voice cracked as he ran a frustrated hand roughly through his hair. He walked off, turning around to meet my eyes with his hard, emotionless ones. Like I was just another stranger to him. "Goodbye Ophelia."

I stood rooted to the ground, unable to process what had happened. I watched him hop in his car, jumping when he slammed the door shut with a loud thump.

"Liam wait, I—" I called after him when my voice finally returned. But I was too late, he had already driven off, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

When his car disappeared around the corner at the end of the block, an empty, hopeless feeling settled within my chest.

I didn't like the feeling. Sighing, I shook it off, blinking back the wetness that started to pool on the lower lids of my eyes. I stood alone on the driveway now, the wind I'd never noticed before blowing fiercely past me, running through my untamed hair.

My hand found my chest, rubbing it to soothe the ache that had settled there. My hand clasped around the doorknob and I opened the door, stepping back into the house.

The house seemed different. More lonely and darker than usual. Neither of my parents were to be seen.

I forced my legs to move robotically to the staircase.

"This conversation isn't over, stop right there young lady," my mom's piercing voice shouted at me from the kitchen.

"Please, not now mom," I sighed, stopping in my tracks halfway up the stairs.  I blinked back the burning sensation in the back of my eyes.

I glanced over at my mom to see her leaning against the doorframe, arms and shoulders stiff. My dad appeared next to my mom, his brows furrowed.

"Where's Liam?" he asked. "I was about to ask if he was going to stay for dinner."

"No, not tonight," I told him quietly, ignoring the lump that had begun to form in my throat. My dad's eyes scrutinized me, with a pair of solemn eyes. He said nothing else as I turned to continue my path up the stairs.

"Thalia—" my mom started again, but my dad cut her off.

"Not now, honey," he said softly.

I didn't look back or stop until I reached my room, closing the door softly behind me. There were no voices or footsteps outside my door.

My vision blurred, burning with tears that welled up in the corner of my eyes.

I crumpled to the floor when my knees gave in. I tucked my head into my hands and took a deep breath, my lower lip trembling. An empty void enveloped my chest as a sob escaped my lips.

My brain could not comprehend a word Liam had said. I'd trusted him with all I had when I knew he wasn't responsible for what happened two centuries ago.

I hadn't meant to push him away. What was so wrong about not wanting to be treated like some fragile, wounded puppy?

I wasn't going back to being a damsel from two hundred years ago, especially when I could handle what I needed to myself. And I definitely didn't want someone speaking for me, I'd had enough of that back then.

My shoulders shook as sobs poured out of my chest, the tears that had welled up in my eyes were now racing down my cheeks.

It didn't matter if I didn't understand what Liam meant, and why he was so mad that I didn't want him speaking for me. What mattered was that he'd said he was done. He was gone.

We'd been together for about a month, but it was the happiest I'd ever been. He made me feel safe, happy and loved. I didn't know if anyone could ever make me feel that way.

I'd let him down back then and I let him down again. So much that he was infuriated with me, and wanted nothing to do with me. From his words and actions, it seemed like I deserved it.

I pressed my eyes shut and hot tears continued stream down my face. My sobs raked my chest, interrupted only when I stopped to take a gasped breath. I slapped my hand over my mouth, afraid that my parents or Jackson would overhear.

I curled into a ball on my floor, my grief pouring out in the form of uncontrollable tears. They trailed down my sideburns, dripping onto the floor with a small thud until my eyes burned from fatigue.

The sun had long set over the horizon when my tears finally subsided, and I swiped a hand over my cheeks to find them damp and matted. My chest sunk deep, leaving just a gaping hole that used to be Liam.

I pushed myself up, grimacing when a sharp pain shot through my head. The room spun and I groaned, lightheaded as I placed my hands on the floor to steady myself.

The knock that sounded from my door snapped me out of my daze.

"Thalia," my dad said from the other side of the thick wooden door. "You okay in there?"

I rolled my eyes. I didn't have the energy to deal with my parents, or whatever they wanted from me.

"I'm fine," I croaked, hoping he couldn't hear how hoarse my voice was.

My dad sighed, "I know your mom can be... difficult sometimes, but—" 

"I said I'm fine," I said, firmer this time. There was only silence from the other side for a few agonizing seconds.

"Alright, have a good night," he finally said, dejectedly. His footsteps faded away as he walked off. He'd never cared much about me before, so I didn't know why he cared now.

I pushed myself off the floor, and with heavy steps I made my way over to my closet, twisting open the door. My eyes landed on a duffel bag sitting on the floor and I hooked my fingers around it, as well as a couple shirts and bottoms.

I stuffed the clothes into the bag, scurrying to the bathroom. I swept my hand over the sink, dumping my toothbrush, and makeup into the duffel before zipping it closed.

There was no way I'd stay in this house tonight. Not with my mom here too. It was ridiculous that she wasn't the one to ask me if I was alright, especially since she was the one who started the fire.

I needed to talk to someone and I wouldn't find that person in this house.

Swinging the bag over my shoulder, I cracked open my window. A cold chill ran up my spine from the wind as I fished out my phone from my pocket.

My fingers flew over the screen as I pressed onto Avery's name in my contacts. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hey Avery, I'm coming over," I said as I tossed my bag out the window. It landed with a loud thump on the grass.

"Why, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice an octave higher in confusion.

I was almost begging at that point, "Can I just please sleep over? I can't be here anymore."

"Yeah of course," she said. Ruffling sounded from her end and I knew she was sitting up from her bed.

"Thank you," I let out a breath of relief and hung up. With that, I swung my legs over the windowsill, into the dark night.

★★★

𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜 𝑎𝑙𝑙! 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑒, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟!

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝐿𝑖𝑎𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑎?

~ 𝑆𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠𝐼𝑛𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑡