I pull into the familiar driveway and her platinum blonde head pops out of her car seconds after she is parked beside me. I exhale a long pent up breath and push my car door open. I follow behind her into the house and nostalgia hits me as soon as I see the curved staircase that leads to Liam's room. My eyes don't linger on the foyer long and we say nothing as we head into the kitchen.

The house is as I remember it, somewhat put together but too spacious for two people that aren't ever here. She slides out a bar stool for me and pops her gum one last time before spitting it into the trashcan. She rounds the corner of the island that sits in the center of the kitchen and then drops her elbows onto the granite, while staring at me with her big blue eyes covered in tacky blue eye shadow. Trailer park classy is all I can use to describe her.

"So little miss, what do you know?" She asks me and I am uncomfortable staring back at her.

"About what?" I respond and she looks to me like I am the most ridiculous person to ever sit in her kitchen.

"My son. Liam, where is he? I know you know," she taunts and I give her a slight shake of my head. I don't know what Liam wants her to know.

"Why don't I ask you what all you know? Because I don't know much," I answer and she quickly pulls herself up off the counter and crosses her arms in front of her, pushing her DD's up her chest. 

"I know he followed you to Malibu. I know he got in contact with my ex-husband and I know he left with him to Virginia. I haven't heard from Liam or John in months and I know Liam didn't want to go in the first place. What made him leave and where is he now?" She asks again and I bite the inside of my cheek while I debate my answer.

"Topher- sorry I mean John didn't give Liam a choice. He was forced into going. As to where he is now, I have no idea. I just know he's not in Virginia," I reply and I am wondering if she is an enemy or an ally. Can I trust her? "Has John come to see you at all?" I ask and she purses her lips. She knows I can read her thoughts so she doesn't bother lying.

"He's rang here a few times. He keeps threatening to come by but he's stayed away so far. At least as far as I know." I nod to her but I am still not confident I can trust her. She could turn around and tell Topher everything I tell her. 

"Look Mrs. Greysor, I am dating someone else now. Liam and I haven't spoken in months. I am not the best person to come to for answers," I say to her, wondering how she'll respond to my fake relationship.

"Look Ellie, Liam is my son. You haven't the slightest clue what it feels like to not know where your child is or if they are safe. So imagine if I just dropped off the face of the planet with you. Wouldn't you want your mother to know you are safe? Imagine what your mom would go through," she says calmly. And for the first time since I have known her, I can see her as a mother. I see her as Liam's mom and not just as someone he has to deal with. 

Her eyes don't leave me and she's pleading. I don't think she's working with Topher.

"Liam is safe. I am being honest when I say I don't know where he is though. I just know he's no longer with his dad and he's no longer in Virginia." I watch her visibly relax. She drops her arms and her boobs fall with them. She runs a hand through her brassy blonde locks and shakes her head. 

"John wants Liam. For reasons you already know. I vanished with Liam once to keep him safe, I can do it again," she says, the last part more to herself than to me. I nod and worry that she'll actually try leaving with Liam. I can't do this all over again with an even more unstable parent.

"Liam is trying to figure out a safe way to come home. If he makes contact with me, I'll let him know you are worried about him and would like to see him," I tell her and she gives me a minuscule nod. I start to climb off the bar stool when she stops me.

"If John wants Liam to come out of hiding you know he'll come for you or I right? Use us as leverage. Twisted son of a bitch." I look to her and watch her wring her hands together. Her eyes move from me to the ceiling. I let her think in private but say, "Liam won't let it get that far." She frowns at me but I don't have any other comforting words. I don't know much more than she does. I start walking into the hallway but before I disappear around the corner I look to her, "John doesn't know that Liam can become invisible. That's how Liam got out of Virginia. We need to make sure John never finds out that he can either."

Lisa looks confused and asks, "I thought that was why John was so interested in Liam. He doesn't know?"

I shake my head, "He only knows about his visions and his ability to read minds. He was interested in Liam being able to see the future. We were worried what would happen if John discovered Liam had a third talent, so Liam kept it from him."

Lisa isn't able to answer me because the chandelier in the dining room behind her comes crashing down. We both flick our heads towards the commotion, startled by the loud crashing sound. The glass hits the wood flooring and shards of iridescent glass slide all over the dining room and kitchen. I hear another crash come from the foyer and Lisa and I both dash to the front of the house. The chandelier in the foyer is brass and comes clanging down on the stone flooring with harsh reverberations. I look to Lisa, both of us wide eyed and afraid as we spin around when all the upstairs doors swing shut. 

"John is here," Lisa panics and I stand frozen. I don't know what to do. Dash out of the house, leaving Lisa alone and vulnerable or stay here and possibly be captured by the man I fear most?

We both stare at each other waiting for more noise to come but it's silent. We cautiously look around us but see nothing.