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Felicity Reynolds
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"SO TELL ME, LADY!" Lena shrieked gleefully into the phone. Her voice had that tone Felicity had come to recognize as a sign of trouble to come. Lena was in one of her mischievous moods and God help the person who decided to get in her way. Felicity sighed and fell back on her bed. She was getting more exhausted by the day, and she didn't see any end in sight. She'd done some snooping around online, and from everything she'd read, it was normal for a woman to be super tired in her first trimester. The fatigue would pass, and that was a good thing. But when it did, she would start to show and what would she do then? It only made her exhaustion more acute, thinking about that, and Lena was making it very difficult to pretend that everything could keep going on normally.
“Tell you what? There’s nothing to tell.”
“Bullshit! Um, did you contract amnesia or something?”
“No,” Felicity laughed, “not that I’m aware of. Although that’s an interesting idea. Do you think people with amnesia always know they’ve got it?”
"I have no idea, and I don't really care. Forget about the amnesia. I want to talk about your little situation."
“I don’t know if I would call it little,” Felicity sighed, running a hand across her belly absentmindedly.
“Have you told him yet?” Lena asked, as doggedly persistent as ever, “Have you told the lucky father to be?”
"No, Lena, I haven't told him."
"Do you think that's a good idea? I mean, I get it. I know men are dense as shit, but I'm guessing you can't hide a baby. They kind of make a lot of noise."
“Ha, ha, very funny. Remind me why you called again?”
“Okay, I’m being an asshole. I know it,” Lena said, sounding a little more serious than she usually did, “but I’m trying to be sort of serious right now. Is that alright?”
“I don’t know,” Felicity answered truthfully, “I think so. I’m not really sure.”
“I’m just...I’m worried, Felicity. What are you going to do now? I mean, you have to tell him, you know that, right? You have to tell the bigshot that you’re going to have his baby.”
"Don't you think I know that?" Felicity shot back defensively. It wasn't Lena's fault, none of it was, but Felicity didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to talk about any of it because she had no idea what her next step was. What a cliché it was, sleeping with the boss, and then to wind up pregnant on top of it? What did she think was going to happen? He would realize he was madly in love with her, and the two of them would go riding off into the sunset? It was a lovely thought, but it simply wasn't the way the world worked. If life had taught her anything, it had taught her that.
And that wasn’t the worst of it, either, not even close. Her failure of a dinner with Liam had shown her that the threat of the criminals after Liam’s jewelry was real. The threat to her was real and the inactivity of the criminals had made her complacent. Now, she had not only herself to worry about but the life of her unborn child. The money she was earning for taking Liam’s unconventional job would go a long way towards helping her care for the child, whether he decided to be in the picture or not, but at what risk? She felt utterly trapped. It felt unsafe to stay and just as unsafe to go. Every time she shut her eyes, she saw nameless blank faces coming for her, willing to do whatever it took to get the jewelry they were after. She had felt sheltered enough that she had believed nobody could touch her, living in Liam’s mansion. Now that the danger felt real, she realized that she had never one hundred percent believed in the validity of the thieves in the first place. It had seemed too much like something out of an action movie, not real life. Now she understood the gravity of that mistake. She could only hope it wasn’t a case of too little, too late.
"Sure," Lena said soothingly, "sure, of course, you do. I'm not trying to piss you off, believe me; I'm not. I just want to make sure you're okay."
“I know that. I’m sorry,” Felicity sighed.
"Hey, if you want I can tell him. I'll get it out of the way quickly, and he'll be so relieved to talk to you instead of me. Once it's done that he'll be thrilled about the baby. What do you say?"
“I say no, but thank you,” Felicity laughed, “you really are a true friend. But hey, I’ve got to go, if you don’t mind.”
"Oh yeah? Hot date?" Lena laughed. Felicity winced a little at that. Liam's attempt at a hot date had been almost four days ago, and it hadn't gone nearly according to plan. What with her acting like a basket case and Liam having to whisk them both away for safety's sake, the evening had been an unmitigated disaster. To top it all off, he had been acting half-crazy ever since, checking on her to see if she was still safely tucked away in her room five, sometimes six times a day. It was like living in a fishbowl, or maybe being an exhibit in a zoo. It was a very fancy, very large enclosure, but at the end of the day, an enclosure was all it was. She couldn't figure it out, either; why he would react so strangely. The two of them living together was a business arrangement, the sole point of which was her acting as bait. So then why was he acting like a crazy person when the thieves he was after, made a move like they were going to take the bait?
"Um, Felicity? Earth to Felicity! Is this that pregnancy brain thing people talk about? I thought that came later."
“No, thank you very much, I was just thinking.”
“About your lover boy?”
“Not exactly. More about what I have to do this afternoon.”
“Which is?” Lena asked pointedly.
“You’re going to love this,” Felicity sighed, “and I doubt you’re going to let me forget about it anytime soon. I have to go to a family luncheon. At his father’s estate. And I have no idea what I’m going to be doing there.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
“HAVE I SAID THANK YOU for this? Because if I haven’t, let me say it now, thank you Felicity. I know there’s got to be about a thousand things you would rather be doing right now than this.”
"You've said thank you, Liam. No need to thank me again," Felicity said softly as she glanced up at the biggest house she had ever seen. Roughly an hour ago, she would have said that Liam's place was the biggest house she had ever seen hands down, but apparently, there were larger places out there. She wasn't sure you could even call what she was looking at now a house; it was more of a castle or an American approximation of one. It was big enough that looking up at it gave her a feeling of vertigo and she had to look down at her feet to remind herself that she was still on solid ground.
"Are you sure you're up for this? Because if you don't want to be here, we can get in the car and go back to the house right now. No questions asked," Liam said quietly, resting a hand on her shoulder. His hand was strong, the weight of it on her shoulder oddly comforting, and she reached up and squeezed it before turning to face him with a smile.
“We’re not going to do that. It’s just your family, that’s all. It’s not like they’re monsters, right?”
“Careful making assumptions,” Liam laughed ruefully, looking up at the house involuntarily.
"They're family anyway, and that's important. Now come on. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. You told them we were coming, right?" She asked the question with determination, doing her best to keep a brave face. Being out of Liam’s house again terrified her. Even knowing that an entire team of security was sitting in the SUV behind them didn’t soothe her completely. She’d grilled Matt about the security at Liam’s family home, too, making sure that she would be well protected. At the end of the day, she had to trust that all of these professionals, now more on alert than ever, would keep her safe. So, too, she needed to trust that Liam would not have asked her to make the journey if he didn’t think she would be safe. Not again.
“That I did. My sister, Rebecca, specifically. She’s sort of impossible to say no to.”
“And she thinks we’re together? Like, really together?” Felicity asked carefully. Liam shifted uncomfortably and laughed.
“Like really together. Christ, it sounds like we’re in high school, doesn’t it?”
“Sure, except that my time in high school wasn’t exciting enough for me to be included in any of the dating rumors.”
“Okay, well, I don’t believe that for a second.”
"You don't have to believe it, but it's true. My life was really kind of boring before I met you," she said before she could stop herself. Her face burned as soon as the words came out of her mouth. She could feel him looking at her, maybe wanting to ask her more, and her heart started thumping uncomfortably in her chest.
“Sorry, I don’t know what I’m talking about. I might be a little nervous, in case you couldn’t tell.”
“Want to know a secret?” Liam said, linking his arm through hers and standing so close she could smell the spice of his cologne.
“Um, always,” she laughed as they started to the massive front door.
“I’m a little nervous, too. If you see me make a run for it, just follow my lead.”
The two of them laughed up to the front door, and when Liam rang the doorbell, Felicity didn’t feel nearly as nervous as she could have. Unfortunately, that only lasted until the door opened and she got a look at a very blonde, very perky girl who looked about as old as she was.
"Hi," Felicity said uncertainly, "Are you, Rebecca?"
“Me?! Are you kidding?” The blonde shrieked, “No way! I’m Laurie, his stepmom. It is just so damn good to meet you! Come on in.”
Felicity glanced back at Liam in surprise, who rolled his eyes as Laurie ushered them inside. If possible, the house looked bigger from the inside than it did from the outside. The floors were made from what looked like polished marble, and the ceilings had to be sixteen feet high. Everywhere she looked there was rich mahogany wood, and the overall effect was of a palatial residence the likes of which she had only seen on TV.
"Liam," Laurie squealed, "it's so good to see you! Now, Rebecca isn't here yet, but you know how she is. Always loves to make an entrance, that one."
"Huh, I don't know. I think she just runs late," Liam answered dryly. Laurie's smile faltered, and she shrugged her shoulders as she led them down a very long hallway and into a room she called the parlor. Felicity had never been in an actual parlor before, and she wasn't sure she would want to be in one again. It was an entire room designed around the idea of ‘look, don't touch’ and to make matters worse, Liam's father was already sitting on one of the leather couches with an open decanter of scotch on the table beside him.
“Liam, my boy!” he said in a loud, booming voice, “I didn’t think you would show!”
“Hey, Dad, good to see you. I told Rebecca I was going to come.”
“Sure you did, but you don’t always follow through on that kind of thing, do you, son?”
Felicity looked at Liam in time to see his jaw clenching reflexively. She could see him as a little boy looking at him that way. She could see him standing in this same room and getting chewed out by his dad for doing something he shouldn't have. She could see him trying to deal with the grief of losing his mom and trying to navigate a stepmom he probably had no desire to get to know. Coming to the place where he grew up, made her see him as a whole new person, and when she looked at him now, it made her heart ache.
“He’s been really excited about coming, actually,” she chimed in, speaking up before she knew she was going to do it, “he really wanted me to meet you all.”
"Ha! I'm sure he did," Mr. North scoffed, only giving her a passing glance. Liam opened his mouth, and Felicity squeezed his hand, afraid that whatever he said would only make things worse. When the front door opened loudly, and she heard the distinct sound of a new arrival, she sighed with relief.
“Hello?” A rich, female voice called out, “Where the hell is everybody?”
“We’re in the parlor, Becs,” Liam shouted back, ignoring his dad’s look of disapproval. They all stood and listened to the sound of impossibly high heels on hard floor. Felicity held her breath, no idea whatsoever of what a new personality was going to bring to the mix.
"Jesus, Liam, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? I swear you're dense on purpose."
Liam laughed and met his sister with a hug, ignoring a slightly dumpy looking man behind her who Felicity thought had to be her husband. Rebecca was intimidating, there was no doubt about that, but Felicity liked her right off. She sensed a warmth in her that wasn't in the father, and she liked the ‘devil may care’ attitude the woman exuded. Still, when the hug was done, and Rebecca turned her attention on her, Felicity's stomach jumped with fear.
“And look at you,” Rebecca said appraisingly, “you actually came. Tell me your name again?”
“Becs, watch it,” Liam said warningly, a smile still on his face.
“I’m doing just fine, thank you very much. I just want to know the girl’s name. I’m not going to hurt her or anything.”
“It’s Felicity,” Felicity said shyly, “Felicity Reynolds.”
“That’s a great name. You sound like you could be an heiress or something. I always wanted a more interesting name.”
"I don't know. I think Rebecca is a nice name."
“Ugh, no you don’t. Anyway, are you ready?” Rebecca asked, tapping one perfectly manicured nail on a solid gold globe.
“I’m sorry, ready for what?” Felicity asked, her eyes flitting nervously to Liam.
“Oh no, big brother can’t help you now,” Rebecca said merrily, striding forward and taking Felicity by the arm. “He’s got positively no control over me at all.”
“She’s not lying,” Liam said, “but really, Rebecca, don’t you think you could let her get used to being here for a minute?”
“Nope, not at all. I just want to get to know her a little better. What do you say, Felicity? Willing to take a turn around the gardens with me?”
“Um, sure. Absolutely, that sounds nice.”
“Good! It’s settled. You boys can hang out here. I'll expect lunch to be ready when we get back. Shall we?”
In what felt like a total whirlwind, Rebecca led Felicity out of the room and further down the hallway. She didn't say anything until the two of them were out of the house and sitting on a bench, in the kind of garden Felicity would expect to see in an arboretum. Rebecca steered them to a bench, and Felicity's pulse sped up. She couldn't shake the distinct feeling that this whole thing had been one-hundred-percent planned like she was being directed in a play she hadn't realized she was acting in.
"Here," Rebecca said with satisfaction, plopping them both down on the old wooden bench, "let's have a little conversation."
“Um, sure. I can do that. What did you have in mind?” Felicity asked nervously, picking at her already chipped nail polish.
“Do you really have to ask?”
“You want to talk to me about Liam, is that right?”
"I do. I just..." Rebecca trailed off, and when Felicity looked at her out of the corner of her eye, she saw that much of the humor was gone from the sister's face. She was staring off into space and Felicity thought she might be looking into a past Felicity knew nothing about. When Rebecca suddenly made eye contact again, that suspicion only got stronger.
“Look, how much do you know about Liam?” she asked pointedly.
"I don't know. Not as much as I should, I guess. I know he's funny and generous. I know he works very hard."
“Right, but how much do you know about him? Like, his dating history and all of that good stuff?”
"Honestly? Nothing," Felicity admitted, feeling very much like a fool. Rebecca nodded like the answer was exactly what she’d been expecting. Felicity looked longingly at the house where Liam was probably trying to avoid a fight with his dad and wished that they could go. She wasn't the biggest fan of lying in the world, but up until this point, her deception had been a vague issue with little to no lying to a person's face. Now, not only was she lying to somebody's face, but it was Liam's sister, too. She might have been doing it for Liam, but that didn't stop her from feeling like a total jackass.
“That’s kind of what I expected,” Rebecca said, not unkindly. “Liam’s not much for talking about his past. Especially his past with women.”
“Oh! Oh, you don’t need to tell me about any of that,” Felicity said quickly, flustered by the whole conversation.
"I do actually, and not for your benefit. See, the thing is, Liam is seriously capable, but he's also a hell of a lot more sensitive than he lets on. My guess is that he really, really likes you. Because he moved you in, but it's in the way his voice sounds when he talks about you, too."
“I don’t know about that. Thank you, though,” Felicity answered uncertainly.
“Don’t thank me yet. There was another girl before you that he really, really fell for. Her name was Tori and she completely, totally broke his heart. She cheated on him, totally shattered him, did the kinds of things you only expect to see in the movies. I was really worried about him for a while there, it coming so soon after our mom dying.”
“That’s terrible,” Felicity said quietly, shocked by such an unexpected wealth of information on a man who was still such a mystery to her.
“It was. It was awful, watching him in that kind of pain. I don’t intend to see him there again,” Rebecca said with fire in her voice.
“I don’t know if I understand exactly what you’re trying to say,” Felicity finally answered after several long moments of trying to figure out what she was supposed to say. Rebecca surprised her by taking her hand and squeezing it, still looking out at the lovely gardens.
“What I’m trying to say is that if you really care about my brother, if you don’t plan on hurting him, I’m thrilled to have you around. I’d love to get to know you better, too. But if you’re not, just go, okay? I don’t want to see my brother hurt again. I honestly don’t think his heart can take it, and I can tell by the way he looks at you that you could definitely rip him to threads.”
“Again?” Felicity asked quietly, “What do you mean?”
“God, you two don’t know a whole lot about each other, do you?” Rebecca asked with a little laugh.
“No, I guess we don’t,” Felicity answered, her face burning with embarrassment.
“Look. He had his heart stomped on. His ex just about destroyed him with the way she left, and I never thought he would want to be with someone again. It’s why I insisted on meeting you.”
“I wouldn’t do that, Rebecca. Whether we know each other well or not, I wouldn’t. I...I really like him. It probably doesn’t make sense, doesn’t really make sense to me, but I do.”
“That’s good. I really hope you do. But just think about what I said, okay? Really think.”
