The Secret Obsession of the CEO-Chapter 203: The Elephant in the Room

A break?

Rory lifted her eyebrows as she was not sure what Liam meant.

"I’ve been thinking about it a lot ever since you said that your therapist wanted you to go on a vacation, Cherry," Liam said. "The past months have been very tough on you, but if we are being honest, you were very stressed for more than a year..."

Rory pressed her lips. She had a lot to say, but she kept her silence as she could see that Liam is opening up to her. He listened to her requests earlier. And now she decided to listen to what he is thinking.

"...and I was responsible for that. I should have been..."

Rory couldn’t hear him blaming himself. But he pressed her lips together with a smile.

"I should have been there, Rory. You may not accept it, but I know you’d have preferred me with you in every checkup and to be there when you were not feeling good when you needed support, and..."

"But it’s in the past, and we’ve talked about it. I do have some resentments regarding that. But it’s not a big issue," Rory spoke against his resistance. She couldn’t help it. He cannot beat himself up for something that she had forgiven him about.

Liam let out a sigh. "Okay, let me speak, silly..." he sat by her foot.

Rory tried to get him to sit beside her on the bed, but he preferred to sit on the floor.

"I never was reliable, I know that. I understand that better now. Whenever there was trouble in sight, I’ve always reacted negatively. Rather than being brave and facing it with courage, I try to spread negativity around and shun the people who are offering me help... I’ve hurt you the most, Cherry," he held her hand. "I can see why you don’t trust me still..."

He was smiling, but Rory could see the stress lines on his forehead. She gently patted his head. She wanted to say that she trusts him entirely. She tried to say that, but she couldn’t.

He was right about that. She was not trusting him entirely. And that is why she cannot talk to him about what happened in the house that night.

And Lennon’s words are still echoing in her mind.

She should be happy that Lennon was wrong. Liam wants her. It was she who doesn’t want to go further with him. Liam knew what Lennon did and still wants her like he wanted before.

But still, she was afraid. Afraid that one day Liam will say something hurtful. She will cease to exist that day.

He was expecting for her to say something. She wondered why they are talking about something entirely different when he wanted to talk about having a break, but this needs to be addressed. Both of them have been skirting around it for far too long.

Also, today was the first time he mentioned Lennon as his biological father, and he acknowledged what he did to her. It pulled her off her balance as it came out of nowhere.

But maybe she should be open about everything. By everything, she needs to talk to him about that day too; how she ended up in that house and what happened there. Maybe, the elephant in the room is her distrust of him. Maybe he feels that too.

"I am sorry," she said. "I know you are trying your best to show me that you are reliable. You looked after Ellie when I was...unavailable. You’re trying. You are working hard. I can see the changes in you. I know that I can trust you with anything~"

"Anything but the one thing that bothers you the most, huh?" he interjected her.

Rory held her breath. She expected to see anger on his face, but he was calm. Not scarily calm, but calm. He looked so mature when he looked at her like that. Very manly.

If she was being honest, she was feeling warm and fuzzy and wanted to jump on him.

But she was afraid.

"I am afraid, Fizzy," she said. "I am afraid of the scars that are left on me from that day. I am afraid maybe one day that..." she let out a sigh.

She was about to say that his words might hurt her in the future. That is the truth. But what she says will hurt him. He is the one putting in all the work and she didn’t want to easily dismiss him for her insecurity.

"The scars? If they remind you of that day, we can surgically remove them," he said. He thought she wouldn’t mind the scars from a beauty perspective. But he didn’t think about the emotional distress.

"No, but that day did happen, Fizzy. I can’t forget that. The scars don’t matter much. But above all..." she clutched his hand.

Rather than blaming him for something he might or might not do, she decided to tell him everything that bothers her. She needs to be honest with him. She cannot expect his devotion when she is not even trusting him and is dishonest.

Even if it hurts, even if she is scared of the results, she decided now would be the time to tell him.

Liam observed her. She was looking down and breathing through her mouth. She looked like she was contemplating something so seriously. He didn’t want to break her thoughts but when she started crying, he gripped her hands.

"You don’t have to talk about it if it hurts you so much," he said. He wanted to know what hurts her. But if speaking about it hurts more, he didn’t want to know.

"I flirted with him that day. That’s why he brought me to that house," Rory said. She was looking for words that would not damage her husband, but then the words came out brutally honest.

Liam blinked as he was lost for words. He knew something would have happened. Something that made him trust her so much and made him believe that he got her. Otherwise, Lennon wouldn’t have brought her to his lair.

So, this is what happened...

"I made him believe that I hated you for doubting me with Derick and I offered to make him dinner. I called him by his name, and he looked at me..." Rory choked. "I know I brought it on myself, but he looked at me like you would look at me when you want~"

"Stop!" Liam patted her hand.

He wanted to know. But now he had learned something he could have lived not knowing. He knew that she figured out that he was the killer and his father days ago. She came to LA after knowing who Lennon truly was.

Flirted...

Rory closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She expected this reaction from him. He loves her. He won’t take it easily that she flirted with some other man, that too, his father.

Time trickled away. She didn’t say anything more. She’s only halfway through and already he’s hurt. She was so tunnel-visioned that day. She was so focused on bringing him to light and she didn’t think about the consequences.

And she is facing the music now. She didn’t want to think about what he will decide now. He was being very patient with her and he might be mad that she made him take care of her when she lost her place.

But she still was thankful that she did what she did. She got Liam out. Lennon was trapped. If she was not there, her grandma wouldn’t have pulled all the strings to have Lennon charged with almost every crime in the book. He is on death row for sure even if the charges aren’t finalized.

Liam looked at her, and there was no trace of emotions on his face. She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. At that moment, she thought the hot-headed Liam would be better. At least, he expressed his displeasure.

But what’s with this saintly look?

"You thought you had to, right?" Liam asked. His blue eyes looked at her with understanding. "Your grandmother’s plans... you didn’t know them, and you thought you were alone. And you struggled and braved yourself to get in there by any means... you did it for me, didn’t you?" he held out his hand. "My sweet Cherry, how will I ever blame you for loving me this much?" he asked.

He was disturbed at first. But then he remembered what Derick and Mrs. Delport talked to him about. He didn’t know what went on exactly, but he knew the gist. And thankfully, he joined the dots at the right time.

He was amazed to learn how staying calm just for a few seconds before speaking whatever comes to his mind is a very good thing. If she spoke without thinking, he might have said something stupid and hurtful. But when he speaks after careful thought...

Aww... look at her eyes...beautiful!

When his hands reached for her cheek, Rory buried her cheeks in them. "Thank you, Fizzy..." she cried out of joy. "Thank you for saying this... I do love you... so much..."

"This is the truth," he said and sat beside her. He had touched her heart...with his words! He was beyond delighted.

How amazing! He never thought that he could say the right thing. But all he had to do was to think before speaking.

It’s easy, and it’s hard.