Marcus standing across her in a large near empty house. All that surrounded them were boxes and various furniture pieces.
Somehow it reminded Liz of the storage room.
No one was saying anything.The vision was frozen, but she can feel the anger coming from her. The blazing in her chest was all too clear.
She didn’t share the vision with Marcus, partly because she didn’t want to interrupt his train of thought. But if she were to guess; the look on Marcus’ face was what sparked the image...or dare she call it...memory.
His hands shook. “Our parents, Liz, were wonderful people. And they loved us to no end. More than they loved themselves. See, I always knew that. And so did you,” he added quickly. “But see you never took advantage of it. After I graduated a few years ago, I moved back in with mom and dad. No biggie, right? Lots of people do that before they get a job and try to make it on their own.
It didn’t sound like anything terrible to Liz.
But see, mom and dad had plans to move to Florida. It was their dream after their kids were grown up. But I stopped them from moving on with their retirement plans when I told them I was moving back in.
Liz frowned. Suddenly feeling a heaviness in her chest.
“I knew they had dreams but knowing how they’d do anything for us, I took advantage.” He took a breath. “Every time you visited for the holidays, you’d berate me for it. I guess I never understood what one or two more years would be.”
Liz agreed it was a little selfish of him, but not something she would hold against him forever.
He looked at her tentatively, as if he were about to say something that made it all make sense. “Less than two years after I moved back in, they went to this party...”
“The day they crashed,” Liz whispered, her eyes and mind in an absolute haze.
His breath was hard and shaky. “Needless to say, your slight resentment of me, flourished into full on hatred and blame.”
“That’s not true.” Liz cried.
“Liz?”
What the hell was that?
Those weren’t the words on her tongue. Yet they were the ones that escaped. The ones that felt true to her heart. But there was anger behind them. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why? Not in that fleeting moment where it seemed someone else was speaking for her.
Liz shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scream at you like that…”
Marcus either ignored her apology or didn’t seem to hear it. He turned his head for a mere second as if hesitating. Then went on. “We were already rocky, you and me because of my holding them back. I mean I knew. Heck, after the initial shock, it was all I could think about.”
“I don’t hate you...”
“It’s my fault Lizzy, you and I always knew it.”
“No, you don’t understand. I don’t hate you. I can feel it, Marcus. Whenever you’re around, I feel happy, safe, Iknowyou’re family. I feel most connected to you. I’m sorry about what happened to us. I can’t tell you why it did, but I am sorry.”
He kept his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, well there’s nothing you can do, can you.”
Liz frowned.
“Sorry, truth is, Liz—”
“Yes please, more truths.” She was starting to regret insisting that she could handle it.
“A part of me was excited to finally see my sister, regardless of circumstances. I’ve missed you so much.” His eyes watered and he swallowed. “I guess I’ll never learn. I’ll always be selfish, Liz. I was so happy to have you back in my life, I didn’t want you to get your memory back,” he shrugged, his hands still in his pocket. “I’ll take my big sister any time, anyway, and any day.” He approached her, pulled his hands out of his pocket and placed them on her shoulders. “And I’m not going to apologize for it.”
Chapter 39
MATT
“Well can you tell me if she called another car after you dropped her off?” The cab driver on the other line was most unhelpful. “Okay. Right. Thank you.” He hung up and threw the phone onto the sofa. After he’d gotten off the phone with Marcus nearly twenty minutes ago, who told him Liz wouldn’t be staying with him and had no other information to offer, Matt had been frantic in his search for her. His brother-in-law showed little care in Matt’s frustration, but gave him enough courtesy to call him with this very frustrating fact;Liz took off.
