Liv walked to the chair next to the fireplace and motioned for Jake to sit across from her.
“I can tell you have a lot on your mind,” she began.
“I guess.”
“Does it have something to do with my being here? Would you rather I wasn’t?” She kept her voice low and soft.
“No!” Jake’s cheeks flushed.
“Sounds as though you might be more worried about my leaving.”
Jake looked away from her and into the fire.
“Jake, I care about your dad.”
He flinched, and his eyes met hers. “He told us about you.”
She nodded.
“He wanted us to meet you. It was after he visited you, while we were in Arizona with our mom and Joe.”
Liv leaned forward, to hear him better. He turned back toward the fireplace, so she bent her head. “Keep talking.”
“Luke and I were excited to meet you, ’cause my dad told us you meant a lot to him.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet you that visit.”
“My dad…he was so sad. He tried to cover it up, but he didn’t fool us. He didn’t want to talk that much, and my dad loves to talk.” That got a little smile out of him. Liv smiled too.
“He does like to talk. Go on, Jake.”
“Then you had your accident, and my dad was on tour, and then all that stuff happened when he thought you were in a coma, but you weren’t.”
Liv nodded, and felt her own cheeks warm.
“He was so sad.” Jake turned his head away from her, so she wouldn’t see his tears.
“Your dad tried to hide it from you, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, but I knew anyway.”
“Your dad tried to hide his sadness from you to protect you from it. He was hurting, and he didn’t want you to hurt too.”
“Is that why you lied to him?”
“Yes, Jake, that’s why I lied to him. I didn’t want him to worry about me. I wanted him to enjoy the tour, and be successful, and have all the things he’s been working so hard to attain all these years.”
“It didn’t work.”
“You’re right, it didn’t. What I did jeopardized it all. He hadn’t lied to anyone, but people thought he did.”
“When my dad does his talking thing, people don’t stay mad at him.”
“Your father is a very good man, and as soon as people get to know him, even a little, they see it. Even if it’s only seeing him on stage. They know he wouldn’t lie.”
Jake nodded.
“You’re afraid I’ll hurt him again.”