Short Stories - Romance

#2 - Easily Broken

“Oh Mr. Easton! Liam assured me that that was his new nanny.” Maddy, my elderly secretary was on the verge of crying as she tried to explain how she’d lost my son. “I swear if I'd known that it was nothing more than a ploy to get away, I would have stopped him. I’ll just go and search–”

“That’s alright, Maddy.” Not wanting her to break a leg or something and adding to my already frustrating day, I gestured for her to remain seated. “And I’m so sorry for getting mad–”

“It’s quite alright, Mr. Easton.” She waved my apology away. “We both know how precious our little Liam is." Despite Maddy’s sentiments, I hated how she said that. Hated that my own son had come to be thought of in that way. Precious…as in easily broken, not someone to be treasured.

"Craig, Liam is missing." I tried not to sound desperate while I spoke to my bodyguard. “He had insisted on staying with Maddy, but it seems he had other plans.” Plans… I dreaded thinking about what those were. He was just a boy, but he’d suffered so much already and I hated myself for my own failure at making any of it better. Not that I was in a position to or knew how, so I could only hope that today was not the day that everything came tumbling down. “Find him.”

"Uh– Sir, you better get down here–" There was no panic in Craig's voice, but whatever he'd said had me flying out of my office.

"And where is here?"

"The company cafeteria."

"The cafeteria?" I froze in my steps. What the hell was Liam doing there? "Is he okay?" I couldn't help but ask knowing how extremely unusual it was of my son to hang out in the usually crowded place.

"Liam hates crowds." My secretary whom I'd not noticed had followed said, making me increase my pace while I barked orders at Craig.

“Shut it down! Get everyone out.” I was vaguely aware of my employees’ confused expressions as I flew past them. “I don’t care how you do it, just get everyone out.” I couldn’t let them see or more importantly, I needed to protect my son from those curious stares and judging eyes.

“Uh…Sir–”

“Damn it Craig! This is not the time for–”

"It’s not that sir–”

“Then what the hell is it?!” I growled, knowing Craig knew better than to cut me off or disobey my orders.

“Just– will you get over here first?"

“If he gets hurt you are fired.” I hissed to which Craig only acknowledged my threat with a firm ‘yes sir’ making me frown at my reflection on the elevator’s mirrored walls. What was he not telling me?

I could picture a thousand answers to that question. All of them not good even when Craig hadn’t given me a reason to worry because when it came to Liam, I just did.

The elevator ride felt like it took an eternity and once it stopped I was out before the doors could fully open. Not caring about all the surprised looks I got from my employees who had obviously never seen me in this part of the building, I shot for the cafeteria.

The eating place was bustling with conversation and everyone was seemingly minding their own business. Nothing was out of place. No one was staring. The knot I’d not noticed tightening around my stomach loosened even before spotting Liam.

“Hello, Sir.” I was about to enter when Craig stepped in my view, a smile on his face, but I knew better than to think he was simply happy to see me.

I glared at him. “What is this?”

“I think it would be better if you used a less obvious entrance for this.”

“This? What are you not telling me?” Annoyance prickled.

“You need to see something which I think you showing up in the cafeteria will grab everyone’s attention and ruin it.” I didn’t care about ruining anyone’s lunch as long as I found Liam, but I also knew that whatever Craig wanted me to see must have been important or he wouldn’t dare stop me for anything or keep that strange smile on his face while at it. I gestured for him to lead the way.

“There.” Craig pointed up ahead once we exited the kitchen entrance which we had used. “I’ve been watching him the entire time.” I couldn’t help but watch my son too. More importantly, the smile painting his lips. Something I thought had been forever lost. It wasn’t as bright as it used be, but it was there and it warmed something inside me until I noticed that he was not alone.

“You let him hang out with a stranger!” My temper flared, knowing how disastrous that could end up being. For me, Liam and Easton Corp.

“The girl checked out–”

“Damn it Craig, you know that’s not the point.” I needed to put a stop to this and as I marched towards the duo, I couldn’t help but imagine the million ways this could go wrong. All the bad press that I would have to deal with– what it would do to my son– “Liam, you know you are not supposed to be talking to strangers.” Unable to stop myself, I all but growled when I came up to their table.

“She’s not a stranger, her name is Linda.”

"Linda?" I almost chocked at the name. I could count on my fingers the number of people Liam had let introduce themselves to him, let alone hold a conversation with in the past year. If the few words he always mumbled to anyone could be considered a conversation and yet here he was sounding almost like himself. Sounding like the boy I never thought I’d ever see again. Thanks to this–

“The kid is right. I am Li–” My eyes narrowed to slits when whoever was keeping Liam company turned to face me and if I didn’t know better I’d think she was surprised too.

"You, what the hell do you think you are doing with my son?!" I thundered while my own brain shouted at my stupidity as the cafeteria became deathly quiet. I knew everyone was watching now, but I didn’t care. I had to protect Liam. This…Linda, was not a part of our lives. Despite what she'd accomplished with him in a few minutes. Something that not even the best therapists had been able to do for months!

"Y-Your son?" Just as earlier, in the boardroom, the girl chose to play dumb which only infuriated me more. Because, who didn't know who I was and the tragedy that had befallen my once beautiful family. "I swear, I did not–"

"Of course, you didn't!" I sneered. "Just like you didn't know who I was when you randomly chose my umbrella out of what- a thousand people?"

"You know what?" The girl smiled. A killer smile that punched my insides and almost melted my anger. If only it was directed at me! "I think it just stopped raining." It hadn't. It wouldn’t for a while. I knew it and I knew she knew it because it had been something we’d talked about on the first ever conversation I’d enjoyed with a stranger. This was nothing but her wanting to get away. From me. I found myself strangely hating that. "Thank you for being such a sweet and kind soul." She lifted her hand with the intent to touch Liam.

"Don't." I growled, but I was too late. Her hand already rested on my son's head and ruffled his hair, making me brace for Liam's meltdown at having anyone else apart from his mother touching him. It never came, leaving me to watch their exchange with wide eyes.

"I feel so much better already.”

“No more tears. Promise?" Liam asked, making me wonder. Had she been crying? Was it because of the interview? The angle she now stood at wouldn't let me see the evidence of it.

"Promise. And you know what?" Straightening up, she smiled again, taking my breath away. "I know you promised to pay for the cookies, but let me get them okay?" She dug into her purse, her hands fumbling just after a few seconds.

"Is something wrong, Linda?" My son asked and I couldn’t help but stare. That made what? More than ten words he’d spoken since I’d been here? A lot more than I had heard from him in weeks!

A nervous chuckle drew my attention back to Linda. She was still scouring her purse. "I could have sworn I had enough for those too." More fumbling and I could see the distress and oncoming embarrassment on the girl’s face. Contrary to what she claimed, I knew there was nothing there. And then it hit me! The girl checks out. Craig's words. Had I been wrong to assume? Could she have been telling the truth just now and in the boardroom earlier? Everything seemed to point to that, but why couldn't I bring myself to accept it?

“It’s okay Linda. You did get us coffee, it’s only right that I get the cookies, I’d been the one to invite you after all.” He what?! I stared at Liam wondering where the actual hell my own son went and who the replacement was. And I was sure as hell that he knew that coffee was a freebie at Easton Corp, yet he was not calling her out on her lie. He hated liars.

“Are you sure?” Linda asked.

“Positive.” My son smiled and I realized that I couldn’t get enough.

“Well, it was nice meeting you and thanks again for everything. I’ll be going now.”

“Not so fast.” I stepped in the girl’s way. “Unlike my son, I’m not so trusting. Craig?” I was being a jerk, I knew it, but there was something about her that had turned my world up side down since I met her and because I didn't know what, my instincts had settled on not trusting her.

“Maybe you should be.” She glared at me when Craig handed back her purse. He’d found nothing. No recorder. No hidden camera. Nothing. “Bye Liam.” Her smile when she turned to my son was effortless and blinding. I couldn’t get enough of it either and I found myself shamelessly staring until she disappeared from my view. Knowing all eyes were on me, I cleared my throat and turned to my son, but Liam was already leaving too.

“I want to go home now.” He mumbled, and just like a dream, my son was gone and only the shadow of his former self I'd painfully come to know remained. And this time, it was all my fault.