Chapter 467) Kiss Me Goodbye

“It always is harder to be left behind than to be the one to go…”

– Brock Thoene

Newcrest
The Bachelor Pad

Rustling in the sheets told him she was still there, so without opening his eyes, he moaned contentedly, which was answered by more rustling, he felt her atop of him, then a kiss on his lips.

She dropped back down next to him, her hand gently stroking his bare chest, blinking open his eyes to see her nearly black ones, deep as passageways straight into her soul. And maybe his own, as Connor always felt like he could see himself in Keira’s eyes.

“Morning beautiful.” he said, his voice deep and husky.

“Good morning handsome.” she purred.

His hands began to wander, his kisses became more intense, when she pulled away.

“Hey, hey, hey, no more of that. I gotta get into the shower. I have this family thing …”

“Aren’t I family? At least quasi?”

“Sure you are, but I didn’t think you wanted to go to Jasper’s high school band recital. Hint: he sucks. I am only going because my mom used the mom-glare on me, so I can’t skip it this time.”

“Oh no, not the mom-glare! I know it well. But wow, Keke. Harsh critique for your poor little brother.” Connor smiled.

“I am not being mean. He’d be the first to admit it, he sounds horrible, and only getting worse with practice, hard to believe that our dad is a career musician. Jasper only plays the flute because it was the only instrument still available when he signed up last minute, all because of a girl he likes who happens to be in band … yeah, that old tale.” Keira giggled.

“Ah, I get it, he’s hoping he’ll impress her enough for her to wanna play his pant dwelling flute one day.” Connor chuckled.

“OMG – Blaine Cameron Junior! You are terrible! Jasper is my little brother and only 13 – I don’t want to hear ANYTHING about him and his … personal flute. He wouldn’t know what to do with a girl if he weren’t so socially awkward, that little dork. Seriously, I can’t believe he and I are siblings. If he doesn’t change his ways in a big way, he’ll be the 40-year-old living in our parents’ basement one day! Little creepy computer nerd.” Keira giggled, while sitting up, Connor followed suit.

“Lucky then that your parents don’t have a basement. Hey, in other news: You know word on the street is that you and I are broken up again. I was afraid that would happen, but since nobody said anything to me until yesterday, I hoped maybe that wasn’t the case. I guess when we hint that we were maybe leveling up, baby and wedding and all that, then there is no baby, no wedding, instead we move apart and tell everyone we are taking a relationship break, it throws red flags. Especially when they then realize you spent the night here, repeatedly. It does leave an insane aftertaste, I have to admit that.” Connor brought up a sore subject.

Keira pulled away from him and got up out of bed immediately.

“So? Let people talk. I don’t see why we need to justify our actions and choices, not their business what we do with our lives. My parents weren’t shy about asking me straight up, so I told them you and I were fine, just not getting married and having kids right now and they were cool with it. And Connor, remember, there is no rush. Sure, we both keep up with counting the years so we know our age, we celebrate birthdays, for semblance of normalcy, but as my grandpa Riordan reminded me recently, one day that will stop, as after a certain number it just gets too weird seeing a twenty-something person in the mirror, knowing you are well over 100. Yet, in reality, I can be a mother at 100. So, what’s the rush?”

“Technically true, but the chances go down after a certain age until we are barren. Nobody understands when or how or why, we can’t exactly be analyzed with modern medicine, it seems different for everyone, hard to be sure, too many factors involved. And honestly, I don’t think I want to wait till we’re that old. All our mortal friends and family would be dead by then. I get taking more time, but within reason.”

“Oh, yeah, good point, can’t have our friends not witness the wonder of reproduction, no matter what, so let me just quickly rip out my IUD so you can jump on and fire away, maybe afterwards we’ll go to your clinic, and you do a little IVF too, just to make sure we’re on schedule. And while putting that baby in me, maybe start thinking about names, you know, multitasking, cos we better hurry. Oh, better idea on the way back from the clinic after the in-vitro, we could get married. Port over for a quick stopover in Vegas …” Keira’s drop was oozing sarcasm and anger.

Keira turned, opened the door and headed to the bathroom, Connor followed her, leaning in the doorway, watching her prep for the shower.

“You know, I REALLY don’t get why you get so upset at all that, Keke. If anyone has a right to be pissed it would be me. You lied to me. You went back on birth control, kept me in the dark, and watched me sitting there waiting for the lottery win every month, thinking there was a small chance we might be parents before too long …”

With a sigh, but no real reply, she pulled her underwear off, making it hard for him to keep his blood flow from going all to one spot, and harder to focus on what she said next.

“We both had fun, Connor, so not like you labored in sweat and blood being tortured while I forced you to nail me at gunpoint. And I would have told you, eventually. I knew it was wrong, but not as wrong as having a kid when we are both clearly not ready for it. I am not ready yet, Con-Bear, and honestly, I doubt you are. I love you. More than anything. But I need space, which you are giving me, making me love you even more. If I were still a mortal, I would understand the rush, but I am not and may I remind you that you fought me on that too, turns out I was right, we are both happier this way. I am right about the kid and the wedding too. It will happen, I want both, with you. Just not yet. Okay? Good! Join me?” Keira’s tone softened as she nodded her head towards the shower cabin.

“Thought you’d never ask.” smiling appeased, Connor peeled off the doorframe, shut the door and pulled off his boxers.

When they both came down the stairs a while later, Keira wearing one of Connor’s t-shirts, Nolan was in the kitchen with Noah. Smiling, Connor offered a greeting, while pouring coffee for himself and Keira, then joined her at the counter, facing his twin cousins.

“Noah. Didn’t think I’d see you so quickly again after yesterday. You missed a helluva party, even grandpa Blaine showed up, luckily with grandma Scarlett, so he was fairly tame-ish. You don’t mind my FIANCÈE Keira in your brother and my home, which you do not live at, do ya? Thought I’d ask …” hugging Keira from behind, he shot Noah a glare with the last part, making Noah roll his eyes, and Keira giggle, looking back and forth between the twins, while Connor demonstratively smooched around on her.

“Okay, okay, Connor, you made your point. I stand corrected. Mea culpa! You two are happy as two clams, my deepest apologies for EVER doubting the pure bliss you two share and it’s not my business whom you have over and why. Sorry.” Noah said, throwing his hands up.

“Boys, what’s going on here?” Keira wondered, Connor was the one to answer her.

“That one over there spewed a lot of BS yesterday, partially about us, and that after nailing his ex, who’s about to get married to someone else in two weeks.” Connor grumbled, pointing at Noah.

“Wow. That’s what I get for apologizing …” Noah rolled his eyes.

“Your ex? Yikes, Noah. Not my business though, just as Connor and I are not yours, okay? Look, I get it, a lot of people have a lot of opinions on whatever they think Connor and I are doing – or should be doing – but he and I agree – this is OUR lives, OUR business and nobody else’s. So, for the record: I love Con-Bear more than anything in this world, and only him, and I know he loves me, and THAT is all that matters. And that is all YOU and everyone else needs to know. The rest is private and personal, and seriously none of your or anyone else’s bee’s wax. Okay?”

“Yes Ma’am. All good. Ponies and rainbows between you both. Bad Noah! Copy that!” Noah grumbled, while Keira got more attitude.

“I was gonna ignore the sarcasm, but I don’t think I will, so you’ll get another piece of my mind instead. You see Noah, for future reference, if there is a woman you care about, and you let her be herself, not change her into whatever mold everyone think she should be in, don’t force her to do what YOU want, even if she has other needs, even if it may not be what you want, and you know she would do the same for you, that’s called true love.

That’s the real deal. Everything else will just fall into place, somehow, even if it’s unconventional. Take a page out of Connor’s book, or you know what, take the whole book, you need it. I need to get dressed and on the road. have fun boys, keep the drama to a minimum and don’t kill each other. Oh, and stay out of other people’s business, mmmmkay?”

With that, Keira kissed the still gleefully grinning Connor, then walked off, back upstairs to Connor’s room, while Connor chuckled and Nolan laughed hard, before telling his brother.

“Whoa, mic drop. You have been told, brother!” he chuckled.

“Yup. Totally unnecessary, but glad she feels better now for getting whatever that was out of her system.” Noah huffed, while Connor turned to him.

“Look, Noah, I’ll apologize too. You weren’t all wrong. For a minute there it did look like Keira and I were about to be at the end again, I honestly wasn’t sure, but a little distance brought enlightenment. We love each other, I only want her, she only wants me, so we are taking a step back, as that’s what she needs now. No rush for us, Keira’s right. We don’t have to rush to the altar or to fill a nursery. One day she’ll be ready to settle down, and I know it will be with me. Oh, and since you seem to care so much, yeah we did it. Several times last night and again just before we came down. So, much for being broken up, and proof that nobody needs to get anything on the side in my relationship.”

“Yah, thanks for that TMI, Connor. I can sleep well now, knowing this.” Noah grimaced, while his brother laughed.

“Ha ha ha – he’s a Cameron, what did you expect if not TMI, cursing and a constant need for coffee, all laced with lots of sarcasm. Are you new or something? Ha ha ha.” Nolan laughed, while Connor chuckled.

“Hey, you two are Camerons too, just not in name but in lineage, you bozos. All that is in YOUR DNA too. And you seemed so concerned about my love life yesterday, thought I’d update you, and now you heard it from my girl too. Definitely still engaged, going strong, with a few hiccups here and there. So, are we all good?” Connor smirked.

“All good. Never loved you more, Con-Bear … MUAH!” Noah blew Connor a kiss.

“You REALLY want me to knock your damn smug smile into the back of the head, don’t you? I told you, only Keira can call me that! And don’t you start getting cute with me, you reject.”

After some more boys being boys behavior to clear yesterday’s tension in the air between the three, Noah went home.

A few weeks later, half way around the world in Tartosa ...

Standing a little away from the rest of the wedding party crowd, Vivien poked Liam’s arm with her index finger, then whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

“Looks like you lucked out after all.” before she carefully and covertly pointed to a spot over to their right.
Liam looked in the indicated direction, but it took him a while until recognition washed over him.

“Wait – is that … it can’t be!” he whispered back.

“Close your mouth and don’t stare, baby. And yeah, I would say it is, has to be, unless there are two Lanas here who both are the grandmother of the groom. I overheard her being introduced to someone earlier, and she’s talking to Ezio like she knows him well, she called him ‘honey’, so if she’s not his grandma, both have some ‘splaining to do. That’s her all right. Not to sound mean, but if you ever regretted choosing me over her, just look there, and compare.”

“Oh Viv, I never regretted anything and you know it, but we all get older and … umm …” Liam realized his error and halted, so Vivien jumped in.

“And nothing. Yeah. Exactly THAT is why I long forgave Caelan for what he did. He REALLY did us a favor. Had he asked, we both would have said no. He just did it, and we are both happier for it. Gotta love him. His ways might be unconventional, but he knows what he’s doing. Definitely knew it when he turned us. Otherwise, we might look just like that now. Hard pass. Then again, I hate to sound that way, but as classy and beautiful as Lana always was, I thought she would age a lot more gracefully. So much for the healthy Brindleton Bay coastal air.”

“I need to talk to her. Do you mind?” Liam wondered.

“Not at all. Knock yourself out, baby, I’ll go get us some more of that wine. Gotta give it to those Tartosians, they can’t seem to get their shit together politically, but they DO know how to make wonderful wine. I am gonna ask Ezio which vineyard he ordered this precious liquid gold from, so I can have a few cases shipped home for us to enjoy when we are not standing awkwardly around a wedding, which so far has been duller than Bible studies, and where we barely know anyone and were dragged to by our lovely daughter-in-law because our baby boy’s got the shitties and pukies. I betcha Nick isn’t really sick at all, that brat used that as an excuse to get out of this without having to piss off his wife and her huge family, so he throws his poor parents to the wolves.” Vivien told him.

Liam shrugged, gave Vivien a peck on the cheek as she headed towards Ezio who was near the dancefloor, while he went over to Lana, catching her alone, standing with her back to him.

He cleared his throat, with the tired old movements of a woman older than her age, she turned to him, the shock and surprise written over her face.

“Oh my word – it can’t be. Simply can’t be! Liam?” she wondered, he nodded, a lump in his throat as her voice was also no longer the smokey warm one it used to be, but the cracking one of an old woman, yet memories of times long past flashed before his eyes, while she spoke.

“Wow. Liam, you look amazing! Just as handsome as you always have been. You are really here, right? I am sorry, it’s the medication. Sometimes it makes me see things that aren’t really there.”

“Nah, I am real. I can be unbelievable sometimes, but pretty real. Are you sick?”

“Unfortunately, I am. Very sick actually, Liam. I am luckily having a good day today, which is still worse than my worst days used to be, once upon a time. And which is why this day is a blessing. I get to see my grandson get married, and I got to see you again. I always wondered how you were doing now. I heard about your … change. But to see it. Incredible. You look just as I remember you, haven’t aged a day. You see, when you get old, and sick, and know your days are numbered, you go back. A lot. To happier times. We had happy times, didn’t we?”

“The best. What is wrong with you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“We used to be lovers, Liam. We almost became parents together. You can ask me anything. It’s the big bad C-word, that’s wrong with me. I don’t have much time left. I can feel it. Before you say anything, the doctors are out of options, and so am I. We tried everything, nothing worked. Incurable, stage 4, terminal. I am done, and glad of it. Some rough times are behind me. Maybe that’s why you pop up so much in my head of late that I can’t tell if you are real or just another memory. Even though we didn’t make it, for a while I had roses – and you, the most amazing man I have ever met … and nobody can take that from me.”

Liam felt the lump in his throat grow to epic proportions, fighting the urge to cry.

“I think about us too, sometimes. We really did have good times. It just wasn’t meant to be. The universe sent us plenty of signals, including a very unmistakable one.” he said somberly.

“Maybe in another life we’ll get a second chance. I am happy you are happy. Fatherhood becomes you. I always knew you would be a great dad. Are your children here?”

“Nah, just Viv and I, my daughter-in-law, Adrianna, is the groom’s sister, we’re here because of her. My son Nick was supposed to be here but got a serious stomach bug, so his best friend Rohan is babysitting him, he’s a doctor. Nick and Addy’s kid, Ryan, is over there, my oldest grandson. I think the last time you and I really spoke was when Nick was about Ryan’s age. Time really does fly. Yeah, I am a grandfather now. Two boys and a girl. 3 grandkids. I am still having a hard time believing that.”

“And a princess for a daughter. No surprise, Vivien was always like royalty. And you’re a king. Always have been.”

“Ha, naw, not quite, just an attorney, cleaning up my father-in-law and other in-laws legal faux pas. AG isn’t a princess anymore, so much political nonsense, she’s a Countess now. But you are right, she has always been my princess too, no matter what. You did all right for yourself too, though.”

“Yeah, maybe, my husband Eric is so much younger than me, overwhelmed with knowing he’s about to survive yet another wife. I am sure you remember his first wife died when their son Rhys was 3 years old. Eric and I have a son, Landon, he’s grown, a handsome, tall redhead like his father was, Eric’s mostly gray now too. Landon has a very rough time with the fact that I’ll be gone soon, he just can’t handle it. I had so much hope to see him get married, but that boy is nowhere near settling down, so I will never meet Eric and my grandkids by him, if there will be any. I am glad for this wedding; you know the bride is Eric’s granddaughter. Crazy patchwork family I ended up with. When I was a young legal assistant, going to evening classes to get my law degree and met this handsome young first year attorney, fresh out of college – Liam Cameron – even the name sounded cool and impressive to me, I always dreamed to one day be a Cameron. Maybe I should have been more specific, that I meant by marrying you, not a distant relative of yours. Eric is kind and a great husband, but he is not you. What an amazing location though, isn’t it? Tartosa.” Lana sounded regretful; her abrupt change of subject after all her private revelations had Liam struggling to come up with a good reply, but only platitudes came to mind.

“Your grandson looks strapping, and his bride is gorgeous. You should be proud.”

“I am. We both have so many things to be proud of, so many regrets. Such is life. Liam, I have a favor to ask of you.” Lana looked like a schoolgirl, slightly nervous, the transformation made Liam smile and agree to anything. Seeing a woman he once deeply cared for like this was hard on him.

“Shoot. I have heard a lot of crazy shit in my life, doubt you could top that.” Liam winked at her.

“I know it’s iffy for many reasons, but I have one big ask of you. My final request, if you so will.”

Thinking her favor would be for him to look over her Last Will and Testament, from one attorney to another, like they used to do, double-checking each other’s case files when they worked together a long, long time ago, Liam smiled.

“Anything for you, Lana.” he told her sincerely.

“A kiss. A final kiss. Like we used to. I know it’s a strange request, we’re both married, I am old and ugly, like you never will be, but maybe you can find it in your heart … for old times’ sakes and grant a dying old woman her greatest wish … You are my one that got away. I love Eric dearly, but never like I loved you. Maybe in another lifetime. One fine day, we’ll get another chance for the stars to align just right for us.”

Gulp. Liam felt hot and cold, for a cornucopia for reasons, most probably obvious, but he put on the mask of confidence he wore in the courtroom and produced a smile.

“Just hope Vivien won’t catch us. She is very jealous and definitely doesn’t like me kissing pretty girls.” he said charmingly, winked, it made Lana giggle, then he kissed her in a movie-worthy way, he could feel that Lana was thrilled by it.

They parted ways shortly after to attend the wedding ceremony and dinner, Liam lost sight of her.

The next day he got the call from Eric’s twin sister, Everleigh, letting him know that Lana had passed overnight.

In Memoriam
Lana Cameron, nee Douglas and Liam through the years