Beers, Lies and Alibis (Warblers Point Series Book 2) (20 page)

-Finn

Chapter 10

Liam stood outside of an expansive brick building contemplating if he was making the right decision. He had talked to Neala’s parents and threatened to kick her off of his insurance if they didn’t tell him what the hell was going on. It took some finagling, but here he was, standing outside of a rehab center wondering what was wrong with his wife and what was so bad that she had to be in the rehab center she currently was in.
 

To say he was nervous was an understatement. He had never felt so uneasy before in his life. Neala’s parents refused to tell him what was going on and said he was just going to have to talk to Neala if he really wanted to know. Liam agreed he would rather hear it from Neala, but knowing his track record with Neala and talking, he probably had a better shot at torturing it out of Neala’s parents’ mouths than actually getting her to say anything to him.
 

Parking up front, Liam got out of his car and headed toward the visitor’s center. The property was well-maintained, even during the winter. The sidewalks were cleared of all snow, as well as the parking lot. As Liam eased closer to the building, he noticed there was ivy that lined the brick walls of the buildings, but unfortunately was dead from the winter months. It was almost serene, in a creepy
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
sort of way. Liam was just waiting to see Jack Nicholson pop out of one of the windows and run for freedom.
 

“Welcome to Wally Franklin Rehab Center,” said the receptionist, as Liam walked through the door. “Is there someone you’re here to see?”

Liam nodded his head. “Neala O’Leary.” Apparently, Once Liam and Neala divorced, she never changed her last name, which only filled Liam with pride. By carrying his name, she was still a part of him.
 

“Is she expecting you?”

“No.”

Liam looked around the place as he answered. The waiting room seemed so cold and uninviting. What the hell was Neala doing in a place like this?

“Let me see if she is allowed visitors,” said the perky receptionist, while she dialed a number on the phone.
 

Liam barely heard the receptionist talking on the phone with someone who was behind the gate that was blocking off traffic in and out of the rehab center.
 

“I’m sorry, what’s your relation to Neala?”

“I’m her husband.”
 

A few minutes later, Liam found himself in a sterile room that had all white walls, a water color picture of a garden and two light teal colored chairs that looked like they were plucked from the eighties and placed in the room to go with the typical watercolors you find in every doctor’s office.
 

Nerves took over his body as he waited patiently for Neala to come to the “visiting room.” He’d been waiting a while to get her alone, talk to her and find out what was really going on and he didn’t plan on leaving until he got all the answers he wanted. He just hoped him blindsiding her wasn’t going to make her even madder. What was he thinking? Of course she was going to be mad that he was visiting her here, but he didn’t care. He needed to see her and he needed answers.
 

The door slowly opened and Neala walked in wearing a pair of white linen pants and a light pink long-sleeved shirt that framed her body perfectly. Her chin-length wavy black hair was parted to the side and her bright blue eyes were devoid of all make-up, making her look completely fresh and almost angelic.
 

Liam stood up and approached her. The minute she made eye contact with Liam, her mouth dropped open and she tried to leave, but Liam grabbed her hand before she could take off through the door.
 

“Don’t leave,” Liam said in a soft tone, trying not to scare her away. “I want to talk to you.”

“Who told you I was here?” Neala asked bitterly.
 

“Doesn’t matter. Please just sit down so we can talk.” She didn’t move, so Liam asked again. “Please, love.”

Neala looked up at Liam when he used the term of endearment he had always used when they were married. She gave him a slight smile, shut the door to the hallway, and sat down in the chair that was across from his.
 

Exhaling in relief, Liam sat down as well and took Neala’s hands in his. It felt so incredibly good and…right to be holding her. He had a short stint of insanity when he thought that he possibly should have been with Sophie instead of Neala, but now that he was sitting across from Neala and looking into her bright blue eyes, he knew she was the one for him. She was everything he had ever wanted: an amazing mother to his child, an unforgettable wife, and a best friend. They were going through a tough time right now, but Liam knew they would get through it.
 

“How’s Catherine? Is she staying with you?” Neala asked, not quite meeting Liam’s eyes.
 

“No, she’s still with your parents. My, uh…my dad is in the hospital right now, so I need to help out the family, which means I don’t think I would be able to give Catherine the attention she needs.”

Neala’s head shot up. “Carlin is in the hospital?” The worry in her eyes was comforting to see. Even though she pushed Liam to the side without any real explanation, he could tell she still cared about him and, right now, that spoke a thousand words for him.
 

“Yeah, there was a fire at The Sleeping Potato and he had a heart attack. Everything is okay though, no need to worry.”
 

Neala quickly got up from her chair and pushed Liam so his back was up against the chair. She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around Liam’s neck, giving him all the comfort he needed and craved. In that moment, the love that was transferred from Neala to Liam was a feeling he would never be able to describe. He didn’t realize how much he’d needed her warm embrace until she gave it to him.
 

In return, Liam wrapped his arms around Neala and held onto her for dear life. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d held his wife and hell if he was going to let go of her until she made him. He missed her like hell and he was going to take advantage of the small gesture she was giving.
 

“Liam, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? How’s your family?”

“They’re alright. Ma is trying to be strong, but we all know she isn’t doing well. Bradon is a dick, as usual, and Fiona and Finn are trying to hold everything together while arranging all the details for the clean-up of the fire, which we should be able to start soon. There’s going to be a warm spell soon, so we’re going to take advantage of it. We have a lot of people around town who want to help volunteer, which is so humbling that people would take time out of their day to help us. It means the world to our family to live in such a caring community.”

“That’s what small towns are for, to help pick people up when they’re down.”

“Exactly.”
 

Liam stroked Neala’s short black hair as he looked in her eyes. He didn’t tell her everything that was going on with his family because he didn’t want to put more on her plate than she could handle. He tried to play off his family problems as nothing of too much importance.

“Enough about me, Neala. How are you doing?”

Neala tried to get up from his lap, but Liam held her in place. “Please don’t retreat from me, love. I am here for you. I’m not going anywhere. I want to be with you and I want to help you through whatever you’re going through.”

“So, they didn’t tell you?”
 

Fear started to take place at the pit of Liam’s stomach. He knew Neala was in rehab to get better, but he didn’t know what kind of rehab she was in or how bad her condition was or where she stood health-wise. He was nervous as hell as every imaginable thought of what could possibly be wrong crossed his mind.
 

“I know nothing, love. All I know is that you are here and I want to help you. I don’t want you to go through this alone.”

“You can’t help me, Liam. I am only going to ruin what we have or what we had,” she said, as she stared down at the ground, completely deflated.

“The only thing that is going to ruin me is not being with you. I’ve tried it, Neala, and it’s impossible. I need you in my life. I want to have a family with you.”

“That’s just it!” Neala practically screamed, as she jumped off of Liam’s lap. “I can’t have a family with you!”

“You can’t or you don’t want to?” Liam asked, while looking down at his lap, not able to meet her eyes. He had been hurt too many times to face more rejection.
 

“Don’t want to,” Neala responded.

Hurt cut through Liam’s body at Neala’s words. He thought he had a good chance at getting Neala back until her last admission. When they first started dating, they always talked about having five kids and growing old together to watch their kids have lots of grandbabies that they could spoil. Where was that girl? What did he do that was so wrong that she changed her entire point of view?

“I don’t get it, Neala. I thought we wanted to have five kids and watch them grow up, get married and have more children. Where did that…”

“I am Bipolar, Liam,” Neala spat out.
 

It was as if a semi-truck drove through the rehab center and flattened Liam to the ground. Shock couldn’t even describe the feeling that was rushing through Liam’s body. Neala was Bipolar? How could he live with her for so many years, have a child with her and not notice any signs of his wife being Bipolar? Did he really spend so much time in the pub that he couldn’t recognize that his wife was Bipolar?

“I…I mean…since when?” Liam asked, not able to form coherent sentences.

Neala shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I was just recently diagnosed. I guess I’ve always had it, but after Catherine, my mood swings changed and something in me was thrown for a loop. I tried to hide my changes in mood from you and Catherine, mainly because I didn’t know what was going on and I didn’t want to scare you, but it got to the point where I could no longer control my manic episodes.”

“What do you mean?” Liam asked, as he walked over to Neala so he could be closer to her.
 

“When you’re in a heightened state of mania, it’s hard to control anything that is racing through your mind. It feels amazing, as if you can do anything and you are untouchable, that I could accomplish anything while barely making an effort. It was amazing, but then it got to the point where I started to hallucinate when I was experiencing a manic high.”

“Hallucinate?”

Nodding her head, Neala gave them some space. “I’ve been talking to my doctor a lot about different experiences that have been bothering me and we have come to the conclusion that things I thought were true, really weren’t…even though, to this day, I still think they really happened. My mind is one hundred percent sure they happened, but my heart knows better.”

“What are you talking about Neala?”

Neala looked up at Liam and shame crossed her face instantly as they made eye contact. All Liam wanted to do was wrap her up in his arms and kiss away all her worries and shame. He wanted to take this burden off her shoulders and makes everything okay for her. He didn’t like seeing her like this at all. It broke his heart.
 

“It’s hard for me to decipher what’s real and what’s not, especially when I’m in such a manic state that I am hallucinating.” Neala took a deep breath before she continued, “The day I attacked Sophie in the grocery store…do you remember that?”

How could he not? He had never seen Neala act so out of place before in his life. Yeah, she was sassy and had a mouth that could hang out with any O’Leary, but she was never the abusive type so when he saw the damage Neala did to Sophie, Liam was shocked.
 

He nodded yes and she continued. “That morning, in my mind, I walked in on you and Sophie in bed together…naked.”

“What?!” Liam tried to control his voice, but what Neala just said was absurd, beyond absurd, just flat-out insane.
 

“I know I’m probably wrong, but I can’t tell you how vivid the image is in my head, or the smell of sex in the air, or the guilty look on your face when I walked in. It’s so clear in my mind, how could I not believe it?”

“Because it’s not even close to being true; I would never do that to you.”

Neala looked up at Liam and grabbed his hand. “In my heart, I know you wouldn’t do that to me. My heart doesn’t believe you would ever hurt me, but in my mind, all I can see is you and her together.” Neala dropped his hand and looked out the window. “That day, I knew something was wrong with me. After looking further into my problems, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Living with the disorder is doable, given the correct medication, which I think they’ve finally figured out for me. With that, along with seeing the psychiatrist often, I should be able to live a normal life.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Liam asked, as he tried to hold Neala in his arms.
 

“I can’t have any more children, Liam. If I become pregnant, not only will I have to be off my medication, but there is a high chance that I will pass my disorder on to our children. I don’t want our children going through what I go through. The fact that I might have given Catherine…” Neala’s voice caught in her throat and she wasn’t able to finish her sentence.