A Hopeless Pursuit (Forbidden Love Series Book 10)

 

"Are you going downstairs?" Asked Serenity.

"No, I have homework to complete, " she lied but Serenity just nodded and left her room.

"I've got a back pain. I'll lie down a bit," said Serenity and Lisa nodded. She sat down quietly and went through the note that Liam gave her, again and again. She knew what her mom wanted to talk about and she wasn't going to go downstairs to watch her drama. Afterwards Laurence returned home and they had dinner and retired to bed for the night. The next morning Lisa went to school as usual. Her heartbeat accelerated when her school got over for the day. She rushed towards the back gate and found a grinning Liam sitting on his motorcycle, waiting for her. He again stretched his arms out for her and she ran into them, clinging to him.

"I thought you wouldn't come," she mumbled into his neck.

"I can't live without seeing you," said Liam quietly.

"Hey Lisa  won't you introduce us to your boyfriend, " said Jessica Colebrook's daughter, Megan who studied in the same class as her.

Lisa was alerted immediately. "He's just a friend. He was leaving anyways, " said Lisa with panic. Liam nodded and rode away.

"Don't lie okay? I see you making out with him every day. He can't be just a friend," continued Megan.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Mind your own business, Megan, " yelled Lisa, walking away inside the school. Why did she always have to stumble upon the Colebrook females? Now she would tell her mom who would complain to Lisa's mom and the punishments and drama would start again. She climbed into  the car and Scott drove her home. She received Liam's messages enquiring about Megan. She informed him who Megan was.

Liam- Will she report you just like her mom did?

Lisa- Yes.

Liam- Tell your parents that it was me. I came to give you some study materials.

Lisa- It's not so easy. Megan saw us kissing everyday.

Liam- A kiss on the cheek isn't that serious a crime. Friends do it all the time.

Lisa's eyes brightened. He was right. She had just kissed him on his cheeks every time he came to her school.

Lisa- Okay, I'll tell her you came to see me. Let's see how she reacts.

Liam- If you need me, just give me a call. I'll support you.

Lisa- Thanks, I'll do that.

Lisa returned home and went straight to Laurence's floor. Her mom was away at a party and she was thankful. She knew that her mom would get the news and start off the moment she returned. She had an early dinner and retired to her room. She locked her door and switched off the lights. Liam messaged her asking for an update. After messaging him she dozed off to sleep.

The next morning her mom was unwell and in her room with a horrible hangover and Lisa gladly escaped to her school.  She had already messaged Liam not to come to see her knowing that Megan would surely keep watch. After school she trudged to her car and Scott drove her home. She knew that there was no escaping her mom now. She went into the elevator and to her surprise found her mom waiting for her inside.  She pressed the button to take them to the first floor.

"I'm not going to the first floor," said Lisa displeased at being forced by her mom.

"Shut up Lisa. You don't have a choice. We need to talk," said her mom.

"I have nothing to say to you," said Lisa stubbornly.

"Oh yes you do," argued her mom leading her towards the living room where her dad was sitting. 

"What were you doing with Liam Parker outside your school?" Asked her mom with interest. "Don't deny it. Megan saw you kissing him. The guy she described matched with Liam."

"He came to hand me some solved question papers and I kissed his cheek to thank him. That's all there is to it. Now can I leave?" Said Lisa turning to go.

"Just kissing his cheek won't do Lisa. You have to get him to touch you else we cannot sue his dad for money," said Penny Lennard with a strange spark in her eyes.

"No, that can't happen," said Lisa vehemently shaking her head.

"If you don't do this, we know other ways of framing Liam. We  could lock the two of you  in your room and frame him for raping a minor. What do you say Harry?" Asked her mom excitedly.

"Why are you doing this mom? We have lots of money. We don't need anymore, " said Lisa incredulously.

"We don't have any money. Laurence has frozen our accounts," complained her mom.

"Ask bro if you need anything," said Lisa.

"We don't need any advice from you. Just co-operate with us. That's why we have brought you up, to help us," said her mom while her dad nudged her mom and they communicated through some weird gestures which Lisa didn't understand at all.

"Isn't Eric Parker your good friend?" Asked Lisa helplessly.

"We've shifted here from New York only for him, so co-operate," said her dad sternly.

"This Saturday is our opportunity. You will do as asked, leave the rest on me. Is that understood?" Asked her mom with a fierce expression on her face.

"Yes," Lisa lied.

"Good, go groom yourself to be able to seduce Liam," instructed her mom with a satisfied expression on her face. Lisa worriedly walked up to her room. She couldn't let this happen.  Her parents never gave out idle threats. Hailing from extreme poverty, her parents had resorted to fraud and illegal money laundering all their lives to lead a decent living. Her parents had hired two hit men to finish off Arianna, Laurence's first wife without his knowledge. After her dad made two payments to a famous hit man of Las Vegas, Laurence was suspicious and had frozen their accounts. Now with the hit men hounding her parents for their payment, they were desperately in need for huge sums of money.

Lisa decided to call Liam and request him not to visit her house. If he didn't visit them, her mom's plans wouldn't work at all. She called him up.

"Hey Lisa, missing me?" Asked Liam.

"Liam I just wanted to say that I don't want you to come to my house," she said nervously going straight to the point.

There was silence on the other side of the phone. "Why?" Asked Liam softly.

"I can't meet you any more, " said Lisa quietly,

"Have you received a punishment Lisa?" Asked Liam concerned.

"No, but I've been warned and I can't meet you anymore Liam, please understand, " she told him.

"Oh but why can't I come over to see you?" asked Liam with disappointment in his tone.

"You can't. Mom knows that it was you and she hasn't taken it well.  I don't want you to come Liam, " said Lisa unhappily.

"I could come and talk to them if you want me to," offered Liam. He was  puzzled by Lisa's behavior. They liked one another and could wait till Lisa turned eighteen to start any relationship. How her parents could object to this was beyond him.

"Noo please, don't come," said Lisa with panic. If he came over her parents would frame him for raping a minor and would demand monetary compensation from his dad to take back the charges against him. She wouldn't let it happen.

"Lisa please don't panic. Listen to me. Tell me what's going on and dad will talk to your parents, " said Liam gently.

"No no nothing is going on. Just don't come home, ever," she said trying hard to make him understand.

"It's my sister's house too. I have to visit her sometimes, " said Liam with a sigh. He was disappointed that she didn't trust him enough to tell him.

"No Liam,  you meet her when she visits you but don't come here," insisted Lisa.

"I'm not scared Lisa. I can't live without seeing you, Can't you see how deep I've fallen for you? I love you dammit," he tried desperately to make her see sense. Lisa was stunned by his admission and silent tears rolled down her cheeks. "Are you crying Lisa?" He asked her gently. Lisa was too choked with emotions to speak.

"Please tell me Lisa. I'll protect you with my life," said Liam, with conviction.

"You don't understand Liam. I'm not so serious about you. I don't want any relationship with you. Don't come home to see me. I don't want to see you. There isn't any future between us. I was just playing along. Now Leo's back and I've accepted him as my boyfriend. Just forget me. I can't love you. Don't ever come to my house, " she sobbed and then disconnected the phone,  blocking Liam's number. This was the only way to make him stop coming to see her. This was the only way to save him from her parents. She threw the phone on the bed and sobbed brokenly into her pillow.