Chapter 32

Taking slow steps Liam started walking towards the small chapel on the grassy hill. The white washed wood building looked like it could have been any church built almost a hundred years ago that still stood with its large cross at the top. He wasn’t a believer in some higher power, sure he could admit it could exist, but that only made the shit going on in the world feel worse if there was some cosmic figure about to pass judgment on morality, but not willing to actually make things better. His mom liked going to church, dressing up in her Sunday best, she would take him along and drop him off with other kids, but she never **** him to go and when she was gone there was never a reason to go at all.

He felt a shove from behind and stumbled forward a few steps before spinning around, walking backwards in his sneakers as he gave the middle finger to the tall blonde woman. He knew he hated Megan Best, but he had to do what she said for some reason and today she was making him go to church. Liam was going to say something to her when his brother rushed up to her side kissing her check. She giggled from his beard like a lot of girls did, the two of them together bothered him, it was like Chuck disapproved of him ever since they started to sleep together. So he turned back around, sticking his hands into the pockets on his jeans and stepped inside.

The front room of the chapel only had a few lights and they only seemed to light up the area immediately around them. He could make out the closed double doors that led inside the chapel and a large mirror by a window. That was when he heard the familiar voice, one that he felt like he hadn’t heard in forever because she was gone. Though that couldn’t have been true because she was right there, his mom was standing right there by the window wearing her favorite dress. It was what she loved to wear to church, white with a small repeating flower pattern of pink flowers and green vines. “Is that my little Liam? You came to church without me? I thought I would never see the day.”

“I’m not so little now.” Liam said smiling at his mom, taking her all in. She wore her long dark hair in a simple updo held together by an old silver clasp she inherited from her grandmother. He always wished his hair was as dark as hers instead of the ordinary color he had, but he shared her deep blue eyes and in hers right now he could see how happy she was. Moving closer he wrapped his arms around her, feeling the love they shared like it was a physical thing.

“I always worried about you Liam. You constantly got into mischief like when you pulled a chair back at school for a girl as she went to sit down so she fell and started to cry.”

“That was a joke, I thought it would be funny.”

“It was cruel.” She said sternly. “You have turned a corner though and you aren’t cruel or full of mischief anymore are you?”

“I’m afraid Liam was too bad, we had to replace him with Leah and she is a good girl. Aren't you Leah?” Liam turned his head to the front door, seeing the woman who had shoved him towards the chapel, Megan Best. His mind didn’t even acknowledge his brother wasn’t with her.

“I am a good girl and proud.” He replied to her, before covering his mouth, turning back to look at his mom.

“Well I always just wanted what was best for you and if you have to be Leah then I am happy to say you look beautiful on a day like today. I always said no one wants to stick around someone like that, that is why I left your father, but now that you are good you can find someone to be happy with for the rest of your life. Gosh you are beautiful Leah, I just love that look.”

“What look?” Liam asked, his voice now a higher pitch and much softer. No reply seemed to come so he stepped closer to the mirror, he hardly noticed how he had to take small dainty steps in his tall silver heels and inside the tight mermaid style dress. When he looked in the mirror he let out a gasp. That wasn’t him in the mirror, it was a young woman. Her chestnut hair was styled beautifully, coming down to just barely touch the end of her neck. Her makeup enhanced her large, deep blue eyes. The woman’s plump lips looked soft and kissable making him reach out to the mirror like he could touch her cheek and as he did he felt his own hand with long glossy nails tipped in white do just that. He saw her open her mouth in surprise revealing a mouth full of braces.

Liam took a small step back in the tall heels, feeling like he was about to fall over from stepping on the long gown that went past his feet to drag on the floor. The dress itself was white with a silvery lace embroidery across the tight mermaid style dress that flared out with a softer satin fabric just past his knees, completely covering him from above his breasts down. No one being able to see his smooth legs perched into the incredibly high heels he was perched in was good, he thought. Though the white sheer lace sleeves that hardly seemed there made the wedding dress feel that much more feminine.

Turning away from the mirror Liam went to look for his mom, but she was gone. He was alone in the mostly dark room when music started to play, a song everyone knew, it was the song signaling that the bride was about to walk down the aisle. Before he could decide to try and flee he felt a strong hand wrap around his, pulling him along towards the double doors into the main part of the chapel. It was a large and strong arm, following it up Liam saw his father just as he last remembered him, though sober and in a tuxedo.

He didn’t know why he didn’t try to pull away, he simply took one step after another. To do anything else would be like fighting gravity to fly away. “You were always a little shit, you know that Liam? I should have beat the rebellion out of you when I had the chance, just a good for nothin. At least your brother had the backbone to stand up to me, what did you do? You let him take it for you, such weakness you were never really a man were you?”

Each accusation hurt, Liam felt tears starting to come to his eyes. He couldn’t find his voice to talk back, to stand up to him. He was always quick to speak up or put someone down, but never with him, he could never with him. Liam could only walk next to his father as they walked down the aisle, one small step at a time. His father kept talking and he looked away out to the people in the pews. It was full of semi remembered faces of people he had slept with, it was hard to make out exactly who any one person was, but he could tell they seemed happy for him to be finding someone to marry and doubly so they wouldn’t have to see him again. It partly made sense he knew the few times he tried to hook up with someone he had already been with it was met with failure.

“That being said, I’m happy for you.” The positive words were so different from what he was saying it caused Liam to almost get whiplash as he looked to the man. “We all have seen how much happier you have been running around with him. You had real fun, didn’t have a care in the world and did it without hurting anyone or breaking any laws.” Liam felt his father pat the back of his hand with his free hand. If you had fun like that, it means this is the right course of action for you Leah. If you had been a good girl all along maybe I would have even stayed around.”

Liam shook his head no, but as he did they came to a stop and his father was gone. Instead he was looking at Jeremy who stood in front of him in an expensive looking suit. Liam was able to look down on him for the first time with how tall his shoes were. Anxiety rose as Liam could feel the look of adoration coming from him. He couldn’t see it, but he knew in Jeremy’s hand was a gold ring with a diamond on it, this was a wedding for the two of them.

“We have all gathered here today to witness the loving marriage between Liam and Jeremy. I would normally ask if anyone has any reason they should not, but there is no need.” The pastor said holding in one hand that seemed as large as the man’s torso. Liam wanted him to ask that question so he could say this wasn’t supposed to happen, he needed that question without it how would anyone know?

“We need not ask that question because the truth is evident!” Liam felt a chill run down his spine and felt suddenly unfamiliar with his footwear like he was about to topple over. Before that could happen Jeremy wrapped his arm around his waist to steady him.

“Boy! Do you love Liam and wish to bind yourself to him!?”

“I do!” Liam heard him say with much more confidence than he ever had before.

“Then you are a fool! The person you hold onto is none other than a heretic! Liam is a non-believer! There is only one place for people like him!” The preacher's voice rose in volume with each consecutive word a chorus behind him started to sing as red lights filled the room. “To hell! To hell! To hell he goes!”

The room felt much hotter and getting hotter by the second like each sin he had committed in life raised the temperature of the room by another degree. Liam watched, parlaized as the pastor stepped closer raising the thick book like he was going to bring it down to smite him. The blow came down and Liam found himself shutting his eyes, unable to witness his own destruction. People joked about catching on fire if they actually went into the church, but the truth seemed worse.

A second passed with no pain, and then a few more before Liam opened his eyes. Seeing Jeremy a few feet in front of him pushing back against the bible and pushing the man back. He could see Jeremy look back at him as he struggled against the pastor, but still he smiled. “I got this, so long as I have you…” Right then Liam knew he was protected, he wore around his neck a silver cross and it never burned him. With it and Jeremy he would be fine, Jeremy was holding the man so that he could be safe and the two of them could be happy. Turning his entire body Liam could feel the sway of his breasts, the soft fabric across his legs, the movement of the earrings as he looked back to the double doors he came in through.

Standing where she was, she knew she was safe and what the future could hold. If she moved quickly and stepped just right then she could make it through those doors. Beyond those doors he could be safe, he might not. Out those doors was his old future, full of much of the same as he had endured. It wouldn’t be bad, it could be great, but out that door was also all of his old problems and the weight of the world. In here Bailey was his maid of honor out there she was calling the police to say he **** her.

Taking a step and then another toward the door, with each step Liam could feel the heels on his feet get shorter and the dress got easier to move in, but after just a few steps he saw Miss Megan guarding the door with a hairbrush she had used on his rear more than once, shaking her head. Liam knew if he wanted his old life he would have to fight her and do it alone. It was enough for him to take a step backwards, reversing the changes to his clothes and making him feel protected yet again. He knew he couldn’t stand in the middle of the aisle, he had to get through those doors or move back to the other way.

Feeling a touch on his shoulder Liam opened his eyes, seeing his bedroom without any lights as Miss Megan sat at the edge of his bed dressed much like he had seen her before. “We need to get you up sweetheart, you can’t stay in that bathing suit and we need to get you clean after the day you had. If you feel up to it you can have some ice cream and watch a movie with your Daddy and I.”

“Ice cream?” Liam asked groggily, feeling the woman slide some hair out of his face. Megan smiled as she looked down at Liam. Bailey had been almost non-stop texting her about the day and while she loved the updates and the smoking photos of Leah and Jeremy kissing, or how adorable it was to see Leah drooling as she slept leaning into the boy on the car ride home. Eventually she had to tell Bailey they would talk later. She had already heard the news from Christina about how proud she was of her son and how he was over the moon that the two were now an item.

“Yeah, I understand you were a good girl today and good girls get rewards. Do you want some ice cream?” She didn’t mention it was vegan ice cream made with coconut milk, but it would still be a frozen sugary treat she could use to reward him.

“Yeah…” Liam said sitting up in bed, rubbing some of the sleep from his eyes, seeing the bedside clock said it was seven fifteen.

“Okay, then go run along and shower. I will lay out something for you to wear.” Liam started getting out of bed, his mind foggy from sleep and the lastly impressions of the dream. He considered asking her why she was still here, but decided against it. Instead just did what she asked and ran off to the bathroom, not taking the time to take off the wedge heels or the bathing suit first.