{"id":31226,"date":"2026-10-05T23:36:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T23:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=31226"},"modified":"2026-10-05T23:36:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T23:36:16","slug":"part-15-david-finally-told-me-about-megan-the-girlfriend-liam-never-mentioned-and-one-old-name-opened-a-door-he-had-kept-closed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=31226","title":{"rendered":"PART 15 \u2013 David Finally Told Me About Megan, the Girlfriend Liam Never Mentioned, and One Old Name Opened a Door He Had Kept Closed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I wrote Megan\u2019s name on a piece of paper.<\/p>\n<p>Just Megan.<\/p>\n<p>No last name.<\/p>\n<p>No number.<\/p>\n<p>No proof she even remembered Liam.<\/p>\n<p>Still, seeing the name made my skin prickle.<\/p>\n<p>Harper looked over the kitchen island.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not going to hunt down his ex-girlfriends like a detective.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to ask David for her last name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harper closed her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChloe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not contacting her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re thinking about contacting her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m thinking about knowing who she is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is step one of contacting her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harper studied me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I had been asking myself the same thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo understand whether this stops.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat stops?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She leaned against the counter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou already know it can stop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy you refusing to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She softened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou want to know how far he takes it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There it was.<\/p>\n<p>The real question.<\/p>\n<p>Not whether Liam could become cruel.<\/p>\n<p>I already knew.<\/p>\n<p>Not whether he lied.<\/p>\n<p>I had evidence.<\/p>\n<p>I wanted to know where the pattern ended when the woman did not return.<\/p>\n<p>Harper pulled out the chair opposite me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not an unreasonable thing to want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut don\u2019t turn another woman\u2019s bad experience into your research assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPromise?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I texted David.<\/p>\n<p>What was Megan\u2019s last name?<\/p>\n<p>The typing indicator appeared.<\/p>\n<p>Stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Returned.<\/p>\n<p>Finally:<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>I wrote:<\/p>\n<p>Because you told me she left after the same pattern.<\/p>\n<p>David:<\/p>\n<p>I shouldn\u2019t have brought her up.<\/p>\n<p>Me:<\/p>\n<p>But you did.<\/p>\n<p>Several minutes passed.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>Calder.<\/p>\n<p>Megan Calder.<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the name.<\/p>\n<p>Harper sighed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can hear Google opening from here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just looking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is what detectives say before the corkboard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A basic search found too many Megan Calders.<\/p>\n<p>Then I added Austin.<\/p>\n<p>A professional profile appeared.<\/p>\n<p>Megan Calder.<\/p>\n<p>Architect.<\/p>\n<p>Denver.<\/p>\n<p>Formerly Austin.<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the profile photograph.<\/p>\n<p>Dark hair.<\/p>\n<p>Serious expression.<\/p>\n<p>No obvious way to know whether it was her.<\/p>\n<p>I sent the link to David.<\/p>\n<p>This her?<\/p>\n<p>His reply came almost immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Yes.<\/p>\n<p>My pulse jumped.<\/p>\n<p>Harper watched.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For six hours, I did nothing.<\/p>\n<p>I went to work.<\/p>\n<p>I repaired a rooftop unit.<\/p>\n<p>I ate lunch.<\/p>\n<p>I ignored two emails from Liam.<\/p>\n<p>The first:<\/p>\n<p>I meant what I said about being sorry.<\/p>\n<p>The second:<\/p>\n<p>I think we should talk before more people get involved.<\/p>\n<p>That line felt almost absurd now.<\/p>\n<p>More people had become involved because Liam kept involving them.<\/p>\n<p>At three, David texted.<\/p>\n<p>I need to tell you something else about Megan.<\/p>\n<p>I called him immediately.<\/p>\n<p>He answered quietly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI asked Elena what she remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou involved Elena?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was around back then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I sat in the van.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe remembers Megan coming to a party after she and Liam split.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiam spent the whole night making jokes about her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalling her dramatic. Saying she couldn\u2019t handle commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David sounded sick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the time, everybody laughed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Megan?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did she do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe left early.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiam followed her outside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My grip tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened outside?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDavid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He paused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut after that, she blocked everyone connected to him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared ahead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Liam say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said she had a breakdown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course he did.<\/p>\n<p>David continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElena remembers something I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMegan had bruises on her wrist at that party.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The van seemed to become very small.<\/p>\n<p>My voice dropped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe noticed because Megan kept pulling her sleeve down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Elena ask?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause she assumed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David stopped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe assumed they were from something else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat something else?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His shame came through the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t ask.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I felt cold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Liam ever hit her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid anyone see him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Megan ever say he hurt her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot to us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I breathed slowly.<\/p>\n<p>Important.<\/p>\n<p>Do not fill gaps with fear.<\/p>\n<p>Unknown meant unknown.<\/p>\n<p>Still, my body had reacted.<\/p>\n<p>David continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have told you like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. I need facts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the fact. Elena saw bruises. She doesn\u2019t know how they happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStop apologizing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m getting used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Neither of us laughed.<\/p>\n<p>After the call, I sat for several minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Then I opened Megan\u2019s profile again.<\/p>\n<p>A message button waited beneath her name.<\/p>\n<p>I closed it.<\/p>\n<p>Opened it again.<\/p>\n<p>Closed it.<\/p>\n<p>By the time I reached Harper\u2019s, I had decided not to contact her.<\/p>\n<p>Then an email from Liam arrived.<\/p>\n<p>Subject: Last attempt.<\/p>\n<p>I opened it.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know what stories people are telling you, but you are letting outsiders poison something that was good. Jessica has always hated me. David is trying to make himself look noble. Sarah never liked me. Your mother barely knows me. None of these people lived our relationship.<\/p>\n<p>That part was true.<\/p>\n<p>They had not.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>You know me better than anyone.<\/p>\n<p>Also true.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>If you really think I\u2019m dangerous or abusive or whatever dramatic label they\u2019re feeding you, say it to my face.<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>I had never called him dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>I had never called him abusive.<\/p>\n<p>But he was already arguing against those words.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>The email continued.<\/p>\n<p>You know I have never hurt you.<\/p>\n<p>Also true.<\/p>\n<p>Physically.<\/p>\n<p>He had never hit me.<\/p>\n<p>Never grabbed me.<\/p>\n<p>Never blocked me from leaving except that single moment by the door, and even then he moved when I asked.<\/p>\n<p>Why was he defending himself from an accusation I had not made?<\/p>\n<p>I read the message again.<\/p>\n<p>Then I forwarded it to my documentation archive.<\/p>\n<p>Harper came in carrying groceries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou look pale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not persuasive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I showed her the email.<\/p>\n<p>She read it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you accuse him of abuse?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid anyone?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot that I know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I told her about Megan.<\/p>\n<p>The party.<\/p>\n<p>The bruises.<\/p>\n<p>The uncertainty.<\/p>\n<p>Harper put the phone down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are not going to assume he caused those.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou need to actually know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you are definitely not meeting him face-to-face to prove anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She watched me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I opened my laptop.<\/p>\n<p>She groaned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWriting Megan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChloe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne message.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you going to say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the blank message box.<\/p>\n<p>Then typed slowly.<\/p>\n<p>Hi Megan. My name is Chloe Bennett. I\u2019m sorry to contact you unexpectedly. I dated Liam Parker for two years and recently ended the relationship. David Monroe mentioned that you and Liam dated years ago. You do not owe me a response or any details about your experience. I\u2019m only reaching out because Liam has been repeatedly contacting people around me and escalating after I left, and I\u2019m trying to understand whether this is a pattern. If you\u2019d rather not discuss it, I completely understand and will not contact you again.<\/p>\n<p>I read it three times.<\/p>\n<p>Harper read over my shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou approve?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t approve. I accept.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I sent it.<\/p>\n<p>Then immediately regretted it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if she feels invaded?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou told her she can ignore it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if this brings back something awful?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe controls whether she opens the door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I closed the laptop.<\/p>\n<p>Megan did not reply that night.<\/p>\n<p>Or the next morning.<\/p>\n<p>By noon, I assumed she would not.<\/p>\n<p>That was fine.<\/p>\n<p>Honestly, part of me felt relieved.<\/p>\n<p>At one twenty-seven, my phone buzzed.<\/p>\n<p>A message request.<\/p>\n<p>Megan Calder.<\/p>\n<p>My heartbeat accelerated.<\/p>\n<p>Her message was short.<\/p>\n<p>Before I answer anything, I need to know one thing. Does he know where you\u2019re staying?<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n<p>Harper was not beside me.<\/p>\n<p>I was alone in the van.<\/p>\n<p>I typed:<\/p>\n<p>He knows I\u2019m staying with a friend and knows her address, but he has not come here.<\/p>\n<p>Megan replied almost immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Do not meet him alone.<\/p>\n<p>My hands went cold.<\/p>\n<p>I typed:<\/p>\n<p>Did he hurt you?<\/p>\n<p>The typing indicator appeared.<\/p>\n<p>Stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Appeared again.<\/p>\n<p>Then disappeared for nearly three minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Finally:<\/p>\n<p>Not in the way you\u2019re asking.<\/p>\n<p>I exhaled.<\/p>\n<p>Then another message arrived.<\/p>\n<p>But I wish I had taken what he did seriously much sooner.<\/p>\n<p>I waited.<\/p>\n<p>Megan continued.<\/p>\n<p>Liam never hit me. He never punched me. He never threatened to kill me. I want that clear.<\/p>\n<p>I typed:<\/p>\n<p>Okay.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>What did he do?<\/p>\n<p>Her answer came slowly, in several messages.<\/p>\n<p>When I ended things, he called constantly. Then apologized. Then got angry. Then apologized again.<\/p>\n<p>He contacted my work.<\/p>\n<p>My friends.<\/p>\n<p>My sister.<\/p>\n<p>My landlord once.<\/p>\n<p>My heartbeat increased.<\/p>\n<p>She continued.<\/p>\n<p>He would show up places I was expected to be and say it was coincidence.<\/p>\n<p>Then if I got upset, he\u2019d tell people I was paranoid.<\/p>\n<p>I looked through the van windows automatically.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody unusual.<\/p>\n<p>Still, I locked the doors.<\/p>\n<p>Megan wrote:<\/p>\n<p>The bruises David or Elena may remember were from him grabbing my wrist outside a party.<\/p>\n<p>I stopped breathing for a second.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>Was that the only time?<\/p>\n<p>A long pause.<\/p>\n<p>Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Then another message.<\/p>\n<p>But that answer needs context.<\/p>\n<p>I waited.<\/p>\n<p>He grabbed me because I tried to leave while he was still talking. It left marks. He let go when I screamed.<\/p>\n<p>My fingers trembled over the screen.<\/p>\n<p>Did you report it?<\/p>\n<p>No.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>Because five minutes later he was crying and apologizing and telling me he scared himself.<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Megan continued.<\/p>\n<p>I believed him.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>Three days later he told David I was exaggerating what happened.<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the words.<\/p>\n<p>Another message arrived.<\/p>\n<p>A week later he was telling people I had bruised easily and made it sound worse because I wanted sympathy.<\/p>\n<p>My stomach twisted.<\/p>\n<p>I typed:<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sorry.<\/p>\n<p>She replied:<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>I moved to Denver because of a job opportunity, but I accepted earlier than planned because I wanted distance.<\/p>\n<p>So Liam\u2019s version\u2014that she had simply vanished because she was unstable\u2014had hidden an entire history.<\/p>\n<p>I asked:<\/p>\n<p>Did he keep contacting you after you moved?<\/p>\n<p>For about two months.<\/p>\n<p>How did it stop?<\/p>\n<p>I changed my number.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>And David finally told him to leave me alone.<\/p>\n<p>That surprised me.<\/p>\n<p>David?<\/p>\n<p>Yes.<\/p>\n<p>I sat back.<\/p>\n<p>Megan continued.<\/p>\n<p>He probably doesn\u2019t remember doing it because Liam forgave him eventually.<\/p>\n<p>I almost laughed at the phrasing.<\/p>\n<p>Liam forgave David for protecting Megan.<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>I typed:<\/p>\n<p>Did Liam ever admit what he did?<\/p>\n<p>Megan:<\/p>\n<p>Which part?<\/p>\n<p>The wrist.<\/p>\n<p>A long pause.<\/p>\n<p>At first.<\/p>\n<p>Then later he said I was trying to hit him.<\/p>\n<p>My body went cold.<\/p>\n<p>Were you?<\/p>\n<p>No.<\/p>\n<p>Another message.<\/p>\n<p>I was reaching for my car door.<\/p>\n<p>I looked away from the phone.<\/p>\n<p>The pattern was now impossible to dismiss.<\/p>\n<p>Event.<\/p>\n<p>Apology.<\/p>\n<p>Reframing.<\/p>\n<p>Counter-accusation.<\/p>\n<p>History rewritten until Liam became the one defending himself.<\/p>\n<p>Megan wrote:<\/p>\n<p>Why are you asking me all this? Has he touched you?<\/p>\n<p>I answered immediately.<\/p>\n<p>No.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>He has never physically hurt me.<\/p>\n<p>She replied:<\/p>\n<p>Good.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>Keep it that way.<\/p>\n<p>My throat tightened.<\/p>\n<p>I asked:<\/p>\n<p>Do you think he would?<\/p>\n<p>Her response took a while.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know your Liam. People change.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>But I wouldn\u2019t put yourself in a position where you have to find out.<\/p>\n<p>That answer mattered because it was careful.<\/p>\n<p>Not sensational.<\/p>\n<p>Not revenge.<\/p>\n<p>Just caution.<\/p>\n<p>I thanked her.<\/p>\n<p>I told her I would not contact her again unless she wanted.<\/p>\n<p>Megan replied:<\/p>\n<p>You can message if you need factual clarification. I don\u2019t want to get pulled into a fight with him.<\/p>\n<p>I promised.<\/p>\n<p>Then one final message arrived.<\/p>\n<p>He will probably tell you I\u2019m crazy if he learns we talked.<\/p>\n<p>I stared at it.<\/p>\n<p>Then typed:<\/p>\n<p>He already did.<\/p>\n<p>Three dots appeared.<\/p>\n<p>Megan:<\/p>\n<p>Then he hasn\u2019t changed as much as I hoped.<\/p>\n<p>I sat alone in the van for ten minutes after the conversation ended.<\/p>\n<p>I did not feel vindicated.<\/p>\n<p>I felt sad.<\/p>\n<p>For Megan.<\/p>\n<p>For Jessica.<\/p>\n<p>For myself.<\/p>\n<p>For every person who had individually believed the problem might disappear if they explained themselves better.<\/p>\n<p>I called David.<\/p>\n<p>He answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou told Liam to leave Megan alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>Then a sigh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe answered you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t remember it clearly until Elena brought everything back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Liam grabbed her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My throat tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI found out afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom Megan?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI confronted him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt first, that he\u2019d messed up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd later?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat she twisted it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou believed him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David sounded devastated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believed him because I wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>He continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not an excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI should\u2019ve remembered all of this sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe you didn\u2019t want to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We sat in silence through the phone.<\/p>\n<p>Then David said, \u201cChloe, if he asks you to meet him, don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou promise?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I hung up.<\/p>\n<p>Five minutes later, as if summoned by the conversation, Liam emailed.<\/p>\n<p>Can we please meet somewhere neutral? Coffee. Public place. Thirty minutes. I need to say something I don\u2019t want in writing.<\/p>\n<p>I read it twice.<\/p>\n<p>Then I thought of Megan reaching for her car door.<\/p>\n<p>I deleted the draft response I had begun typing.<\/p>\n<p>There was nothing Liam needed to say off the record badly enough for me to risk discovering why he wanted it unwritten.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=31227\">Click here to continue reading: PART 16: I Refused Liam\u2019s Private Meeting, and His Reaction Proved the Conversation He Wanted Was Never About Closure in the First Place<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I wrote Megan\u2019s name on a piece of paper. Just Megan. No last name. No number. No proof she even remembered Liam. Still, seeing the name made my skin prickle. &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31226"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31261,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31226\/revisions\/31261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}