When Linus hears that, he exhales a breath he did not realize he had been holding. Something lifts off his chest.
Liam sniffles and his expression shifts into something between hurt and indignation. "Dad. Did you not hear what I just said? I said I killed Matthew. I have been living with this guilt for so long it feels like I have never known anything else."
He looks at his father. "And here I am, finally admitting it out loud, and you just... exhale like you are relieved. What the hell?"
The crying has stopped. Only the sniffles remain.
Linus catches himself. "I am sorry, Liam. You are right. I should not have reacted that way." He pauses. "But son, that is genuinely what I feel. Because hearing what you just told me, I am now more certain than ever that Matthew's death had nothing to do with you."
He says it slowly and deliberately, making sure each word has room to land.
"You did not kill Matthew, Liam. Do you hear me? I will say it again. You. Did. Not. Kill. Matthew."
