Chapter 49
His thumb strokes my cheek, grounding me. His other hand slides down my arm, finding my fingers and squeezing tight.
I cling to him like he’s the only solid thing in the world.
And maybe he is.
Slowly, painfully, I match my breathing to his. In for four. Out for four. Over and over until my heart isn’t trying to break free from my ribs, until my lungs don’t feel like they’re collapsing.
Until I can finally meet his eyes.
He gives me a small, reassuring smile. “There you are.”
I swallow hard, my throat burning. “I—”
“You don’t have to say anything.” His fingers brush against my jaw, light and comforting. “I’m right here, Em. No one’s going to touch you. No one’s going to hurt you.”
But the damage is already done.
And I have no idea how to fix it.
We stand there in silence, the only sound between us the soft rhythm of our breathing. Liam doesn’t rush me. He just stays-steady, patient-like he’s anchoring me in place.
After a while, his voice breaks the quiet. “Is your stomach still upset?”
I shake my head.
“Do you feel like throwing up?”
I hesitate before shaking my head again, embarrassment heating my cheeks.
Liam studies me, his gaze gentle but unreadable. Then, as if making up his mind, he exhales. “Alright. Go sit down for a bit. I need to step out, but I’ll be back soon.”
His voice is so soft, so careful, that something in my chest tightens.
I nod, and Liam guides me toward the bed like I might break if he’s too rough. His fingers linger on my arm for a mo- ment, warm and steady, before he finally lets go.
And then he’s gone.
The room instantly feels colder.
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16:17
་་ས་་ཅ་
I left my past behind because it hurt too much to face. I wasn’t just some hockey player’s fiancée playing house. I’m not just a bakery owner who works herself to exhaustion every day.
No.
I’m an heiress-a girl who ran away when things got too real. A girl who couldn’t face what she had done. A girl who deserved the hatred her family gave her.
My throat tightens. I force myself to move, to do something. I brush my teeth, scrub my face with cold water, but when I glance at my reflection, a hollow laugh slips out. It’s like I’ve undone months of work in just a few hours.
By the time I crawl back into bed, exhaustion presses down on me. I pull my knees to my chest, curling into myself as I try-really try-not to spiral again.
Then the door opens.
Liam steps inside, a white plastic bag dangling from his fingers. His eyes flick over me, scanning my face, searching for something. Whatever he sees makes his shoulders relax, his lips curve into a small, relieved smile.
He came back.
The thought is ridiculous. Of course he came back. Where else would he go? But still… something inside me eases.
He sits down beside me and tugs on my shirt, pulling me closer until I can see the bag’s contents. “Do you want it? Or do you not?” he asks slowly.
As awful as I feel, I can’t help but smile.
“Thank you, Liam.” I don’t think I say it properly, but he just pats my head.
“You never have to thank me for anything, love.”
Inside the bag is a pack of strawberries with melted chocolate.
Something cracks inside me. It’s such a small thing, but right now, it feels impossibly big.
I take them from him, my fingers shaking as I rip open the container. The moment the sweetness of the strawberries hits my tongue, the bitterness in my chest starts to fade.
Liam just sits there, watching me. Not saying a word.
When I finish, my hands are a mess of chocolate, and I’m about to excuse myself to wash up when Liam suddenly shakes his head.
And then-before I can react-he reaches over and brushes his thumb against my cheek.
I freeze.
My breath catches. My skin burns where he touched me.
Then he pulls away, his thumb now stained with chocolate.
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16:17
I
Chapter 49
I expect him to grab a napkin. Maybe wipe it off on his jeans. Anything but what he actually does.
He licks it off.
Right in front of me.
My brain short-circuits.
Heat floods my face so fast I swear I might combust.
“Wha-what are you doing?!” I shrick, flailing backward like he just committed an unforgivable crime.
Liam, completely unfazed, scrunches his nose in mild disgust. “Too sweet.”
Igape at him. “That’s-that’s what you’re concerned about?”*
He shrugs. “What else?”
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Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that he just did the most effortlessly attractive thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life?!
