Alive.
“How are you here right now?” I ask, pulling back, and he sets me down on my feet. My hands remain on his chest as he holds me close. “I didn’t expect you to come so soon.”
He tilts his head and grins. “I couldn’t stay away another fucking day, Mads.” Then he cups my face and brushes his mouth over mine, soft at first, but when I part my lips, he slides his tongue between and dances with mine.
“Third wheel over here.” Tyler groans, and I burst out laughing, breaking the kiss. Tyler turns and looks at Liam. “Can’t tell you how relieved I was to know Maddie was actually real after hearing you go on and on about her for weeks. I thought maybe you made her up or she was a figment of your imagination.”
“Dude,” Liam says. “Bro code?”
“You gushed about me, huh?” I tease, smiling so wide I can’t control it.
“How do you think I knew who you were right away? He painted a very clear visual of what you looked like, how you talked, the way you shake your ass when you walk.”
“Oh my God!” I screech, playfully swatting Liam’s chest.
Tyler’s chuckling as Liam shoots him a death glare, then meets my eyes. “He’s messing with you. And me.”
I turn and scowl at Tyler who’s grinning. He shrugs. “It’s too easy.”
“Real cool, Beanstalk. Now I don’t feel bad you’re sleeping on the sofa.”
Liam’s head falls back with uncontrollable laughter. “Go figure, you know him for two weeks and have already given him a freaking nickname.”
I throw my hand toward Tyler who’s mixing pancake batter in a bowl. “Look at him, he’s a giant! It’s a proper one at least.”
“Yeah, Hulk,” Tyler singsongs.
“If I didn’t owe you my life, I’d deck you right now,” Liam taunts, keeping his arm around me.
“Which means I have lifetime privileges to tease the ever-living shit out of you,” Tyler retorts.
Liam smirks, then scoops me up. “You’re right, man. Now excuse me while I properly reunite with my girlfriend.”
Tyler groans. “Seriously?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep it down.” Liam chuckles, then carries me to the bedroom.
I’d feel bad for leaving Tyler all by himself, but I need time alone with Liam right now.
“Tell me what happened,” I say as he walks into the bedroom, then kicks the door shut. “I’ve been anxious just thinking about how it went down.”
He sets me on my feet, then gently cups my face. “I will, but we need to talk about us first.”
I nod. We have a lot to discuss, considering everything that’s happened since the last time we were together.
Liam cradles my face, bringing our foreheads together. He sucks in a breath. “I was so distraught when you left,” he says softly.
“Imagine how I felt when I heard Victoria was pregnant,” I remark even though he knows I had no choice.
Liam leans back slightly and his face drops. “Mads, I know, and I’m so goddamn sorry.”
I look at his pained expression. “I left for you,” I tell him. “She would’ve punished you even more if I hadn’t willingly gone that night. It was the only way to save you from her wrath, because I knew she was capable of hurting us all if she didn’t get her way.”
Liam shakes his head, cupping my cheeks. “I don’t deserve you. I hate myself so much for lying to you and fucking things up between us. You deserved to hear it from me, but—”
“Your heart was in the right place,” I finish for him, resting my palm on his chest. “Now knowing the truth, that they aren’t yours and how she used you to facilitate this whole picture-perfect family, I understand you were just trying to protect my feelings.”
“I never want to hurt you.” His hand wraps around my neck, and he pulls me against his chest before pressing a single kiss to the top of my head. “These past two weeks were the worst ones in my life. You’re all I could think about, and it was the thought of finding you that got me through every miserable day. I hated that you were blackmailed into leaving, but once I knew Tyler was with you, I was more determined than ever to get back to you.” Liam’s voice is sincere, and I hate how we were both thrust into this madness. I have to hope it’ll only make us stronger, though. “Please let me make this right. Tell me we can get through this. I can’t lose you.”
“You have some groveling to do,” I tease, but when he pulls back and we lock gazes, I see the heavy emotion in his eyes. Liam is rarely vulnerable and remains strong on the outside, but this Liam looks more broken than I’ve ever seen him.
Then he surprises the shit out of me when he falls to his knees in front of me and grips my hips with his strong hands. “I’ll do anything. I meant what I said on the phone. You know I’ve never done a relationship before and have definitely never told a woman those words before.”
My eyes water, and I know I can’t stay mad at him. He told me the truth when I found the photo of the target over my face, and although I was blindsided by Victoria, I know he’d never intentionally hurt me. Liam is all I’ve ever wanted. He’s not perfect, and both of us will screw things up sometimes, but it takes a real man to admit and apologize when he does. “We’ll get through this,” I assure him, leaning down to softly brush my lips against his. “She can’t break us.”
Liam grabs the back of my head and pulls me toward him and deepens the kiss. “Thank God. She’s ruined so much. I don’t know what I’d do if she tore us apart after I finally got you.”
His sincere words hit me straight in the gut. For years, I fought for Liam, but here he is, fighting like hell, so I’ll give him another chance.
He stands and holds me. It feels so good to be back in his arms. I momentarily close my eyes as I soak in his touch that I’d been so desperate to have again.
“Before I knew Victoria had something to do with you leaving, I thought you’d left me,” he confesses. “I was going out of my mind, thinking that I’d fucked everything up for good. I’ll make all of this up to you.” He brings his forehead to mine, and I hear him inhale a sharp breath. “I love you, Mads.”
“Say it again,” I encourage.
The corner of his lips twitches as he leans back slightly and locks eyes with me. With one palm on my cheek, he says, “I’m in love with you, baby. I love you so much that my chest physically aches when I think about how much you mean to me and what losing you would do to me.” He licks his lips. “Being apart put a lot into perspective, like how much time I wasted avoiding how I felt, or thinking you were better off with someone else. Though I will always believe you’re too good for me, I know there’s no one who could ever love me the way you do. I’m one lucky son of a bitch who gets to have you.”
The tears I was holding back fall at his heartfelt confession—one I wasn’t sure I’d ever get from him—but now that I have, my entire world feels complete. Who knew this macho, relationship-phobic man had a heart as big as this? Though I had always hoped.
Reaching up, I grab his face and bring his lips to mine. I kiss him hard and quick. “Feels like I’ve waited four years for that.” I grin. “I love you, too. More than I can comprehend, which scares me sometimes, but it’s you. It’s always been you.”