Page 23 of The Love Chase

The Liam I was before moving to LA would have.

He would’ve stopped Emma, held her in his arms, and listened until the tears I saw her holding back were gone, and her voice was raspy from all the words she didn’t want to say. That’s just how our relationship was—err, used to be.

But Emma was right. We weren’t the same people anymore.

And I couldn’t bring my feet to move, to chase after her.

It’s crazy how much two people could change in just a couple years.

I knew she was upset that I had left Meridel, but I hadn’t realized just how upset she was until she had said those words.

It’s your fault.

As much as my pride didn’t want to admit it, she was right.

I was the one to leave. I was the one who couldn’t handle the pressure and the stress and the schedule. I couldn’t handle the disappointment in her voice when I’d have to cut our conversations short or had to cancel our video chats. I couldn’t stomach the look on her face.

And then when the tabloids started spreading crazy rumors about me, I couldn’t bear the thought of Emma seeing me as that type of guy.

So…I just stopped talking to her.

But not for a moment did I stop missing her.

Not a single day went by that I didn’t think about her, that I didn’t wish she had come with me to LA. Not that she ever would have. Meridel was home for her. She had her own dreams to chase—literally.

I’d never met anyone who loved severe weather like she did, and living in Tornado Alley allowed her to go after those dreams—even if they terrified me. I couldn’t live with myself if I let her get caught up in mine instead of her own. It wasn’t like we were together anyway. We were best friends. That was all.

Which was why I couldn’t let her do this.

I couldn’t marry Emma.

As soon as the tabloids got wind of our marriage, they would devour her.

It wasn’t that I didn’t think she could handle it. She was one of the strongest people I knew, and I was certain that if anyone could put up with fame and all that came along with it, it was her.

But that didn’t mean I wanted her to have to deal with it.

She deserved better.

Emma deserved so much more than what this marriage would be.

She deserved real love—not a sham that would end in a divorce in a year.

Which was exactly why I threw some cash on the table, stalked out of Dina’s, and drove all the way to the motel that Bridget was staying in. A few seconds of smiling at the pretty receptionist rewarded me with Bridget’s room number before I stalked down the hallway and banged my fist on her door.

The pleasant smile on her face as she opened it made my vision turn red.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I snapped at her. “Why would you bring Emma into this mess?”

Bridget rolled her eyes and waved me inside. The room was small, with that typical sterile hotel smell, a queen bed on the left and a dresser with a TV across from it. Her suitcase was nestled against the wall, still zipped up tight. She was either not planning on staying, or she was already on her way out.

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is a brilliant solution, Liam. I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. It will solve your problem. You should be happy you have such a good manager who’s willing to go to these lengths to help you.” She crossed her arms, scowling at me.

“Emma is not a solution. She’s a person, and I’m not dragging her into this.”

“Why?”

It was a simple question—only one word—and yet I couldn’t put my reasons into spoken words. They were all jumbled in my mind, running over each other, not making any sense.

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