Page 27 of The Love Chase

“And what happens when the year is up? You get divorced and pretend the year of marriage never happened?” Her voice was coated in skepticism.

“I don’t know. I guess so. Liam’s never expressed any type of feelings for me outside of friendship and I can’t imagine he’ll enjoy being stuck with me and having to turn down all the women that no doubt want him.” The thought had a lump rising in my throat. “I don’t know what to do.”

Maya hummed. “You guys have been friends forever. You don’t think there’s a chance that he harbors any feelings for you?”

An unattractive snort came out of me. “This is Liam Walker we’re talking about. Why would he want me when he could have literally any other woman out there?”

“Because you’re incredible and you’re his best friend. No one gets him like you do.”

“Was his best friend. I don’t know what we are now.”

“You’re about to be engaged, that’s what.”

I groaned, shoving my head into the pillow on Jameson’s couch.

“This might not be a bad thing,” Maya said after a moment. “Maybe this is the push Liam needs to see what’s been right in front of him for years.”

“Ha!” Like that would ever happen. “I’ve been in the friend zone forever.” I was a lifer at this point.

“I’m serious.”

“Don’t you think if that were going to happen, it would have by now? Liam’s never seen me as anything but a friend, probably more like a sister. This marriage of convenience won’t change that.”

Though I couldn’t see her face, I could hear the gears turning in her head as she said, “Living together is pretty intimate. I would think that would be the perfect time for Liam to start waking up.”

“So you’re saying you think I should sign the contract? Marry him?”

“I think that’s a decision only you can make, Em. Yes, it sounds like there are a lot of benefits—for both of you—if you agree, but marriage is a big thing. I know this probably isn’t how you envisioned getting married someday, so really think about if this is something you can live with for a little financial security. If you decide it’s worth it, I will support you one hundred percent. And if you decide to say no, then I’ll be here to help you figure out another way to pay down your debt.”

A swell of gratitude filled my chest at her support. Maya was right, this was no small decision. This could impact the rest of my life. The fact that she was willing to stand by me no matter what I decided meant more than she could know.

A faint smacking sound came through the phone. If I knew her, she was probably punching her fist into her other hand. “And my offer to beat him up still stands.”

I huffed a laugh. The mental image of Liam and all his six-foot-two glory and Maya’s petite frame going head-to-head was too comical.

“I’ll let you know if I need Karate Master Maya.”

“I thought it was Love Guru,” Oliver’s voice said in the background, and we all laughed.

“Okay, Love Gurate Master—see what I did there?—I’ll let you know if I need you to use Liam as a punching bag.”

“Good. Give it some serious thought, Em, but don’t be too quick to dismiss it either. No, the situation isn’t ideal, but this could open a door to Liam finally recognizing that he has feelings for you that might not have otherwise been there. Maybe the reason why he was shopping around for women in Cali was because none of them were you.”

My first instinct was to deny that thought, but it didn’t stop the flutter of hope that started in my stomach, slowly warming me from the inside out.

I thought about arguing, but I had already interrupted her honeymoon enough. Besides, if I did say yes, Bridget would be calling Maya soon to get her home in time for the ceremony. That would be one of my stipulations for marrying Liam—that Elsie and Maya had to be my bridesmaids. Even if all of it was fake, I wanted at least a little bit of real.

“We’ll see,” I finally said. “I’ll let you know what I decide.”

A knock at the door sounded then and Luna perked up, running over and wagging her tail, waiting to greet whoever was on the other side.

“Gotta go. Someone’s at the door,” I said, holding back a groan as I sat up. Why hadn’t Jameson invested in a video doorbell yet?

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she sang before the line dropped.

Shaking my head at my ridiculous friend, I tossed my phone onto the couch and went to open the door, freezing when I saw Liam standing on the other side.

“What are you doing here?” I wanted the words to be demanding, to show him I didn’t want him there, but instead they came out as a hopeful breathy thing, and I winced as soon as the words left my mouth.

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