Page 81 of The Love Chase

“Hmm?” He smiled against my lips.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Emma

Bridget was furious with Liam for missing the last two gigs in California, but he didn’t seem to care. In fact, after the fourth angry voicemail she’d left, he turned his phone off completely, and threw it in the drawer of my nightstand.

He’d explained that before he flew back to Meridel, he’d called Bridget and told her he wasn’t staying, that he’d find another way to fulfill his contract, but Iowa, with me, was where he was supposed to be.

I was pretty sure he’d be in trouble once he finally returned her calls, but I was happy to enjoy this moment of seclusion with just the two of us. There was nothing quite like lying in Liam’s arms, or having him press tender kisses to my lips, my jaw, my neck.

There was nothing like having him whisper the words “I love you” in my ear. I didn’t know how I got so lucky to fall in love with my best friend, and him with me, but I’d never stop being thankful that this was where we’d ended up. Not for a moment.

“You know you’ll have to answer her sometime,” I reminded him as we laid side by side. It was the middle of the night, and we had spent most of it talking in between rounds of kissing.

It was so easy to be his.

I like the sound of that, I thought to myself. For the first time since we got married, I actually felt like Liam Walker’s wife.

“I know,” he replied. “I’m not ready to leave this bubble though.” His fingers twisted into my shirt and tugged me closer before pecking a kiss on the tip of my nose.

My cheeks warmed, but I forced myself to say, “The sooner you get it over with, the better.”

Liam sighed, pressing another kiss to my shoulder. “What if I didn’t respond? What if I just…disappeared? Then we’d never have to leave our little bubble.”

I knew he was joking, but it still set my heart racing.

“You know you’d be miserable if you gave up music,” I tried to reason. “It’s always been your dream, and you’re one of the lucky few that has actually broken into the music industry.”

He nodded in agreement but stayed quiet for another moment. I waited, knowing he was processing and would speak when he was ready. In his silence, my own mind swirled. He’d have to go back to California eventually, and I didn’t know where that would leave us. Yes, we’d both admitted our feelings, but what happened next?

Would he still want to stay married? And if he did, would he expect me to come with him back to California? The thought had my insides twisting with anxiety. I didn’t want to leave Meridel. It was home. And I couldn’t bear to ask Liam to stay and give up everything he’d worked so hard to achieve. I loved him too much to ask that of him.

So where did that leave us?

“I’ve been thinking about something,” Liam admitted, breaking the silence. “For a while now. I’m not sure if it’ll be possible, but…” His eyes glittered in the dim room. He raised my hands to his lips. “With you by my side I feel like anything is possible.”

With those words, it felt like the summer sun finally pierced through the rain clouds inside of me, evaporating them and filling every part of me with happiness.

I couldn’t help the smile spreading across my face. “What’s your idea?”

I was back in the dressing room, only this time I was one hundred percent myself in a flowy top and jeans. I didn’t think I’d ever come back here—I’d figured by the time the need arose, Liam and I would have separated.

But we were the furthest thing from separated now. We were togetherated. Was that a word? I didn’t care.

The best part about tonight was that Bridget was nowhere to be found. Neither was the makeup girl.

It was just Liam and me.

He sat over in the corner on the love seat, picking away at his guitar as he hummed softly. He wore his signature vintage band tee and cowboy boots, and he looked more like my Liam than he had in the past two years.

He caught me staring and gave me a lopsided smile, his fingers never missing a fret as he continued playing.

After Liam told me his great idea, I made him wait until a normal hour (and not four in the morning) to call Bridget and give her the news.

The news being: she was fired.

And Liam was going to write and produce his own music.

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