Page 90 of The Savior

“You’re the same person you’ve always been.”

Her hand flew up, and her palm clapped against his cheek with a snap, causing a sharp sting. “I amnot.Don’t you ever say that again.”

Liam took the hand that slapped him and ran his thumb across her knuckles.

She balked. “I don’t want to talk. Don’t you get that?”

Perhaps that was true of the both of them. He didn’t want to talk, either. Not really. He wanted everything to simply slip into the easy course he’d always known. “You don’t want to talk. I don’t want to fight.”

“What do you want, Liam?”

To fuck…Everything they needed to know was clear when they stripped away their clothes and didn’t hold back.

“I never hoped for this,” she whispered.

“You think I don’t know that?”

Pain creased her brow. “I would be so happy if she were here. If you two were engaged—” Her voice cracked. “I promise.”

“I know.”

Everything came back to the bullshit expectations. How they should feel and act. How they could behave or what they couldn’t do, where their eyes and hands wandered, how right it felt when they did, and what happened versus what should happen—but who the hell definedshould.

He’d never been disloyal a day in his life. He’d never cheated and never wanted to. The notion of being with anyone else hadn’t occurred to him—until now.

Chelsea waited as if he had to say more. Liam wanted to hash their situation out until it made sense but knew that’d be impossible. He inhaled and held it until his lungs burned, not ready to say he didn’t still mourn Julia, or lie about his desire for Chelsea.

“You loved her. I loved her. How can you believe what we’ve done is okay?” she pressed.

“When we fucked,” he said. “Was it just sex?”

Her jaw fell.

“Life is not linear.” It was wrecked with ups and down, spins and crashes, but as long as they moved forward, life was as it had to be. Chelsea finding Julia’s engagement ring had forced him to think about the future with her, and the irony was not lost. “And I want you to come back inside.”

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