Page 45 of Falling For Liam
“Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“The surf’s good today, if you guys fancy hitting the beach?” Liam asks. Jax’s face immediately lights up before they fall into an easy conversation about surfing.
Abbi rolls her eyes at them before turning back to me. “Perfect. They can surf and we cantalk.”
“Great.” I force a smile out. Talking is the last thing I want to be doing. I’ve got things I need to figure out, not relive the past.
* * *
“He did what?” Abbi squeaks, her face white as a sheet after I relay the very basic details of what actually happened in Cardiff.
“Shush, the whole beach doesn’t need to know.”
“Sorry, but what the fuck? Why the hell did you stay so long, and why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“I thought I was doing what was best. I was trying to protect David and his parents.”
“Fuck that, Liv. They should have been the ones protecting you. That was not your job.”
“It felt like it was.” And it still does, to a point. I ran and left them to deal with the consequences, knowing what Griff’s capable of.
A shudder runs through me as the image sitting on my phone haunts me once again.
“We’re lucky bitches. You know that, right?” Abbi’s random question drags me back to the here and now and I see exactly what she’s talking about when I follow her gaze down to the sea.
Standing waist-high in seawater, Liam and Jax are stood chatting, totally unaware of every pair of female eyes on the beach on them. Jax’s colourful tattoos seem to almost shine in the sunlight, whereas it highlights every line and muscle on Liam’s naked skin.
My mouth waters and, as if he can sense my stare, Liam turns my way. His dark eyes bore into mine. My stomach knots with desire, my temperature spiking under his stare.
“Holy shit, Liv. That boy’s got it bad for you. I’m guessing you two haven’t just met, right?”
“No, we met when I came down here before Molly’s hen do.”
“Oh yeah?” she says, elbowing me in the ribs and pulling my attention from Liam.
“Nothing happened. I was with David, and he respected that.”
“I know I should be saying that was the right thing to do, but shit, no one could have blamed you if you went for it. The way he looks at you…”
“Maybe.”
“I think he’s the one, Liv. When are you going to introduce him to Mum and Dad?”
“Never?” I ask with a wince.
“Oh, come on. Mum’s totally lightened up after Molly and Jax were forced on her. Plus, you know she’ll just love him. He hasn’t got a bad reputation—that she knows of—and he’s not covered in tattoos.”
“I guess.”
“You’re going to have to tell them soon. They’ll be seriously pissed if they find out you’ve been here months, all shacked up, and they have no idea.”
“I know, I know. I’ll phone them soon,” I say, but it’s more to keep her off my case than anything else. I love my parents, I really do, but Mum in particular is totally overbearing and opinionated. I want to do this my way and not have her in my ear questioning my every decision. Plus, I know how much she loved David. He was kind and dependable—or boring, as Abbi described him—but that’s what she thinks we need. Men who will earn money, put roofs over our heads and give us children. Did I mention she’s totally old fashioned?
We stay on the beach until the sun starts setting and, after agreeing to reconvene for dinner in a few hours, we all head back to get showered.
“Ugh, I’ve got sand in places there should never be sand,” I complain as I walk in my en suite.
“Sounds like you need a hand,” Liam growls behind me before the door clicks shut.
