Page 127 of Fix Them Up
We shifted, and my feet hit the ground, but we didn’t separate. We just stood in each other’s arms.
‘Miserable. London was hot. And usually it’s hot in June but this time it was worse. Like suffocating. And moving in with Mum and Graham was tedious. I only did it so I could prove a point. I kept talking about you and Everly Heath, partly to piss off my mum, which was a stupid teenager move, but I couldn’t help it.’ I inhaled for the next words. ‘Willa is miserable too, but she won’t let me help her. I tried my best to sort what I could, but I get the feeling something bigger is happening that she won’t share with me. And I missed you every day. I wanted to strangle you for saying I couldn’t call or text. I was going to FaceTime you for sex one night, to see if you’d cave –’
Liam gave a shuttered laugh. ‘I probably would have.’
‘Damn it. I knew I should have given it a go.’ I sighed. ‘But annoyingly, I’m glad I went back. I helped Willa land some clients and recruit someone else. And Mum seems to have come aroundto the idea of me moving here. She was actually quite nice when I left. She and Graham helped me pack up my stuff.’
I was suddenly aware I was waffling. I closed my mouth, and the silence held for a moment. I pulled back to see Liam’s lip turned up, but he was staring at me with that resting bitch face.
‘Say something!’ I said, my hands flapped uselessly.
‘Just checking you were done,’ Liam said, hiding his smile. ‘Sometimes you get a second wind.’
‘Ugh, what do you want me to say? I should never have gone back. Because I will –’
My words died as Liam stepped forward and pressed his lips against mine. His chest pressed against my own. The world roared with white noise, but my head was quiet. Peaceful. Until Liam’s teeth grazed my lower lip, teasing me, and blood roared in my ears.
He pulled back, and I swallowed my disappointed noise.
Liam cradled my neck. ‘I’ve been miserable. More of an arsehole than usual. Sandra banned me from the club.’
‘She banned you?’ I gasped.
‘She held a public vote. Everyone voted yes.’
I gave a strangled laugh.
‘Don’t laugh.’ But his eyes twinkled. ‘I was a mess because I missed you. God, it’s been so quiet.’
My eyes narrowed. ‘Excuse me –’
‘Too quiet,’ Liam murmured, his hands gripping my hair.
Our lips met. Relief and the smell of Liam’s cologne flooded my senses. Liam’s hands fell to my neck, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss. He kissed my cheeks and forehead like I was something precious.
Liam’s eyes were soft, flickering between my lips and my eyes.
‘I’ve got something to show you,’ Liam said as he grasped my hand and led me away from the restaurant, which was teeming with people.
‘What about the party?’ I said, frowning. ‘Liam, we can’t leave.’
‘It can wait.’
‘Liam. You’ve worked so hard on this. We can’t just walk off –’
Liam turned, clasping my head in his hands, planting a quick kiss on my lips. He grinned down at me, a glint in his eyes. ‘I’ve been waiting two months for my life to restart again. Trust me, the party can wait. This can’t.’
Chapter Forty-One
Liam stopped the van outside my house, a small smile on his handsome face. He’d run his hand through his hair on the drive over, his gaze shifting to me and back to the road, like I was going to disappear at any time.
‘What’s going on?’ I said, walking over to him, taking his arm from his hair and threading his fingers through mine. It was a relief to be able to do it. To touch him again.
‘I –’ Liam began. ‘I’m not good with all the words.’
My lips turned up into a smile. ‘All the words?’
‘You know what I mean. I didn’t go to uni. I can’t write you poetry.’
