Page 7 of Hate To Love You
The world twirls the wrong way as Liam throws out his hands to catch himself, but misses the shelf, the ladder, and anything else within reach.
But he doesn’t hit the ground.
When Liam opens his eyes, he finds himself in Teague’s arms, who dropped every cereal box he was holding to catch him.
The two stare into each other’s eyes, Liam catching his breath, Teague gazing down at him, stunned.
Holding him in his arms.
Both as surprised to see one another as the other.
Their faces are close again. Liam’s heart drums in his chest with the ferocity of a leopard chasing prey as he peers up at his savior’s face—his deep brown eyes, his lifted eyebrows, his wide parted lips that curl in that uniquely cute, Teague-specific fashion, though he doesn’t seem amused exactly; he seems in shock.
A pleasant shock, if that can even be described.
Liam comes to, and the spell breaks. He rights himself, getting back to his feet as he’s let down.
Teague hasn’t quite recovered, still looking at Liam with deep concern. “Hey, you okay there, Peanut?”
Maybe it’s the use of the hated nickname, but Liam at once finds himself unable to thank Teague. He just glares at him as he smooths out his shirt and apron. “I’m fine.”
“Need to reach something on that top shelf?”
“I got it.”
“I can get it for you.” He wiggles his fingers for some reason. “Long-ass arms, remember?”
“I said I got it,” snaps Liam, stepping back onto the short ladder and reaching once again for the Multi Grain Cheerios. He’s no closer to obtaining the reclusive box of cereal this time than he was a minute ago.
He feels a sudden presence behind him. With a glance over his shoulder, he finds Teague standing right by him, his syrupy eyes laser-focused on Liam while dutifully holding the ladder.
Liam frowns. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Just in case.”
“I know how to keep balanced on a ladder.”
“Do you, though?”
Teague’s taunting voice makes Liam flush with frustration. Why is he so annoyingly insistent on being helpful all of a sudden? Perhaps it would have been better had Teague not played the hero and let him hit the ground. Maybe now, Liam could be comfier in the backroom nursing an aching back. That’d probably be less of a pain than putting up with this guy.
At last, the cereal box is obtained, and Liam completes his task of bringing it to the front along with three other boxes. When he comes down the ladder, he finds himself—again—far too close to Teague, who makes no effort to back away from him.
“Yeah,” says Teague quietly, almost to himself. “Think I just decided on my mission for the summer.”
Liam tries to take a step back, but his heel hits the base of the stepladder. “Mission?”
Teague does that funny thing with his lips again as he crosses his arms, smiles broadly, then gives Liam a wink. “I’m gonna make you like me.”
Liam feels pinned against the ladder by Teague’s presence.
Pinned against the ladder by Teague’s enchanting smile.
Pinned against the ladder by his words.
“W-What?”
“It’s my goal,” Teague repeats. “I’m gonna make you like me.”
