Chapter 122 Best Night
Liam’s POV
I watched Mia as she slept beside me, her face calm and peaceful in a way that made my chest ache. The soft light from the window brushed against her features, and for a moment I simply stayed there, memorizing every detail.
She looked so beautiful. And the thought that kept circling in my mind was the one I hated the most. Just loving her might ruin her. Being with me meant danger, secrets, and complications she did not deserve. Mia deserved a simple life. She deserved laughter without fear, love without consequences, and a future that was not shadowed by my family’s power and expectations.
But despite knowing all of that, I still wanted her more than anything. I knew I was being selfish and reckless. But the truth was I could not stay away from her. I would rather fight the whole world than give her up.
And if loving her meant danger, then I would simply make sure nothing ever touched her. I would protect her from everything. From rumors. From my father. From anyone who dared to hurt her.
Even if that meant becoming the villain everyone already believed I was.
Mia stirred beside me, shifting slightly against the pillow. My heart skipped when her eyelashes fluttered open. For a second she looked confused, still caught between sleep and waking.
Then realization slowly filled her eyes. Her cheeks immediately turned pink, and she quickly covered her face with both hands in embarrassment.
I could not help smiling.
Gently, I reached out and took her hands away from her face. She tried to protest, but I held them softly and leaned down before she could hide again.
My lips brushed against hers in a slow, tender kiss.
It was a perfect kiss. For a moment the world felt quiet and simple. When I finally pulled back, I rested my forehead lightly against hers and studied her flushed expression.
She looked adorable when she was flustered.
“Good morning,” She murmured softly after I released her sweet mouth.
And the way she looked at me right then made it easy to forget every reason I had for staying away from her.
“Good morning,” I replied softly, still smiling at her.
Mia blinked a few times as she stretched slightly against the pillows. She looked around the room, her nose wrinkling in confusion as if she was trying to figure something out.
“Mmm… why does it smell like pancakes and coffee?” she asked, glancing around the room with sleepy curiosity.
I chuckled quietly at her expression.
“I ordered room service earlier,” I explained. “You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t want to wake you up.”
She looked at me with surprise, her eyes widening a little.
Gently, I helped her sit up and arranged the pillows behind her so she could lean comfortably against the headboard. She still looked a little drowsy, her hair slightly messy from sleep, which somehow made her look even more adorable.
“I hope you don’t mind,” I added.
I stood up and walked to the small table near the window where the tray had been placed earlier. The delicious smell of warm pancakes, butter, and freshly brewed coffee filled the room as I carefully picked up the tray.
Balancing it in my hands, I returned to the bed and placed it between us.
“There,” I said, adjusting it so everything was easy to reach. “Breakfast is served.”
Mia looked at the tray, then back at me, clearly touched by the effort.
There were stacks of golden pancakes, a small bowl of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, and two cups of steaming coffee.
“I thought we could start the day like this,” I said, meeting her eyes again.
Then I smiled softly.
“I would love to have breakfast in bed with you.”
Her cheeks instantly turned pink, and she lowered her gaze for a moment, clearly flustered by my words. And seeing that shy reaction only made my chest feel warmer.
“Thank you, Liam,” she said softly.
Her voice was gentle, almost shy, and when I looked at her, I saw the warm glow in her eyes. It made my chest feel strangely tight in the best possible way.
“For what?” I asked, even though part of me already knew.
She looked down at her hands for a moment, as if gathering the courage to say it out loud.
“For this,” she said quietly, glancing around the room before looking back at me. “And for making my wish come true last night. I know it was you who made me Prom Queen.”
I immediately shook my head.
“You don’t need to thank me for that, Mia,” I said gently. “You won because people voted for you. Everyone at Suncrest loves you. They chose you because they wanted you to win.”
She gave a small laugh, but there was a hint of disbelief in it.
“Liam, you don’t have to say that just to make me feel better,” she said. “You and I both know that most of them don’t like me.”
I frowned slightly, but she continued before I could interrupt.
“But honestly,” she added, her voice softening, “it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Her eyes met mine, and this time they were shining with happiness.
“Being with you last night was enough for me,” she said. “It was already more than I ever dreamed of.”
She paused for a moment, her cheeks turning pink.
“And last night… was the best night of my life.”
Hearing those words made something warm spread through my chest. I could not stop the smile that slowly formed on my lips.
For a moment, I just looked at her, taking in the way her hair fell around her shoulders, the way her eyes sparkled with happiness.
“And I want to thank you again,” she added softly.
I chuckled and shook my head.
“You really don’t have to keep thanking me, Mia,” I said. “Seeing you happy is already enough for me. That’s all I wanted.”
She smiled at me then, a bright and genuine smile that made my heart feel lighter.
“Well,” she said playfully, “you definitely made me happy.”
Her voice was warm, filled with excitement and disbelief.
“Last night felt like a dream,” she continued softly. “And when I woke up this morning and realized it was real… I was even happier.”
I reached for her hand without thinking, gently squeezing it.
“I’m glad,” I said quietly.
Because the truth was, last night had been the best night of my life too. And seeing her smile like that made me wish the moment could last forever.
“I actually wanted to stay here with you a little longer,” I said after she finished eating, watching as she carefully placed the fork back on the tray. “But I want to take you somewhere.”
She blinked at me, curiosity immediately lighting up her face.
“Somewhere?” she asked.
I smiled when I saw her eyes brighten, as if she was already trying to guess what I was planning.
“Yes,” I said. “But before that, you should take a bath first.”
Her eyebrows lifted slightly as she studied my face.
“Why?” she asked, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
I chuckled softly and shook my head.
“I’m not telling you where we’re going,” I said. “I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”
She stared at me for a moment, clearly trying to read my expression, as if she could somehow figure out what I was hiding.
“You’re really not going to tell me?” she asked.
“No,” I replied with a grin. “Not yet.”
For a second she looked like she wanted to keep asking questions, but then her lips slowly curved into a smile.
“Okay,” she said finally, excitement already shining in her eyes. “I’ll be quick.”
She stood up from the bed and hurried toward the bathroom, clearly eager to find out what I had planned.
Watching her like that made my chest feel warm. I leaned back slightly and let out a quiet breath as I waited for her.
I could not wait to take her there. I wanted to give her more moments like last night. Moments where she could forget about the whispers, the judgment, and everything that made her doubt herself.
Moments where she could simply be happy. Because deep down, I knew that by Monday things would not be this easy anymore.
By Monday we would be back at Suncrest. We could not walk together in the halls. We could not sit beside each other like a normal couple. Even talking to each other for too long would make people suspicious.
We had already agreed that our relationship had to stay a secret. If anyone found out about us, it would only cause problems for Mia and me.
That meant we would have to pretend nothing had changed between us. We would pass each other in the corridors like strangers. We would sit in different places during lunch.
And the hardest part would be seeing her every day without being able to hold her hand, talk to her freely, or even smile at her the way I wanted to.
Just thinking about it already felt frustrating. But for now, I pushed those thoughts away. Today, I just wanted to enjoy this time with her. And I planned to make every second count.