Chapter 91

Chapter 91


The room was dark except for the silver glow of the moon spilling through the curtains. Emily lay awake, her body nestled into Liam’s chest, but her mind far from still. His steady breathing should have lulled her into comfort, but her thoughts raced ahead toward the future neither of them had yet dared to define.

Liam stirred slightly, adjusting to the weight of her arm draped across his torso. He didn’t open his eyes, but his hand slid slowly down her spine, tracing it like he was mapping every inch into memory.

“You’re awake,” Emily whispered, almost unsure if she wanted him to be.

“I am now,” he murmured, his voice still heavy with sleep. “Why aren’t you?”

She hesitated. “Just thinking.”

He opened his eyes fully this time, adjusting his head to look at her. “About?”

Emily didn’t respond at first. Instead, she buried her face into his chest. She inhaled deeply the familiar scent of him like wood, spice, and something uniquely Liam. It grounded her. It made the world outside feel distant and irrelevant. But it didn’t silence the question echoing in her chest.

“I don’t want to go back,” she finally said. “I know I have to, but... I don’t want to.”

Liam tensed slightly. “To school?”

She nodded. “To reality. To pretending like none of this is happening. Like you’re not the only thing that makes me feel safe.”

He sat up, pulling her with him so she straddled his lap. His hands held her waist, grounding her.

“We don’t have to pretend,” he said, eyes locked on hers. “Not anymore. I don’t care what your dad thinks. I don’t care what the world says. Emily, I’m in love with you.”

She felt her breath catch. Not because she hadn’t known she had but hearing it aloud, without hesitation or fear, changed everything. She reached up and cupped his face.

“I love you too,” she said, and she meant every word.

Liam kissed her slowly and deliberately, like sealing a promise between them. It wasn’t urgent or lustful; it was reverent. They stayed like that for a long moment before he pulled away.

“You don’t have to go back to that house,” he said. “You can stay here. Or we can go somewhere else. Anywhere. Just say the word.”

Emily leaned her forehead against his. “I wish it were that easy.”

“It can be,” he replied. “If we make it.”

The weight of responsibility pressed on her. There were still things she hadn’t told him. Things about her past, about the pain she’d buried so deep she sometimes forgot it was still there.

“Liam... there’s something I should’ve told you a long time ago.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded for her to go on.

She swallowed hard. “When I was sixteen, something happened... Someone I trusted crossed a line. It’s not just the reason I left home it’s why I don’t want to go back. I never told my dad because I thought it would destroy him. And I didn’t tell you because... I didn’t want you to look at me differently.”

Liam’s jaw clenched. He didn’t speak, but his arms wrapped around her tighter.

“Who?” he asked, voice deadly calm.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m safe now. With you. That’s what matters.”

But it did matter to Liam. Whoever had hurt her whoever had made her feel like she had to carry that burden alone would pay if he ever found out. Still, he didn’t push.

“I’m sorry you had to carry that alone,” he said softly. “But you’re not alone now. And you never will be again.”

They sat in silence, wrapped in each other’s arms, until the morning light began to seep into the room.

Later that day, Emily stood in front of her father’s door. She hadn’t planned on coming back here so soon, but there were things she needed to say truths that needed air.

The door opened before she could knock. Her father stood there, surprise etched into his features.

“Emily?”

“Hi, Dad,” she said quietly.

He stepped aside, letting her in. The house looked exactly the same warm, familiar, and yet distant. She walked in slowly, her heart pounding.

“Is everything okay?” he asked. “You’ve been gone for weeks. I was worried.”

“I know,” she said. “I just needed time.”

He led her to the kitchen, where they sat across from each other at the table.

“I came back because I don’t want to run anymore,” she began. “But I also came back to tell you the truth.”

His brows furrowed. “What truth?”

She exhaled. “I’m in love with Liam.”

The silence was sharp.

Her father blinked. “Liam? My best friend Liam?”

“Yes.”

He leaned back, stunned. “Are you... is he forcing you into something?”

“No. It’s real. It’s been real for a while. I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

He was quiet for a long moment. Then he looked at her with a mixture of confusion and pain.

“I trusted him,” he said. “I trusted you. And now...”

“I know how it sounds,” she interrupted. “But I need you to understand this isn’t just a fling. He loves me. I love him. I’m happy, Dad. Happier than I’ve ever been.”

Her father stood and walked toward the window. His back was to her.

“I need time,” he finally said. “To process this.”

“I understand,” she said. “But I couldn’t keep lying to you.”

When she left the house, the air felt lighter. The truth was out. And though it hadn’t gone perfectly, it was done.

That night, Emily returned to Liam’s house. He met her at the door, pulling her into his arms.

“How did it go?” he asked.

“It could’ve been worse,” she said. “But it’s done. He knows.”

Liam stroked her hair. “I’m proud of you.”

They moved to the bedroom, undressing slowly. This time wasn’t about lust. It was about being seen fully and honestly. They kissed like they were rewriting the past. When he entered her, it was soft, slow, intimate.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered.

“I know.”

And for the first time in a long time, Emily believed it.