Chapter 2
Ilam called me several times while I was out.
I ignored every single one
Just thinking about hits cold, heartless words made my chest ache like I’d been stabbed.
Only when I had no tears left and my body felt completely drained did I finally hail a cab home.
When I opened the door, Liam was on the phone with someone, his voice impossibly gentle:
“Hey, take it easy. You just had surgery–you need to rest.”
My heart twisted painfully.
The only person who could bring out that tenderness in Liam’s voice was Zoey.
The moment he saw me, he instinctively hung up.
A flash of panic crossed his eyes, so quick I almost thought I imagined it.
Liam crossed the room in two quick strides and pulled me into his arms.
“Where have you been? Why didn’t you answer my calls? Do you have any idea how worried I was?”
His voice trembled slightly, the concern in his eyes looking genuinely real.
I used to think Liam’s embrace was the warmest place in the world.
But now, being held so gently and carefully in his arms, I couldn’t feel any warmth at all.
I casually stepped out of his embrace and pulled my phone from my purse, only to find the screen completely black.
“Battery’s dead,” I said.
I forced the corners of my mouth up, putting on a smile that didn’t quite fit my face.
E
“I was about to call the cops. Thought something happened to you,” Liam said, automatically grabbing my hand. “Jesus, you’re freezing!”
That’s when he noticed how thinly I was dressed, no coat in sight.
You already run cold, and you’re out in this weather without a jacket?”
Only then did I remember I’d left my coat at the hospital.
‘Oh. Forgot it,” I said with a half–hearted smile.
Too bad Liam didn’t notice how my smile never reached my eyes.
Liam flicked my nose playfully, looking at me with that soft smile of his.
You’re such a space cadet sometimes.”
[ froze up.
That cute little nose flick–he’d done it a million times over our three years.
Now it made my skin crawl. Fake. So damn fake.
I stared him down, not even blinking.
His face was all concern and sincerity. Not a single tell.
Wow. The man deserved a freaking Oscar.
“Starving, right? Got your fave.”
Liam emerged from the kitchen with a steaming bowl of pho–no cilantro, of course, because he “knew me so well.”
That Vietnamese beef soup from the place down the street–I used to inhale it.
It still smelled amazing, but my stomach turned at the thought of eating.
I guess everything looks different when your heart changes.
I forced down a few bites, then walked back to the bedroom under Liam’s puzzled gaze.
After washing up, I lay down ready to sleep.
Liam came in carrying a glass of milk.
“Drink this before bed,” he said, his voice as gentle as ever.
I frowned slightly at the milk in front of me.
“Come on, drink up and then sleep,” Liam coaxed, like he was talking to a stubborn child.
Liam might seem easygoing, but he could be incredibly stubborn about certain things.
Like this nightly milk ritual.
I’ve always had trouble sleeping, and warm milk supposedly helps.
Every night for three years, without fail, Liam had brought me a glass of warm milk before bed.
22.05
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.