Chapter 69 I Only Love You
Mia's POV
"I don't love Stacy," Liam said softly, every word breaking through the barrier I was trying to hold.
"I never wanted her to be my girlfriend, let alone my wife. I never even liked her like that, Mia. There's only one person I wanted to be with... the only one I still want to be with... and that's you." He added.
I let out a short, disbelieving laugh, but the sound faded quickly as Liam reached for me again, this time pulling me gently but firmly into his arms. My breath caught.
"Liam," I whispered, but I never got to finish.
Because his lips were already on mine. The kiss was sudden, desperate, aching. And even though my mind screamed at me to push him away, my body betrayed me. My hands gripped his shirt. My lips answered his without hesitation, as if they'd been waiting for this, all along.
When we finally pulled apart, breathless and trembling, Liam rested his forehead against mine.
"God," he whispered, "I missed you. I missed us."
My lashes fluttered, still stunned. My chest ached.
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," he said, brushing a thumb against my cheek. "My dad... he threatened me. The moment he announced the engagement, he made sure his men were watching my every move. I never saw it coming, Mia. And I knew I hurt you. But even when I was beside Stacy. I was thinking about you every single day. You can ask Josh. He knows how much I love you."
I couldn't speak. My heart was pounding too hard to form words.
"I didn't come for the project tonight," Liam added. "I came to tell you the truth. I came to apologize. I couldn't stay away anymore."
He looked at me, eyes searching mine.
"Please... say something," he whispered.
I swallowed hard and looked down. "I'm with Daniel now," I murmured.
A long silence stretched between us.
"Do you love him?" Liam asked quietly. "Tell me the truth, Mia. If you really love Daniel, I'll walk away right now. I'll never bother you again. Just say the words, and I'm gone."
But I couldn't speak. My throat locked.
"No words?" he said, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "Just what I thought."
He took another step closer, voice almost broken now.
"Do you still love me, Mia?"
I looked up then, and he saw it. The pain. The longing. The love I tried so hard to bury.
"Of course I do," I whispered.
Liam's eyes closed for a moment, and when he opened them, a real smile, soft, hopeful, curved his lips.
"Is Daniel really your boyfriend?" he asked gently.
I shook my head. "No. But he saved me... from being laughed at, from breaking down in front of everyone. He stepped in when I needed someone."
Liam nodded slowly. "Then I owe him. He took care of the girl I love. And for that, I'll always be grateful. But every time I saw you with him, it broke me. Because I wanted it to be me. It should have been me."
His arms wrapped around my waist now, slowly, cautiously.
"I couldn't just abandon Stacy overnight. But I swear to you, I'll fix this. I'll talk to her. I'll make her understand. I'll protect you from all of this, Mia."
I shook my head, eyes glassy. "You don't need to protect me, Liam. I've learned to stand on my own. But... I won't lie. You broke my heart. I hated you for not calling, for not saying anything after the engagement announcement. I waited for you."
"I know," he said, his voice thick with regret. "You had every right to hate me. I just, I didn't know how to fight back then. But I do now. And I'm fighting for you."
I opened my mouth, maybe to argue, but before I could, he smiled through his guilt, dimples flashing in the dim light.
"I'm sorry. I know it's not enough. But I love you, Mia. I never stopped."
I stared at him for a moment, breath shaky, lips trembling.
"Then shut up and kiss me, Liam."
And he did.
We eventually sat at the small dining table, the project papers scattered between us, scribbled notes, open textbooks, pens uncapped and forgotten. We tried to focus, really. But the silence between us wasn't the kind meant for concentration.
Because every time our hands brushed over the table, every time I reached for the same pen he was holding.
And every moment our eyes met in soft, stolen glances, we fell just a little deeper.
And now, in this small apartment under the glow of a flickering ceiling light, those feelings began to bloom again, soft and wild.
Brainstorming led to laughter, and laughter led to his fingers tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
One brush of my hand down his arm turned into him tracing lazy circles on the back of mine.
A whisper of "This question's hard," turned into "You make everything else feel easy."
The lines between our assignment and the ache in my heart blurred until neither of us knew where the project ended and the pull between us began.
"Focus," I said with a shaky laugh, my cheeks warm.
"I'm trying," Liam whispered, his voice low and rough, "but you're right in front of me... and it's impossible."
And when I turned to look at him, he leaned in again, slower this time, lips ghosting over mine like a promise.
A kiss that spoke of all the nights we spent apart. Of all the dreams I never let myself finish. Of all the ways he wanted to stay.
And somewhere between writing our names on the worksheet and whispering soft apologies, I realized I never stopped loving him.
Maybe I never could.
"Liam, it's late. You still have early practice tomorrow," I said softly, my eyes flickering to the clock on the wall. I stood near the door, unsure if I should push him to leave or ask him to stay.
Liam didn't move. He just stood there, hands in his jacket pockets, eyes on me like he was afraid to blink and miss a second.
"I know," he said finally, his voice low. "I didn't want to go home yet. But I also didn't want to keep you up. I just..." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "I just needed to see you. To thank you for letting me explain. For giving me a chance I probably didn't deserve."
"I hated you," I admitted. "For a while, I really did. But no matter how hard I tried... I couldn't stop thinking about you. You'd show up in my thoughts at the worst times, like a bruise that wouldn't fade."
I looked up at him, eyes shining.
"And I missed you so much." My voice broke. "But I've always known where I stand in your life, Liam. You and I... we're from different worlds. And if this," I gestured between us, my fingers trembling, "if this moment is all I ever get with you, I'll still be grateful. Just knowing how you feel... it's enough to keep me breathing."
Liam stepped forward, closing the distance slowly, like approaching something fragile. "Mia..."
I smiled, a little sadly. "I know I'll never be enough, not in the way Stacy is. I can't compete with that kind of perfection."
He frowned deeply and gently reached up to cup my face, his thumbs brushing against the curve of my cheek.
"Don't ever say that again," he said firmly. "You don't have to compete with anyone. You've already won. Mia, you're the only girl who makes my heart race like this. The only one who sees me, not the name, not the family, but me."
He leaned in slightly, his forehead resting against mine as his voice dropped to a near whisper.
"Don't ever forget this, okay? I only love you."
My eyes welled up, but I blinked fast, laughing breathlessly as I tried to keep it together.
"Say it again," I whispered, almost pleading.
Liam smiled, "I love you, Mia Villaruiz. No matter what the world says... no matter how hard this gets, I only love you."
And then, he kissed me. Not with urgency, but with aching tenderness, like he had all the time in the world and I was the only thing worth waiting for.
"Does that mean I'm still your girlfriend?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My fingers brushed against my lips, still tingling from the way he kissed me, slow, tender, like he was trying to memorize the shape of my soul through his mouth.
Liam looked at me with something raw in his eyes, relief, regret, longing, all tangled together. He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Of course, you are," he said softly but with conviction. "That's why I avoided you at first. Not because I didn't care, Mia, but because I was scared you'd look at me with those eyes and tell me it was over between us. I didn't want to lose you."
His fingers found mine, slowly lacing our hands together. His touch was warm, grounding, making me feel alive for the first time in a long time.