Chapter 80 Fall Slowly With Me
Mia's POV
I was shocked when I walked into our small living room and saw Liam sleeping on the couch like he belonged there. For a moment I just stood still, staring at him, wondering if I was still half dreaming. His arm was tucked under his head, his hair slightly messy, his breathing slow and peaceful.
Then his eyes slowly opened. He caught me staring and smiled, those deep dimples showing, warm and familiar, and my heart completely forgot how to behave.
I could not speak. Not a single word came out.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said softly, his voice still rough from sleep. “I asked permission from Josh. I missed you so much. I wanted you to be the first thing I see when I wake up.”
My chest tightened at his words. Before I could even process them, he reached for me, one arm sliding around my waist, gently pulling me closer until I lost my balance and ended up sitting on his lap.
Butterflies exploded in my stomach.
He held me like it was the most natural thing in the world, like the small couch, the tiny living room, and everything else did not matter as long as we were close.
Later, we went to school together. I expected whispers, stares, maybe even open judgment after the photos and headlines, but Liam walked beside me calmly, confidently. He did not try to hide me. He did not create distance. If anything, he stayed closer.
I was the one who felt nervous for him.
But he looked completely unbothered. Brave. Certain.
What confused me most was the silence. Stacy said nothing. My former best friends said nothing too. No confrontation. No drama. Just quiet looks and tight smiles.
And somehow, that silence felt louder than any insult.
That night, Liam drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding my hand, his thumb lazily brushing circles on my skin. The city lights flickered outside the window, but all I could focus on was the soft hum of his voice as he sang along to the song playing on the radio, a song I did not know, but was already starting to love.
"I like this," I murmured.
"The song?" Liam asked, glancing at me with a smirk.
"Everything," I said quietly.
He squeezed my hand gently. "Me too."
We pulled up at a quiet rooftop café that overlooked the city skyline. I could not help but smile as Liam opened the car door for me and helped me out like I was something precious.
"You brought me here on purpose," I said as we walked toward a corner table with the best view.
"I did. Wanted you to see the stars tonight even if we are surrounded by buildings."
I laughed softly. "You are getting better at this boyfriend thing."
Liam grinned. "That is because I finally got the right girl."
Once we were seated, we ordered milkshakes and pizza, laughing over silly stories about school, pretending the world was not complicated. Then the mood shifted, subtle and quiet, as the music changed and the lights dimmed a little more.
Liam leaned in, resting his arms on the table. "Mia," he began, his voice softer now, "I don't want to mess this up."
My smile faded, curiosity warming my gaze. "Mess what up?"
"This. Us." He paused, eyes locked with mine. "I have never felt this way before, and I didn't expect it to be this strong. You are not just someone I like. You are someone I think about even when you are not around. Someone I want to be better for."
I looked down, my heart racing. "You don't have to say that just because we are on a date."
"I am saying it because it is true," Liam interrupted gently. "I was scared before, of the pressure, the expectations of my parents. But with you, I don't feel like I have to pretend to be anyone else. You let me be real."
I blinked away the sudden emotion in my eyes. "You are not the only one who is scared, Liam. I am scared too. Of trusting again, of letting myself fall."
His hand reached across the table, covering mine. "Then fall slowly with me. We will figure it out together."
He stood up and extended his hand to me. "Dance with me?"
"There is no music," I whispered.
He smirked. "Then let us make our own."
I laughed as I took his hand, letting him pull me close under the string lights. His arms wrapped around me, warm and secure, and I rested my head on his chest.
"Tell me one thing," I said.
"Anything."
"What made you like me in the first place?"
He did not hesitate. "You looked at me like I was not Liam Alcaraz, the boy from a rich family or the school's golden boy. You looked at me like I was just me. No one has ever done that before."
"And besides," Liam said, his voice dropping into that low, teasing warmth that always made my heart skip, "how could I not fall for you? Beautiful, angelic face, even if, the first time I saw you, you looked like you wanted to murder the universe."
His grin softened as he added, "I was in awe, Mia. Even then. Especially then."
"How about you?" Liam asked gently after we returned to our table, his eyes never leaving mine. "What made you choose me instead of Daniel?"
My cheeks flushed instantly, and I looked down, biting my lower lip. But he waited, patient, fingers lightly brushing mine over the table.
I finally looked up, my voice soft, uncertain, but honest.
"Well, aside from you being ridiculously handsome and hot," I started, and Liam chuckled, "it was the way you made me feel seen. You are down to earth despite everything you have, and I don't know how to explain it exactly, but no matter how hard I tried to resist you, I couldn't. You are like gravity, Liam. A pull I couldn't escape."
My gaze dropped for a second before I added more quietly, "Please don't compare yourself to Daniel. What I felt for him was mild, fleeting. But with you, it is different. Intense. Raw. Like my heart recognizes something in you even when you are not around, I feel you. It sounds crazy, doesn't it?"
Liam did not answer right away. His lips curved slowly, beautifully, as if my words had settled somewhere deep in his chest.
"No," he said, voice thick with emotion. "It is not crazy at all. I feel the same way, Mia. There has always been this pull. I tried to fight it. God, I tried. Because I knew that if I let myself fall, I would end up hurting you, even when all I have ever wanted was to protect you."
My eyes shimmered under the warm lights. I reached across the table, fingers brushing over his.
"Hey," I whispered. "You make me happy. This, what we have, it is the first thing that has made me feel alive again since I lost my dad."
Something shifted in his expression then, his jaw tightened slightly, like he was trying not to feel too much too fast, but he stood anyway, circled the table, and gently pulled me up from my seat.
His arms wrapped around me like I belonged there, like the world outside did not matter.
"Then let me keep making you happy," he murmured into my hair. "Every single day, for as long as you will let me."
Right there, in the middle of a nearly empty café, with the faint sound of a love song playing in the background, Liam held me like I was the only girl in the world.
And that was exactly how it felt.
"I know it might sound like a lot," Liam said, voice low and a little husky as he leaned closer across the table, "but can I take you somewhere tomorrow?"
I blinked, my heart skipping at the way he was looking at me. His gaze was intense, unreadable, yet filled with something that made my knees feel weak beneath the table.
"Somewhere?" I asked, my voice softer than I meant it to be.
Liam nodded slowly. "Yeah. Just you and me. No interruptions. No goodbyes after a few hours. I want to spend the whole day with you. The night too."
"Bring extra clothes," he added, his voice dropping even lower, almost like a secret meant only for me.
Heat crawled up my neck, my pulse pounding in my throat. "Where are we going?" I asked, trying to breathe past the butterflies erupting inside me.
But Liam just smirked. "Don't kill the surprise, Mia."
The way he said my name felt like a slow caress. It made my toes curl.
I tried to act normal, tried to play it cool, but my thoughts were anything but. Just the idea of being alone with Liam overnight sent a rush of anticipation down my spine. My skin felt flushed, my breath catching in my chest.
"I don't know if I can," I started, my voice wavering. "I mean, I want to, I really do."
My eyes met his, and he immediately reached for my hand across the table. "Hey," he said gently. "Are you nervous that I am going to push for something you are not ready for?"
I started to shake my head, but he continued anyway. "Because I swear to you, I would never do anything you don't want. I just want time with you. That's all."
I stopped him with a small smile. "I'm not afraid," I said quietly, and with a playful glint in my eyes, I added, "In fact, I feel safest when I am with you."
That made Liam falter.
"And besides," I leaned closer, my voice dipping flirtatiously, "maybe I am a little curious about what you plan to do with all that time alone with me."
Liam choked on his breath, his ears turning red. "Mia," he warned, voice strained.
I bit my lip and tilted my head, enjoying how flustered he looked. "What? You started it."
He shook his head with a low laugh. "Don't tease me like that. You know I will lose control."
My smile softened, but my voice stayed steady. "Then don't hold back tomorrow."
Liam went completely still. The air between us shifted, heavier, warmer.
I did not know where this boldness was coming from, but I did not back down. I wanted him. I was not scared. I was sure. Whatever happened, I knew in my heart I would not regret a single second.