Chapter 81 Weekend Date
Mia's POV
"How's your date with Liam?" Josh called out the moment I stepped inside our apartment, his voice carrying from the couch. "And I'm guessing you had an amazing date with your boyfriend," Josh added.
I set my bag down by the door, trying and failing to hide the shy smile tugging at my lips. "Yeah... he brought me somewhere," I admitted, my cheeks warming instantly.
Josh sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing like a detective smelling gossip. "Somewhere? That's all you're giving me? Girl, I am not a 'somewhere' type of friend. I need the where, the when, the how many eye contacts, the what did he smell like. Come on, sit!" He patted the spot beside him insistently.
Laughing softly, I walked over and sank into the couch. I started telling him about our date.
But Josh’s grin slowly shifted into a serious, knowing look. “You should brace yourself, though. Stacy is not going to take this lightly. She witnessed the kiss you shared with Liam after his game, and she’s probably fuming right now. And when she’s mad, she plays dirty.” He gave me a pointed look. “I don’t want you to get hurt, you know.”
I lowered my hands, my smile softening. "I know. But... I think I'll be okay." I hesitated, then added in a small but unmistakably giddy voice, "Tomorrow's my day off, and... Liam asked me to spend the day and the night with him."
Josh froze mid blink. Then he gasped dramatically, throwing a cushion at me. "Ohhh, another date with Liam. This is it! You are so ready to give Liam something," he said, waggling his eyebrows shamelessly.
"Josh!" I smacked his arm, scandalized and laughing at the same time, my face turning crimson.
"I'm just saying!" he defended, holding his palms up. "And don't think you're showing up there in your 'I'm just here to hang out' outfit. No, no, no. We're talking day to night transformation, baby."
"Josh..." I groaned, but I was already smiling in spite of myself.
"I'm serious," he said, jumping up from the couch. "You need something cute and sweet for the day, maybe that sundress that makes your eyes pop, and then... something that says, 'I'm not planning anything... but I might ruin your self control.'"
My eyes widened. "I am not wearing anything like that!"
Josh just grinned wickedly. "Fine. Then at least let me pack your bag for you. I promise to be tasteful. Mostly."
I laughed, shaking my head, but deep down, my pulse quickened at the thought. Tomorrow was going to be different. I was going to spend the whole day and the night with Liam. And no matter how much I pretended to be calm about it, I couldn't hide the way my heart was already racing.
I wore a simple above the knee floral dress, the kind that swayed gently with every step I took. The light fabric moved with the breeze, brushing softly against my legs, and the sunlight caught in my hair, turning it into soft golden strands. I wasn't wearing much makeup. I didn't need to. But there was a fresh glow about me that made Liam fall silent the moment he saw me.
For a second, he forgot how to move.
Then I smiled. It wasn't the shy, uncertain smile I sometimes gave him when I wasn't sure of his mood. This one was warm and open.
“You look..." He paused, running a hand through his hair as if the gesture could buy him the right words. "Beautiful doesn't even start to cover it."
My cheeks warmed instantly, and I laughed softly. "It's just a dress, Liam."
He tilted his head, his gaze never leaving mine. "No. It's you."
My blush deepened, and I glanced away, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I slid into the seat.
Liam started the engine, but his eyes found me again before he could shift into drive. "You ready?" he asked, his voice lower than he meant it to be.
I nodded, my lips curling into a smile. He reached for my hand and squeezed it gently before driving away from our place.
The drive started quiet, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. The radio played softly in the background, some upbeat song neither of us really paid attention to. I caught Liam stealing glances at me, and every time our eyes met, I gave him a small, knowing smile. It made my chest ache in the best way.
"You're staring," I teased after the third time.
He smirked, his eyes flicking back to the road. "Can you blame me?"
My heart skipped, and I had to look out the window to hide the way my lips curved.
Liam tightened his grip on the wheel, trying to focus, but I could feel the weight of my words from last night lingering between us. Don't hold back tomorrow.
The drive was longer than I expected, but I didn't mind. I lost track of time watching the world blur past the window, the hum of the car mixing with the sound of waves that slowly began to whisper in the distance. I didn't know where we were going, but when the road finally opened up to reveal a hidden stretch of coastline, my breath caught.
My eyes widened as Liam turned down a narrow lane lined with palm trees, the leaves swaying lazily in the breeze. At the end of the path stood a sprawling beach house, sleek and elegant, bathed in golden sunlight. Soft white sand stretched endlessly before it, meeting crystal blue waves that sparkled like a thousand diamonds under the morning sun.
I stepped out of the car, the salty air rushing to greet me. I felt like I had stepped into a postcard. "Liam..." My voice was barely above a whisper. "This is... wow."
He shut his door and came around to stand beside me, his hands casually in his pockets as he watched me take it all in. The ocean breeze toyed with his hair, and the sun cast a warm glow across his features.
"I'm glad you like it," he said, his voice low, almost hesitant, as if my opinion mattered more to him than he would ever admit.
"Like it?" I turned to him, my eyes wide. "This is the first time I've been back to the beach since my father died... and it's beautiful. I..." My gaze drifted back toward the white sand and the steady curl of the waves, my voice softening. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"I wanted it to be special," he said simply. "This place... it belongs to my family. I thought you might like it."
I blinked, surprise flickering across my face before fading into a knowing look. "Wait. This is yours?"
A small smile curved his lips. "My family's. But for the weekend... it's ours."
Of course, I thought. Liam's family practically had their name stamped on half the city. High rise towers, private estates, and now, tucked away like a secret, a place like this. It shouldn't have surprised me. And yet, standing there with him, I felt like I was being let into a part of his world I had never truly seen before.
I laughed softly, shaking my head in disbelief. Then my gaze drifted back to the shoreline. The water called to me like an old friend, its shimmering blue daring me to run toward it. My feet ached to feel the sand between my toes, but a practical thought stopped me short.
"I didn't even bring a swimsuit," I mumbled.
"I know." Liam's smile widened slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "I bought you some. I wanted it to be a surprise." He tilted his head toward the house. "They're inside. I hope I guessed your size right."
My brows lifted, warmth blooming in my chest at the thoughtfulness behind it. "You really thought of everything, didn't you?"
"Not everything," he said softly, his gaze steady and intent on mine. "But enough to make you smile."
And I did. I turned, taking in the scene again, the elegant sweep of the house, the pristine sand, the endless stretch of sparkling water. "I love it here, Liam. Really."
"Good," he replied, his voice low and certain. "Because this weekend, I want you to forget everything else and just... be happy."
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. Only the sound of the waves filled the space between us. And for the first time in a long while, I felt like maybe, just maybe... I could.