Chapter 134 What the hell?
Sophie’s POV
“Me? You want me to go with you?” I look at him with a frown. “Then what about Rossi?”
He lifts a brow. “What about her?”
“Please,” I let out a dry laugh. “You took her out to shop for dresses the other day. I thought she was your date. Did she ditch you? Is that why you are here now? Because I am your second option?”
He exhales hard. “You are impossible.”
His hand goes through his hair, like he is trying to deal with me but failing.
“Stop making up stories in your head,” he says, his voice dropping. He does not meet my eyes. “Yes, I went out with her, but it was not for dresses. If you do not want to come with me, then fine. I will go by myself.”
That is when I notice it. His face turns a little pink, even his ears.
Wait… is he actually embarrassed? He never talks like this. He never opens up. This is new.
And fuck… I like this version of Liam so much more than the asshole he used to be.
This is rare. I am not letting it pass. I tilt my head and smile at him. “Too late. I already asked Alex to go with me.”
His expression changes at once.
“You did what?” His voice drops low, dangerous.
I shrug, acting casual. “You heard me. I asked him the same day you went out with Rossi. We are not together right now, so I thought, why not..”
I do not even finish. He closes the distance in a second, grabs my chin, and pulls me up to him.
Then his mouth crashes into mine. I suck in a breath, but he uses that moment to push his tongue inside, kissing me hard, like he has been holding back for too long.
My mind spins. We are outside the coffee shop. Anyone can see us. His mother could be watching from upstairs.
“What the hell are you doing?” I push against him, my voice muffled against his lips. “Let me go!”
It has been so long since he kissed me. And I hate that I still want him. I want to fall back into him so badly. But my head is yelling at me.
We are not together. I bite down on his lip. He pulls back with a low sound and finally releases me. His fingers stay on my face, brushing lightly over my skin.
“God… I have missed you,” he says softly.
His voice… the way he is looking at me… It almost pulls me in again.
“Are you out of your mind?” I whisper, my heart racing. “Someone could have seen that.”
He shrugs like it means nothing. “So what? You should start getting used to it.”
My chest tightens. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He takes my hands again, holding them this time. His voice is quiet now.
“I mean we can not keep pretending like this forever. After graduation… if you are okay with it… we tell your mom and my dad about us.”
For a second, I feel like I am not even here. Like I stepped into some dream. My hands tremble in his. His words break down every wall I tried to build.
“What do you think?” he asks near my ear.
I take a shaky breath. “Then… what about Rossi?”
He looks annoyed. “For the hundredth time, she is not my girlfriend.” He pauses before adding, “And I have not touched her since you came back.”
I press my lips together to hide my smile.
“So all that… taking her around, showing her off… that was just to make me jealous?”
He does not answer right away.
A faint blush shows again, and his tone turns rough. “Are you coming with me or not?”
I laugh under my breath, then go quiet, thinking. He watches me like he is waiting for a final answer.
I finally smile. “I will give you my first dance.”
His face lights up instantly.
“But that does not mean we are back together,” I add quickly. “I need time. I have to think. I hope you understand.”
He nods without hesitation and lifts my hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “That is enough for me.”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Liam’s POV
She gives me a small wave before walking back into the coffee shop. The second she disappears inside, the smile on my face drops. I turn away and head for my car.
Of course I can get her back. She is angry, yeah. I pushed her too far before. But she can not walk away from me.
I have seen it in her eyes. That look she gives me… It does something to me I do not understand. My chest feels tight every time I think about her.
One more month. That is all. Once the anniversary party is done, once I finish what I started…
I will leave her. No more of this strange feeling. I will go back to who I was before. Because this version of me, the one that cares about her… It feels fucking wrong. I reach my car just as my phone buzzes.
Rossi.
\[I found the perfect necklace for the party! It matches your cufflinks so well!!\]
\[Do you want to come over and see it?\]
Right. I still have to deal with her.
I look at the screen for a moment, then type:
\[Change of plans. You are not coming with me.\]
Her reply comes fast.
\[What the hell???\]
I type again.
\[It will be over soon. Trust me.\]
I send it and toss my phone aside. I do not care what she thinks. I do not care about the girl my mother tried to set me up with either. Honestly, I do not care about any girl. I turned into this cold, messed-up person because of her. And now she is going to pay for it.