Chapter 11 Question
Ava Reed
As we lay in bed, with our bodies still humming from the aftershocks of pleasure, I felt something shift, like the weight of reality started to creep in again, pressing against my chest, making me feel heavier than I had in hours. Maybe it was the silence, maybe it was the sheer contrast of feeling so free only to be yanked back into the chains of my sad life. Or maybe it was because, for the first time in a long time, I wanted to talk. To someone who didn’t know me. To someone who had just given me the best night of my life.
“Can I ask you something?” I murmured, turning my head toward Liam.
“No, it’s not weird to want another round, Snowflake,” he drawled, voice dripping with smug amusement.
I rolled my eyes, smacking his arm lightly. “Not what I was going to ask.”
He chuckled, rubbing his chest as if I had actually hurt him. “Damn, alright. Ask away.”
I hesitated for a second, then sighed. “Do you know what it feels like to have the world breathing down your neck with expectations? And now you’re stuck, unaware of what to do?”
The teasing smirk on Liam’s face faltered for a fraction of a second before his expression turned unreadable. That reaction alone told me everything I needed to know. He knew exactly what I was asking and the feeling it brought.
After a moment, he finally turned to face me fully, his arm resting behind his head.
“Yeah. I know the feeling.”
My heart thudded, I wasn’t sure why I felt relieved hearing that, but I did.
“So… what did you do?” I ask further
Liam exhaled, staring at the ceiling as if it held all the answers.
“I’m still figuring it out, Snowflakes. But sometimes, life doesn’t give you much of a choice. So you take the messy options until you find your place in the world.”
That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear. I had been hoping for something profound. Something that would unlock all the answers I needed. Instead, I was reminded that no one really had it figured out.
I sighed, rolling onto her side to face him. “That’s not exactly helpful.”
He turned his head, his dark eyes locking onto mine. Then, to my surprise, he lifted his hand, cupping my cheek with a gentleness that felt completely out of place coming from him.
“Sometimes life gives you stupid lemons,” he said, his thumb brushing lightly against my skin. “And the truth is, we can’t always make lemonade. But lemons aren’t so bad for your health if you take them raw.”
I blinked. Something about the way he said it, his tone, and the way his single dimple appeared when he smirked, made me stare longer than I intended. I should’ve rolled my eyes at the metaphor. Instead, I found myself leaning in.
Without overthinking it, I kissed him. Slow and deep, letting the moment swallow me whole. I wasn’t sure if it was the way he smelled, the heat of his body, or the rare softness in his voice that made me do it, but I didn’t care.
When I pulled back, a smirk danced on my lips.
“Didn’t take you for a guru, but I guess you’re right. Lemons aren’t so bad.”
Liam chuckled, his fingers trailing down my spine lazily. “There are a lot of things that aren’t so bad, Snowflake.”
And before I could respond, he suddenly flipped me onto her back with ease, positioning himself between her legs. Then, without another word, he grabbed my hips and pulled me onto his lap.
“Ride,” he ordered, his voice dark and commanding.
My breath hitched, but instead of hesitating, I let a slow smile spread across her lips.
“Bossy,” I teased, rolling her hips against him, feeling how ready he already was for me.
His fingers dug into my thighs as his grip became tight and possessive. “You love it.”
And he wasn’t wrong.
With a wicked smirk, I shifted, guiding him exactly where I needed him, and as I sank down onto him, I realized something dangerous
Maybe, just maybe, lemons weren’t the only thing I was willing to take raw tonight.