Chapter 68 Prove
AVA
The lodge is quiet when we step inside, the warmth of the fire flickering in the corner, casting a soft glow across the room. The scent of burning wood lingers in the air, wrapping around us like something familiar, something safe. Liam walks in first, shrugging off his coat, but I hesitate by the door, gripping the edge of my sleeve. My heart is still racing from everything that happened today, meeting his mom, and seeing the way she looked at me with warmth and familiarity, like she already knew me. Like I belonged in Liam’s world.
Like I wasn’t just passing through it.
It’s overwhelming, and a little terrifying. Liam glances over his shoulder, his brows pulling together as he watches me.
He knows that look on my face. The one where I spiral quietly instead of loudly.
"You’re quiet." His voice is soft like he’s being careful with me.
Careful like I’m something fragile. Like if he pushes too hard, I’ll shatter.
"I guess I just wasn’t expecting today." I let out a small breath.
My fingers tighten slightly around my sleeve before I force them to relax.
"Was it a bad thing?" He turns fully, resting a hand on the back of the couch.
There’s something vulnerable in the way he asks it. Like my answer actually matters. Like it could change something.
"No. Just… surprising." I pause. "She was really nice, Liam." I shake my head quickly.
Nice feels like an understatement. She was warm. Inviting. Almost… hopeful.
"She’s been dying to meet you." He smirks.
"She has?" I blink.
That alone sends another wave of emotion through me. Because dying to meet someone implies intention. It implies permanence.
He nods, walking toward me slowly. The firelight flickers across his face, softening the hard lines, making him look less like the confident, untouchable athlete everyone sees and more like just Liam. "Every time I talk to her, she asks about you. She’s nosy like that." His lips twitch like he’s trying not to smile. "I think she’s just happy I finally brought someone home."
Finally.
The word settles somewhere deep in my chest.
Something warm spreads in my chest, but I try not to let it show too much. I glance down, brushing my fingers over the hem of my sweater.
Because if I let myself feel all of it at once, I might drown in it.
"It just caught me off guard, that’s all."
Caught me off guard that someone could look at me like I already belonged.
He watches me for a long moment before reaching out, and tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
The touch is slow. Intentional. Like he’s grounding me without saying so.
"Ava." His voice is low, and steady. "I know you’re overthinking this."
Of course he does. He always does.
"Maybe a little." I let out a small, breathy laugh.
It sounds weaker than I mean it to.
He smiles, shaking his head. "I wouldn’t have taken you to meet her if I didn’t want you there. If I didn’t see this as something real." His thumb brushes gently against my cheek, and my breath catches. "You don’t have to be scared of that."
Real.
The word lingers between us, heavier than anything else he’s said tonight.
"I just… I never thought I’d be here, you know? With you. Like this." I close my eyes for a second, leaning into his touch.
I never thought I’d feel this steady. This chosen. This sure.
There was a time when I thought love meant chaos. Or distance. Or proving yourself over and over again just to be allowed to stay.
"Me neither. But I am. And I don’t regret a damn second of it." He exhales, his forehead resting lightly against mine.
His breath is warm against my skin. Familiar. Safe.
I open my eyes, and he’s already looking at me, his gaze filled with something deep, something that makes my heart stutter.
Not just want. Not just attraction.
Commitment.
"Liam..."
There’s so much more I want to say. About how scared I am of losing this. About how much it means. About how I’m trying not to fall so hard that I can’t recover if something goes wrong.
He doesn’t let me finish. Instead, he leans in, pressing the softest, slowest kiss against my lips. It’s not rushed or desperate, it’s patient, like he has all the time in the world. Like he’s telling me without words that he’s here, and he’s not going anywhere.
His hand slides to my waist, steady and warm, holding me like I’m something worth keeping.
Not fragile. Not temporary. Not convenient.
Worth keeping.
His fingers press just slightly into my skin, grounding me, like he’s reminding me that I’m here. That this is real. That he’s not letting go.
The fire crackles behind us, the only sound in the room besides our breathing.
Shadows dance along the walls, golden light flickering across his face, softening the sharpness of him. Outside, the world feels far away. No pressure. No expectations. No noise.
Just us.
When he pulls away, he studies me carefully. "You okay?"
There’s no teasing in his voice now. No cocky grin. Just quiet concern. The kind that settles deep instead of sitting on the surface.
His thumb brushes lightly along my jaw, searching my face for any sign of doubt.
He knows me well enough to know I hide it. The fear. The overthinking. The what ifs.
I nod, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. "Yeah." My voice is barely above a whisper.
The word trembles slightly, but not from uncertainty. From feeling too much at once.
But this time, it’s honest.
I’m not pretending. Not brushing it off. Not shrinking myself to make the moment less intense.
Because for once, the fear isn’t louder than the feeling.
For once, the voice in my head telling me not to trust it isn’t winning.
Instead, there’s this quiet certainty blooming in my chest, steady and warm, matching the rhythm under my cheek.
"Good. Because I’m not going anywhere, Ava." He presses another quick kiss to my forehead before pulling me into his arms, holding me close.
The kiss lingers just long enough to make my eyes flutter closed.
His arms wrap around me fully, solid and certain, and I let my hands slide up his back, holding on just as tight.
I don’t hesitate this time. I don’t hold back. My fingers press into him like I’m memorizing the shape of his shoulders, the strength beneath my palms.
He exhales slowly, his chin resting lightly against the top of my head.
I press my cheek against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Strong. Unwavering.
It’s calm. Controlled. Nothing like the chaos that sometimes lives in mine.
I match my breathing to it, inhale, exhale, letting it anchor me.
The warmth of the fire wraps around us, but it’s nothing compared to the heat of him. The quiet promise in the way he holds me without needing to say anything else.
And for the first time, I let myself believe him.
Not cautiously. Not halfway.
Fully.
Not just because he said it.
But because everything he’s done has proven it.
The way he brought me home. The way he stood up to my father without making it a war. The way he looks at me like I’m not just part of his life, but part of his future.
I tighten my arms around him just a little more.
And this time, I don’t brace for it to disappear.