Chapter 55

NORA

When Sam and I were getting set for the night, we’d never have imagined it would end with me getting groped by some random dude.

My hands trembled, fingers quivering as I pulled the jacket tighter around my body. It smelt familiar, something woody and masculine. I sucked in a deep breath to calm my nerves, relishing the warmth of the jacket against the cold of the night. Or was it early morning? I had no idea.

I was sitting at the back of an ambulance, legs swinging back and forth like a pendulum as I awaited some form of clearance. Security thought someone had shot a gun and immediately called the police. To their surprise, it was just the sound of Liam's body slamming against the door.

My heart warmed, a shiver coursing through my veins at the thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t heard my screams. 

Who the hell was the guy, even? All night, he’d been on to me, buzzing around me like a fly. I’d told him off over and over again, but for some reason, he just couldn’t take no for an answer.

Right now, he was conscious, blood dripping from his split lip as the officers ushered him into the back of a cop car. They had almost taken Liam into custody, but I was quick to yell that he’d been the one to save me.

I watched him, committing the seriousness of his face to memory as he discussed something with an officer. His lips were drawn in a tight line, bulging arms crossed as though he was trying to assert dominance.

He was wearing a black long-sleeve shirt that stretched across his chest and accentuated the muscles of his arms. I bit my lower lip. Damn, this dude was so fine.

Was I really about to jump into a fake situation with Mark to get Liam to admit he had a thing for me? It seemed stupid when I said it out loud, but the reality wasn't so bad. I cared about him too much and the fact that he was still beating himself up about something that happened decades ago pierced something in my heart.

It ached for him. I wanted to know more about the man Elise and Mark spoke so fondly of.

Before I ever figured out they were siblings, Mark had told me how lucky he was to have an older brother like him. That older brother was still in there somewhere. We just needed to prod him a little.

Liam shook hands with the officer he was talking to, and then they parted ways. My breath hitched in my throat when I noticed he was walking towards me.

I rubbed my sweaty palms against the fabric of my tiny dress.

“Sure you aren’t cold?” I raised a brow. Liam had pulled off his jacket and wrapped me in it earlier on. The night had a chill to it, and I was merely worried he’d sacrificed his warmth for me.

He shook his head. “I'm fine. Plus, you need it more than I do.”

Liam easily towered over me, but the proximity between us wasn't healthy for my lungs. His intense blue eyes bore into mine. “How’re you feeling?”

“A little shaken up, but I’m good. Did they figure out who that guy was?” I tilted my head in the direction of the cop car.

Liam shrugged a shoulder. “They won’t tell me anything yet, but he’s going to be detained. I’ll drop by at the station tomorrow, see what’s up with him.”

Tension coiled in my belly. I had imagined he was just another asshole looking to cop a feel, but now that I thought about it, it didn’t seem like that was all he was there for.

Liam noticed the confusion marring my face. “Remember anything?”

“They already took my statement, but there was something I didn’t mention. The guy kept reaching for his phone, almost like he was trying to call someone,”

His brows furrowed. “Call someone? Like an accomplice?”

I nodded. “It was strange to me. Perhaps he was calling in a fellow psycho to assault me too? But that doesn’t make sense. Why risk opening the door to someone else? I could run out, knee him on the ball. Anything,”

“You’re right,” he looked to be in deep thought. “I’ll look into it.”

A small quiet blanketed us, broken only by the medical personnel telling me I was free to leave.

“Did you drive?” Liam asked, extending a hand to help me off the ambulance.

“Sam dropped me off. She had an emergency to attend to, so I’ll just get an Uber,” I said.

“I’ll drive you,” he interjected.

My steps faltered, causing me to stumble before Liam’s strong hands steadied me. A little nervous laughter crept out of my throat. I shook my head, worried I might have sent the wrong message.

Did I unconsciously leave trails for him to follow? Did he think he was obliged to take me home? No. I certainly couldn’t be in a close space with Liam. Not when I had just agreed to fake date his brother.

Life just had to always mess with me, didn't it?

“You don’t have to,” I protested, but my voice lacked depth, and it sounded weak even to my own ears.

Liam wasn't having it. “I insisted,”

I raised a brow, the feminist in me rearing her head. He picked it up, color tainting his face as he rubbed his neck. Was he nervous? A small smile toyed on my lips.

“As your boss,” Liam concluded.

“Playing the boss card now, are we? I didn’t take you for that kind of guy.”

“A man’s got to do what he has to do,”

I let my boss lead me towards his vehicle, a sleek black Mercedes. Chivalry certainly wasn't dead because he held open the passenger side door for me, waiting until I was fully settled before he shut the door.

The drive home was quiet, the soft blast of the heater and the noise of the radio serenading us. My palms were sweaty, and it had nothing to do with the heating. It was my body’s natural reaction to the man sitting next to me.

I contemplated small talk, but what did one say to the guy they fucked twice, and who also turned out to be their boss? I would’ve posted the question to Reddit, but I was afraid it was a unique experience. After all, not many people also pretend to date said boss’s brother. My predicament was indeed unique.

If Liam was also bothered by our proximity, he was damn good at hiding it. He looked unfazed, eyes on the road, left hand on the wheel, and the other tapping a slow beat on his thigh.

I could watch Liam drive all day. Who knew there was something so sexy about a man behind the wheel?

“Nora?” Liam’s voice cracked the quiet.

I blinked at him. “Yeah?”

“I asked if you were good. You’ve been staring,” he spared me a glance, a small smile toying on his lips.

Oh shit. He’d caught me gawking.

My eyes went wide as saucers. I whipped my head straight, training my eyes on the road stretched out before us. Oh shit, oh shit.

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. He’d seen me ogle his body, peeling back his clothes with my eyes. There was certainly nothing more mortifying than that.

His soft chuckle reverberated through the vehicle. “It’s okay. I've been told I look good.”

I rolled my eyes, pretending to be unfazed. “You’ve been lied to,”

“By your eyes? I mean, not to brag, but I just saw you eyeing me like a sundae on a hot afternoon,” the humor never left his voice, even as I acted like his mood switch didn’t affect me.

Brooding Liam was hot, but playful Liam? He was the best. I’d only seen a fraction of him, but if this was what Liam was like before shit hit the fan, it was no surprise Mark desperately wanted his brother back.

“What?” He asked again, sparing me a glance.

A smile stretched my lips. “Nothing. I just like seeing you this way,”

“What do you mean?”

“Happy. Like nothing could ruin life for you,” the moment the words tumbled out of my lips, I regretted them. Something about what I said changed something in him, replacing his humored expression with a hard void mask that I could barely read. His eyes went cold, brimming with the iciness of unresolved anger.

“Yeah? Well, there’s nothing much to be fucking happy about.”

I silently chastised myself for bringing that up. But then again, what could have possibly happened to make Liam this way? He for sure needed some professional help. One did not switch emotions that quickly unless there was something genuinely wrong.

I didn't get Liam back happy.

Before long, we pulled up in front of my house, and I said a quiet thank you before slipping out of his vehicle. He said nothing in return, but when I was inside, I made a beeline for the windows, smiling when I realized he’d waited for me to lock my front door before driving off.