Page 108

It took a moment for his words to register. That’s when everything stopped.

My body tensed, and my jaw fell open in disbelief.

Liam had always been a fun guy, and I wouldn’t have put it past him to play a harmless prank on me. But I got the distinct feeling with just one look at him that Liam wasn’t joking with me.

“You… you live here? In a hotel suite?”

Without waiting for a response, I pulled my arms from around his neck and took a step back to spin and scan the space.

How had I missed this when I was here before? It didn’t take a genius to know I was so caught up in himand what was happening between us then that I never noticed so many of his personal items around the room. Then again, it never would have dawned on me to suspect something like this. I mean, he was living in a hotel.

Sure, he was in one of the suites, which had a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and everything else he could need. It was luxurious. But it still wasn’t a home. The apartment I shared with Frankie was more of a home than this.

A hollow feeling settled in my stomach as I finally returned my attention to him. “You’re living here?”

“I am.”

“Are you… are you doing construction on your own home?” I stammered, scrambling to find a logical explanation for why he’d be here.

Clearly sensing my uneasiness, Liam let out an awkward laugh. “No. There is no other home.”

“Apartment?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

I blinked my eyes, hoping to wake myself from what obviously had to be a ridiculous dream. But no matter how many times I blinked, I was still met with Liam’s handsome face staring back at me in this hotel room.

I swallowed roughly. “How long have you been living here?”

Liam hesitated.

And it was that hesitation that told me I wasn’t going to like his answer.

I walked backward, putting some distance betweenus, but I wasn’t quite sure where I was going. My legs stopped moving just inside the bedroom. “How long?” I repeated.

“I’ve been living here since the night you rejected my proposal.”

Like I’d been socked in the gut, I doubled over, my hands bracing on my knees. “Oh, God.”

“Layla—”

“What have I done?”

“Layla, it’s okay.”

Liam’s gentle voice was like a balm on my aching, bleeding heart. And that was unfair. It should have been me comforting him.

He pressed one hand to the middle of my back, the other going to my elbow to urge me upright again. I went, but immediately wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face against his chest. “I’m so sorry, Captain.”

His hand stroked up and down my spine, soothing me.

Liam hadn’t been lying a month ago in the bar when he told me I destroyed him. That when I left, I’d made him stop dreaming about a future.

It was useless to try to wipe away the tears that had escaped and rolled down my cheeks. They were endless.

Liam lifted me in his arms and carried me to the bed.

The bed.