Page 61 of Falling for the Wrong Billionaire

I’m supposed to be alone.

I freeze, my eyes darting toward the sound — and then I see him.

Liam.

My breath catches painfully in my throat.

He stands just inside the doorway, his hair a little messy like he ran his hands through it on the way here, his shoulders tense.

For a second, I can’t move.

It feels like the air has been sucked out of the room, leaving me frozen, staring at him like he’s something I’ll never deserve.

Every instinct in me screams to run to him, to throw my arms around him and hold on as tight as I can.

But I don’t.

I can’t.

I stand rooted to the spot, my hands clutching the strap of my bag.

He takes a step toward me, his eyes locked on mine.

“Hi,” he says softly.

I swallow hard, forcing my voice out past the lump in my throat.

“Hi.”

It comes out awkward, barely above a whisper, and I can’t even bring myself to look him in the eye.

The air between us is heavy. Charged.

I can feel the weight of his gaze on me, feel the questions simmering just beneath the surface.

“What are you doing here?” I ask finally, my voice quiet, careful.

He doesn’t answer right away.

Instead, he studies me for a moment longer, then says simply, “Can we talk?”

I hesitate, my mind screaming at me to say no, to put even more distance between us.

But then I see the faint crack in his expression, the way his shoulders look just a little too tight, and I can’t bring myself to deny him.

“Okay,” I say softly.

His shoulders ease slightly, and he nods, murmuring a quiet, “Thanks.”

We step outside together, the late afternoon air crisp and cool.

We walk in silence for a while, the only sound the faint crunch of gravel under our shoes and the distant hum of the ocean.

I can feel his eyes on me, even when I’m not looking at him.

Finally, he speaks.

“Did I… do something wrong?”