Page 133 of Fighting With Light

He chuckles and sits up on his knees and reaches for me. “Come on, let’s go wash off.” He picks me up and stands in one smooth motion, turning to walk into the ocean, wading into the water until the water reaches his chest.

I lean my head back, getting my hair wet. His hands come to the back of my head and massage it before he does the same, and I run my hands through his hair. The sand loosens, and I don’t want to let him go. I want to stay like this. I don’t want to think about my father, or his threat, or my brothers. But if we are going to keep what we have built together, we will have to fight for it.

The water glitters as the sun covers us in its warm embrace and Liam kisses my chin. When our eyes meet, there’s so much sitting in them, longing, love, desire. Determination sets on his brow and I trace his face with my wet finger.

I don’t want to say this, but I have to. It’s a good plan and it will get us what we need for the case. And I’m tired of living my life as a pawn. I need to be honest with myself because I have for a long time. But life is too short to hold back all the things you want with someone you love, good, bad, ugly, beautiful. It’s simply too short and my time with Liam is even shorter.

“Do you remember what we told each other in Portugal?” I ask him.

His arms twitch around my body and he spins us in the water. “I said a lot of things, princess, you’ll have to be a little more specific.”

“We were in the Porsche.”

He looks at me slowly and his tongue rolls over his teeth. Liam dips his head once and waits for me to continue.

“We said we knew we would hurt each other, but we were okay with the pain if we could have this for the moment.”

“I meant that. But I don’t want to let you go,” he says, holding me tighter.

“I don’t want to let you go, either.”

“So what are you trying to say?” he asks. I can feel the nerves rolling off of him, like when we were on our way to the finals yesterday. He didn’t let it show, but I could sense it.

“I think I know of a way we can ensure that we won’t have to.”

“And what’s that?” he asks hesitantly.

“I go home…” I trail off.

“Hell no, absolutely not,” he snaps.

I lean forward, cupping his face in my hands, and press my lips to his over and over again. My heart hurts as a new needle slides into the flesh. Blood is everywhere, pooling around the walls of my lungs and he gives me the air I need to breathe through it.

Our love is bloody, and it’s violent by default. It requires a sacrifice from us, over and over again, and I’m okay with that.

I will sacrifice myself for him because that is love. If it means he will be free, then it is a price worth paying, over and over again.

“It’s the only way, Liam. We can get what we need and…I can check on my mom.” I pause. “This is not something you can hack into. I’ll have to look around to find something.”

He stares at me as if he’s seeing through my skin and walls I’ve built over the years, seeing the real reason why I have to go home.

“It also means you have to let go of Ben,” I say carefully.

Liam’s jaw twitches, and I lift my hand to smooth it out. “I don’t like this, Aelia. This will not end well. Can you trust Ben not to tell your father everything?”

“No, I can’t, but if I show up without him, then more questions will be asked, and Dad will call my bluff.”

“There has to be another way that doesn’t include sending the love of my life into the viper’s pit and expecting you not to be bit.”

I kiss him again because there is nothing to say to that. He’s mine, too, but I don’t know any other way else around this. I have to face my father. I knew the day would come, and the time is now, only I’m not going in defenseless. Liam may not be there, but I know he’s with me.

“I wouldn’t change a thing, Liam,” I say as my eyes burn and a sob builds in my throat.

“Princess, please let me help you. We can figure this out. Please don’t leave me,” he says, choking on the words.

“I will come back to you, I promise. This is temporary. I’m yours, Liam.”

He curses in French and says, “You’re right, youaremine. If you don’t come back, I will rip this world apart with my bare hands to find you. Do you understand me? I will tear it all down, brick by brick. I know you, Aelia, I seeyou, and you’re going to do it whether I like it or not. But I love that about you, so I’m going totryand not be pissed off about it.”