Page 19

Liam held my hand and helped me ascend the few stairs to the stage. There were hundreds of cameras and reporters in front of the stage.
A woman on stage gave Liam a wireless mike, and we moved to the middle of the stage.
He cleared his throat, which got everyone’s attention.
I stood there awkwardly as he smiled and talked to everyone. “Thank you all for coming to this party, even though you are all very busy.”
He looked at me for a second before moving on. “Since word got out earlier this week about my engagement, I want to make it official tonight.”
He put his hand around my waist and pulled me closer. “Please meet my fiancée, Sophie Spencer.”
People in the hall started clapping and talking.
The press went nuts and asked us questions that I couldn’t answer.
“Where did you meet her, Mr. Whitmore?” one person questioned.
Liam answered. “My sister-in-law’s friend is her. I met her at my brother’s wedding.”
Someone else enquired, “When did you two get engaged?” “Two weeks ago,” Liam said again. Some people asked me questions, but Liam made sure I didn’t have to answer them.
He calmly told everyone, “I’m sorry, but my fiancé isn’t feeling well tonight, so please excuse us.” He then led me off the stage and away from the ruckus.
Alley met me halfway and brought me to a table full of food, where we tried a little bit of everything.
I spotted someone I knew out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to my right and saw Blake leaning against the wall with a drink in his hand and looking at me. A little smile on his lips.
I turned away from him and gritted my teeth.
I spent the remainder of my time with Alley and Saffron. Nathan came back later and took Alley away to dance.
Saffron asked Liam to dance, and he joyfully consented.
Liam had to lean down a little because he was taller than Saffron, but they looked so lovely dancing together.
I looked for a bathroom around the hall since my lipstick was fading, and I wanted to put it back on.
A waiter strolled by me, and I asked him where the toilet was. He said it was upstairs, so I thanked him and went upstairs.
When I got to the top of the stairs, I saw a long hallway with the bathroom at the end.
When I got out of the bathroom after putting on lipstick, I saw a door that led to the balcony. I stepped outside on the balcony.
There was a light wind, and the view from here was gorgeous and quiet. As soon as I heard Blake speak, though, the serenity was gone. “Sophie, you look great tonight.”
Liam’s point of view:
“Hope you had fun dancing, my lady.” I kissed Saffron’s hand, and she laughed.
“I did. Thank you for the dance, Mr. Whitmore.” I took her off the dance floor to where Nathan and Alley were waiting, but I frowned when I didn’t see Sophie there.
“Alley, where’s Sophie?” I asked her, and she looked about.
“I left her there, but I don’t know where she went,” she said, pointing to the table where food was being served.
“Oh, okay. I’ll look for her,” I responded before heading in the direction Alley had directed.
I was becoming concerned because I couldn’t find her. I really wanted to see her. I looked for her furiously and asked a few waiters along the way. “Excuse me,” I said to a passing waiter. “Have you seen my fiancée?” “Oh, she went to the toilet upstairs. She asked me where it was.” “Thanks,” I answered before running upstairs.
I was only worried that she might run into Blake.
I hurried down the hall to the toilet, but I stopped when I heard voices coming from the balcony.
I heard Blake say, “You don’t deserve it, Sophie.” “He’ll leave you too. No one wants to have to take care of a child so soon.”
What the hell does he think he is to say that?
I opened the door to the balcony, and he had her backed up against the railing.
“Can’t you just leave her alone?” I yelled.
Sophie groaned loudly and peered over his shoulder. Blake turned to me and said, “Liam…”
I looked at him with anger. “Please go, Blake, before I lose it.”
He passed by me while glaring at me, and I grabbed him by the bicep. “Stay the f**k away from her. This is your last warning,” I said in a quiet voice.
I took my hand away, and he left, muttering to himself.
I moved closer to Sophie, who was breathing heavily. “Sophie, are you all right?”
She nodded her head slowly and dropped her head. Her eyes were filled with tears as she glanced up.
I had to use all my strength not to draw her closer and hold her hard. To give her a kiss.
“Can we go back home?” she pleaded, her voice breaking.
“Sure,” I answered, taking her hand and walking back down the steps. Nathan, Saffron, and Alley met us at the bottom of the steps. “Brother,” I murmured to Nat. “Please take care of it while we’re gone.”
“Of course,” he said, and I smiled at him before leading Sophie out to the limousine, opening the door for her, and sliding in next to her.
I didn’t say anything or ask her anything, so the journey home was quiet, and she just looked out the window.
Seeing her like this hurts.
I’m afraid of the strange sensations that are building inside me. Feelings that I had never had before. But I wasn’t dumb for not knowing what they were after reading so many Romance Novels.
But I was afraid.
I made a fist with my hand and held it tightly, hoping to halt these emotions. It didn’t help, of course.
I put my head back on the seat and watched her out of the corner of my eye.
We got home quickly, and before I could open the door for her, she unlocked it from her side and stepped out, quickly heading into the house.
I sighed and went behind her, thinking I should give her some space. I slept in the guest room below.
My phone ringing disrupted my blissful slumber.
I groaned and took it up to answer it. “Yes?” I asked in a rough voice.
“Sir, are you going to the meeting or not?” my assistant said.
I grumbled again. “Who the hell has a meeting on a Sunday?”
“Sir, you only fixed it on Friday and said Sunday would do.” He stated this with a note of humor in his voice.
“Whatever… I’m coming,” I said, and then I hung up.
I didn’t want to go for the first time in my life. I wanted to remain home with Sophie today.
That made me moan.
Sophie. Sophie. Sophie. She is the beginning and end of everything.
I moaned for the hundredth time before eventually getting up and getting dressed.
I sat down across from her for breakfast, and she asked. “Where were you last night?”
“I…slept in the guest room.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Because…I…um…” I responded, feeling ashamed. “Because I was missing that room.” “What kind of excuse is that? Missing a room?”
“An idiotic excuse?”
She smiled and then laughed gently, which made me laugh too. Helen put the meal in front of us, and we began to eat.
“That day I came here first…the day I went into your study and saw a paper with you designing the nursery…” She mentioned this as she was eating.
I got a little red in the face. “Yeah…”
“So…you are an architect?”
I assumed she would question me about the nursery, not this.
I said, “Not an architect. A structural engineer.” “I learned about business after I learned about engineering.”
“Oh…well…did you make this house too?” she said with a laugh. “Yes,” I said honestly, which made her seem deadpan.
“Really?”
I grinned. “Yes. I designed this house. It didn’t sound good for one structural engineer to ask another structural engineer to design his house.”