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“Oh, God.”
“What?” Liam frowns and seems worried.
“I forgot to bring the new books I bought for us. I think I left them in the cabin.” I hit my forehead with my hand and closed my eyes.
I’m really dumb.
How could I not remember? I was in such a rush.
He lets out a sigh. “Wait here.” He is going to turn back when I grab his arm.
“No. Where are you going?”
He says, “Getting the books,” as if it’s the most simple thing in the world.
I shake my head quickly to show that I don’t agree. It’s dumb since he can’t see me.
“I’ll get it,” I say. “Just wait here for me.”
Liam seems unsure, but I know I should be the one doing it. He was in charge here, but not being able to see will be hard for him again, especially since he hasn’t really adjusted to the new place yet.
“Trust me,” I say. “I know the way. I’ll be back soon.”
I flee across the woods to the cabin before he can complain. The ground we walked on looks like it’s been trod on a lot, so it’s not hard to follow the trail. Even though it hasn’t been used in a long time, the hammock I just saw is still in relatively excellent shape. I believe the cleaner Jackson paid for takes care of it frequently.
When I get to the cabin, I go to the bedroom and see that the books I was going to bring are still on the bed. I despise myself for being so dumb. When I grab them, I hear water hitting the ceiling.
I turn my head quickly to the window and see that it’s starting to rain.
Oh, God. Liam.
My heart races because I know he is afraid of being in the rain.
Unfortunately, the rain has gotten considerably worse since I stepped outside.
No, please. Not right now.
When I walk back to the hammock, my boots stamp on the ground. My heart races. As the rain pours down hard, I breathe heavily.
I’m saturated from head to toe, and I have to stop because the rain is so heavy that I can’t see anything. The water quickly streams down my face, and I blink a few times to see again.
When thunder strikes, I jump. My teeth start to chatter because it’s so cold, and my chest rises and falls. I’m doing my hardest to go to the hammock, but it’s really hard because everything around me appears the same all of a sudden.
“Liam!” I yell as loud as I can, but the rain is so loud that it drowns out my voice.
This. This is exactly what Liam is afraid of.
And now he’s all by himself. I need to locate him. Quick.
I’m getting more and more worried about him. I run faster, without seeing. I can sense what he’s experiencing, like our souls are the same.
I feel like a scared deer in the woods while I keep looking for him.
“Liam.” My throat aches from yelling his name.
I discover him just when I feel like crying.
Standing alone in the woods while it rains heavily.
He stops moving as if he can’t even move an inch.
My knees are shaking as I get closer to him. When I touch his arms, I can feel his whole body shaking.
I grab him tightly and wail, “Oh, God. I found you, Liam. I’m here.”
I grab on to him even tighter because I feel like my life depends on him.
I had never been so anxious about someone before.
The rain just won’t stop falling on us. It’s freezing, so I hold him even tighter. I want to make him warm, but it seems like an impossible effort. I wish I could give him all the warmth in my body to save him. I don’t mind being the only one left in the cold.
Liam’s arms start to move slowly. He puts his arms around me, even though he’s still shivering all over. I feel better, and my tears mix with the rain that is falling on my cheeks.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m right here,” I say in a hoarse voice.
He holds me tighter, and I put my face in his chest.
****
The sound of the fire burning wood fills the room. We are both covered under a blanket. We are seated in front of the fire.
The heat has stopped us from shivering, and my heart is starting to settle down. We threw away our wet garments, yet we’re not n**e. Liam is wearing shorts, and I have changed into pyjamas.
Liam is looking at the fire, and I look up at him. The light from the burning in this dark room hits his side view perfectly. I marvel how someone could have such exquisite looks.
I can see the fire’s reflection dancing in his gorgeous grey eyes, and I wish I could take a picture of this magnificent sight.
I murmur, “What are you thinking about?”
He doesn’t answer for a while, but then he adds, “I don’t know. Everything.”
My eyebrows furrow. I pull my knees closer to my chest and cuddle closer to him under the blanket. “Tell me,” I say softly.
He still doesn’t look at me. “I want you to be happy, Emily.”
I frown more and more as I think about what he’s thinking. I shake my head and smile a little. “I am,” I say without a doubt. “Especially now. I’m glad to be here with you.”
I don’t hear anything from him, so I touch his cheek and make him tilt his head towards me.
“Are you?” I ask, looking into his eyes and expecting to see the spark in them again. I think I see it now, but I’m not sure because Liam doesn’t grin very often.
“Here with you?” he asks.
I wait for him to speak more. I can’t wait to hear what he says.
“You have no idea,” he says between gritted teeth.
His words are making me confused, so I wish he could just say yes or no. But I know the answer deep within.
“Kiss me,” I say, hoping he will get rid of whatever doubts I have.
The way he loves me will help me discover the solution again. I discovered it previously.
Liam’s face moves closer to mine, and I close my eyes. When his lips touch mine, my heart skips a beat.
He brushes his lips over mine slowly and cautiously, as if I’m something delicate that he may shatter at any moment. But suddenly his chest starts to move up and down. He breathes faster, as if he can’t keep back the feelings that are growing up inside him.
He kisses me with increased urgency and intensity. I can’t help but touch his chest. I need to touch him more. I need him.
He shudders as my fingertips touch his naked chest. He puts his hand on the back of my neck and kisses me more deeply. Then he licks my bottom lip and asks if he may. He touches my tongue with his when I give it to him. I groan, and it sounds so weak in the quiet room.
It seems like the temperature is going up a lot, and I know it’s not due of the fire next to us.
Liam moves his fingers up to my hair. He lightly runs his fingers through hair, then abruptly takes a handful of it. He tilts my head to the side, and then I feel his butterfly kisses on my neck.
My groans are now mingled with gasps. His touch makes me feel like I’m on fire. I close my eyes and my lips open. I want to feel him more and more.
“F**k,” he says under his breath before kissing me again.