19. Chapter Nineteen
19
Mia
Kenzie and I are relaxing on the beach, not another soul in sight, and I’ve never felt so relaxed since starting the job as Evan’s bodyguard. Liam’s giggles grab my attention and I smile at the sight of him chasing after Evan through the ocean ahead.
“He’s good with him,” my best friend says, clearly catching where my attention has shifted.
“I know.”
The best thing that Evan could’ve done was bring Liam and Kenzie along for this trip. When I got onto the jet, every worry I had immediately vanished when Liam rushed over to me with a big smile on his face.
I’ve got no reason to be worried anyway. We’ve been here for a few days now, and have had no issues since arriving. There hasn’t been a single package from the stalker, no random notes arriving on the front steps of the large vacation home Evan owns, and I couldn’t be happier.
It’s what he’s desperately needed as well after everything that’s happened.
Evan is smiling brightly when he runs back over to me and Kenzie, running a hand through his soaked hair, and he sinks next to me on the towel. Liam isn’t far behind and he’s looking at something in the palm of his hand, not a care in the world about his surroundings.
He nearly trips over Evan’s long legs, but manages to catch himself at the last second and giggles. “Look what I found, mommy.”
His hand gets pushed in front of my face and I look at each individual seashell gathered in the palm of it. There’s a light pink one that looks as though it glitters under the sun and he plucks that one from its spot, then hands it to Kenzie with a smile.
“Awe,” she gushes, taking it from him with a smile and inspecting it. “This is for me?”
Liam nods, then grabs the dark green one with swirls of white and outstretches his hand toward Evan. “It reminded me of you, do you like it?”
I steal a quick glance at Evan, who grabs the seashell slowly, and I note the way his eyes glisten as he stares at the tiny piece of nature. He clears his throat and nods. “I love it, bud, I’ll keep safe.”
Somehow, I know he’s talking about more than the seashell and it warms my heart that they are getting along so well. It’s not that Liam has trouble getting along with people, but he’s never come out of his shell as quickly as he has with Evan.
Liam looks back at me, a bigger smile on his face than he gave the other two, and he hands me another shell. This one is spiraled with tan and what looks like yellow blending together, along with white spots around it. I roll it between my fingers, then look at my son with so much love in my eyes before pulling him into a big hug.
“Is this going to happen a lot?” Liam mumbles against my chest.
Everyone chuckles and I pull away from him with a smile. “As much as I want it to, little man.”
He huffs, but there’s still a smile on his face as he rushes back toward the water. I’m about to get up and follow him, but Evan places a hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. “You relax, that’s what this was for. I’ve got him.”
Before he rushes away, Evan leans forward and presses his lips against mine. They taste like saltwater, but I can’t bring myself to care about that. My cheeks are hot as I watch him jog away, his tan chest glistening under the sunrays, and Kenzie clears her throat beside me.
“You’ve got it so bad,” she mumbles.
I nudge her shoulder, but don’t deny her words. As soon as she saw me on that jet, she knew where my heart was at. I’ve been debating on whether I should tell Evan how I feel, but I’m scared that it’s one-sided.
There’s a few times since we’ve gotten closer that I swear I see love shining in his eyes, but I keep convincing myself that it’s wishful thinking.
This getaway was the best idea he’s had though, and it’s only bringing him even closer to Liam.
As the sun begins to set, we gather our things from the beach. Evan catches my eye, a mix of excitement and nervousness evident in his expression. "You ready for this?" he asks quietly.
I nod, my stomach fluttering with anticipation. "As ready as I'll ever be."
As we head back to the house to get ready for dinner, I can't help but feel like we're on the brink of something big. Our little family is about to change forever.
We’ve already got plans to go out for dinner tonight, where the two of us will tell Liam the truth — that Evan is his father.
Liam will be ecstatic, I can tell, but we still want to give him the news as gently as possible.
***
We’re sitting at a table that overlooks the ocean, Liam chopping excitedly on the chicken strips that he ordered, and Evan’s got my hand clasped tightly in his as we watch our son.
For a moment, I allow myself to relax into this perfect scene. But a nagging thought tugs at the back of my mind. The stalker hasn't made a move since we've been here. Is it possible they've given up? Or are we just lulling ourselves into a false sense of security? I push the thought aside, determined not to let it ruin this moment. But I know we can't let our guard down completely, even in paradise.
Evan said he wanted to wait until Liam was done eating, but I can tell he’s eager to give him the news now.
Evan looks at me with an eyebrow raised and I give him a gentle nod, letting him know that it’s okay if we tell him now.
“Liam,” I say softly. “Me and Evan have something to tell you.”
Our son blinks, looking between the two of us, and he smiles. “I already know you like each other, I told Evan it was okay.”
That’s news to me and it only cements my feelings for Evan further, but I shake that from my mind and shake my head. “That’s not what this is about, little man, but I appreciate the approval.”
He smiles, then cocks his head to the side. “What is it, then?”
Evan clears his throat and runs a hand through his hair. “Well, Liam, your mom and I knew each other a while back.”
“Before you were born,” I add.
“Okay,” Liam says slowly, trying to understand where this is going and failing miserably.
“You see, we were very close at the time, then you came along,” Evan says gently.
He’s doing great.
“What does that mean?”
I clear my throat, squeezing Evan’s hand a little tighter, and say, “Evan isn’t just a friend, baby.”
Evan looks at me, gaining the confidence he needs, then gives Liam a small smile. Our son is looking between the two of us, looking as confused as ever, and I almost want to laugh at the dumbfounded expression on his face.
He’s the cutest little boy you’ll ever meet.
“You're my mom’s boyfriend,” Liam says, then sighs. “I know this already.”
Evan chuckles and nods. “You’re right, but that’s not all I am.”
“Just tell me already,” he says, sending me into a fit of giggles.
“I’m your dad.”
Liam’s silent for a few moments, which makes my heart race uncontrollably, and I worry it was a bad idea to tell him. That is, until he smiles rightly and throws a fist into the air. “This is awesome!”
He jumps from the seat and scurries around the circular table, then wraps his arms tightly around Evan’s waist. Evan looks at me, tears gathered in his eyes, then presses a kiss to the top of Liam’s head while circling an arm around Liams small frame.
It’s the best moment I could’ve asked for. I swipe at my eyes, smiling at the love the two of them have for each other, but a flash catches my attention.
When I look up, there’s a man holding a large camera with it pointed at us and my eyes widen. “Uh, Evan, we’ve got a problem.”
Evan glances at me, noting the worry in my eyes, then follows the direction of my stare. “Shit,” he mutters before tucking Liam behind him, blocking him from view.
“I thought we were okay here?”
He sighs heavily, his shoulders slumping forward. “Unfortunately, I can’t do anything when it comes to paparazzi… they’ll follow me anywhere.”
A wave of conflicting emotions washes over me. As Evan's bodyguard, I should have anticipated this, should have been more vigilant.
“Nobody should even know we’re here.”
“They don’t,” he mumbles, then waves his hand in the air for our waiter to come over with the bill.
When we’re situated to head out, the man who was taking photographs is long gone. That doesn’t stop Evan from keeping Liam’s head buried in the crook of his neck as we walk out of the restaurant, thanking the staff for their service.
Evan’s home isn’t far from here, so it doesn’t take long for us to walk through the front door. Kenzie is relaxing on the couch, a glass of wine clutched in her hand with the TV flickering in front of her, and she glances at us with a frown.
“Everything okay?”
“Paparazzi,” Evan mutters.
He’s clearly upset, so when he stalks off toward the kitchen, I lead Liam into the living room with Kenzie. “Keep an eye on him for a minute?”
She nods, patting the cushion next to her for Liam, and I follow Evan’s trail into the kitchen.
When I get inside, he’s leaning on the counter with his head hanging low and shoulders tight with tension. I place my hand on his back, noticing how he instantly relaxes into the touch, and he sighs heavily before turning around. “I’m sorry,” he says softly.
He spreads his thighs apart, giving me more than enough room to step between them, and he presses his forehead against mine with his eyes closed. “What are you sorry for?”
“That this is how it will always be.”
I shrug. “It’s what I’m signing up for, right?”
“I guess unless you tell me this isn’t what you want. Liam doesn’t need to be in the spotlight, and we both know what it will look like when that picture gets into the media.”
He’s not wrong. Carmen will know something as soon as it gets posted. Luckily, that Travis guy who approached me during the tour never followed through with his threat… but I’ve got a feeling that won’t be the case for the man we saw tonight.
Even from a distance, I could see the money signs in his eyes, and nothing could stop that.
Evan runs a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his gesture. "We need a plan," he says, his voice low and urgent. "To keep Liam out of this."
I nod, my mind already racing. "We should contact your PR team and get ahead of the story. Maybe we can negotiate with the photographer and buy the photos before they're published."
"Good idea," Evan agrees. "And we need to be more careful in public. No more unplanned outings without proper security measures."
That’s not my worry, though. We are adults and can figure out how to keep Liam out of the public eye, and we know we should be more careful with him around. This is about Evan and making sure he’s safe.
“I get it,” Evan says softly, his shoulders sagging with the words. “It would be hard on anyone.”
What the hell is he talking about?
Then, I remember I still haven’t responded to his statement. He thinks I don’t want to do this anymore.
This is the perfect moment.
All he needs is reassurance.
I clear my throat, then pull away from him and make sure we’re looking each other in the eyes. “I want this, Evan.”
He blinks, then runs the pad of his thumb over my knuckles while looking into my eyes. “Are you sure?”
This is it.
“More than sure,” I say, then clear my throat and smile at him. “I love you, Evan.”
For a moment, it’s so silent that I’m worried I made a mistake. Then his lips crash against mine, and he tugs my body against his. This kiss is much different than the others I’ve shared. It is full of emotion—love, hunger, care, tenderness.
It’s everything and more.
When he pulls away from the kiss, we’re both breathless, and there’s a smile on his face as he looks into my eyes. He strokes my cheek and says, “I love you, too.”
The breath I didn’t realize I was holding releases from my lungs and I let him tug me against his chest, loving how safe I feel in his arms — even though I’m the bodyguard.
As much as I want to bask in the moment where we’ve been honest with our feelings, I also know we need to get ahead of the story before it’s too late.
My only hope is that Carmen will understand and be forgiving about us going behind her back all this time.
Evan squeezes my hand, sensing my unease. "We need to tell Carmen everything," he says, voicing my thoughts. "She's going to be furious, but it's better she hears it from us than sees it in the tabloids."
I nod, grateful that we're on the same page. "How do you think she'll react?"
Evan shrugs, a wry smile on his face. "Honestly? She'll probably overreact. But once she calms down, I think she'll understand. We just need to assure her that this won't affect your ability to do your job."
"And will it?" I can't help but ask, voicing my own doubts.
"If anything, it'll make you even more determined to keep me safe," Evan says confidently. "We're in this together now, more than ever."
Then there’s Liam.
“We have to make sure Liam’s face doesn’t get leaked to the media, Evan.”
If anything were to happen to Liam, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.