Chapter 37
Kendall
I’m smiling like an idiot as I park my car three blocks from Liam’s condo.
I grab my phone to text him.
Just parked. You didn’t tell me the road in front of your house was closed, so it’s gonna take me a few minutes to get to you.
I grab the bag of takeout and hop out of the car, lock it, and head down the darkened street toward Liam’s place.
A second later, my phone buzzes.
Liam: Sorry about that, I forgot they started resurfacing the road today. I’ll make it up to you ;)
I bite back a smile while walking along the sidewalk in his neighborhood. It’s the perfect October evening in Nashville. The air is crisp, but it’s not cold yet. In my sweater and leggings, I’m perfectly comfortable.
But this day is perfect for another reason.
Liam was amazing today. He went out of his way to make sure my aunt was comfortable and felt included in his team’s family and friends skate event. I think about how happy they both looked when he took her onto the ice. I could tell that he genuinely enjoyed spending time with her.
He didn’t do it begrudgingly or because he was trying to score points with me. He did it because he honestly likes being with her.
My heart slingshots around my chest.
Maybe it’s weird that this means so much to me. But it does. Because ever since I’ve been a caretaker for my aunt, it’s always ended up being a problem in my dating life.
But with Liam, it’s not an issue at all. And that makes him more amazing than any guy I’ve dated before.
Except we’re not dating. We’re just friends who are hooking up—exactly what I wanted.
A weird feeling settles in my gut. It feels wrong to think of Liam as a friend with benefits when so far he’s better than any boyfriend I’ve had.
I push that thought aside. I don’t want to think about why that bothers me so much.
Someone whistles behind me. “Hey, pretty lady.”
I look across the street and see a guy standing by the bus stop, smirking at me. Every muscle in my body tenses.
I quickly look away and pick up my pace.
“You don’t wanna say hi?” he hollers across the street.
I pass him without saying a word. I turn the corner to the street where Liam’s condo is and glance over my shoulder at the bus stop. The guy’s not there anymore. Shit.
“Where you off to? Can I keep you company?”
The hairs on the back of my neck prick up. The guy is behind me now. I can hear his footsteps.
My heart hammers in my chest and my breathing picks up. I swallow and try to even out my breathing. Liam’s building is just two blocks away.
I can make it. I can make it. I can make it…
With a shaky hand, I dial Liam. He answers on the second ring.
“Hey, are you here?”
“N-No…”
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Liam’s voice drops from the cheery tone of a second ago. It’s like he can immediately tell that something’s wrong, even though I’ve only spoken a single word.
“There’s a guy following me.”
“What?” His tone is hard and sharp. “How far are you from my place?”
“About two blocks. I can see your building.”
“What street are you on right now?”
“I just took a right on Eleventh Avenue.”
There’s a thudding sound on his end of the line, then the rustling of fabric.
“I’m coming to you right now, Kendall. Just keep walking to my building and keep talking to me, okay?”
“Okay.” I let out a shaky breath.
My heart slams against my ribcage. A cold sweat breaks across my skin.
I hate this. I hate how scared I am. I hate how I can’t walk three blocks at night without being harassed by some creepy asshole just because I’m a woman.
“You too good to turn around and say hi to me?” The creep behind me’s voice gets louder. He’s getting closer.
“Is that him?” Liam growls.
“Yeah.” My voice breaks.
“That motherfucker,” Liam mutters. “It’s gonna be okay. How close are you now?”
I sniffle as I jog across the road to the block where his condo is.
“Just crossed the street to your block. I can see your front door.”
Just then, Liam’s front door flings open. He runs down his porch stairs and down his driveway.
The second I see him, relief washes through me.
He picks up speed, closing the gap between us. I jog over to him and he wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. “It’s okay. You’re safe,” he whispers.
A second later, he steps around me and darts past me. I turn and watch as he charges the guy following me.
The guy stumbles back, holding his hands in the air, like he’s surrendering. He’s almost Liam’s height, but Liam has probably fifty pounds of muscle on him.
“What the fuck is the matter with you?” Liam barks at him.
“Woah, easy, man.”
“You think it’s okay to stalk women?”
The guy shakes his head. “No, hey, I was just trying to be friendly.”
“What the fuck is friendly about following a woman you don’t know at night and harassing her?”
The guy hesitates and shakes his head, like he doesn’t know what to say. He stumbles back, falling into the brick building next to Liam’s.
The guy cowers down as Liam hovers over him. Liam’s chest heaves as he glowers at the guy. He reminds me of a caged animal that is aching to break free and attack.
“Don’t ever fucking do that again,” Liam growls at the guy.
He nods. “I-I won’t.” He looks over at me. “I-I’m sorry.”
Liam leans down and pulls the guy up by his shirt. And then he punches the guy in the stomach.
The guy falls to the ground with a howl, clutching his stomach.
Liam hunches over him. “Get the fuck out of here.”
The guy hobbles off down the street, disappearing down the hill.
Liam walks back over to me, pulling me into his arms. “It’s okay,” he whispers, holding me tight.
I close my eyes and deep breathe, sinking into his warm body. I get a lungful of his spicy, woodsy scent. It’s instant comfort.
I nuzzle into his chest and it’s a second before I realize that he’s shirtless.
I lean back and look at his bare chest. I gaze up at his face. “No shirt?”
He flashes a half-smile that’s so sweet, my chest aches.
“You called right when I got out of the shower. I had time to put on sweatpants and not much else.”
I notice he’s barefoot and his hair is damp too. “You must be so cold.”
He gently grips my chin in his hand and shakes his head. “I’m doing just fine. How are you?”
I try to speak, but my brain feels tired all of a sudden. Like the stress and panic of the last few minutes are trying to work their way out of my system, and my brain is having trouble verbalizing how it all feels.
Liam presses his mouth to my forehead. “It’s okay,” he says softly against my skin. “Let’s go inside.”
He takes my hand and glances at the bag of food in my other. Somehow I managed to keep hold of that in the chaos of everything.
As if on cue, my stomach growls.
“Let’s get you fed,” he says as he leads me down the sidewalk to his front door.