Chapter 39
Liam
When I wake up, Kendall is cuddled into my chest, breathing gently as she sleeps.
I look at the nearby window and see the light blue of predawn peeking through the gap in the blinds.
I exhale slowly and softly, careful not to wake her. I don’t get up right away. I stay there, lying on my couch, holding her close.
Emotion surges through me. I need to feel her close to me. I need her next to me. Just for a few more minutes.
I think back to last night, when she called me while walking to my place, her voice shaky with fear.
When she told me she was being followed and harassed, panic and adrenaline sliced through me. And rage. Raw fucking rage.
I’ve been angry plenty of times in my life. I get pissed off almost every single game I play. The ref makes a shitty call or one of the players on the opposing team lands a cheap shot on me or starts a fight.
But what I felt last night was different. Knowing that this guy targeted Kendall and went out of his way to make her feel unsafe lit a rage fire inside of me.
My body was on autopilot. I wasn’t thinking; just reacting. I jumped out of the shower, put on the bare minimum clothing I needed to be in public, and ran out of my house and into the street.
When I saw her running toward me, when I saw the fear in her eyes as that piece of shit trailed her, something inside of me snapped.
First priority was to make sure she was okay, so as soon I made it to her, I hugged her. And then I fucking lost it.
It took everything in me not to tear that guy to shreds, to only punch him once. After hearing that scumbag taunt her over the phone as he followed her, every muscle in my body was aching to rip his fucking head from his body.
Even now when I think about it, my body tenses. I take another slow, deep, quiet breath to try and calm myself.
Don’t think about him. Focus on Kendall. Focus on the fact that she’s safe and in your arms.
I lean up and slowly slide away from her. She stirs for a second but stays asleep.
For a second, I sit on the couch and stare at her, looking like an angel.
My heart feels like it’s expanding in my chest.
And that’s when I know. This thing with Kendall isn’t just a couple of friends who like to fuck. It’s so much more than that for me.
And if I’m being honest, it’s felt like more from the get-go. I’ve known Kendall for almost a decade. I’ve liked her as more than a friend for almost that whole time.
I’ve always cared about her. I’ve always wanted to be more than friends.
I want her to be more than just the friend I hook up with sometimes. I want her to be my girlfriend. I want her to stay at my place and spend the night in my bed and wake up next to me in the morning.
I run my hand through my hair, dizzy as emotions run wild inside of me.
A second later, my brain catches up.
That’s not what she wants, remember? She told you that she can’t handle a relationship. You told her the same. If you tell her how you feel now, you’ll just freak her out.
Disappointment zooms through me. I can’t spill my feelings to Kendall, no matter how much I want to. I just need to be a good friend and give her the support she needs.
I stand up and pad to the hallway bathroom to piss. Then I quietly walk back to the kitchen and open the fridge.
A half-hour later, I’m stirring pancake mix in a bowl. Kendall sits up, stretches, and yawns. When she turns around, she flashes the most adorable sleepy smile. Her hair is wild, her face is puffy, and she looks so beautiful, my chest aches.
“Morning,” she says.
I smile. “Good morning.”
“What are you making?” she asks.
“Pancakes.”
“With chocolate chips?”
“Duh.”
She lets out her normal bright and joyful sounding laugh, and I’m grinning wide, I’m so happy. It feels good to hear her laugh like that after how scared she was last night.
She hops up from the couch and scurries to the hallway bathroom. I fire up the griddle pan and pour pancake batter onto the hot surface.
When she comes out of the bathroom, she walks over to me and slides her arms around my waist. I set down the spatula I’m holding and hug her tight.
“How’d you sleep?” I ask.
“Like a rock. How about you?”
“Same. I always sleep well when you’re with me.”
She leans up and blesses me with a beautiful smile. “Your body is so warm when you sleep.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, I guess I run kind of hot.”
“It’s nice. I’m always so cold.”
I gently tap her foot with my foot. “Your toes are like ice cubes, firecracker. Ironic.”
She chuckles. I drop a quick kiss to her mouth before I turn back to the pancakes and flip them over.
I finish cooking them while Kendall makes a pot of coffee. She grabs two mugs and pours us each some. I watch as she moves so naturally in my space. I can picture her living here, sharing this space with me.
That expanding feeling lands at the center of my chest once more. I push it aside so I can focus on finishing cooking.
I cook the rest of the pancakes, stack them on a couple of plates, and sit down next to Kendall.
“Do you normally eat chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast?” she asks.
“Nope. I usually have a protein shake. Then I do my morning workout or go to practice, and then I usually have eggs, avocado, and chicken breast.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I’m sorry, but that sounds terrible.”
I laugh. “I know. It’s not the most fun breakfast in the world, but I gotta fuel up for hockey.”
She smiles at me. “Thank you for breaking your athlete diet for me.”
I cup her face with my hand and lean in to kiss her. “I’ll break any rule for you, firecracker.”
That pretty blush I love so much paints her cheeks. We finish the rest of our pancakes and sip our coffee.
“So what do you feel like doing today?” I ask.
“Honestly? I just kind of want to hang out here at your place, if that’s okay.” She blinks at me like she’s nervous to tell me this. “I can leave though. I’m sure you’d like your space back—”
I kiss her again, cutting her off. When we break apart, I look her in the eye. “Stay as long as you want. I love having you here.”
She grins wide. “I wanna take a bath in your giant tub. Would that be okay?”
“Of course.”
“Will you take a bath with me?”
I stand up and scoop her in my arms. She squeals.
“Wow. Someone’s excited,” she teases.
“I get to be naked and wet with you, firecracker. Fuck yeah, I’m excited.”