Chapter 27 Liam
LIAM
I don’t know why I let Isabelle and Abigail talk me into this.
When I’d shown up at Sabrina’s apartment, I’d allowed myself to visualize this big, romantic moment between us.
She would open the door. Her eyes would widen.
Her lips would part. She would probably smack me for basically breaking up with her through my manager.
But after I groveled and begged for forgiveness, she’d fall into my arms, and I would finally be able to kiss the woman I hadn’t stopped thinking about since the first day I met her.
But that was the exact opposite of what had actually happened.
First, Abigail invited me in—more forced me into her apartment.
She sat me down and grilled me for about fifteen minutes about my intentions with her sister and asked if I knew just how much of an ass I’d been.
I took full accountability and told her that I loved Sabrina and that I would do anything for her, even if that meant leaving because Sabrina didn’t want me.
That seemed to appease Abigail, because she started helping me plan my big romantic gesture.
I’d suggested that I just go to the library and talk to Sabrina, but apparently, that had been the wrong answer.
As soon as Abigail got Isabelle involved, I was quickly pushed out of the planning.
Now, I was currently executing Operation Get Sabrina Back and feeling like an idiot.
After the first two lines of the newest Drifter song, I glared over at Isabelle, who had insisted on staying with me once she helped me slip into the library. Her smile was so wide I could see all of her teeth. Her gaze was dancing with excitement as she watched me.
I lowered the phone. “This is silly. Can’t I just go talk to her?”
Isabelle looked offended. “It’s romantic. Keep going,” she said.
I eyed her, wanting to argue but then deciding against it.
I hated this plan and wanted it to end, but I also wanted Abigail to be my sister-in-law, and I had a feeling that Isabelle would be reporting back to her about my performance. If I was going to make a good impression, I needed to put my doubts aside and do what they had planned.
I switched to, “Your Love is a Lighthouse,” and just as I finished the first chorus, Isabelle’s office door was yanked open. I knew who was going to be standing there, staring in at Isabelle and me, but nothing could have prepared me for the confused and betrayed look on Sabrina’s face.
The romantic reunion I’d fantasized about from the moment Sawyer got the call that his contact at the FBI had Frankie in custody was completely washed away with the hurt in Sabrina’s gaze.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. Her voice was barely a whisper. Her eyebrows were knitted together as she folded her arms across her chest.
“I…” My voice stopped working as the words I wanted to speak refused to come out. I slowly lowered the phone before setting it back on its base. Using the intercom was no longer needed. Not when the woman I was reaching out to was standing right in front of me.
“He came back for you,” Isabelle announced, like Sabrina had just won a brand-new car. She even flourished her words with a wave of her hands.
I glared over at her. I wanted to tell her that this wasn’t helping, but she didn’t even look my way. Instead, she reached over to her desk and grabbed her purse.
“I’ll leave you two to get reacquainted,” she said as she hurried out of the office. Just as she passed by Sabrina, she paused. “This was Abigail’s idea,” she said before she disappeared into the library.
Now alone with Sabrina, I stood there, not knowing what to do. I knew she had questions for me, but I wasn’t sure where to start or if she even wanted me to speak. I wanted to tell her everything that had happened, but I also didn’t want her to think that I was just full of excuses.
I decided to let my heart speak, just like I did when I created music.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice low with emotion. Flirty Liam was gone, and genuine Liam had taken his place. I didn’t want Sabrina to doubt my sincerity. I needed her to know that walking away from her had been the hardest thing I’d ever done.
She blinked as her cheeks flushed pink. Her bottom lip began to quiver, and I felt like such an asshole, standing there watching her break down. I wanted to cross the space between us and pull her into my arms and take away all her pain, but I wasn’t sure she wanted that.
“I never wanted to hurt you. I’d convinced myself that the best thing for you was to push you away.” I walked around the desk. I couldn’t ignore the pull I felt for her any longer. I would keep getting closer to her as long as she allowed me to.
I could see tears form in her eyes, but she wasn’t telling me to go away, so I continued.
“I needed to know you were safe. If anything happened to you, I would never be able to forgive myself.” I took another step toward her. God, I wanted her in my arms. I was never, ever going to let her go again.
“Frankie? Did he say something to you about me?”
I studied her. Had she been following the story? Did she know?
“Abigail called me out to watch the press conference.”
I quirked an eyebrow. I wanted to tease her about it. I was an idiot in a lot of situations, but, right now, I knew enough to keep that side of myself in check. If I did this right, I was going to have a lifetime of flirting with Sabrina just so I could see her blush. But now was not the time.
So I just nodded as I shoved my hands into the front pockets of my jeans.
“He threatened you and little man.” I paused, realizing that Sabrina didn’t know anything about Katie or the financial situation she put me in.
“Frankie is a loan shark. He was extorting me for money that Katie promised him I would pay.” I swallowed.
I didn’t want to throw Katie under the bus, but I couldn’t live this lie any longer.
“My life had become a shit show. Katie was stealing from me—my assets were frozen because of her. Before you, it didn’t matter to me.
” I paused and held her gaze so she would know that what I was about to say was true. “Nothing mattered before you.”
She frowned as she stared at me. I could see fear in her gaze. She was worried that she was never going to be able to trust me again. I wanted to dedicate my life to proving to her that she could.
“All I wanted was you, Sabrina. You’ve invaded my thoughts from the moment I met you.” I took another step toward her. “I’ve wanted to tell you that I loved you so many times, but I couldn’t…”
“Because you love other women, too?” She quirked an eyebrow.
Her question startled me. “What? No.” Was she serious? Where on earth would she have gotten that idea?
She let out a laugh as she glanced to the side. “That’s what Katie told me. That she divorced you because you cheated.” She glanced back at me. “But if what you’re saying is true, maybe Katie isn’t the most reliable source.”
I’d failed her. If she thought there was even a chance of me thinking about another woman when I was around her, then she had no idea how I felt for her. How I was always going to feel about her.
“There is no other woman for me than you.” I took another step closer.
“You have fundamentally changed me. You are the woman I think about as soon as I wake up in the morning and the woman I want to hold as I fall asleep at night.” I took another step.
“Even if you told me to leave right now and never come back, I will love you until my last breath.” Another step.
“And through the eternities.” I was only inches away from her now.
I waited, letting my words sink in. I waited, wanting her to have the chance to reject me. But if she even hinted that she loved me like I loved her, then I was going to take her in my arms like I’d fantasized about.
Her gaze was concentrated on my chest. I could feel her hesitation, but she wasn’t pulling away. I allowed myself to hope that, someday, she would forgive me. Someday, she would let me love her like I’d been created to do.
“You left me,” she whispered.
I stared down at her, but she didn’t look up.
God, I wanted her to. “I know,” I whispered.
“If you let me, I will spend my life showing you how much I regret that choice.” I reached out and brushed her chin with my fingers.
I half expected her to pull away, but when she didn’t, I allowed myself to believe that, maybe, there was hope.
She finally lifted her gaze to meet mine. Anger rose up in my chest at the pain I saw. The pain I’d caused her. The pain she felt because I couldn’t get my own life in order.
A tear slipped down her cheek, and out of instinct, I reached up and caught it with my fingertips.
“If I had the power, I would go back and do it differently.” I studied her. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, woman. I will live the rest of my life to make you happy. If you let me in, if you let me love you…”
Her gaze deepened as she studied me.
“I love you,” I whispered. “You have to know that. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you.”
She bit her bottom lip, drawing my attention to her mouth. When I brought my gaze back up to meet hers, I could see desire there. It matched my own.
I slid my fingers across her jawbone, gently brushing her bottom lip with my thumb and threaded my fingers through her hair. I’d wanted this woman for so long. Now that she was letting me touch her, I was going to take my time. I was going to savor every second.
I glanced back up and caught her gaze. “Do you think you’ll ever forgive me?” I didn’t hide my desperation as I studied her.
“Maybe,” she said, a soft smile emerging on her lips. My body warmed as her hands found my t-shirt. She fisted it as she pulled me closer to her.
My smile turned wicked. My other hand found her waist, and I wrapped my arm around her to close the gap. “Are you flirting with me?” I asked, dropping my gaze to her lips once more.
Her gaze turned hazy as she tipped her face up to mine, exposing the delicate skin on her neck. “Maybe.”
I growled as I leaned in, pressing my nose against her heartbeat, and inhaled. Her scent was intoxicating. Mix it with the warmth of her skin, and I was a goner.
Her hands found my shoulders, and I shivered as she slid them to my neck and threaded her fingers into my hair as she tipped her head back further.
That was all the invitation I needed. I didn’t hold back as I nuzzled her and pressed kisses into the hollows of her neck.
She let out a moan that ignited a burning inferno in my body.
I held onto her as I pushed her back until she was pressed against the wall.
With the extra support, I lifted her up until she was level with my lips. She wrapped her legs around me.
I found her mouth with mine. A rush of adrenaline coursed through me as instinct took over. At first, I was cautious. I didn’t want to push her further than she wanted to go. When she parted her lips and her tongue brushed over my mouth, all bets were off.
She was mine.
I gripped her hair so I could position her head and deepen the kiss.
There was so much I wanted her to know in this kiss. There was so much I needed her to understand about how I felt. She was the only woman for me. I was never going to love another like I loved her. She was my soulmate, and I was never going to be the same.
When we finally broke the kiss, I lowered her back to the ground but stayed close. Her cheeks were pink and she was panting as she stared up at me.
“I love you,” she whispered.
I rested my forehead on hers as I held her gaze. “You sure?”
She squinted one eye and pursed her lips like she was thinking. I growled as I pressed my lips to hers once more. This time, more wanting and more desperate than before.
She finally broke free with a giggle. The sound made my heart soar.
“I love you. I love you,” she said.
I pressed my hands against the wall behind her, caging her in. “Good. Because I love you and little man. You’re my family, which means I’m never going anywhere again.”
Her laugh slowly faded as her gaze focused on me. Then she reached up and rested her hand on my cheek. “You’re our family, and we aren’t going anywhere either.”
My heart, which had been broken so many times in my life, finally fused back together. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest.
She was exactly what I needed. She was exactly what I wanted.
I’d finally found my home.