Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Hemi
Liam snaps his notebook closed and stretches his arms over his head.
I’ve lost track of how long he’s been scribbling away in his notebook, content to watch him while I listen to the waterfall and breathe in the fresh air.
A few people have come and gone, stopping to watch the waterfall before moving on to the rest of the track.
No one’s glanced more than once at me, and it’s been… really good to just sit here.
“The creativity stopped flowing?” I ask quietly when Liam slips his notebook away and focuses on the water again.
Liam jumps and turns to me, his blue eyes wide, and red creeps into his cheeks.
I know it’s a blush because we’ve sat here long enough for his cheeks to return to their natural state after walking uphill for so long.
I enjoy watching the colour spread down his neck and to the tips of his ears.
I want to follow it with my lips. After Charlie told me to have fun, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Liam, and I’m starting to think she’s right.
If he’s also interested, I’d be thrilled to spend my remaining time in Wānaka wrapped up in him.
He grins sheepishly. “Sorry. But this”—he nods to the landscape—“is helping me fix some plot issues I have. I’m done now, though.”
“It’s okay, I’m glad things started sorting themselves out in your head.” I gaze at the view. “It is pretty spectacular.”
Liam nods and stands. “Shall we keep going? The second lookout is supposed to be better, but we can turn around now if you’re tired of it.”
“Let’s keep going. We’re already halfway, and what happens if you get more inspiration at the second lookout?”
Liam tilts his head. “That’s true. Okay, let’s go.”
I gesture for him to go first and follow behind him as closely as is sensible. I get the idea Liam doesn’t generally hike, or enjoy it, and I feel bad for dragging him out. But not bad enough to turn back. Not when I can watch his body flex as he walks and we can debate character arcs.
Not something I expected coming here for my forced time off, but I’ve barely thought about my issues today.
I’ve focused on Liam, making sure he doesn’t fall and die for one, but he…
fascinates me. I want to know more about him.
I want to know what he writes, and what he does when he isn’t writing, what his favourite books are and why, what his favourite foods are, what soap he uses in the shower and if he’d let me borrow it so I can go home smelling like him. Faintly floral and warm.
My cheeks heat at the thought, and I direct them elsewhere before I proposition Liam without realising.
I think he’d be on board, but I want to be sure before I throw myself at him.
I don’t need rejection on top of everything else.
I’d rather not ask him than be rejected. Talking with him is enough.
So is watching his track pants cling to his ass as he walks uphill.
Either way, I’m determined to find out what’s on his whiteboard and pry his pseudonym out of him. If I’m here while he’s writing a book, I want to read it whenever it comes out.
We walk most of the way to the second lookout silently, in our own thoughts, and I attempt to catch my breath quietly.
I’m fit, considering I run for my job, but walking uphill trying to dodge rocks and make sure Liam doesn’t fall over is taking it out of me.
My thighs burn, and it has seriously humbled me.
But that doesn’t mean I want Liam to realise I’m out of breath.
Liam stops in the middle of the track and heaves a sigh. “Fuck me, why are there more rocks?”
I peer over his shoulder and grimace at the new track. It’s downhill, which would be a relief, except boulders sit in the middle of the path we have the delight of climbing over.
“Maybe it’ll be fun,” I suggest even though I think it will be more taxing than fun. And I need to make sure I don’t actually injure myself so I can play again soon.
“Sure, fun. Or dangerous, and suddenly I’m my main character, except I haven’t trained years for this and won’t be met at the tavern for a hard fuck after I succeed in not dying.”
I bark a laugh at the image he paints and shake my head. I think the more tired he gets, the less of a filter he has. I want to hear more of his unfiltered comments. Desperately.
Liam turns slowly and cringes when he sees me laughing, which sets me off again. His ears turn red, and he scrunches his face at me. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
I grin. “You did.”
“I’m sorry, sometimes I can be a bit…”
“Don’t apologise,” I say before he can figure out how to finish his sentence.
“I enjoyed it, and hear a lot worse in the sheds.” I climb carefully over the first cluster of rocks and turn to face him.
“And I’m sure we can organise a hard fuck for you if it’s what you need after a hike.
I could go for a handy in the bath myself after walking uphill for an hour, but”—I shrug, surprised at how open I’m being, but I have a feeling I won’t regret it—“you do you, darling.”
I wink at him and hold out my hand to steady him. He takes my hand hesitantly, with his eyes blown wide and his mouth gaping slightly. Liam slips over the rocks, and I guide him in front of me with my hand clasped tight around his.
Liam stands in front of me and tilts his head, not saying anything, just staring with a confused look in his blue eyes. I release his hand and use my pointer finger to guide his mouth closed. Catching him off-guard is entirely too much fun.
“Gotta keep walking, Liam. Hopefully it won’t be much longer and you can get your notebook out again.” I nudge him forward, and he follows the path along the river, mostly managing to avoid the rocks.
I think I broke him.
I hope in a way that’s making him think about us together and not him freaking out and wishing I wasn’t staying with him.
The way he looks at me, eyes scanning me constantly and darting to my lips, makes me think my odds are good.
But I don’t want to pressure him when I’m staying at his house and he’s doing a favour for his friend.
All I can do is send signals, hope he picks up on them, and makes a move.
And if not, I’ll enjoy his company and soak up the warm light of his yellow kitchen and read what I can off his bookshelves I haven’t seen yet, but must be hidden in his office while I make sure he eats.
We walk for—I don’t know how long—long enough we’re walking up again and my calves have started protesting. If Coach wants to punish us, he should send us on glacier hikes. My legs haven’t burned this badly since my first training with the national team.
“Well, we’ve found the long drop, so we must be close now,” Liam pants and points at the wooden toilet that looks barely tall enough to stand in. He smirks at me. “Sure you don’t need it?”
My face scrunches in disgust. “Pass.” There’s no way I’m stepping foot in that. My bladder control is fine, thank you very much. “But I’ll wait for you if you’ve decided it’s better to use it than piss yourself.”
Liam doesn’t dignify my comment with a response. He sniffs delicately, turns on his heel, and saunters past the offensive building without a glance.
I shake my head in amusement and follow him. We follow the path to the end and round the corner at the top of the hill and reach the lookout.
We stand on the hill and gaze down at the valley.
Boulders dot the grass, and people lean against them to eat or stand on them to snap photos of the landscape.
The mountain lords over the valley, and the glacier creeps down the dark stone, a bright white against the clear blue backdrop and stone.
Waterfalls cascade from multiple points.
“I have no words,” I tell Liam quietly as I stare at it, so different from what I’m used to. We’re so small standing in the valley surrounded by forest and mountains.
Liam hums his agreement. “Neither do I. I want to take photos, but I don’t think my phone will do it justice.”
“I know what you mean, but that isn’t going to stop me from taking photos. Come on.” I walk down the hill and find a boulder to take photos from. I choose one in the centre and take some mediocre photos of the glacier. I try different angles and manage to take a few I’m happy with.
“Give me your phone and I’ll take one of you.” Liam holds his hand out for my phone, and when I hand it over, he says, “Go stand over there.”
I follow his directions and shove my hands in my pockets awkwardly.
“You’re supposed to smile. I don’t want your sister to think you’re hating this.”
I sigh and spread my lips.
“That looks nothing like your normal smile, but now there’s a photo of you standing in front of the glacier.” Liam passes the phone back.
“We need a photo together.” The sentence pops out of my mouth before I can catch it.
“We do?”
I commit to it. I didn’t realise it until now, but I want a photo with him. “Yep, we did the hike together, so we need a photo together in front of the view. Pretty sure it’s a rule.”
Liam purses his lips but walks towards me. “Okay, if you want to.”
“I do.”
Liam stands beside me, and I drag him closer and sling my arm around his shoulders, tucking him into my side and resisting the urge to kiss his red cheek. I hold my phone in front of us, turn the front camera on, and angle it to get both of us and the glacier in it.
“What happened to smiling?” I ask when I notice Liam is staring at the camera blankly.
He shakes his head. “Sorry.” His mouth widens, and I snap the photo, both of us with grins on our faces, and my arm around him. Too bad I can’t bend down and kiss him. The photo makes us look like a couple, and a twinge goes through my chest at the thought.
Even if he does kiss me and we fool around a bit, I’m flying to South Africa in a week, and I live in Auckland. It’s stupid to be thinking like that. Like we could be a couple. He probably wouldn’t want to deal with the media anyway.