Chapter 16
sixteen
zombie apocalypse, here we come
Maya
“Damn,” he said with a low whistle, eyeing the neatly organized stockpile I was normally so proud of. With Liam here, the relief I usually felt around my stockpile soured into nervous tension.
My apartment was small, even for one person.
The tiny kitchen combined with a decent-sized living space, one cramped bedroom, and an equally cramped bathroom didn’t leave much room for all the items we’d bought at Costco.
Liam was right to wonder where I would put all this stuff.
But that was before he’d seen the wall-to-wall industrial shelving system I’d installed for this exact purpose.
“You really undersold it when you said you had some shelves in your place. That is an impressive collection of supplies.” He nudged me with his elbow. “I know who I’m hanging out with during the next zombie apocalypse.”
The tension melted off my shoulders at his teasing. He didn’t think I was weird for having a general store’s worth of products tucked away on my shelves. He seemed almost … thrilled.
I could live with that.
“I like having extras,” I explained, stacking cereal boxes onto the shelves. “I never want to be without the things I need.” I knew all too well what it was like to go without. I’d spent years with no storage space, no fridge, and no money—and no reliable way to keep myself fed.
I would do whatever it took to never go through that again.
“I can see that.” Liam scanned the tiny apartment. “I’ll go get the rest of the stuff from the car. Be right back.”
Sure, my home was more storage-focused than that of the average twenty-three-year-old woman, but it suited me. Despite being surrounded by a stockpile of cereal, crackers, and toilet paper, I felt at home here.
Scratch that. I felt at home because of the stockpile. Nothing felt better than knowing where your next meal was coming from.
“I have a thought.” Liam appeared in the doorway, a stack of boxes balanced in his arms. “Nana’s place is twice the size of this one.
You should move in there when she eventually moves out.
Then, this entire apartment could be your storage room.
Ooh, I bet you could get one of those rolling rack systems so you can store more stuff.
You know, the ones on tracks that move back and forth when you turn a huge wheel. ”
My heart stopped. Did Nana tell him she was moving? Was she making plans with him to leave her home? Why would he tell me to move in there?
He was right about one thing: Nana’s apartment next door was much bigger. Two bedrooms. A laundry room. Space. But I could never move into it.
“I can’t.” I choked back a sob. “I … can’t lose her.”
Panic clawed up my throat. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Nana. I’d only had her for two years. That wasn’t nearly long enough.
“Okay, shhh.” Liam pulled me into his arms, his solid warmth dragging me back from the edge of hysteria. “Breathe,” he murmured. “It’ll be okay. It was an idea. No one is forcing you to move.”
I tried to focus on slowing my breathing, but all I could think about was the crush of Liam’s arms around me, the press of his hard chest, and the comforting warmth of his scent, woody and earthy and altogether him.
Oh, mama. It should be illegal for a man to smell this good.
I breathed deeply for a few moments before allowing myself to relax into the kind of hug I hadn’t experienced in, well, ever. Then I turned my face and sniffed his shirt. For research purposes, of course.
Jesus. Did he have to smell so delicious?
Before I could take another sneaky sniff, he pulled back and held me at arm’s length. “Better?” he asked, flashing a crooked smile.
“Sure.” I stepped away, already missing the heat of his body. “Thanks.”
I tried to get back to work, but the scent of Liam clinging to my shirt made it damn near impossible to concentrate on sorting my purchases.
The only thing in my brain was how I could get him to wrap me in his arms again?
Which was ridiculous. This was Liam Bishop.
The negligent grandson. Pull yourself together, girl.
Suddenly, I wanted him to go. He was way too distracting. I’d never be able to concentrate on anything while he stood there just … smelling amazing around me.
“Well, thanks for all your help,” I blurted, gesturing to the door. “I have to get downstairs and close the store properly. I’ll walk you out.”
Liam’s eyes slid to the boxes still strewn across the floor, his brows drawing together. “You sure? There’s still a lot to put away here. I don’t mind helping.”
“Yup. Absolutely sure,” I said, grabbing the box of new pens in one hand and the sleeve of Liam’s jacket in the other. “It’ll give me something to do when I get back from visiting Nana later. Let’s go.”
Then, as if having a mild freakout over my attraction to Liam weren’t enough stress for me to be dealing with, my phone rang as we reached the bottom of the stairs.
That phone. The parent phone.
Ugh. Why couldn’t they leave me alone?
I dropped Liam’s arm and rushed over, yanking the drawer open in time to see that it was, in fact, my parents calling. I snorted a hysterical laugh, ripped open the box of pens, and dumped them in the drawer, burying the phone.
If I couldn’t see it, I couldn’t answer it. Right?
I slammed the drawer shut and spun to face Liam, slapping on my best nothing to see here smile. “Okay. Well, thanks again. Bye-bye now.”
He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but closed it immediately. With a shaking head and a wagging finger, he shot me one last wink and walked out the door.
He was so weird. But in a super hot, not actually weird way that made my stomach flip.
Oh.
Crap.
I couldn’t be developing a crush on Liam Bishop as a person. It was one thing to admire his physical form, but to actually like him? That would be inexcusable.