Chapter 16 #2
Why would an advanced, intergalactic species come down to Earth just to make a few people from each city play in a week-long game show? Why would the stakes be so high if that was the aliens’ only intention?
They wouldn’t.
I was sure there was more to it than that, and whatever happened tomorrow, I was positive the completion of the last trial would only be the beginning.
“Well…” Sadie’s sigh pulled me from my thoughts and brought me back to the present. “I’ve kept you up long enough. I guess I should leave and let you get some sleep.”
She stood up like she was going to leave, and maybe I was misreading the situation, but it didn’t really look like she actually wanted to go.
“I’m not really tired yet,” I said quickly. “So, you can stay for a while longer if you’d like.”
“Really?” she asked, and her dark eyes turned hopeful.
“Of course,” I said firmly. “You can stay as long as you want.”
“Thanks, Liam,” she replied with a warm smile, and she settled back into her spot beside me.
We were completely alone, and I knew this would be the ideal time to tell her about the situation with Parker, but a big part of me didn’t want to end our pleasant evening so soon.
I knew I couldn’t put it off, though. Sadie deserved to know everything, and even though I was nervous, the situation would look much worse the longer I waited to tell her.
I gently shifted away and turned my body so I could fully face her. Then I took a deep breath.
Here goes nothing.
“Sadie, actually, there’s… something I need to discuss with you,” I said hesitantly.
“Oh?” She cocked her head to the side and lifted an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“Something… happened, the other day when we were all out camping in the woods,” I said, and I struggled to find the right words to explain the situation.
“Okay?” Sadie sounded perplexed now, but her tone was still light. “What happened?”
My heart hammered in my chest, and my tongue suddenly felt like it weighed forty pounds.
“Well, um-- er,” I stuttered for a moment, then swallowed and forced myself to breathe. When I spoke again, my words were actually coherent. “When we were running from the bats, Parker fell down at one point…”
Sadie watched me expectantly as she waited for me to get to the point, and her expression was filled with confused curiosity. I knew she was probably wondering why I was suddenly rambling and fidgeting so much.
I was confused, too. Sure, I could fight a giant bear and power my way through an obstacle course while maintaining a relatively clear head. But admit something to a woman I really liked?
No, apparently that was way too hard.
“Anyway,” I continued. “When I helped her back up, we… matched.”
I mumbled the last word, and Sadie leaned in closer to me.
“I’m sorry, you said that last part really quietly,” she apologized. “What did you say?”
“Parker and I matched,” I repeated in a louder voice, and I internally winced and waited for the emotional storm.
Sadie’s face remained completely expressionless as she processed what I said.
“Oh,” she finally whispered. “Are you… sure it was a match?”
“I helped her up, and our collars buzzed and turned pink,” I recounted. “Just like the day you and I matched.”
“How is that even possible, though?” Sadie asked, and she still didn’t look angry, just confused. “We were told each contestant had one perfect match.”
“I know,” I agreed. “And I have no idea how, or why it happened. Maybe it was a glitch in the system, maybe it was caused by something else, but either way, it happened.”
“I see,” Sadie murmured.
I desperately wished I could know what she was thinking at that moment because her expression didn’t give anything away.
“What does that mean for us?” she finally asked. “Will you be expected to choose one of us? What does Parker think of all this?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “We both thought it would be best if I told you first, before any decisions were made.”
“Decisions?” Sadie frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters, I knew you liked me,” I explained. “But liking someone doesn’t automatically mean you want to be tied down to them or begin anything serious. I wanted to know how you felt first.”
“And if I did want something more serious?” Sadie asked. “What then?”
“I-I’m not sure,” I said.
“Liam, if I ask you something, do you promise to give me an honest answer?” Sadie raised an eyebrow.
“Of course,” I quickly agreed. “Ask me anything.”
“You promise not to sugarcoat anything to spare my feelings?”
I swear her eyebrow rose even higher, and I was suddenly very skeptical of whatever she was about to ask me.
“I promise,” I said.
“How do you feel about me?” she asked. “Your genuine, honest feelings.”
That question was much simpler than I thought it was going to be.
“I really like you.” I scooted a bit closer to her. “Even though we really only started getting to know each other recently, I feel like I’ve known you forever. I think you’re an incredible woman, and if I’m being entirely honest with myself, I think I’m beginning to fall for you.”
“Really?” Sadie’s eyes grew wide, and her expression softened slightly.
“Yes,” I said sincerely.
“Then let me ask you something else,” she continued. “How do you feel about Parker?”
That was a much trickier question.
“I… can’t deny I’ve felt a strong connection to her,” I admitted in a low voice. “I enjoy being around her, and I have equal amounts of admiration for both of you.”
Sadie nodded again, and still her expression was completely neutral. For a long, tortuous moment, she said nothing, but then she finally broke the silence.
“I don’t think it was a glitch in the system,” she murmured.
“You don’t?” Her response took me by surprise.
“No, I don’t,” she repeated. “I think you were supposed to match with Parker. I noticed your connection to her from day one, and anyone with eyeballs could see it. You both are a great match.”
“You and I are a great match, too,” I pointed out.
“We are,” Sadie agreed with a small smile, and then she cocked her head to the side. “Why were you so afraid to tell me about your match with Parker? Why did you wait so long?”
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” I mumbled as I fidgeted with my hands. “Things seemed to be going so well for us, and I was afraid it would change things for you.”
“Well, it doesn’t,” Sadie replied in a gentle tone.
“What?” Her reply caught me off guard again, and I glanced up at her.
“Liam, you’re the most incredible guy I’ve ever met,” Sadie sighed. “You’re smart, funny, caring, brave, and selfless. What is there to dislike?”
“Oh.” My stupid brain couldn’t think of any other response.
“I guess it’s my turn to be honest,” Sadie said with a sheepish smile. “I’ve had a crush on you from the first day I moved into our apartment building, and every day since then, I’ve silently hoped you’d ask me out on a date.”
I sat in silence as I listened to this beautiful woman beside me confess her feelings, and my heart thundered in my chest.
“And I know it’s fast,” she went on. “But after the last couple days, I’ve found myself falling for you hard and fast, and I just want to be with you, for however long we have left.
I don’t care that you matched with someone else, and I don’t even care that you have feelings for someone else.
As long as you have feelings for me, too. ”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and it took me a moment to realize she was waiting for my confirmation.
“I do have feelings for you,” I blurted out. “Of course I do, you’re one of the most incredible women I’ve ever met.”
“Well, then,” Sadie said with a small smile. “I’m glad that’s been settled. Obviously, you’ll still need to figure out how Parker feels about everything before we move forward, but…”
“Wait, what do you mean?” I had an idea about what she was implying, but I couldn’t believe I’d actually heard her correctly.
“Liam, I just want to be with you,” Sadie clarified, and a slight blush rose to her cheeks as she spoke. “I don’t care who else you’re with, as long as part of you belongs to me.”
“So, you don’t care that a part of me wants to be with Parker, too?” I asked, and I still felt completely dumbfounded.
“No, I don’t.” Sadie smiled. “Besides, I really like Parker, she’s gorgeous, smart, and really funny. Why wouldn’t you be attracted to her? Of course, like I said before, we still need to see how she feels before anything else happens. It wouldn’t be fair to leave her to be blindsided.”
“I actually spoke with her earlier today,” I said as I leaned forward eagerly. “She seemed… very open to the idea of a dual relationship.”
Sadie didn’t respond right away, and instead she gave me a little smile as she leaned closer to me.
“I’m glad it’s all figured out then,” she whispered.
And then her soft, pink lips brushed against mine.
I felt like my entire body and mind were in overdrive as I tried to process everything. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the two most incredible women I’d ever met both wanted to be with me and didn’t mind making very unconventional arrangements to make it happen.
And now, Sadie’s lips were pressed to mine.
When my brain finally caught up to the present moment, I leaned closer to deepen our kiss. I loved the way her soft, warm lips molded perfectly to mine, and I inhaled her sweet and subtle fragrance.
Strawberries.
This moment was absolutely perfect, she was absolutely perfect, and I felt that familiar rush of excitement in my pants.
Sadie broke from our kiss, and when she pulled away, her face was flushed, and she was breathing a bit harder.
We both were.
I was disappointed our kiss had ended so abruptly, but my disappointment was quickly dissolved when I heard what she had to say next.
“Can I stay with you tonight?”
Her question sounded so innocent, but I could hear the implications in her tone. I knew if I told her yes, there’d be no question as to what we’d be doing.