Chapter 15
As we pull up to my house, my mom runs out hugging me intensely.
“Thanks for the ride, Oliver” Liam shouts as he closes the door.
“Hi mom,” I said while just letting her hold me.
“Hi, honey. Hi Liam, Noah, Ollie, and a random girl I don’t know” she glares at Sydney.
“This is Sydney, mom”.
My mom glances at Noah and then back at Sydney. “Well, it’s nice to put a face to the name”.
“Hi, Mrs.–– Sophie” Liam nods.
“ I’m gonna head out. It was good to see y’all, but I wish it were different circumstances. Isabel, just let me know the plans” Oliver cuts in before walking back to his car.
I leaned against the counter, savoring the warmth of the latte in my hands. The rich aroma filled the kitchen, and for a moment, it felt like a little pocket of normalcy amidst the chaos.
Liam stood close behind me, his hand brushing against mine every so often, like a silent claim.
Noah hovered near the counter, his arms crossed, his jaw tight, clearly itching to say something but biting back.
Sydney chattered away about the drive up and the beach, completely oblivious to the tension radiating from the rest of us.
My mom shot her a side-eye, but didn’t comment, letting the awkwardness hang in the air.
Dad, ever the peacemaker, poured another latte and handed it to Noah. “Here, son. You need it more than anyone right now.”
Noah accepted it silently, nodding, eyes fixed somewhere past the kitchen. I took a slow sip of my latte, letting the warmth ground me. This was my family, my friends, and my life, but suddenly, it all felt fragile. One wrong word, one look, and everything could detonate.
Liam leaned close, whispering in my ear, “Come back to me,” and I felt the possessiveness in his tone. I wanted to, but part of me still ached for the day’s chaos and the truths that had been revealed.
I knew this weekend wasn’t going to be easy.
“Maybe it’s the exhaustion talking, but this may have been the best latte I’ve ever had, Mr. Smith,” Liam said, taking a huge gulp.
“Liam, please, I’ve told you to call me Henry,” Dad said, shooting a pointed glare at Noah.
“Sorry – Henry, this is amazing,” Liam laughed, unbothered.
“Noah, I haven’t seen you in a while. Who’s this girl?” Dad asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked toward Sydney.
“Sydney, dear,” Mom added, smiling warmly at her.
“Sydney? Why is she in our house right now?” Dad whispered in my ear, clearly confused.
I chuckled, choking on my latte a little. “Sydney is Liam’s step-sister, Dad.”
Dad blinked, taking a moment to process it. “Ah… well, I suppose that explains some things,” he murmured, glancing between Liam, Sydney, and me with a mix of curiosity and cautious approval.
Liam smirked, obviously pleased with the little stir he had caused, while Sydney looked entirely oblivious to the tension she’d just stepped into.
Noah, on the other hand, simply sipped his latte, jaw tight, and eyes flicking between Liam and me like he was calculating exactly how dangerous this situation might get.
“Well, I’m glad you kids like the lattes. Now, I’m going, to be honest. You three look like hell.” pointing at Liam, Noah, and myself.
We look at each other and just laugh, the past 24 hours have been so eventful with very little sleep.
I break the silence. “Well, I’m going to go shower. Noah and Sydney, you’re more than welcome to hang out.”
I kiss Liam quickly before heading upstairs, not waiting for a response.
The bathroom fills with steam as I turn the water as hot as it’ll go, letting it beat down on my shoulders, trying to wash off the last twenty-four hours-the hospital lights, the sirens, the shouting, the fear.
Just as I start to breathe again, the door opens.
I turn.
Liam.
He steps inside and locks the door behind him, the click loud in the quiet bathroom. I take him in without thinking, his bare skin, the way he looks at me like I’m the only thing that exists in this house.
Something in my chest tightens.
“Care to join me?” I ask, forcing a playful wink.
His smile is slow, deliberate, like he already knows the answer. He crosses the room, backing me gently toward the shower, hands settling on my hips, not rough, not rushed. Possessive. Certain.
“As long as you’re mine in here,” he murmurs.
The words should have felt comforting.
Instead, a familiar knot forms low in my stomach.
“Where are my parents?”
Liam wraps his arms around my waist from behind, his mouth brushing my ear as he whispers, “They had errands to run. Both of them left. Noah and Sydney are downstairs doing some very much needed talking, so I gave them privacy.”
Before I can respond, he reaches for the shampoo and starts washing my hair. I close my eyes.
It feels like heaven.
His touch is gentle, unhurried, intimate in a way that makes my chest ache. It’s exactly what I needed after today. For a moment, the noise in my head goes quiet.
“I love you, Bella,” he says softly.
“I love you, Liam,” I reply, meaning it, even as something deep in my gut stays alert.
I spent the rest of the shower wrapped in his arms, warm and exposed, letting myself feel small while he held me.
Afterward, I slip into his shirt - the one I wore the night before - and a pair of sweatpants that hang off my hips.
I twist my hair into a messy bun while he gets dressed.
When I look up, he’s just standing there, watching me.
“Isabel,” he says, voice low and certain, “you are absolutely stunning.”And for a moment, I almost believe everything is simple again