Chapter 20 #2
The visit left me emotionally depleted and ready to fall apart at the seams. Liam must have sensed my imminent breakdown; he tugged me into a quiet corner of the hospital and hugged me.
Maybe it’s because I’ve grown closer to the children in my life recently, or maybe it was having Liam with me that I finally felt comfortable enough to let myself fall apart.
I haven’t cried like that in years, and Liam held me tight, steady and patient.
He called me baby and kissed my head, and I fell a little deeper in spite of myself.
When we arrive back at the apartment, my energy is completely drained.
I kick off my shoes in the entry and head over to the sofa.
When Liam doesn’t join me, I look back and find him in the kitchen, staring into the open fridge.
Before I can ask what he’s doing, a notification pops up on my phone.
It’s a message from Abby with a link to a video.
There’s a celebrity gossip reporter on screen, and my stomach sinks.
“Country star Ruby Lynn Hayes was spotted in Nashville for the first time since the dispute with her former label was made public, but that’s not what has fans in a tizzy. The Country Music Darling was seen canoodling with a mystery man in Percy Warner Park earlier today.”
The video cuts to clips of me and Liam in the park. First, we’re quietly eating lunch, oblivious to the paparazzi that were clearly lurking in the distance. Then, it shifts to footage of me interacting with my fans.
“Ruby’s known for being tight-lipped about her dating history, though she has been rumored to make the rounds through several actors and fellow musicians over the years; most of her affairs have been unconfirmed. There is one exception, however.”
Photos of me with my exes, real and rumored, appear on screen, painting me as some kind of slut.
If it had been a man, they’d be singing his praises, but the minute a woman dates around, she’s criticized and belittled.
My body stiffens when a familiar face appears on screen, and it takes all of my self-control not to whip the goddamn phone across the room.
“Ruby dated bad boy actor Nicholas Riley for six months in 2023, and the relationship imploded publicly before the CMA awards that same year. She has since kept her relationships private until now. Who is this tattooed hunk that has Ruby and her fans' hearts fluttering?
“A source reached out to Ruby's former lover for a statement. ‘It’s gotta be a publicity stunt,” says Riley. ‘She’s got all this bad press surrounding the lawsuit, and she needs a distraction. Even if she is really with this guy, it won’t last. Ruby will always be all about Ruby.’”
“In a blog post by someone present during the encounter in Percy Warner Park, the star’s fans called Ruby ‘Incredibly kind and accommodating.’
“‘She stayed and took photos for over an hour and didn’t stop until the last person got their selfie. And don’t even get me started on that boyfriend of hers! What a hottie! He waited patiently for her to finish and even held her purse!’
Sources close to the singer declined to comment.”
“Wow. They really didn’t waste any time,” Liam says over my shoulder.
I toss my phone onto the couch and let out a frustrated growl. “This is fucking ridiculous!”
Liam places a glass of wine on the coffee table in front of me and sits to my left on the velvet couch. “Deep breath, baby. It’ll be fine. Unless, of course, you’re ashamed of me.” He smirks.
I backhand his chest. “I’m used to all of this bullshit.” I rest my head on his shoulder. “They already pick apart everything I do, but you shouldn’t have to deal with it, too.”
He sweeps a lock of hair away from my face and cups my cheek. “I knew what I was signing up for when I came on this trip. Let them talk.” His voice is soft, almost tender, and it instantly calms my nerves.
“I hate this. I just wanted us to have one quiet day to ourselves before the hearing.”
“There’s still time. Come on.”
He pulls me up and hands me a glass of wine, then he tugs me toward the elevator, snagging the rest of the bottle off the kitchen island along the way.
“Where are you two going?” Nico calls after us as we dart down the hallway.
“To find peace,” Liam responds. “Don’t wait up.”
“But—”
I cut him off with a smile. “We’ll be fine, Nico. You can take the rest of the night off.”
I don’t get to say anything else before Liam leads me up the small staircase at the end of the corridor. “How did you know this was here?”
“I have my ways,” he says, pushing open the door that leads to the roof.
He interlocks our fingers, and I follow him over to the railing. Only the penthouse apartments have access to this area, but I’ve never bothered to come up here before. There’s nothing up here but a set of string lights and a patio table and chairs, but the view is indescribable.
The city lights cast a rippling rainbow mosaic on the river below, while the moon hangs high in the sky above. I’ve never been a city girl, preferring the fields and valleys of Oak Ridge to the bright lights of Nashville, but there’s still something magical about this view.
“It’s breathtaking,” I murmur, wrapping one arm around my waist.
Liam’s arms slide around me and pull me in close, his fingertips ghosting over mine. “It is,” he whispers, but when I look back over my shoulder, he’s not looking at the skyline.
I’ve been slowly falling in love with this man for the better part of ten years.
He’s seen me at my lowest and never wavered for a second.
He knows how I like my coffee and drives down backroads on a whim.
Whatever this thing is between us, we have yet to name it.
That makes this moment, and every one following it, more dangerous than he realizes.
I take a long sip of my wine and stare out at the view, letting his warmth flow through me.
We may never get another moment like this.
Now that the paparazzi have started speculating, it won't be long before we break under the pressure. As much as Aiden and Liam mean to me, I can’t push them into the spotlight. It wouldn't be fair.
At the risk of ruining everything or losing myself in the process, I give him another piece of my heart right there on the rooftop. “I used to imagine us like this, you know? For a long time, you were just this wild, unattainable dream.”
“And now?”
“A dream come true”—I inhale a shaky breath—“but it can’t last.”
“If you think for a second I’m letting you go, you’re dead wrong. Do you have any idea what you mean to me?”
I give him a subtle shake of the head, and he leans his forehead against mine. I close my eyes on instinct.
“You’re my sanctuary. We could be looking out at the most beautiful skylines in the world or sitting on the open tailgate in the driveway. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, as long as I have you with me, I’m home.”
His words burrow deep into my chest. Nobody has ever made me feel the way Liam does—wanted, needed, and dare I say… loved.
“You’ve always been my safe place,” I murmur. It’s a quiet confession. I don’t like to be perceived as vulnerable. I’m usually the queen of deflection, but not tonight. “When I was at my lowest, I always found my way to you. You were always there—without fail.”
“I always will be.”
Several long moments pass. I sip my wine and we stare out at the river.
“Ruby,” he says, his voice low and raspy. “This thing between us. I don’t want it to end. In fact, I want more.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want you. All of you. In every way. I want the whole world to know you’re mine.”
“We can’t.”
He turns me to face him and places my wine glass on the table, holding my hands in both of his. “Why not?”
“You’ve only seen a small taste of what it can be like with the media, and it’ll get worse from here on out. They’re like a dog with a bone. They won’t let this go so easily.”
“I can handle it. We can handle it.”
“What about Aiden? If they get wind that you have a son, there’s no telling what could happen. I worry about what effect that might have on him.”
“We’ll protect him. Plenty of celebrities manage to keep their kids out of the public eye.”
“What happens when this doesn’t work? I can’t lose you.” Another excuse trips off my tongue, but I’m losing the battle of wills with each one.
“You won’t lose me. No matter what happens between us, I will always be here for you. You’re a part of me, Ruby. Have been for a decade. Will be until my heart stops beating and long after.” He tenderly places our joined hands over his tattoo, and whatever fight I had left dissolves.
I swallow around the lump in my throat as I stare up into those fathomless eyes, the bright lights of the city reflecting back at me. His tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip, and the world around us stills.
There’s this overwhelming sense of rightness when we’re together, and when we’re apart, it’s like a phantom pain.
There are parts of me that only exist when I’m with Liam, and there’s this softness in him that only I get to witness.
It’s something special to find that the other half of your soul resides in another person, as though every piece and part of you belongs to them and them alone, and vice versa.
“Kiss me, Liam.”
He brushes the tip of his nose over my cheek ever so slowly, the air between us crackling with unspoken desire. “Have you been aching for me, baby?”
“Yes,” I whisper, his lips barely a breath away from mine. “I need you.”
“Tell me you’re mine again, and I’ll give you what you want. I’ll give you everything.”
I let out a huff of air and melt into him. “I’m yours. I’m so fucking yours.”
He slants his lips over mine as his right hand threads through my hair, angling my head to the side to give him better access.
It’s slow at first, tentative, but oh so perfect in its simplicity.
His lips are soft, as though he’s savoring each gentle brush.
When he slips his tongue into my mouth, a small whimper escapes me.
He tastes like wine and something entirely too addictive.
He pulls my body flush against his, bowing me backward slightly as he deepens the kiss. My hands instinctively cling to his back, grappling for purchase. I feel every rippling muscle beneath my palms, and a steady ache grows between my thighs.
We fit together seamlessly, his body molding perfectly to mine. I’ve waited my whole life for this man, and now that I know what it’s like to belong to Liam Murphy, I may never be the same again.
He groans into my mouth, and his cock grows hard against my belly. “Fuck. We have to stop.”
“Why?” I ask, breathless and frantic.
“Because if we keep going, I’ll fuck you right here on this rooftop, paparazzi be damned.” He grabs the wine off the nearby table and takes a long drink straight from the bottle.
I giggle and take a sip from my own glass. “I wonder if anybody is watching us right now. I guess we’ll see when the headlines come out tomorrow.”
“It’ll probably say something like, ‘This just in… country music darling Ruby Lynn Hayes was spotted on the rooftop of her penthouse apartment with some asshole who doesn’t deserve her. She’s so far out of his league, they aren’t even playing the same sport.’”
“But she adores him anyway,” I press my lips to his jaw and rest my head against his chest, staring out at the city beyond.
Several long moments pass, during which nobody speaks.
Finally breaking the silence, I whisper, “Am I dreaming?”
He places two fingers under my chin, angling my face upwards so we’re at eye level. “No, baby. But I think I might be.”