Chapter 24 #2
He felt it too. The way the woods held the quiet, the stillness that settled deep in his bones, the kind that made you feel like the world had paused just for you.
They ducked through the trees, pine needles brushing their coats and caps, the scent of resin sharp and clean in the cold air. Branches hung low, heavy with snow, and Liam reached out to steady Cassidy as she stepped over a half-buried log, her gloved hand warm in his.
“Back in sixth grade, I was really into camping, survival training, all of it. I was convinced I’d find myself lost in the woods far more than I ever have,” he explained.
“Lumberjack Liam.” She grinned.
He let out a gentle laugh, the sound echoing softly between the trees. “Anyway, I don’t even remember how I found it, but through middle school and high school… this was my spot.” His voice went quiet, his gaze tracking the path ahead. “Whenever I needed space… I came here.”
He held back a pine bough, revealing the hidden entrance.
She stepped inside and looked around in awe. They were underneath a massive white pine, its trunk at least a hundred feet tall. The first branch was above both of their heads, but its weight caused the tips of the branch to touch the ground, closing them off like a curtain.
The ground beneath their boots was soft, layered with thousands of dried pine needles. The air was thick with the scent of sap and damp earth.
Cassidy spun in a circle, eyes sparkling. “It’s like a magical pine tree fort,” she said, laughing softly.
Liam had known she’d love it, but seeing her here, cheeks pink from the cold, eyes wide with wonder… it undid him.
“It’s beautiful,” she said again, her voice low, like she didn’t want to disturb the quiet. Then she looked up at him. “Really beautiful.”
He looked at her, his throat tightening. He should say something meaningful, something about how much he liked being here with her, how special she made him feel. But even though romantic words weren’t his thing, his hands knew what to do.
He reached for her scarf, gently adjusting it around her neck. His knuckles brushed her jaw.
Their eyes met. Neither of them looked away.
“You bring all the girls here?” she asked, teasing. Her voice was light, but he could hear the nerves beneath it.
He shook his head. “Only you.”
Her smile faded into something softer, more real. She stepped closer until the front of her coat brushed his chest.
The space between them vanished.
Her gaze dropped to his lips. “So… are you gonna kiss me, or just keep holding onto my scarf?”
Her words broke something loose in him.
He cupped her jaw, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone, and kissed her.
Slow. Deep.
No barn walls, no frantic moments. Just this. The snow beneath their boots, pine above their heads, and the thrum of something real humming in his veins.
Liam pulled back, just a breath, resting his forehead against hers.
His voice was deep, ragged. “Cass.”
She opened her eyes, dazed and bright, like someone waking from the best kind of dream.
“You okay?” he asked, gently brushing a loose curl from her cheek.
She nodded, slow. But the tension in her shoulders didn’t ease.
He waited. Quiet. Steady. The way he always was with her.
“I know what I said,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “About swearing off men until New Year’s Day. About taking things slow even after that. I meant it.”
He didn’t move. He let the silence stretch, waiting.
She took a steadying breath. “I still want that,” she said. “I mean—I did. But…”
“But?” he prompted, voice measured.
She exhaled sharply, her breath fogging in the air. “But you’re ruining everything.”
“Um… thanks?”
She laughed. It was a combination of frustration and fondness. “You’re patient. And good. And effortlessly attractive. Do you know how annoying that is?”
“I’m sensing a compliment buried somewhere in there.”
Cassidy groaned. “You are the worst. And also the best. And I’m trying to keep my head on straight, and you keep doing that thing with your thumb, and it’s all very unfair.”
His smile curved. “I could stop.”
She looked at him flatly. “You could. But will you?”
His hand stilled. “Cass, I meant it. I don’t know how that French guy was with you in the past, but whatever you want, I’ll do. You want to stop, we stop. No guilt. No pressure. You say the word.”
“But you want to,” she said.
“I do. But not for the reason you think.”
She raised a brow.
“I want to take care of you,” Liam said softly. “This is about you finally getting what you want.”
Cassidy froze, her lips parting slightly. For a long beat she didn’t move, just watching him like she wasn’t sure what to do with the words. “No one’s ever said that to me before.”
“Then it’s about damn time.”
She stared back at him, eyes wide and uncertain.
“This is a bad idea,” she whispered.
“I’m a walking bad idea,” Liam said, tilting his head. “But I’m also house-trained, good with dogs, and I make excellent lasagna.”
She bit her lip, eyes sparkling. “And you think you can handle me?”
He leaned in, mouth brushing her ear. “Is that a challenge?”
Cassidy’s breath caught, but she didn’t look away. “Maybe.”
Liam chuckled, low and dangerous. “You know how I feel about them.”
“Then yeah,” Cassidy said, standing taller, her voice steady. “Consider it a challenge.”