Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
LIAM
Liam knew Cassidy was looking for some kind of reassurance on the drive home, but he couldn’t give it to her.
Instead, he gripped the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping him grounded and kept his eyes fixed on the road, pretending the patches of ice demanded his full attention.
The truck’s heater hummed low, fighting against the cold that had settled in their clothes from the walk across the snow-dusted parking lot.
He turned the radio on, hoping it would fill the silence between them.
The same holiday station that had played on the way to the Festival of Trees was still on, only now it was Bing Crosby crooning “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The irony wasn’t lost on him.
Outside, Maple Falls was washed in the soft glow of Christmas lights strung across porches and storefronts, twinkling like tiny stars against the snowy streets, already dark in the early evening.
Neighborhood houses were decked in long strands of colored bulbs, some blinking in cheerful patterns, others glowing steadily in warm golds and soft whites.
Icicle lights dripped from eaves, looking fragile and delicate dangling above the snowbanks below, while inflatable snowmen and Santa Clauses swayed gently with each gust of wind.
None of it helped ease Liam’s mind.
He couldn’t help it. His mind was replaying the last twenty-four hours—not a highlight reel of passion, but a slow, creeping worry that he’d pushed her too far.
The way she had trembled and moaned, how she’d come undone for him again and again.
It had felt like shared desire in the moment.
But now? Now he couldn’t stop wondering:
What if it was too much, too fast?
What if she didn’t know how to say stop?
He thought about what she’d told him—how she had frozen when Jean-Paul kissed her. How she’d stayed with a narcissist for three years. Liam refused to ever put her in a position like that again.
He prided himself on being someone people could trust, especially her. Especially the woman he was starting to imagine a future with. But now, the idea that he might have unintentionally pressured her? It wrecked him.
Yes, she’d said she wanted it. Every time. But maybe she’d just been trying to keep up. Maybe he hadn’t listened hard enough. He’d been focused on her pleasure, but he couldn’t deny that his ego had loved it too. That it had done something to him, knowing he could unravel her like that.
But Cassidy… she wasn’t just anyone.
How could a woman so beautiful, so smart, so full of life and light, have only ever been with someone like Jean-Paul?
Liam had fallen for her fast. He could admit that now. He wanted her, in every way, but she didn’t need someone like him rushing in, piling intensity on top of intimacy before she’d even figured out what she wanted.
That was why she’d made the vow.
It wasn’t just about saying no to men; it was about finding herself again. And she’d been smart to make that vow. She needed space to learn what she liked, what she craved, what felt good on her own terms.
Not what he gave her.
Not what he thrust onto her.
His jaw clenched. His desire for her ran deep—too deep. And it terrified him.
She wasn’t a prize to be won.
She was a woman who deserved more.
And yet again, he wasn’t sure he was what she needed.
Even Muff seemed to pick up on the tension in the truck, glancing between Liam and Cassidy like she was trying to make sense of what was happening.
“Come here, girl,” Cassidy said, patting her lap. The pup scooted closer with a soft whine, resting her head on her thigh.
Thankfully, the drive from the high school back to downtown was short. Liam pulled into a parallel spot right in front of the shop and shifted the truck into park.
Cassidy hesitated. “Do you want to come in?” she asked softly.
He let out a slow breath, still looking at the windshield. “Sorry, but not tonight.”
She didn’t budge. “I’m not just going to get out of the truck and pretend like everything’s fine. Didn’t you just say you were going to stop keeping things to yourself? That you’d tell me what you’re feeling instead of shutting down?”
He was caught off guard by her calling him out—but she wasn’t wrong. He turned to face her, jaw tense.
“I’m uncomfortable.”
Her eyes widened. She clearly hadn’t expected that.
“Things have happened… fast. Intense. And I think we need to slow down.”
“Slow down?” Cassidy repeated, her voice sharp.
He could already feel the heat rising between them. He didn’t want to make things worse.
“You asked me to be honest, and I am. I’m not saying this to hurt you, Cassidy. I’m saying it because I care. But if you’re going to twist it into something else—if we’re about to fight about this—I can’t. Not right now. Can we just… talk later?”
Cassidy shook her head, stunned. “Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”
She opened the door and climbed out, Muff hopping down behind her. The only thing colder than the air was her voice.
Liam didn’t blame her. But he had to believe he was protecting her—protecting them both.
He didn’t flinch when she slammed the truck door.
But he did wait.
He sat in silence, watching until she and Muff were safely inside the shop, the front door clicking shut behind them, before easing off the brake and pulling slowly away from the curb.