<b>Chapter </b>19


    The sheets were soft, the room quiet, but my thoughts kept circling back to his mouth on mine. The way his hands had held my waist, like he needed to feel something real.


    That kiss.


    Our third kiss wasn’t about heat or curiosity anymore. It was desire, raw and undeniable and neither of us was brave enough to ask out loud.


    And every time, we acted like nothing happened.


    No conversation. No closure. Just silence.


    I stood by the window now, wrapped in one of Sophia’s oversized sweaters. I hadn’t seen my own clothes in three days. I felt like a stranger in my own skin, as if I’d stepped into someone else’s life. Someone reckless enough to let Liam kiss her, and foolish enough to think she’d leave without consequence.


    This job wasn’t supposed to getplicated. I was filling in for Mom, not falling apart under the weight of every nce, every almost–touch. I had lines. Boundaries. I used to be good at keeping them.


    But Liam ck… he blurred things I thought were concrete.


    By the time I made it downstairs, Liam was already in the kitchen, standing by the espresso machine like he hadn’t shattered me the night before. His sleeves were rolled, his expression unreadable. Not cold, exactly. Just…controlled.


    He nced up. “Morning.”


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    “Morning,” I replied, hugging the sweater tighter.


    He didn’t say anything else. Just slid a cup of coffee across the counter without meeting my eyes. I stared at it for a second before wrapping my fingers around it, grateful for something warm. Something easy.


    “I’m leaving now,” I said, breaking the silence.


    Liam didn’t look at me. “I’ll drive you.”


    “That’s not necessary. My car’s just outside.”


    “I didn’t ask if it was. All I want is for you to get home safely.”


    I exhaled. Of course. Cold, withdrawn Liam decided to show up


    “Fine,” I said. “Let me change first.‘


    “1


    this morning.


    I headed upstairs and peeled off Sophia’s clothes like they didn’t belong to me anymore. Because they didn’t. None of this did. I threw on my jeans and wrinkled blouse from Friday.


    The same outfit I’d worn when I arrived, expecting to just cook and go home. Not fall into a mess of feelings I wasn’t equipped to manage.


    I lingered for a second before leaving the room, just looking around. The little vase by the nightstand. The faint scent of Liam’s cologne lingering in the hallway. I wanted to remember it, even if I told myself not to.


    Ten minutester, we were in his car, pulling out of the driveway.


    The city felt too bright, too fast. People were out again like the storm had never happened. But in that car, the silence was louder than anything outside,


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    I stared out the window, pretending not to care. Pretending I hadn’t reyed the kiss a dozen times in my headst night. Pretending I wasn’t sitting inches from a man who could undo me with one touch.


    He didn’t say a word the whole ride. I didn’t break the silence either.


    When we reached my street, I recognized the familiar row of buildings and the creaky white gate out front. Home. Back to my reality. My life. The one without stolen nces and impossible feelings.


    Liam pulled up to the curb and parked.


    I opened the door but didn’t move.


    “I guess the truce is over,” I said, still staring straight ahead. “We’re back to being boss and employee. Nothing more.”


    He didn’t respond.


    I stepped out and pulled the door shut behind me, the sound settling like a full stop at the end of something I wasn’t ready to name


    One step up the porch. Then another. I reached into my bag for my keys.


    Behind me, I heard the sound of the window rolling down.


    “Emily,” he called.


    I slowly turned to face him, not trusting what I might see in his eyes.


    He was watching me, one arm resting casually on the steering wheel like this was any other


    moment.


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    But it wasn’t.


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    “You really think that’s all we are?” he asked.


    I blinked, my fingers frozen on the key.


    He didn’t wait for an answer.


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    The window rolled back up, and the car pulled away, disappearing down the street.


    I let out a slow breath and opened the door. I wasn’t going to let him get under my skin this early.


    Home sweet home.


    It felt like forever since I’d been here, but everything was exactly where I left it. The slightly crooked photo frame in the hallway, the faint smell ofvender detergent clinging to the air. Familiar. Safe.


    I dropped my bag on the couch and sank into it.


    Three days. That’s all it had been.


    Three days locked away in a mansion with Liam ck, and somehow, it felt like a lifetime.


    This summer was supposed to be quiet. Simple. I came back to LA hoping to rest, breathe, and stay out of everyone’s way until school resumed. But instead… I got entangled with the ck family.


    With Liam.


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    Jay, always scheming, always up to something.


    And Sophia, who despite her fiery personality and blunt words, had started to grow on me like a weed I didn’t want to pull.


    I didn’t ask for any of this.


    But maybe life didn’t care what I asked for.


    I pulled the hair tie off my wrist and let my curls fall freely. I needed to get back to being me, if I didn’t want to lose myselfpletely, I had to get grounded. Fast.


    Maybe I’d take up a few short–term catering gigs. Try volunteering again. Anything to keep my mind busy. Anything to keep me from thinking about him.


    Because clearly, nothing good came from allowing my thoughts linger too long on Liam ck.


    And yet, I couldn’t help it.


    I stared up at the ceiling and whispered to no one in particr. “How did I get here?”


    My phone buzzed on the coffee table.


    I leaned over, still moulded into the couch, and picked it up.


    Sophia: Come open your door. I have a surprise for


    you.


    I blinked at the message. Seriously?


    So much for needing a break from the ck family.


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    Dragging myself up, I padded barefoot to the door, my body still sore from the emotional whish of thest three days. I unlocked the bolt and pulled it open.


    There she was.


    Sophia ck, in full glory. Red jumpsuit, sunsses on her head despite zero sun, and a grin so wide it practically split her face.


    “Surprise!” she beamed, arms flung open like I’d won a game I didn’t know I was ying.


    My jaw dropped. “How… what are you doing here?”


    She held up a garment bag in one hand and a box of pastries in the other.


    “Oh, honey,” she purred, waltzing past me like she owned the ce, “I’m here for the exclusive scoop.”


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