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    Chapter <b>63 </b>


    I swallowed. “Um. I’m a little…”


    “No pressure,” he added quickly. “I’m flying out in a few days. I just… I wanted to see you.”


    “I’ll let you know,” I said softly.


    When I hung up, the silence between Liam and me stretched.


    “You okay?” I asked.


    He nodded once. “Fine.”


    But he wasn’t. I could see it in the tension in his jaw, the way he looked past me instead of at <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    Before I could say anything else, Sophia popped into the kitchen.


    “Whoa. Did I interrupt a lovers‘ spat?” she asked, grabbing a bottle of water.


    Liam turned. “Nothing to interrupt.”


    She looked between us, clearly sensing something had shifted. “Right. Well… I’ll be in my room. Try not to break anything.”


    She disappeared, leaving us in thick silence.


    I reached for Liam’s hand.


    “Mason’s just a friend,” I said.


    Liam finally met my eyes. “Let’s hope he remembers that.”


    And then, without another word, he walked past me and disappeared into his room.


    Leaving me alone with my thoughts, and the unsettling truth that maybe things weren’t as simple as I’d hoped.


    After what happened in the kitchen. The tension, the awkward silence, and Mason’s perfectly


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    inconvenient call. I needed air. Not the kind you breathe… the kind that clears your head.


    I slipped out to the pool, letting the cool evening breeze brush against my skin. The water shimmered under the moonlight, still and inviting. But I didn’t get in. I just sat at the edge and dipped my toes in, staring into nothing while Mason’s name looped in my head.


    Why did he call? And why now?


    He could’ve waited. He should’ve.


    His timing couldn’t have been worse.


    Eventually, I made my way back inside, quietly slipping into Liam’s room. I assumed he’d be asleep by now, wrapped in that cold, proud silence of his. But as Iid down beside him, the shift in the mattress said he was still awake. I didn’t speak. Neither did he.


    I turned my back to him and stared into the darkness, my thoughts louder than ever.


    Why was he quiet? Was he mad? Are we seriously back to the awkward phase over a single phone call? <fn23b3> This update is avable on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn23b3>


    But just as I began to drift into sleep, Liam pulled me close. Slowly. Carefully. His arm wrapped around me, firm but gentle, like he still hadn’t forgiven me, but couldn’t bear not touching me either.


    “I don’t want to share you,” he whispered against my neck. “Not with any other man alive.‘


    My heart thudded hard. I didn’t say anything, I just held his arm tighter and let that be enough for the night.


    By morning, the bed was empty. Cold. He was gone.


    On the nightstand was a note in Liam’s neat handwriting:


    Didn’t want to wake you. You were sleeping too peacefully, and I was needed at the office. Have a great day, Lia. We’ll talkter.


    My fingers lingered over the paper longer than necessary. He called me Lia.


    People usually go with Em or Emmy. Lia was different. Softer. Personal.


    That tiny thing made me smile.


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    Sophia was gone too. Probably off to do whatever unpredictable thing Sophia does. It was just me, sunlight, and the lingering scent of Liam on the sheets.


    I sat there for a few minutes, letting my thoughts catch up to me. Then I grabbed my phone and texted Mason.


    Emily: We can talk now if you’re free. Just say


    where.


    Less than a minuteter, he replied.


    Mason: Sending location. Come hungry.


    He picked a high–end restaurant in the heart of the city, of course. ss walls, velvet booths, menus without prices. I wore a breezy sundress that made me feel light but not too dressed up, paired with sandals and a little gloss.


    When I arrived, Mason was already there, hood up, cap low, sunsses on. Somehow, he still managed to draw attention. That’s the thing about Mason, he has this energy that demands a second look.


    He stood the moment he saw me, pulling out my chair with a smile that could melt Billboard charts.


    “Damn, Emily,” he said, eyeing my dress. “You look…incredible.”


    I smiled. “Thank you. You look like you know exactly how good you look. As always.”


    He grinned and signaled for the waiter. We ced our orders, then slipped into easy conversation, letting small talk smooth over the nerves.


    But eventually, I leaned forward. “Okay, enough suspense. Why did you want to see me so urgently?”


    He smirked, swirling his drink. “You really want to know?”


    “Of course. That’s the very reason I’m here.”


    He leaned back with that signature Mason charm. “Tour’s on. It’s official.”


    “No way! Mason, that’s amazing!”


    “We locked in the final venues this morning. I’m leaving in two days.”


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