nervously, unable to relax my fist.
“Yes. Who else would it be?”
I let my head fall back onto the pillow and release him, pressing a hand against my racing heart. It takes me a moment before the pain subsides and I can catch my breath. My heart is beating so uncontrollably that I swear I can hear the pounding in my ears. “I just... I had a bad dream,” I tell him weakly.
“What happened?” he asks me, sl ipping his arm around my waist.
I swallow in embarrassment at the answer. “The same thing that always happens.” His touch is slightly comforting, and I try to let my body relax. This extreme anxiety can’t be healthy. It never used to happen to me when I was younger, but lately, my heart seems to behave like an engine being pushed to the limit whenever I’m given a fright.
Liam moves closer to me so that the warmth of his body is pressed along my back. “I’m sorry,” he says tenderly. “Do you want to tell me about your dream?”
After a moment’s silence, I bite down into my lip. “It was worse this time. Just like he promised it would be.”
“He promised?” Liam asks.
I reach up to run my fingers through my hair as I release a shuddering breath. “Grayson called me earlier. He was told to apologize and make peace. That’s not what he did.”
“Oh, Winter,” Liam says, holding me closer and pressing a kiss against my neck.
“I think that I should probably go home,” I whisper, turning so that my cheek rests against his face. “There are too many people here. I can hear your neighbors through the walls, but at home it’s just quiet. I can’t take this. I can’t even take a goddamn phone call or you touching me without jumping out of my skin.”
Liam kisses my cheek before resting his head against mine. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. I was thinking about what you said about your sister. That you were looking for a reason to stay. I spoke to Owen about my ideas, and he helped me make a plan. I want to be the one to give you a reason to stay.”
A tired smile touches my lips. “That’ s sweet, but—”
“No buts,” Liam says, kissing my lips to cut off my sentence. “Give me two weeks. If I can’t give you tons of great reasons to stay in that time, I’ll drive you home myself.”
I cuddle closer against him. “ Deal. Then I get to give you reasons to stay in the forest with me.”
He laughs lightly. “You think I should sell my apartment and run away with you?”
“Definitely,” I tell him. “We could find a little cave somewhere and become cave-people. You could grow a huge beard and wield a gigantic club.”
“As long as you’re there, it sounds charming,” Liam says, nuzzling my neck. “I’m in a really great mood tonight.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“You know the last time I came home from work and there was a pretty girl in my bed, wearing my t-shirt?”
“I don’t know. A few weeks?”
“Never.”
I make a skeptical sound. “I don’t believe you,” I say with a lifted eyebrow.
“ It’s true,” he assures me. “I also have some really good news that might cheer you up.”
“ Oh?”
“I stopped by your dad’s and picked up your computer,” he tells me.
I sigh with relief, immediately turning over to give him a hug. “Thank you,” I say softly. “That does make me feel better.”
“ I also picked up all your stuff. I talked to your dad a little, and he gave me a gift for you.” Liam moves away slightly to retrieve something, and I miss his body heat for the moment he isn’t pressed against me.
When he returns, I find myself clinging to him and quickly grow annoyed with myself for being so needy. Get a grip, I tell myself—but he’s so comfortable that I ignore this command and nestle closer to him anyway. I find that he’s sliding a piece of paper into my hand.
“What’s this?” I ask him curiously.
“A sealed envelope for you,” he informs me, “from your dad.”
“Why did he bother sealing the
“Yes. Who else would it be?”
I let my head fall back onto the pillow and release him, pressing a hand against my racing heart. It takes me a moment before the pain subsides and I can catch my breath. My heart is beating so uncontrollably that I swear I can hear the pounding in my ears. “I just... I had a bad dream,” I tell him weakly.
“What happened?” he asks me, sl ipping his arm around my waist.
I swallow in embarrassment at the answer. “The same thing that always happens.” His touch is slightly comforting, and I try to let my body relax. This extreme anxiety can’t be healthy. It never used to happen to me when I was younger, but lately, my heart seems to behave like an engine being pushed to the limit whenever I’m given a fright.
Liam moves closer to me so that the warmth of his body is pressed along my back. “I’m sorry,” he says tenderly. “Do you want to tell me about your dream?”
After a moment’s silence, I bite down into my lip. “It was worse this time. Just like he promised it would be.”
“He promised?” Liam asks.
I reach up to run my fingers through my hair as I release a shuddering breath. “Grayson called me earlier. He was told to apologize and make peace. That’s not what he did.”
“Oh, Winter,” Liam says, holding me closer and pressing a kiss against my neck.
“I think that I should probably go home,” I whisper, turning so that my cheek rests against his face. “There are too many people here. I can hear your neighbors through the walls, but at home it’s just quiet. I can’t take this. I can’t even take a goddamn phone call or you touching me without jumping out of my skin.”
Liam kisses my cheek before resting his head against mine. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. I was thinking about what you said about your sister. That you were looking for a reason to stay. I spoke to Owen about my ideas, and he helped me make a plan. I want to be the one to give you a reason to stay.”
A tired smile touches my lips. “That’ s sweet, but—”
“No buts,” Liam says, kissing my lips to cut off my sentence. “Give me two weeks. If I can’t give you tons of great reasons to stay in that time, I’ll drive you home myself.”
I cuddle closer against him. “ Deal. Then I get to give you reasons to stay in the forest with me.”
He laughs lightly. “You think I should sell my apartment and run away with you?”
“Definitely,” I tell him. “We could find a little cave somewhere and become cave-people. You could grow a huge beard and wield a gigantic club.”
“As long as you’re there, it sounds charming,” Liam says, nuzzling my neck. “I’m in a really great mood tonight.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“You know the last time I came home from work and there was a pretty girl in my bed, wearing my t-shirt?”
“I don’t know. A few weeks?”
“Never.”
I make a skeptical sound. “I don’t believe you,” I say with a lifted eyebrow.
“ It’s true,” he assures me. “I also have some really good news that might cheer you up.”
“ Oh?”
“I stopped by your dad’s and picked up your computer,” he tells me.
I sigh with relief, immediately turning over to give him a hug. “Thank you,” I say softly. “That does make me feel better.”
“ I also picked up all your stuff. I talked to your dad a little, and he gave me a gift for you.” Liam moves away slightly to retrieve something, and I miss his body heat for the moment he isn’t pressed against me.
When he returns, I find myself clinging to him and quickly grow annoyed with myself for being so needy. Get a grip, I tell myself—but he’s so comfortable that I ignore this command and nestle closer to him anyway. I find that he’s sliding a piece of paper into my hand.
“What’s this?” I ask him curiously.
“A sealed envelope for you,” he informs me, “from your dad.”
“Why did he bother sealing the
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