Uncrushable (Forehead Kisses #3) (9 page)

Take that, cunt.

Liam studied my face. “What are you looking at?”

I turned back to him. “A whore.”

He cocked an eyebrow because I never spoke like that.

When I glanced back at Adrianna, she was marching to our table, livid.

She stopped in front of Liam, her hands on her hips. “You’re with her?”

Liam didn’t flinch when she came to his side. His hand holding the fork remained steady. “I’ve been with her.” He didn’t look at her, his eyes focused on his plate or me.

“All she’s ever done is hold you back.” She was talking so fast spit was flying out of her mouth.

“He asked for the news, not the weather,” I jabbed.

“Shut the hell up unless you want to get slapped.” She glared at me, her eyes dilating.

“Just be aware I’ll slap you back,” I threatened. “And believe me, I can do more than slap.” The meaning of my words was unmistakable. I held her gaze firmly, not backing down.

She turned back to Liam, bored with me. “She’s not even pretty. She wears man clothes and there’s nothing good underneath.”

“Then you clearly haven’t seen her naked,” Liam said with a bored voice. He took a bite of his enchiladas and continued to not look at her.

I felt the warmth move into my cheeks.

“What the hell do you see in this girl? I’m the one who’s always been supportive of you. I’ve been in love with you for years. What’s wrong with me?” Her eyes conveyed the emotion of her words. She was really worked up over this.

“Someone’s desperate…” The words left my lips before I could stop them.

“If you don’t want to look even uglier than you already do, I suggest you shut your mouth,” she spat.

“If I’m so ugly, why does Liam prefer me to you?” I challenged. “Then you must be really hideous.”

That just pissed her off even more. She turned back to Liam. “Why would you want to be with a girl that let her boyfriend beat her—”

Liam was on his feet faster than I could process. He grabbed her wrist and squeezed. He towered over her with his height and projected a shadow that stretched across the floor. The menace in his eyes burned holes in her skin. “Fuck. Off.” He shoved her back gently, making her stumble. He stood his ground and told her off silently.

She massaged her wrist with tears in her eyes then stormed out of the cafeteria.

For just an instant, I actually felt bad for her. Liam was an intimidating guy, and if she really loved him like she claimed, feeling him push her away like that must have been heartbreaking.

Liam sat down and studied my face. “Don’t feel bad for her.”

“How did you know…?”

“I can see it in your eyes.” He continued to eat his food like nothing just happened. “She’s always been a bitch. When she started hanging around me and the guys, I knew she just liked getting the attention from them. And of course, they didn’t mind because she showed off her ass all the time. It’s clear she has self-esteem issues if she flaunts her way through life. She’ll never be my type and she knows it.”

“But…isn’t that the type of girls the others are?”

“Yes,” he said bluntly. “But she’s also annoying as hell. And I guess I saw her as a friend at one point…now I can’t remember why.” He finished his burrito then pushed it away. “It’s still pisses me off that you think I’d ever sleep with her.” He shook his head and clenched his jaw. “I couldn’t get it up for her if I tried. I loathe her and despise her. And if I’ve ever loved you, how could I be with a woman that was so vicious to you?”

Now I felt horrible. I wasn’t seeing clearly when all that happened. I couldn’t explain how Adrianna knew about my dark past. Liam was the only answer. “I’m sorry…” I didn’t know what else to say.

Liam brooded silently for a while, staring out the window in silence.

I knew our magical day was over. It would take him a long time to move on from what happened. Now the warmth was gone from his eyes. His hand didn’t touch mine.

“I need to get to class.” He stood up then grabbed the trays.

I sighed in sadness. “Okay.”

“Bye.” He didn’t kiss me goodbye or acknowledge me. He just left.

Back to square one.

When I was finished with my last class, I went straight home. After the way Liam got upset earlier today, I knew our date was over. He didn’t want to see me and he needed his space. I knew it would take patience and time to put our relationship back together.

Scotty walked inside and slammed the door.

I practically jumped out of my seat. “What’s wrong?”

He stormed to me, a pissed look on his face. “I don’t want you waiting on Liam anymore.”

Not this again.
“Scotty—”

“If he’s hanging out with some girl and refuses to tell us why, I know he’s up to something. Remember, I’ve known Liam a lot longer than you. He’s a pig just like the rest of us.”

“I trust Liam,” I said simply. “I should have trusted him before and I lost him. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.”

Scotty growled in frustration. “Why the hell was she at his house?”

“I don’t know. But I’m sure he has an explanation.”

“And why won’t you ask what that explanation is?” he demanded.

“Because I don’t need to.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Scotty, just stay out of it. I’m not a broken girl anymore. I can take care of myself. You don’t need to look after me or stick your nose in my personal life.”

“Stick my nose in?” he spat. “I’m just making sure my cousin isn’t getting played. That’s all.”

“I’m not,” I said firmly. “If you knew Liam at all, you would know he isn’t the kind of guy to play games. And he isn’t a liar. If he said he wasn’t with anyone, he wasn’t.”
              “You seem certain,” he said darkly.

“Because I am.” I held his gaze.

He raised his hands in the air. “Fine. I’ll back off.”

“Thank you.”

“But if he is fucking around, I’ll kick his ass.”

“I have a feeling it would be the other way around…”

He glared at me before he marched to his room and shut the door.

I sighed while I stayed at the table. I turned to my laptop and checked my email. When I saw a message from the support group I opened it quicker than I could process. After skimming through the lines, my heart beat in my chest.

I got the job.

When the sun was about to go down, my phone vibrated. I was planning my first session so I stopped checking myy phone to see if Liam texted me or called. I knew he wouldn’t. He was really upset that afternoon.

You still coming over?
It was Liam.

Did he want me to? I assumed the date was off by the way he blew up and stormed off.
I had the impression you didn’t want to see me.

He didn’t type a response for a few minutes.
Adrianna got me upset and I took it out on you. I’m sorry. Of course I want to see you.

He did? Phew. I missed him desperately and wanted to spend time with him.
Okay.

Are you coming soon?

Yeah.

Don’t forget your bag.

I couldn’t help but smile. I was excited for my first class but I was more excited to see him. After I packed my things, I drove to his place as fast as I could.

When I pulled into his driveway, he was standing outside. His hands were in the pockets of his dark jeans and he wore a gray t-shirt that highlighted every muscle of his body. He was a powerhouse with a gentle soul. That’s what I loved about him most; that he was more beautiful on the inside than the outside.

I shouldered my bag and walked to him slowly. “Hey…” I searched his eyes for the aggression I saw earlier.

His blue eyes were bright and clear. There was no anger in his limbs or the tightness of his muscles. That was a good sign. “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I know I hurt you and you can’t just move on from that overnight.”

“You’re right, I can’t. But that doesn’t give me the right to make you feel bad about it all the time. If I said I wanted to work on this relationship, that’s what we should do, not live in the past.” He grabbed my bag and put it over his shoulder. “Do you forgive me?”

“Of course I do.” I still didn’t feel like he did anything wrong. It was natural to still feel hurt by the past. And he didn’t yell at me. He calmly told me he was still upset about what happened. And frankly, he should be.

“Thank you.” He grabbed my hand and led me inside his house.

Once I was inside, I breathed the scent of his home. I missed living here. His smell was in every hallway and every room. I miss showering with him when we both finished our workout. I missed snuggling on the couch while we watched TV. I missed everything.

“It’s not the same without you.”

He could read my mind. Sometimes I swear he could.

He placed the bag by the door then walked in the backyard. I followed him then took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of the garden. The California Poppies were upright out of the ground, and the rest of the garden was in full bloom. Bees buzzed by and the watering can sat beside the house, ready to be filled.

Liam stared at me before he got to work.

I rolled up my sleeves and got my hands in the dirt. Feeling the soil under my fingertips reminded me of my childhood. It would take days until every speck was gone. Earthworms would rise up, moving around as they darted through the dirt. I used to be grossed out by them as a child, but now I thought they were interesting creatures.

I checked the vegetable patch and marveled at the size of the cucumbers and tomatoes. They were big and juicy, ready to be picked. “You did a good job, Liam.”

“Thank you,” he said as he pulled a few weeds out with his bare hands.

I’d neglected my garden at the house, but Scotty still took care of it for me. Whenever I tried it made me think of Liam, which made me depressed and hopeless.

Liam and I worked until the sun went out, leaving the garden in darkness. I finished watering the plants then sat on the bench. After Liam wiped his hands on his jeans he sat beside me.

Feeling adventurous, I rested my head on his shoulder, just the way I used to. He didn’t move, letting me relive the past. Then he leaned his head against mine and listened to the crickets with me. Liam was the strongest person I’d ever known, but he was also the most gentle and compassionate. Sometimes he seemed older than he really was, wiser than most college kids I knew. He’d already had a terrifying experience, making him age prematurely. But his state of mind matched mine. We both preferred the quiet instead of the loud noise of people. We both understood real loss and knew what a gift life was. We were old sould just in younger forms.

I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, but I didn’t want to put too much pressure on him. Being in this garden always made me treasure the beautiful relationship we had. It made me more emotional than usual. I knew he felt the same way.

“Dinner?” he whispered.

“Sure.”

He stood up and pulled me with him. When he walked into the kitchen, he opened the oven and pulled a pan out. I sniffed the air and realized he prepared a lasagna.

“That smells good.”

“It does.” He pulled off the foil then cut it into sectionals. Then he piled it onto the plates before setting them on the table. “What would you like to drink?”

“Water is fine.”

“Coming right up.” He poured the glasses then set them on the table.

Quietly, we ate, not saying much.

Liam looked at me every few minutes, watching my face. Then he would look down at his plate so I could look at him. I picked at my bread and tried to think of a conversation to have, but I came up with nothing. Liam and I didn’t talk much. In fact, we talked very seldom. But that’s how comfortable we were with each other. Unnecessary words didn’t need to fill the silence.

Once we were finished, Liam dropped the plates in the sink.

Normally, I would wash the dishes when I lived here, but since I was a guest I knew he wouldn’t let me. I decided to stay back and let it go.

“What do you want to do?” he asked as he stood in front of me.

I wanted to roll around in his bed and feel his mouth pressed to mine, but I couldn’t suggest such a scandalous idea. It was too early for that. “I’m a little tired…”

“You want to go to bed?”

In so many words… “
Yeah.”

“Okay.”

I got my way pretty easily.

He grabbed my bag then walked up the stairs. I got a nice view of his ass so I enjoyed the sight as long as I could. Once we were on the second landing, I averted my gaze.

He placed my bag on his dresser. “Do you want to shower?”

“I’m okay.”

“Do you mind if I shower?”

Not if I get to watch.
“No.”

“Okay.” He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.