AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 10 - Cora
The vague headache I woke up with was reminiscent of the morning after that university dinner party. While it should’ve bothered me more, I didn’t have much time to consider it, since the memories of our sex-fest came rushing back.
A light sensation filled my chest as I thought about it, and something in me felt content.
I had my fair share of hookups, but something about it felt different. Like something else was there, and we only needed to overcover it. I never thought I’d ever find myself in bed with him, but last night had been incredible.
The sound of rustling had fully pulled me out of my sleep, and I rubbed the crust from my eyes to get a better look.
Peering over at the other side of the bed, I found the spot empty, and Liam was standing not far from the edge of the mattress.
Focusing better, I noticed his boxers were already on, and he was reaching for his jeans. Furrowing my brows, I tried to push that sleepiness away.
“Where are you going?”
Liam glanced at me over his shoulder, not sparing me much of his attention before reaching for his dark tee. “Home.”
He made it sound so obvious, like I should’ve known. As if I didn’t need to ask in the first place. As he pulled the top over his head and smoothed it down his defined body, the positive memories from the night before didn’t seem quite so sweet.
Sitting up in my place, I used the blankets to cover myself. “Why are you leaving so soon?” I glanced over at my alarm clock on the bedside table, noting how early it was. “It’s only six. You can stay longer if you want. I don’t mind.”
I liked the idea of Liam sticking around, keeping the bed warm, and keeping me company. After most hookups, I usually didn’t want them staying too late, but it felt different with him.
We had clicked at the Roadbar, and I didn’t want the fun to end yet.
But Liam hesitated, and my stomach immediately dropped. Dread for what was inevitably to come consumed me.
Fully dressed now, he turned to face me, expression not as hopeful as I wanted it to be. All the lust and built-up tension seemed to be completely gone from his system, and it almost made me choke on my dry throat.
Liam sighed. “Look, I had a good time last night, but I’m not interested in being romantic or hanging around longer than I need to. I think it’s better if I go.”
I blinked back at him in disbelief, wondering how he had come to that conclusion. From what I could tell, we hit it off despite our past. In some twisted way, it felt like we had gotten our frustrations out and reached a mutual catharsis.
It felt like something was there, and at the very least, I had hoped we could prolong that bliss a bit longer. But it seemed we weren’t on the same page at all.
My chest ached, perfectly aware of what he was getting at.
Pathetically, I mumbled, “I didn’t think this would be a one-night stand.”
As if he were turning the knife in even deeper, Liam visibly pulled back even more.
Even if he was the same man I had spent the night with, I felt like I didn’t even recognize him. As if he had been replaced by someone more emotionally reserved and utterly detached from me.
He shook his head absently, unable to look me in the eyes. “I’m sorry, but the sex was just fun. I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”
I tried my hardest not to show how much that hurt, but my heart was shattering.
I couldn’t understand why since, not long prior, I still hated him.
But he had instilled a false sense of security in me, along with the hope for something more. Liam made me believe he was a reinvented version of himself—the one that couldn’t resist me.
He made me think we were compatible and that I was the only woman left in the world. For a moment, I even let myself believe I could forgive him for how he treated me when we were children. That it hadn’t been as bad as I remembered.
But it was all wrong. Ruined.
I couldn’t say anything else as Liam grabbed the rest of his things and stuffed them in his pockets.
With his tense shoulders, I could tell he wanted to get out of there more than anything. He wanted to be as far away from me as possible, without any reason to explain himself further. He didn’t want to face me any longer than he needed to.
