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“So, what are the big plans for today? I thought I had to stay inside at all times,” I joke, though that’s really how it had been since the stalker approached me on the tour bus.
Liam gives me a serious look, his jaw clenched. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re caged.”
My face softens and I take a sip of bitter coffee. He’s heard me talk about it before, and it’s true, I don’t want to feel like that. “Ever since we started things, my cage is a lot brighter,” I smile warmly. “But I understand why things are so tight.”
Liam’s gaze darts from his fist now clenched around his coffee mug to my eyes. “Well, we’re going out today.”
“Just us?” I’m hopeful that he says yes, though part of me wonders if he’s ready to go public. If the paparazzi caught us, the trash magazines would be brutal and relentless. Especially since he’s my bodyguard. I don’t think he realizes how much his life will change when the world finds out.
Liam notices my hesitation. “We don’t have to go alone if you’re not comfortable.”
I shake my head. “No, that’s not it… I—” the words fall away, and my vulnerability bubbles to the surface.
Liam’s hand lands on my knee and he squeezes. “What’s wrong?”
I smile warmly at him. This beautiful man before me that I’ve loved for so long, even when I denied it—he cares for me more than he probably should. I can feel it in every action and every word.
My chest tightens. “Can I be honest with you, Liam?”
He sits straighter at my words, “Of course, Birdie girl. You know that.”
I place my hand over his on my knee. “I’m worried about going public.” Something like hurt flashes over his features and I quickly put an end to it.
“No, not like that, Liam. It’s one thing for my band to know about us, but to go public, that puts you in the spotlight. And not just any spotlight, but the Hollywood one. Your life is no longer going to be your own. They’re going to air your dirty laundry and drag you through the mud. And what if the stalker...” I trail off as gory images of the dirtbag hurting Liam fill my mind. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to him because of me.
Liam gazes at me, his brown eyes thoughtful. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but it can’t be good. I should have known that this would scare him away. Either people want to be with me to get somewhere or they hate that I can’t give them a private life. There’s never an in-between.
My eyes start to burn with tears. “Right, well…” I try to stand, but Liam’s grip on my knee stops me.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I—”
He moves to the space next to me on the couch and takes my hands in his. “Look at me Birdie.”
“Liam—”
“Please look at me, B.”
When I finally do, the corners of his mouth are upturned slightly, and his gaze is warm. “I appreciate your concern over me,” he grips my hands harder, “And I think you’re right that we should keep it from the public.”
My heart sinks. He doesn’t want to be seen with me; I knew it.
“No, Birdie,” Liam says strongly, taking my chin between his fingers. “You have it all wrong, I meant for now. Only because of your safety. I’m not worried about mine; I never have been.”
“You should be, Liam.”
“I’m your bodyguard.”
“And I’m your—”
“Girlfriend,” he finishes for me.
My heart pounds in my chest. “Really?”
“It feels like such a silly word for what we have. People will say it’s too soon, but I’ve never cared about what people think, so yes. You’re my girlfriend; my girl, my Birdie girl,” he winks. “It’s not like I could ever let another guy touch you. I might kill them. Example number one, Gabe.”
“That’s a little dramatic.”
