AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Twenty minutes later, the water in the shower turns off. And not long after that, Aliyah opens the door, a cloud of steam billows out, and her steps falter when she sees me propped up on her headboard, my hands tucked behind my neck and my ankles crossed, waiting for her. Her hair is piled up on top of her head in a messy bun. She’s wrapped in a white towel and, fuck me, I want to lick those little water droplets that run down her collarbone.
“Wh… what are you doing here?” she asks me.
“Why’d you run?” I counter.
“I asked you a question first,” she says, walking into her closet.
“You ran. I chased,” I tell her with a shrug.
“Why?”
“Nope, my turn. Why’d you run out on me?” I repeat.
Aliyah steps out of the closet with a Vancouver Knights sweater on. It only takes me a second to realize that it’s mine. The one I made her wear a few weeks ago. I don’t think she noticed she grabbed it.
“One of us had to think reasonably, Liam. That shouldn’t have happened,” she says.
“That’s not what you were saying while you were screaming my name. Give me one good fucking reason whyweshouldn’t happen?”
“Because you’re you, and I’m me,” she says simply.
“That’s the exact reasonweshould happen.”
“My father will kill you. I know you think I’m overreacting, but I’m not. My family, they’re not like other families, Liam.”
“I’m aware. I’m not worried about them.”
“You should be.”
“You want me to go and ask your father’s permission to date you? I will, and I won’t leave his office until I get it,” I tell her.
“No, do not do that.” She gasps and her eyes widen.
I slide off the bed and walk towards her, stopping once we’re nearly toe-to-toe. Cupping her cheek, I lift her eyes to meet mine. “There’s another reason, a reason you’re not telling me. Something in that pretty little head of yours is holding you back. I can’t help you defeat those demons if you don’t tell me what they are.”
“I can’t,” she says.
“I already told you I’m a patient man, Aliyah Monroe. I’ll wait until you can tell me,” I say. “Come on, I’m tired, and we’ve got another early morning skate tomorrow.” I take her hand and lead her over to her bed. Pulling the blankets back, I pick her up and lay her down before climbing in beside her. Then I cover us both with the blanket and wrap an arm around her waist.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“We’re going to sleep, Aliyah. We can talk about what happened later.”
“You can’t sleep here, Liam.” She rolls over to face me.
“I’m not leaving,” I tell her.
“What if…” She stops short.
“What ifwhat?” I urge her to continue.
“What if I have a nightmare again and wake you up? You should just go home.”
I frown. Does she really think that? If she has a nightmare, Iwanther to wake me up. I want to comfort her, hold her and let her know that nothing is going to hurt her while she’s in my arms. So I tug her closer and tell her as much. “If you have a nightmare, I’ll be right here. I don’t care if you wake me up. I don’t care if you hog the bed, steal all the blankets. Fuck, I don’t even care if you snore like a goddamn freight train. I’m not going anywhere, Aliyah.”
“Why?” she asks.
“What do you meanwhy?”
