8
When I woke up, my head was pounding.
I couldn’t move. Something was tight around my neck and wrists, pinning me in place.
Liam had tied me up.
“Liam…”
My voice was hoarse as I looked at him in exasperation.
“You have to let me explain.”
He stood over me, his expression cold and detached.
Liam was tall and wiry, his frame almost fragile, like glass that could shatter at any moment. But his strength was undeniable–whether it was in my last life when he dealt with Josh and Danielle, or now, as he handled his “disobedient” sister.
His pale fingers brushed against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Liam,” I said again, more firmly this time.
“Shut up.”
The command was sharp, his voice rough and frayed.
He leaned down, capturing my lips in a kiss that was anything but gentle. His lashes brushed against my cheek, tickling me, but I couldn’t move.
Even the softest of his touches felt overwhelming.
I wanted to resist–I had to resist–but the moment I tasted him, I couldn’t help but respond.
He consumed me completely, his scent, his warmth, his presence crowding every sense I
23:32 Mon, Apr 7
He consumed me completely, his scent, his warmth, his presence crowding every sense!
had.
But as his lips moved down to my jaw, trailing fire along my skin, the last shreds of my rationality snapped me back to reality.
I wasn’t here to let Liam practice his kissing skills.
“Liam-“I coughed, breaking the moment.
He released me reluctantly, irritation flickering across his face as he rubbed my back.
“You choked?” he asked, his voice still laced with anger.
“Who’s the one who needs more practice?”
His words were accusatory, but I could hear the hurt buried underneath.
“I’m not lying to you, Liam,” I said firmly, meeting his
gaze.
“The drug was from Josh. He wanted me to use it on you.”
“I kept it because I wanted to have it tested–to prove what they’ve been doing. That’s all
“It’s
you
who doesn’t trust me.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed as I spoke, but his expression didn’t soften. Instead, he leaned down, his lips brushing against mine again.
I knew then that no matter what I said, my explanations would fall on deaf ears.
He didn’t believe me.
Frustrated, I pushed him away.
He stepped back slightly, one eyebrow raised, a small smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
“Oh, so the drug was for testing?”
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“Oh, so the drug was for testing?”
“Not to poison your poor brother?”
He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper that sent a chill down my spine.
“Lila, are you going to tell me next that everything you’ve done… was for me?”
His voice cracked slightly, the vulnerability in his words almost hidden under his cutting
tone.
“Do you even love me, Lila? Even a little?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but the words caught in
my
throat.
How could I explain? In my last life, I’d done everything possible to hurt him. I’d spiked his food with sleeping pills, planted stolen goods on him to get him arrested, and ruined his reputation with our neighbors–all so I could escape him.
Half of the awful things people said about Liam were my fault.
So how could I convince him to believe me now?
For now, I’d have to take a different approach.
With a sudden burst of energy, I sat up, grabbed his face, and kissed him.
His lips were warm, softer than I’d expected.
He froze, his eyes widening slightly, like he couldn’t believe what had just happened.
I pulled back, watching as his expression shifted, his eyes filling with something raw and
wild..
And then he snapped.
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I didn’t even have time to react before he pushed me back onto the bed, his hand cradling the back of my head to cushion the impact.
The mattress dipped under our combined weight as he leaned over me, his fingers lacing through mine as he kissed me again, harder this time.
His lips moved to my neck, his voice low and tagged against my skin.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Lila.”
In my past life, I owed Liam everything.
In this life, I don’t know if I can fix him.
But I can promise to stay by his side, even if it means we destroy each other in the end.
Liam’s cooking was amazing.
It would’ve been even better if my hands weren’t tied and he wasn’t feeding me one spoonful at a time.
“Liam…” I dragged out his name, trying to sound sweet. The silver spoon paused just before my lips.
“Lila.” His tone was calm, indifferent even. “The last time you acted like this, you almost got me arrested.”
He was just stating a fact, but under the table, my leg brushed against his.
He froze for a moment. A faint blush crept onto his pale face, making him look almost innocent.
If I hadn’t been pinned to the bed just hours earlier, feeling him devour me like a starving wolf, I might’ve believed it.
“Liam, do you believe in fate?”
He didn’t answer, so I continued.
“I had a dream last night. A dream about the future.”
“In the dream, I married Josh. You broke your leg trying to stop me. Later, Josh and Danielle conspired to kill me.”
“You dragged that broken leg of yours halfway across the world, hunting them down to avenge me.”
I stared into his eyes, making sure every word sounded as sincere as possible.
“So now, I really, really hate Josh.”
I poured my heart into those words, but Liam’s expression didn’t change. His beautiful
23:32 Mon, Apr 7 G
eyes were as cold and reflective as a frozen lake.
“Oh, really?” he said finally, leaning in close. His breath skimmed over my neck, sending goosebumps down my spine.
“Funny. I had a dream too.”
– “In mine, my little sister was so desperate to escape me that she made up a beautiful lie.”
“She tricked me into believing her, made me think I finally had her… and then she left me
behind.”
For a second, I wondered if Liam had been reborn too.
Because in my last life, that was exactly what had happened.
The night I drugged him, I’d held his face in my hands, promising I’d never leave him.
I could still remember the way his eyes had turned red, how he’d clung to my wrist like it was the only thing keeping him alive.
“Lila, you won’t leave me, right? You’ll stay, right?” he’d asked, his voice trembling.
And then I’d put him to sleep and left him behind.
- up.
If that’s what he dreamed, then maybe it wasn’t so strange that he wanted to keep me tied
I chuckled lightly, and Liam frowned at me.
- up.
If that’s what he dreamed, then maybe it wasn’t so strange that he wanted to keep me tied
I chuckled lightly, and Liam frowned at me.
“Forget it, Liam,” I said, my voice soft. “No matter what you do to me, I’ll accept it.”
