Page 10 of My Knight Before Christmas
12. Home-cooked meals.
13. Conversations & my old text thread with Avery.
14. Running along the boardwalk.
15. Avery.
I missed a lot about Liam, too. His delicious brown eyes. The curls in his hair. How safe I felt cuddled up to him. His cologne. The way he could make me laugh. Our conversations about everything and nothing and never tiring of him. I responded to his text, but only about his question. I wasn’t sure what to do about the rest yet.Me:Sadly, no. I’ve been going to work at three a.m. so Meg can give me the rundown. I’m tired. *gif of someone slumping over at a desk*
Liam:Need a foot massage or some caffeine? I can stop by tonight.
Me:I appreciate the offer, but no. Anna and Amy are taking care of me.
Liam:I’ll take care of you.
I held my phone to my chest and sighed. Once upon a time, being around Liam made me happy. But I couldn’t let him in again. When he called me later that night, hearing his voice was like slipping on my favorite pair of sweats. Comfy. Warm. Soft. Maybe we could be friends? We talked about the upcoming Celtics season, Liam’s work, more of what my responsibilities would be when Meg was gone, and our separate plans for Halloween. When I couldn’t stop yawning, he said, “Night, Gorgeous. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I fell asleep and dreamt about Liam. It was super annoying when my alarm interrupted him kissing me just below my ear. Admittedly, I was a little grouchy the rest of the day. In the middle of my lunch break the following day he asked:Liam:Sunflowers or daisies? You remind me of sunflowers in the way you light up a room.
Ugh. Why did he have to be so sweet?Me:I like both.
When I got home that night, a bouquet waited for me on my porch. I smiled like a goofball as I carried the flowers to the kitchen table. I plucked the card out of the arrangement. The note said, “Thinking of you. Yours, Liam.”
He wasn’t mine. Although I did appreciate the effort he was putting into waiting for me. The problem was, he could be waiting forever. As heart-melting as each gesture was, I couldn’t move forward. Around the time I staggered into our house Thursday after work—no doubt resembling a wild-haired Princess Anna on coronation morning—my phone buzzed.
Liam:Aco-worker brought in snickerdoodles today. Yours are way better.
I snorted.Me:I hope you didn’t tell them that.
Liam:Of course not. But I thought it the entire time I was chewing.
I rolled my eyes.Me:You still ate the entire cookie, didn’t you?
Liam:*gif of a man saying maybe?*
I laughed out loud. I loved dessert as much as the next person. Even if that cookie wasn’t as good as mine, I’d eat it, too.
Me:It’s okay. You are allowed to eat dessert any time you want. From anywhere you want.
My phone pinged rapidly, three times in a row.
Liam:What if I only want you?
Liam:Yours. I meant yours.
Liam:Nope. I stand by both statements.
What was I going to do with this man? He was warming me up degree by degree and my heart was turning into a melted popsicle.Me:I still need more time.
Liam responded right away.Liam:I’m in no rush. Have you watched any good movies lately?
I went to the couch, settling into my favorite spot on the right side, my feet tucked under me.Me:Not any that you’d like.
Liam:Let me guess, they’re all romance movies?
I scoffed as I typed.Me:What’s wrong with romance movies?
Liam:Nothing. I’ll even watch one with you.
