“Definitely. I’d love to meet them.”
“They want to meet you too.” Oh, wow. My parents didn’t even know Liam existed. The last time I’d talked to them, all they did was give me a hard time about not going to Tyler’s graduation. “We could go dolphin watching and jet skiing,” he continued, pulling me away from those thoughts.
“This all sounds great, but I don’t need anything so elaborate.”
“I have smaller things too. Axe throwing, bowling, mini golf, an escape room…”
My heart beat faster, in a good way now. “Those all sound great, but I still don’t need any of it. I had the best time just hanging out at your house.”
“I want to make you happy. You don’t ask for much, and I love how you appreciate the simple things, but I have a feeling you didn’t have nearly enough joy in your life. That’s going to change starting now.”
“Liam…” How could I put this feeling into words? No words were adequate to express how amazing he was. How much better he already made me feel. How happy he made me. How he made me feel more cared for and cherished than I ever had been in my life.
“Jenna, may I please come over? I’ll be there in a few hours anyway to walk with you and Thor before I take you to work. I’ll stay on the couch. If you can fall back to sleep, you can go to bed, and I’ll still stay on the couch, or if you can’t fall asleep, we’ll watch TV together. Please?”
I was exhausted, but there was no way I’d be able to go back to sleep, so I wouldn't actually be sleeping with him in the house. He thought he was coming to make me feel better, and I’d let him think that, but the truth was, right now, seeing Liamand making sure I sawonlyhim was facing my fears. Plus, he’d softened me up by being so sweet and thoughtful.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
“Thank you, Firefly,” he murmured, relief evident in his voice. “I’ll be there soon. I’ll text you before I buzz in, so you know it’s me. Call if you need anything before I get there.”
“I’m okay.”
“I know you are.” His voice was heavy. Definitive.
I changed into fresh pajamas, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and paced the apartment, and then he was there, quicker than he should’ve been.
“C’mere Firefly.” He tucked me under his arm and held me close, pressing a long kiss to my temple before he led me to the couch. I stared at his strong jaw with his soft beard and softer lips and his caring eyes, and the cloud of fear hanging over me dissipated a little. It was Liam. My Liam. And no one else, thank God. I curled up, resting my head on his chest, and he wrapped his arm around me.
His heart beat steadily under my cheek and his hand smoothed over my hair, lulling me into a relaxation I didn’t think could be possible. “Thank you, Liam. I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’ll always be here when you need me. Thank you for calling and letting me come.” We sat in comfortable silence for a while before he gently asked, “Want to tell me about it?”
“No.”
“Sometimes talking about it helps take some of its power away.”
I looked up at him. “Do you have nightmares?”
“Sometimes.”
I squeezed him tight. I hated the thought of him being scared. “What about?”
He sighed, his breath blowing across my hair. “It’s always the same. On our first mission, we were approaching the target.We were a ways away still, but I sensed eyes on us. I signaled to stop. I looked at my team leader, Bull, and he looked at me, and in a perfect, silent conversation we made a plan. Just as silently, we communicated that plan to everyone. There were more tangos than we expected, and we were under heavy fire, but we executed the plan perfectly and we all walked away to finish our mission without a scrape.”
“You have nightmares about that?”
“Not exactly.” The pain in his voice tore at my heart. I stroked his chest, trying to soothe him. “In my nightmare, it’s the same, but I’m not there. I watch them walk. Only Bull hesitates, like he thought maybe he felt something, and he looks at where I should’ve been. Except no one’s there to confirm it. Then he glances back at the others, but they didn’t hear or see anything. He looks back at where I should’ve been again. I scream for them to stop, but no one hears me. They keep walking. I scream and scream, but they keep walking straight into that trap, and I watch them get blown to bits.”
His words hit like a fist to my chest, my heart clenching at his pain. I wrapped myself around him as if my embrace could stand between him and the memories to ease the crushing weight of his misplaced guilt. “Oh, Liam, I’m so sorry your friends were attacked, but it’s not your fault.”
He squeezed me back, resting his cheek against my head. “Logically, I know that. Even if I were there, I might’ve just been killed along with them.”
A chill ran through me. “Logic and emotions are very different, though.”
“Yep.”
He didn’t say anything else. Didn’t push me. But I felt the pressure of my words trying to burst out. I needed to tell him why I’d freaked out earlier. And I really needed to tell him about Snake Eyes.