I shook my head. “Liam. I can’t accept this. You shouldn’t have wasted your money. This was an expensive building.” I began to pace, feeling his eyes on me. “And now I feel like I owe you something. I’ll pay you back. It might take a while but I promise as soon as I start making money, every cent will go to you.”
I turned to look at him. He tilted his head in amusement. “Are you finished?”
“I suppose so…” I didn’t know what to say. No one had ever done something like this for me and I wasn’t sure how to respond. “Why?”
“Why what?”
I gestured around the space. “Why did you do it…for me?”
Liam moved from his spot near the front door, slowly approaching. “Do you really have to ask?”
I nodded, swallowing. He stopped in front of me, gently gripping my chin between his thumb and forefinger. His lips brushed mine and I let out a sigh.
“Why have I done anything for you?” he asked softly. “Why did I jump in after you when you fell into the flood waters? Why did I punch that poacher in the face? Why did I whisk you away at the gala and take you all over town just to see you smile? Why did I purchase this building and sneakily ensure you would rent it out?” He pressed his forehead to mine, his thumb brushing my bottom lip as he cupped my face. “Because I love you, Cerise. I’ve loved you since I saw the joy on your face when we caught those insects and played that prank in the jungle.”
My vision blurred with tears.
“And I will never stop proving it to you. I will never stop telling you how much you mean to me. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing on my mind when I fall asleep. Even dreams aren’t an escape from the depth of my feelings, because you find me in those too.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I first started calling you sunshine because I wanted to irritate you.” I let out a laugh. “But that quickly changed. You are the light in my dark and the joy in my sorrows.Mysunshine. I am hopelessly, utterly, pathetically in love with you, Cerise Thornheart.”
My arms moved to his neck, fingers caressing his hair. “Liam,” I said with a sob.
His lips met mine in a searching kiss. I pulled him closer, kissing him back, meeting his tongue with mine as I poured everything I felt into it.
I pulled away, framing his face with my hands.
“I missed you. So much.” My voice cracked and Liam wiped away a stray tear. “I love you too,” I whispered. “I love you so much it scares me. And I’m sorry I ran, but I needed to?—”
“I know,” he interrupted, kissing my nose.
“I’m sorry for the way I behaved that day. When I yelled at you and kicked you out. It wasn’t your fault. None of it was your fault…I just?—”
“Shh…” Liam pulled me into a hug, tucking my head into the crook of his neck as his fingers soothingly stroked my hair. “I know, beautiful. I’m sorry too. You are not like your mother. Not in the slightest.”
His lips found my forehead and he pressed a tender kiss there. I pulled back, looking at him. “Move in with me.”
His eyebrow rose with surprise. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been so sure of anything. I don’t want to do this long distance thing anymore. I want to be able to wake up next to you every day. And come home to you every evening.”
He gave me a wide grin. “Well, that’s good to hear because I got a job at your university and I was hoping I wouldn’t have to find a place to live.”
“You didn’t!”
“I did, sunshine. Your old position actually.”
I threw myself back into him. His arms tightened around me, both of us laughing. “This is perfect. I couldn’t be happier.”
“Now, what are we going to do about your mother…” he murmured.
I met his gaze. “I cut her off.”
This time he couldn’t hold back his shock. “You what now?”
“I told her I didn’t want to see her anymore unless she could accept me for who I was and then I kicked her out of the clinic.”