My fingers trailed down over his eyelid to where the thick scar reappeared. It dented his skin for another three inches, curving almost to the hairline.
“What happened?” I whispered. I hadn’t even realized for a second that he’d pulled me onto his lap.
His heavy sigh twitched through his shoulders. “I was walking Gwen to her car one night when we heard a scream. I told her to get in, lock it and call the cops. I raced toward the noise, and nearly ripped a guy’s arm off when I saw him pushing a young woman into a car. It was dark. I didn’t see the knife until he got his one shot in. But he’ll never use that arm again.”
His chuckle was dark, uncomfortable. “Honestly, I think the only thing that stopped me from killing him was that terrified girl. I couldn’t let her see something like that. So I left him on the sidewalk with his mangled arm and shoulder, and escorted her over to the cop car that arrived seconds later.”
“Thank goodness you were there,” I said softly. My hands were still meandering around the planes of his face, then tangling through the sides of his hair.
“That feels nice,” he murmured. Funny that I could hear his smile, but I dropped my thumb to run it over his lips to check.
“You have a way with damsels in distress.” I could hear my voice trembling. “I wish we’d met when I was at my best.”
“No, little one.” His huge hands held my lower back and I wanted so badly to melt against him. “If you saw my scary face, you might never have spoken to me.”
“It’s just a scar,” I smiled. “The rest of you feels... well, very handsome.”
He laughed under my thumb. “Thank you. It’s funny, I’ve always been attracted to a woman’s eyes above all else. You’re so beautiful, Kayla. I can’t wait to see your eyes.” He sighed again. “Then I’ll see you stare at my scar, and how I look like a big aggressive biker, or some sort of convict. You’ll suddenly remember that you already asked someone else to the prom but forgot until just now.”
I placed my forehead against his as we laughed. “You know, instead of an imperfection, it could be kintsugi.”
He took my fingers and placed them on his eyebrows, then raised one pointedly, making us both laugh again.
“It’s a Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold or silver. The precious metal accents the object’s history, making it more beautiful.” I cupped his face in my hands. “Liam, you saved a girl’s life. Knowing that’s where the mark came from means it’s a badge of honor.”
I was so close to his lips that if my eyes hadn’t been bandaged, I would have closed them, begging him to kiss me.
I felt him hesitate. Then he gently pushed me back very slightly. “If you think of me as an honorable man, then you know I cannot take advantage of this situation.” He lifted me off his lap, sitting me beside him, but keeping his warm hand against my back. “Little one, this is probably a hard time for you. You might be reaching out for comfort because you feel unsteady.”
His free hand rested on my knee as he asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“About...” I froze, unsure. “What it’s like to be temporarily blind?”
“Yeah. If you need to vent, sweetie, I’m right here. No judgment.”
My mouth fell open then snapped shut as I tried to think of what to say. I hadn’t said a word about my feelings to anyone, and I’d been shutting them out so that I could function. My breath caught in my throat. Then I finally stopped thinking and it came pouring out.
“It’s terrifying,” I whispered. “I know the doctors said that there’s a ninety-five percent chance my vision will improve. What about that other five percent? What if I can never focus again? What if my eyes are so light-sensitive I can never go out in the sunshine? They say they do this all the time, but there’s always a risk. My entire life might be changing right now. I might not be able to drive, or go for walks alone. I might not be able to read a book.”
I was shaking, choking for air, and couldn’t take a full breath as my hand gripped his shoulder. “And what if my eyes look hideous? What if the right one is still pulling to the right and I look crazy? What if it doesn’t heal cleanly??
? I gasped. “I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to–”
“Shh, it’s okay, baby, let it out,” Liam said gently, stroking my back. “That all sounds scary as hell.”
“And I’m all alone here,” I sniffled, unable to stop the tears that likely weren’t a good idea but I couldn’t help it. “I’m at the mercy of strangers and it’s so uncomfortable and weird, and I don’t feel grounded at all. It’s like I’ve been floating in this dream where I can’t wake up and the only time I’ve felt real for the past several days is when you hold me.” I cringed, horrified that those last words slipped out.
Liam didn’t make a sound for a second, and I could have died of embarrassment. But his arm slid around me, pulling me in as he leaned back on the couch so that I was lying on his chest. Now both of his arms circled me, pressed against my back. My ear was over his heart as it sped up.
“I’ve got you. I swear I’ll keep you safe. I can’t imagine how strange this must be, but I’ll do everything I can to help. Okay? I’m right here.”
Then I really cried. Huge, heaving sobs wracked my entire body, shaking me against him.
“Good,” he murmured. “Let it out. That’s too much stress for you, little one.” I tried to stop, but he gave me a squeeze. “Cry harder,” he ordered.
I’d never had anyone even attempt to understand me as much as he did. A fresh wave of deep sobs shook me, and I clutched his t-shirt, gripping the fabric so hard I might tear it.
“Kayla, please help me do the right thing here, and just care for you. Protect you. I’d do anything to keep you safe.”