My breath stutters when I come to a stop.
“Officer,” I say breathily.
There’s vulnerability in my voice and it makes me swallow hard through the thickness in my throat. Two people in my life have seen me in various vulnerable moments of my life.
Only two.
My dad and Lion.
But Liam. If I could let him climb into my soul and feel all the things I do when I see him, I would do it. Gladly . No more walls or barriers.
I love him.
We’ve lost so much time wasting and wanting without just being. Too many moments lost because I’m too stubborn.
Liam turns to face me, his dark brows pinched at the sound of the nickname I’ve always used for him. The one I gave him longbeforeElio Ricci took me from Liam. A tear escapes, leaving a cold trail down my cheek, and Liam watches it, holding back, not wanting to push me too hard. Too far.
His body is stiff, a mixture of need and confusion. Those ice-blue eyes bore into mine, chilling my soul more than the early spring night air ever could.
“I thought you might have left,” I say, another tear slipping over my bottom lashes.
I don’t wipe it away or try to hide it from him.
I want him to see it. I need him to seeallof me.
Liam shakes his head while letting it drop.
“No, I’ll never leave your side, Little Warrior,” he says, lifting his eyes back to mine. “I just needed to step away for a little bit. I thought I heard you call meOfficer.”
He frowns and I choke on a laugh.
“I did.”
37
Liam
Myhearthammersagainstmy ribcage as Malia stares back at me. Tears escape her eyes and her lips stretch in that stunning smile.
She called meOfficer.
I stay stock-still, afraid if I move an inch, I might step into someone’s cruel joke. Don’t get me wrong, I would take her like this over her missing ten times over, no matter how much it fucking hurts.
Andgoddamnitdoes it fucking hurt when the person you love has no idea who you are or remember what you shared.
Malia takes a step toward me and the shift in her from when I saw her earlier is an immediate confirmation. She walks with a confidence that’s been missing since we got her back. Her hips sway from side to side in a way that could easily bring me to my knees, in a way I’d almost forgotten, myself. She locks me in her gaze, holding me deep inside those beautiful emeralds.
Commanding.
Unwavering.
Unrelenting.
She places her small hand on my chest and slides the other behind my head, leaning me down to rest my forehead against hers. My arms wrap around her lower back, and I tug her closer. That signature cocky smile of hers stays glued to her gorgeous face and the reality of all of this makes my breath hitch.
“I remember,” Malia whispers. “I remember you. I remember us.”
My eyes close as I bask in the comfort of her presence, letting myself be selfish, if only for a second, sagging from the weight falling off my shoulders. I can’t imagine what’s floating around in her mind if she remembers everything.