After Gael left my apartment, I mused on his words while absent-mindedly cleaning the place up. I hadn't done the laundry or the dishes in days. As I stood in front of the sink and washed plate after plate, I couldn't help remembering that time at Liam's house. I'd been trying to clean up with him pressed against my back. Eventually I'd given up and we'd made a beeline to his bedroom.

The memory was both sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. I cared for Liam, so much, but I didn't know how to get that back.

I didn't know if it was even possible.

I didn't know if I even wanted to.

I was just putting the last fork away when my phone pinged. I glanced at it. My hand froze with the fork still grasped between my fingers.

Liam had messaged me.

I debated whether or not to read it. It was late. I should have been in bed already. But I couldn't help myself. I knew I'd never be able to sleep without checking it.

I picked up my phone.

When you and Morris are done writing your song, I'd love to hear it.

My chest clenched with a painful ache. Liam was trying. Could I really ask for more than that? I wished I could talk with him in person. I needed to know what was going through his head when he'd said those things.

Without letting myself second guess what I was doing, I grabbed my bag and left the apartment. I made my way to Liam's place, all the while trying to push aside my doubts and worries. I had to say my piece. I had to get it it off my chest.

And depending on how Liam responded, well, that would be my answer.

I knocked on the front door of the huge multi-story house. I had no more polish on my nails to scratch at so I played with the hem of my shirt instead. I hadn't told Liam I was coming over. Maybe he wasn't even home.

I was seconds away from turning around and leaving when the door opened. Liam's surprised expression soon melted into a kind of hopeful look. He stood there, staring at me, his eyes roving all over my face, as if soaking in every details. As if he hadn't seen me in years. It had only been a few days.

"Do you mind if I come in?" I asked.

He gestured for me to enter, the look in his eyes still a bit dazed. I walked through the door and made my way to the kitchen. Neutral territory. I took a seat at the island counter. Liam followed, staying a safe distance away, not crowding me.

Now that I was here in front of him, I was at a loss for what to say. I admitted as much to him.

"Let me start, then," he said. "With an apology."

"You've already apologized," I pointed out. "I accepted it."

"It still needs saying," he said. "I'm sorry for accusing you of cheating on me. It's like I said before, I really never thought that. I was just—"

"I know about Chad and Paula," I interrupted.

Liam's face went blank, frozen. His fists cleaned at his sides. He took a breath in, then let it out slowly. His hands relaxed.

"How?" he asked.

"I saw the wedding invitation in a pile of papers," I explained. "Then I saw some photos of you and her online. It all came together when Morris mentioned he got his own invitation a few days ago." I studied Liam closely. His eyes had darkened, a shadow falling across his face. "You got the invitation to their wedding only a few days before our fight."

He nodded slowly, but didn't say anything further. I continued for him.

"Your invitation was all crumpled up. You crushed it into a ball. Then you smoothed it out and kept it. Why?"

"I thought—" he faltered, then started again. "I thought I was over it. Over her. Over them." He let out a derisive laugh. "I have no idea what they were thinking, inviting me. What they did was awful, but I didn't think they were that cruel. Best I can figure, they hired a wedding planner who invited all their colleagues without knowing what went down." Liam came over and sat down heavily on the stool next to me. He didn't look at me. He placed his hands palm down on the counter, his fingers tapping a staccato rhythm. "I thought I'd put it behind me, what they'd done. I didn't think I was still so affected by it. But apparently not. When I walked in and saw you hugging Morris, all I could think was, it's happening again."

"You thought I was going to leave you for another man," I finished for him.

His hands trembled. "It wasn't just that. I saw them—" He exhaled sharply, a pained sound emitting from the back of his throat. "I walked in on them," he confessed quietly. "I had the ring in my pocket. I'd been waiting for the right moment for weeks. Then I walked in and saw them together." His voice broke as he whispered the words again. "I saw them."

Damn.

It was even worse than I'd imagined. His girlfriend didn't just leave him for someone else. He'd walked in on the girl he was going to propose to in bed with his best friend.

My heart ached with sympathy. I placed my hand on his back.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I can't imagine how much that must have hurt."

"The worst part?" he chuckled darkly. "That wasn't even the first time that happened. I walked in on my mom once, too. Walked in on her fucking that asshole she left us for. I was young, but not too young to know what was going on. That was the catalyst. She knew she couldn't keep it a secret anymore. So she told my dad and took off."

"Oh, fuck," I whispered. I scooted closer and laid my head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Liam."

"I know it's no excuse," he said. "I know I've got shit I have to work on. But being betrayed like that, twice… It's a hard thing to get over. " He ran a hand over his face. "It kind of fucked me up."

I ran a soothing hand up and down his back. "I understand."

"When I got that invitation to the wedding… I went a bit nuts." Liam kept his eyes forward, trained on a point in the distance, as if he couldn't make himself look me in the eye. "Then I saw you with Morris and it was like my worst fear was coming true. The woman I loved was going to leave me for another man."

My hand stilled. My lungs squeezed and released, taking the breath away from me.

Love.

He'd said it.

Liam said he loved me.

I was still stuck on those words, unable to move past them, but he was still speaking, as if he hadn't registered the importance of what he'd just confessed to. As if he hadn't even realized he'd said it to begin with.

"So when I said it had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me, I meant it. I was upset and jealous and paranoid and I couldn't stop thinking about what Paula had done. What my mom had done. In the back of my mind, I think I was just waiting for it to happen again."

Liam finally turned to look at me. My eyes were still wide with shock at his use of the L word. He cupped my face, brushing a thumb across my cheek gently.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he said. "That's the last thing I would ever want to do. I was just so worried you were going to be the one to hurt me, first. I don't think I could have taken that. If you had truly left me for Morris, I think it would have destroyed me."

I stared at Liam. I stared into those green eyes. Earnest, aching.

I lowered my head to rest my forehead against his. I closed my eyes and took in a shuddering breath.

"I would never hurt you like that," I told him quietly. "I would never betray you. Because I—" I steeled myself. I never thought I'd say these words ever again. But now, looking into those eyes, I knew the truth. "Because I love you, too."

Liam let out a pained sound and crushed me to his chest.

"I am so fucking sorry," he murmured.

"I know," I said. "I understand. And I forgive you." I pulled back, just an inch, until our lips were a mere inch away. "But if you ever say shit like that again, I really will kick you in the balls."

He choked out a laugh before pecking a quick kiss on my lips.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he murmured.

That small peck, the briefest of kisses, sent a tingle running through me, like a direct line from my lips to the very core of me.

I had never craved him so much, not even before we started dating. I didn’t know why. Maybe it was his confession. Maybe it was the real truth about him that made my heart melt. Whatever it was, I had to have him.

I’d missed him so much. I’d missed the man who’d made me pour my heart out to him. The man who had made me believe in love again.

I pressed my lips against his, running my hands up his cheeks to cup his face.

A quick laugh escaped him at my move. His familiar embrace surrounded me in seconds.

I was still trying to wrap my head around everything. But I wasn’t going to think about it. Not now.

His grip around me tightened further as he hoisted me off the stool and onto the counter, laying me down as he stood between my legs. I felt the hard surface on my back. I wrapped my thighs around his waist. He swiped the tip of his tongue across the seam of my lips. I slid my hand into his hair, raking my fingers against his scalp as my heart pounded against my ribcage. I caressed his cheek, the familiar warmth and texture of his skin making my body tingle.

I almost couldn't believe I had him back. It was almost like a dream. A tall, gorgeous, inked dream. But this was real. I could feel it in my bones. I could smell it in his scent. I was touching it. Touching him.

Liam slid the straps of my top down my shoulders, his breath tickling my chin. His hands cupped my breasts, teasing them, pressing them together. I whimpered in his mouth. He moved his lips down. I kept my eyes shut. He left firm kisses in a soft trail all the way down to my chest. Waves of soft pleasure rippled through me.

“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” he whispered.

I bit my lower lip as his warm lips landed on one nipple. Liam kissed the area around it, trapping the other one between his thumb and index finger. My inner walls clenched when he flicked his tongue over one. A light pinch on the other forced a low moan from me.

More kisses across my chest added to my growing need. He was taking his time with me, as if savoring every moment, as if it might be our last.

But it was more like our first. The first time after confessing our true feelings. I wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was he. Liam was mine. I was his.

“You’re beautiful, Cerise.” He pulled me closer to him. “The most beautiful thing alive.”

His words made my heart melt. I had no idea how to respond to that. All I could do was pull him into a desperate kiss as the heat in my core spiked.

He pushed my skirt to my waist and pulled my panties down, tossing them away. He unzipped his jeans and reached into his pocket for protection. My heart leaped as an idea formed in my mind.

“Fuck the condom,” I demanded.

Liam paused.

“You sure?” he asked, his brows drawing down into a frown.

"I'm on birth control. I'm clean. Are you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Got tested right after our first time."

"I want to feel you," I told him. "I want to feel you inside me, skin to skin."

He offered me one of his softest smiles. Liam pulled his jeans down his thighs. My gaze shot down his body; I was so eager to see him again. His hard length made my inner walls ache and throb.

My mouth went wide in a long moan as he entered me. The feeling of his bare cock stretching me out was enough to make my whole body tremble. He was back where he belonged, inside me.

A few thrusts later and I was writhing underneath him. His lips were too much for me to resist. I leaned up, reaching forward.

“Get over here.” I urged, grabbing a fistful of his t-shirt.

I pulled him down, our lips battled in a hot, fiery kiss. A grunt of arousal left his mouth. I dug my nails into his back. Liam slid his palms down my legs, caressing my skin as he slid into me, again and again.

I threw my head back as waves of bliss shot down my spine. Each long stroke was overwhelming, bringing me closer to my peak until my eyes squeezed shut and I cried out his name. Pleasure crashed through me like a bolt of lightning. I shuddered beneath him, liquid heat pouring out of my very core.

He groaned as my inner walls clamped down around him. His cock twitched violently and he came, spilling himself inside me.

We were still panting when he interlocked his fingers with mine. He pulled me up gently, breathing hard on my skin.

"You're fucking amazing." Liam said, still breathless. "You know that, right?"

"You may have mentioned it once or twice."

He pulled me into another fierce kiss. I still ached and throbbed inside, but I didn't think I could go again. Liam had ravished me too thoroughly.

When we had finally caught our breath, Liam cleaned us both up and helped me off the counter. I stifled a moan as my overworked muscles complained.

Liam pulled me into his arms again. He stroked my long hair back from my face, tucking it behind my ear. His eyes held a sort of wonder, as if he still couldn't believe I was here.

I saw the world in his gorgeous green eyes.

A world I couldn’t wait to explore with him.

"I need to ask you something," I said.

His eyes narrowed in concern. "Why do you sound so hesitant?"

"Because I know what you're going to say. But I want you to hear me out and really think about this. Okay?"

"Now I'm nervous," he teased.

"I want you to write a song with me."

His eyes softened. His pressed a kiss to my hair. "I would love to."

"As a member of Cherry Lips," I continued.

Liam's arms squeezed around my waist reflexively. I could feel him tense up.

"We want you to join the band," I said. "And I know it's hard for you. Your old band betrayed you. Your family betrayed you. It's a hard thing to get over. But trust me." I pressed both my palms against the sides of his face, forcing him to meet my eyes. "I will never do anything to hurt you. And neither will the others. We want you to be a part of us. We want to be your family."

Liam swallowed hard. His pained eyes bored into mine.

"I don't know if I can," he whispered.

"I know you can." I pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "You just have to trust us. Do you think you can do that?"

Liam's gaze roved all over my face, as if trying to gauge my sincerity. "And if I say no?"

"I'll be sad. We're so much better with you. I know we can do great things together. But nothing between the two of us will change. This is for you. I only want what will make you happy."

"And you think joining Cherry Lips will do that?"

"You need to learn to trust people again, Liam. I think this would be a good first step."

He continued staring into my eyes. I wondered if he would end up shooting me down.

Slowly, carefully, he nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?" I repeated, just to make sure.

The corner of his lips quirked up. "You want to make it official? I, Liam Knight, want you, Cerise Moreau, to be my lead singer."

I threw my arms around his neck and pressed myself against him.

"I promise, we will never betray you. We will always have your back."

His fingers sifted through the hair at the back of my neck as he said three words that meant everything to me. It wasn't I love you. I already knew that much was true. These words were even more meaningful.

"I trust you."