Wrong Side of the Tracks by Ashley Zakrzewski

ChapterEight

I hear Joanna whisper an oh, shit as I turn around in my seat. Liam is looking at me, bags under his eyes and his beard is unkempt. He looks a mess. I probably do as well. But he's still the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on. Tall, big, tatted, dressed in washed denims and leather.

“What do you mean?” I ask and get up out of my chair. He scratches his neck as I walk up to him. Nervous. He looks nervous. I stop right in front of his large frame, but at that moment he doesn’t exactly look confident. He just looks scared.

“I needed to see you,” he says, voice low so only I can hear. I sense other people’s eyes on us. Can’t say I blame them. This is first class drama.

“Your mom said you went back to the city,” I say, trying to wrap my head around what he’s doing here.

“I did,” he says. “I needed to make some arrangements, needed to tie up some loose ends.”

“I don’t know what that means.” I’m starting to feel irritated. He can’t even speak plainly? He can’t just tell me outright what he’s doing?

“Eva, can we go somewhere and talk?” He starts to reach for my hand, but seems to remember that he might not get to hold it. His hand falls to his side again. “Somewhere just you and me.”

I look over my shoulder at Joanna, and she’s nodding furiously at me. Go. I steel myself for what’s to come, whatever it may be. “Okay. We can go to my apartment.”

“Thank you.” He looks relieved.

Our walk to my apartment is a quiet one. I don’t know what to ask him, and Liam seems to be collecting his thoughts for our conversation that’s about to come. When we get inside, I sit down on the couch. Liam stands in the middle of the living room, a fish out of water.

“Oh, for god’s sake,” I gesture to the couch. “Sit down, Liam. I’m not going to bite your head off.”

For the first time I see a small smile in the corner of his mouth. He sits down next to me, the warmth from our bodies radiating between us. Liam clears his throat and turns to me.

“I quit my job,” he says. “And I sold my apartment.”

I blink. And then I blink again. “What did you say?”

“Like I said, I was tying up some loose ends.”

“But why?” I almost shout at him, sick of the vague words that’s coming from him. “Talk to me, Liam. Why did you quit your job? Why did you sell your apartment?”

“When you asked me to stay, I kind of freaked out,” he says, and I hold back a snort. That’s an understatement. “I thought I was living the life I’d always dreamed of, that I was happy.” He looks me in the eye, an uncertain smile on his lips. “But then I had to go and run into you.”

“I didn’t exactly force you to spend time with me.”

“I know,” he says quickly. “Seeing you again just made it clear that I’m not living the life I’ve always dreamed of. It was missing something. And I realized that I have nothing tying me to the city. Not like I do here.”

I hold my breath. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? Liam finally takes my hand, he’s holding it gently in his as if he is scared it will break.

“I’m not proud of leaving like that,” he says. “I just needed to figure out what to do. Do you know why I was freaking out when you asked me to stay?”

“No.”

“Because I wanted to say yes.”

“And now you’ve sold your apartment.”

“That’s right,” he says. “Kind of presumptuous of me, isn’t it?”

The weight pressing over my chest is easing, just a little. Liam is smiling at me, still holding my hand.

“I need you to actually say what you mean, Liam,” I say. “Out loud, plain and simple.” I think I know what he means, but I don’t want to get my hopes up if I’m wrong.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Eva, I want to stay. I want to see where this thing between us can lead. Am I too late?” He looks at me, worry in his eyes. “Did I screw things up when I left?”

I look down at our joined hands. It’s probably a good thing that he’s holding mine. It would be shaking if he didn’t. “No, you’re not too late.”

He stiffens next to me, like he had expected a different answer. “Really?”

“Really.” I move in closer. “Although, you did kind of fuck things up when you left. Just not badly enough that I don’t forgive you.”

I barely say the words before he’s kissing me. I melt into him, the tension leaving my body. He came back, and he wants to stay. If someone had told me I would be sitting on my couch with Liam, kissing him, only a month ago, I would have laughed in their faces. Hell, if someone would have told me the same thing this morning, I probably would have done the same.

“So, just to be clear,” he says and pulls away to look at me. “You want to do this? You and me?”

I nod, and for the first time all evening, I smile. “I do. More than anything.”

We end up lying down right there on the couch, his body covering mine. My skin is breaking out in goosebumps when he’s kissing my neck, hitting that spot that drives me wild. I hold him close, my legs wrapped around him, and I feel just how much he wants me then. I grind up, move over his erection. Liam moans, then captures my lips with his. He bites down on my bottom lip and I let my hands glide in under his Henley. His skin is warm and soft, so perfect under my exploring hands. One piece of clothing after the other ends up on the floor, until we’re lying there skin against skin.

“Bedroom?” Liam asks, but I shake my head.

“I need you now. Let’s stay here.”

“Okay.” He teases one nipple with his tongue, biting down gently when I arch up against him. “We’re going to need a condom, right now. I can’t wait much longer to be inside you, Eva.”

“Wait,” I place a hand on his chest as he makes a move to get up. “I’ve got one in my purse, don’t get up.”

I reach for the bag on the floor, and hand the condom to him. He swallows my moan as he finally enters me, kisses me deeper with every stroke. Kisses my cheek, my temple, my jaw. We start to move with more urgency, his eyes locked on mine the whole time. I feel my orgasm build inside of me, slowly at first and then it rips through me like wildfire.

We squeeze into my shower afterward, and we can barely close the shower door behind us both. I laugh as Liam flinches every time he bumps it open.

“I think we can kiss any thoughts of shower sex goodbye,” he mutters and push closer to me. I run my hands over his chest and belly, soaping him up and enjoying being able to touch him.

“Shower sex is overrated anyway,” I say. “Turn so I can get your back.”

He does as I say and bumps the door open again in the process. “I’m getting a place with a massive shower, and I’ll show you just how wrong you are about that.”

I smile, kissing his back. “Looking forward to it.” I shut off the water and we get out of the tight space. “So that’s the plan? Getting a place of your own?”

Liam nods. “That’s probably for the best, isn’t it? I know you and I have a lot of history, but we are still sort of getting to know each other all over again. It’s probably smart to have our own places for a while, right? I’m just going to get a rental apartment to start.” He wraps me in his towel, grinning as he pulls me to him. “But I’ll make sure to get one with a short lease.”

I wrap my arms around him, resting my shin on his chest. “Good. Make sure it’s really short.”