Calculated Coincidence

Thirty Five

ALESSIA AMATO

I don't let him open the car door for me and I try not to brush against him when he lets me inside the apartment. He doesn't try to reach for me when I lock myself inside the bathroom. And I try not to cry when I kneel down, leaning against the wall.

What, the fuck, was that? Why does he carry a gun on him? If I didn't throw myself at him, he would've killed the guy. Daniel would've been dead. Liam didn't even hesitate. He walked up to him like the Terminator and fucking aimed at him. What the hell?

I put my face in my hands and shake my head. This isn't happening. Liam isn't like this, he's a sweetheart. He doesn't go around hitting people, or holding them up by their shirts, or aiming guns at them. And he absolutely doesn't shoot at them. My shoulders sag.
He totally does.

Okay, Alessia, let's try to put yourself in his shoes. If I ever saw Liam running away from a woman, all wide eyed and tears running down his handsome face, I'd be angry too. But would I try to kill her? Maybe. I'd surely be out for blood.

I sigh and decide to have a long shower to calm my nerves. Trying to avoid my throbbing wrist, I wrap a towel around myself when I'm done, regretting not having my clothes with me for the first time. I take a deep breath and leave the bathroom, pretending not to see him sitting on the bed when I head for the walk-in wardrobe. 
When I'm dressed, I decide to act like an adult and face the problem head on.

"Where is it?" I ask, keeping my distance from his tempting body and intoxicating smell, referring to the weapon.

"I put it away." Liam answers, looking at me from under his lashes, resembling a sad puppy.

I internally gasp. He's using his good looks against me, trying to make me feel bad about being upset with him. What a sneaky, good looking man.

"What if there were cameras?" Crossing my arms, I try to remind myself that I can't let him off so easily.

"There are and they're mine." He doesn't surprise me with his response.

"Can you delete the footage?"

"You want me to delete it?" Liam raises his eyebrows, surprised.

"Obviously. I fled the scene with you, I'm an accomplice." I gesticulate.

There is no way I'm going to end up in jail. I shudder from the thought of being locked up in a cold cell alone or even worse, with a dangerous criminal. Maybe Mia would visit me but my parents would probably disinherit me.

"I can." The man replies, clearly biting back a smile.

I sigh and sit down beside him, his warmth inviting me to come closer. "I'm angry with you. You can't walk around killing people or trying to kill them." I say, fiddling with my fingers.

"I'm sorry, Alessia."

"Sorry doesn't make a difference when you don't feel bad." I look at my beautiful, ticking bomb of a boyfriend.

"You're right. I don't feel bad. I'd never regret wanting to protect you." His icy, blue eyes stare into mine.

"You won't promise to never do that again, will you?" I ask knowingly after a moment.
Liam doesn't reply and I don't expect him to.

At least he doesn't lie to me to dismiss the situation. I reach for his warm hand and he laces our fingers. I don't want to force him into being someone he isn't. People have their faults, they're not perfect, and if Liam's is that he's too protective of me then maybe I should accept it.

He's helped me, taken care of me, saved me. What if that's just how he is? Too caring, too loving... too angry and vengeful. He is simply too fierce in his emotions. He feels so deeply and reacts with just as much.

And now that he has a person close to him, that he cares about, he doesn't know how to act when someone threatens them, hurts them, and that's when he explodes full of rage and frustration.

Retracting my hand, I wrap my arms around his neck and he picks me up by my waist, placing me on his lap. Liam hugs me tightly and I breathe in his comforting, rich scent. His hand rubs my back and as we stay in our tight embrace, I settle on the thought that... we can somehow make this work. We have to.