Strong (Book 2 in the No Control series)

Chapter 48

I'm sitting at the make up vanity, staring at myself in the mirror. Liam comes and sits on the bench beside me. "What are you doing, Love?"

I turn to face him with tears rimming my eyes.

"Babe, I don't like to see you like this. I think there's something I need to show you."

Liam walks across the room, pulling a leather bound book from his bag, bringing it over, setting it in front of me.

"Your writing book?"

He smiles. "Yes, I write down ideas for songs in here. Sometimes I use it kind of like a journal as well.

Opening it to a specific date, he asks me to read it. I look at the date.

"This is a few days before we started our friends with benefits."

"Yes, it is. Go on, read it."

I read it out loud:

"It's 3 am, and I can't sleep. It's not jet lag, it's her. Liz is all I think about lately. She's so fit. She is honestly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And for fuck's sake, her body. She's what a woman should look like."

I just stare quietly at the page for a moment. Liam rubs my back. Putting my hand on his thigh, turning to face him. "Thank you. Thank you for sharing that with me."

Liam kisses the top of my head. "You're welcome, Love. You should see what I wrote the day after we slept together." He snags the book off the table just as I try to grab it.

"Hey." I protest.

"We'll save that one for another day. Right now I am taking you out for a day of spoiling. No protesting."

"Liam, you don't have to do that. I don't want you to spend money on me."

"I know, you never do. Today though, you have no say in it. Come on, Beautiful."

We visit a clothing shop first. I laugh as Liam walks around the store picking out several outfits.

"Here you go, try these on. You're going to give me a fashion show."

He looks so happy. "You got it, Handsome."

It takes quite some time for me to try on all of the outfits. I show Liam each one. He eyes me appreciatively, giving me a distinct yes or no on each one. The sparkle in his sweet brown eyes, let's me know his favorites.

When I'm done, he takes the yes pile to the register.

"Liam?" I start.

He turns around, giving me a kiss. "No protesting today, Beautiful."

As he pays for the items, I get on my tiptoes, whispering in his ear. "Thank you, Handsome."

He pauses, turning to me with a look on his face that melts my heart. "My pleasure, Darling."

Liam insists that next we need something we can get for the house, to always remind us of our honeymoon. As we look around a store, I quickly spot it. "Liam, it looks like the view from our villa here." I point out a painting. As I get closer I see that the title is 'A View From Villa Iriti'.

"Perfect." Liam says.

As we stroll hand in hand on our way to lunch, Liam spots a jewelry store. As we enter the store I assure him that he's already given me such amazing jewelry.

"Let's just look." He replies.

We look around, there's so many gorgeous things. When Liam spots it, he insists it's the one. I look at the necklace he's pointing at. It's a gold heart of our alternating birthstones on a gold chain. I turn to look in his eyes. We both smile, it's perfect.

The jeweler hands it to Liam, I turn so he can fasten it behind my neck, being sure that it hangs slightly higher than our entwined L's that I'm already wearing.

Outside the shop, I wrap my arms around Liam's waist. "Thank you, Liam. The necklace is perfect."

He grins. "You're welcome, Beautiful."

Looking up into his eyes, I add, "Thank you for putting up with my little bout of self doubt also. You've been amazing today."

He rubs my back. "Love, you're only human. We all have those rough times. I'm just happy I can be the one to help you out of it."

"Your support means everything to me, Handsome."

Liam kisses my forehead. "Always, Beautiful. I know without a doubt you'd do the same for me."

I kiss him then smirk. "You are so getting lucky tonight, Payno."

He laughs, making a fist. "Yes!"