Warrior

Chapter Twenty Nine

Satey

For a moment, all we did was stare at each other.  I was still trying to process everything that had happened the entire night and most of the morning and all that combined with his request, or demand rather, made my mind spin. I’m sure my dumfounded expression did not explain much to Liam, who remained frozen next to his car, apart from wringing the jacket in his hands over and over.

“Let’s just get inside,” he mumbled to my parted but unmoving mouth.

He brushed past me, a red tinge to his cheeks that I barely noticed, before coming back to stand very close to my unmoving form.  His hand trailed down my side to my bum, fingers slipping into the pocket while he pressed his lips to the soft skin where my shoulder met my neck, before gripping the key and taking it out. He put it into the lock and turned it before coming to get me, who had numbly watched his movements without moving myself.  Liam’s gentle touch guiding me by my elbow to lead us inside shook me from my thoughts.  I stood, watching him again, as he closed my door and walked in, draping his jacket over a hook and walking into my living room.

“I don’t even know you,” I managed to finally whisper, my voice barely carrying.

Liam’s head jerked around, his body following after.  He strode towards me, eyebrows knit together and brown eyes concerned.  He was towering over me in a second, hand reaching up and holding my cheek.

“Of course you do,” he murmured, “you know me. I’m your Liam.”

My eyes watered at just the mentioning of such a possessive way to consider him.  He had called me his early in the night, but I didn’t even think that it went the other way, or, when it did, it would be so moving.

“I know,” I whispered, “I know you care. I know you fight.  I know you won’t talk about your past. That’s all I know.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, his expression taken aback.  “Is that really all you know about me?” 

It almost physically injured me at how hurt his voice sounded.

“Well, no, not entirely,” I admitted with a sigh, “you change moods like a middle school girl.  I also know when you’re stressed because you rub your face a lot and run your fingers through your hair.”  Liam gave an amused chuckle at my words, paired with an inquisitive glare, but I was on a roll. “You get these creases on your forehead with certain emotions,” I said, emphasizing my point by running a thumb over them. “When you get mad, your eyes almost look black, but when you’re happy and laughing, they’re a rich brown that get all sparkly. You look up to Paul, but treat him more like an older brother than anything else,” I sighed, trying to think of something, anything else, “And you eat rocks.”

Liam laughed, sliding his arms down and around my waist. “Is that it?”

I shook my head. “You have a Satey smile.”

“I have a smile like yours?”

“No. My mom used to say when you look at the person you..,” I swallowed, “you cared about most, you have a smile that’s just for them.  And you have one. For me.”

Liam’s gaze softened before he leaned down to nuzzle my nose with his and the sweet gesture added a mental note to my list of how he acted around me. “Do I?”

I nodded.

“So,” he began again, “if you know all of those things about me, why won’t you be my girlfriend?”