Taking Rein

Chapter 16: Perfect fit

Chapter 16: Perfect fit

Sophie's POV

*****

As my eyes fluttered open the next morning, I felt disoriented. I couldn't recall where I was at first, or why my back was hurting so much. I felt as if something was weighing me down by the waist, and I gasped as soon as I realised that my head was laying on Liam's chest, while he held me by the waist with our legs intertwined together. 

My cheeks flushed as I realised that we had fallen asleep there together, and I couldn't help but feel bad for Liam, who was probably very uncomfortable. I wanted to wake him, tell him that we had fallen asleep and that everybody was probably waiting for us, but the selfish part of me didn't want to. 

Laying there in Liam's arms, listening to his steady heartbeat with his chest rising and falling with every breath he took, and the smell of the wet grass after a night of rain, was the calmest I had felt in a really long time. There was no stress for me to be the perfect daughter and have a perfect life. I even momentarily forgot about all of the events that had unfolded the previous day. I wanted to stay there with Liam for a while longer. I could tell that even he was calm. The way his lips were stretched into a smile as he slept and his worry lines which were often etched on his forehead were nowhere to be seen. 

My wishes were shattered almost immediately as soon as Liam's eyes opened as well, instantly locking with mine. I hurriedly looked down, my cheeks tinted pink at having been caught staring at him. I tried to fight back the urge to look at him again and see why he wasn't doing anything to move from our position, but I couldn't. As soon as I looked up at him, I noticed that he was staring down at me, a small smile playing on his lips. 

"Good morning, city girl," he said in his raspy morning voice as soon as I looked at him. 

"Good morning, Parker," I said as soon as he removed his arm from around me and we untangled ourselves from each other, much to my dismay.

I had never slept with somebody like that before, and Liam was certainly the last person I would have imagined myself falling asleep with. 

The first thing I did as soon as I sat up was to make sure that Hades was okay, and I couldn't help but smile as soon as I saw him already on his feet, looking right back at me. Looking back at Liam, I frowned as soon as I noticed him rubbing his back and wincing, clearly because of the fact that he slept on the gazebo's wooden floor. 

"Does your back hurt?" I asked in concern as soon as he got up on his feet and cracked his back by leaning backwards. "I am so sorry. It's all my fault."

I didn't miss the amused smile on Liam's face, surprise showing from his eyes, making me look away from him in shame as soon as I got up on my feet myself. My disquiet for Liam's pain came as a surprise even to myself. I had been surprising myself quite a lot ever since I stepped foot in Equestrian Creek, and I still didn't know how to feel about it. I went from someone who couldn't care less about anybody else, to someone who always wanted to try and help friends and family at the ranch. 

Even the fact that I was starting to think about them as friends was already enough to show the change that had occurred within me. 

"I'm fine, don't worry about it. If I'm being honest, that was one of the most peaceful sleeps I've had in a while. I haven't really been able to sleep lately," he said, a frown overtaking his features momentarily before he quickly masked it up.