"I had almost given up on singing," I said honestly. "I had almost given up on music altogether. But what you said…" I trailed off, trying to remember his exact words. "You asked when I felt the most powerful, like I could take on anything."
"You said it was when you sang." Liam's eyes went soft and unfocused, as if searching his own distant memories. "Then you laughed and said life wasn't a musical."
I placed my hand over my heart. It was beating at a wild pace. "You told me to always be singing in here."
Liam placed his hand over mine. His large palm pressed into the back of my hand. The tips of his fingers brushed the skin of my collarbone. The speed of my pounding heart was alarming.
"Why were you about to give up on music?" he asked. "If you loved singing so much, why stop?"
My heart froze, stuttering in my chest. That lump in my gut, that ever-present swirling dark mass, began to snake its way out of the cage where I kept it locked down.
"I couldn't—" my voice cracked. "I couldn't keep singing after—"
Dark tendrils crawled along my ribcage, slowly inching their way to the very center of my chest.
"I couldn't handle it. I fell apart. I didn't want the reminder of—"
Liam closed his fingers, lacing ours together. "You don't have to talk about it."
I nodded silently. He lowered his head and, bringing our clasped hands to his lips, pecked a soft kiss against my knuckles. I stared at our entwined hands. My nerve endings tingled where our skin touched.
Liam straightened and let go.
"It would be cool if I could take credit for the band's name." His tone was light, breezy. "But if you're okay with people thinking you're just a narcissist, it's fine by me."
A teasing smile played on his lips. I let out a soft snort, relieved that he had changed the subject. Relieved that he wasn't going to push the issue.
I'd only ever told a handful of people about Harper before. Most of the ones who knew what happened were the ones who had been there. Gael. Morris. I'd rarely had to tell the story to anyone. Rarely had to say the words out loud.
I didn't know if I even could without breaking again.
"Lots of musicians name their bands after themselves." I took a few steps back, needing space. Being so close to Liam like this was dangerous. I'd already said more than I should have. More than I'd meant to. I was supposed to be turning him away, not pulling him closer. "Thank you for agreeing to keep the real reason to yourself."
"It's not my place to tell anyone any different."
"So if the subject comes up in an interview again, now you know what to say."
"You want me to take part in more interviews?" he asked. "I thought you'd never let me near another journalist again after today."
"As long as you keep it strictly about the music."
"Hm," he mused playfully. "I don't know if I can do that."
"Liam…" I said with a warning tone.
"I'm serious." He looked determined. "I told you before. I think you're amazing. I want to be a part of that."
"You are," I said firmly. "You're helping out my band."
Liam brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "That's not what I mean."
He trailed his fingers along my face before cupping my cheek. I exhaled a shaky breath. His gaze flicked to my mouth, eyes turning dark. He drew me closer to him. I found myself leaning forward into his touch.
"You're a star, Cerise," he said. Our lips were a hairsbreadth apart. My chin tipped up unconsciously. "We both are. And we can only burn brighter together."
Liam closed the gap between us and pressed his lips to mine.
I'd thought about kissing Liam. Dreamed of it, even. But now all those steamy fantasies seemed tepid and dull in comparison. As I breathed him in, a rush of heat surged through my body.
