Blair slowly withdraws her fingers and helps me off the table, then pulls me into her arms. "Liv?"
"Mmm?"
"Will you stay with me tonight?"
I smile as I meet her eyes. The smart thing would be to go home, to maintain some distance while we figure out what this is. But I'm tired of always being smart, always being guarded.
"Yes," I whisper. "I'll stay."
44
BLAIR
Liv shifts beside me, her breathing deep and even in the quiet of my bedroom. I've been awake for the past twenty minutes, just watching her sleep. Her dark lashes rest against her cheeks, and there's a softness to her face that she rarely allows during her waking hours—just Liv in her most unguarded state.
I feel warm inside when I look at her. It’s not just attraction or lust, though God knows there's plenty of both. This is deeper, the kind of feeling that changes everything, that makes you want to rearrange your entire life around another person's happiness.
She stirs, and when she wakes up, a small smile curves her lips.
"You're staring," she murmurs, her voice husky with sleep.
"Can you blame me?" I brush a strand of hair away from her face. "You're beautiful."
She stretches languidly, the movement pressing her naked body closer to mine, then reaches for her phone on the nightstand to check the time.
"Oh God, it's already nine-thirty," she says, suddenly more alert. "I should probably get going. I have three vendor meetings and a site visit today."
"Would you like some coffee first?" I ask, not ready for her to leave yet.
"Thank you, but I really should go. I'll get one on the way. I need to get home and change first. Thank you though. For a great night and... everything." She starts to sit up, already mentally shifting into work mode.
"Liv, wait." I catch her hand. "Can we talk for a minute? Before you go?"
Something in my tone must alert her because her eyes sharpen, that familiar wariness creeping in. But she settles back down beside me.
"Okay," she says. "What's on your mind?"
I take a breath, knowing this conversation could go either way but unable to hold back any longer.
"I want to talk about us."
She goes very still. "Blair?—"
"Let me say this first," I interrupt gently. "Please."
She nods.
"I've been drifting for months, Liv. Ever since Dougie and I sold the company, I've felt like I was just existing, going through the motions without any real purpose or direction." I pause, gathering my thoughts. "I've woken up every morning in this incredible apartment with more money than I can spend and I've felt... empty. Completely hollow."
Her fingers trace my arm as she listens.
"But you made me feel alive again. You inspired me to be a better daughter and sister, to figure out what I'm truly passionate about and pursue it."
She doesn't interrupt, just looks at me. I'm pretty sure I've overwhelmed her with my confession, but I have to get it out.
"I want more with you, Liv," I continue. "I want everything. I want to wake up next to you, not just sometimes but as often as you'll let me. I want to bring you home to meet my family, argue with you about your color-coded closet and watch you turn impossible situations into triumphs. I want to know all your stories, your fears, your dreams. I want to be the person you trust, the one you turn to when things get tough."
"Blair," she whispers. She opens her mouth again, then frowns and falls quiet.
