I have a souvenir of one.
He’ll be fine.
I stop in front of my roommate when she grabs my arm, Liem going rigid. “Listen. I’m not kicking you out. Just wait a couple of days before coming back. We won’t be here.” Her pupils are dilated and red. Same as her boyfriends.
I have no idea where they always go, but that works for me. I don’t want to look for another place, and this is prime location for my job.
I nod, then Liem takes my hand, sending me out the door first, him following close. With his hand in mine, it’s electrifying, reassuring.
In the hallway, I stand catching a minute. Liem lets go of my hand and I rub it as if to feel him forever on my skin.
“Shit,” I blurt out in defeat.
Liem casts a glance at the door like he’s ready to go back inside.
I pull out my phone, getting ready to call Lydia for a place to stay.
“Who are you calling?” he asks, darting his attention to my phone after he sends out a text of his own.
“Lydia. I’m hoping she’ll let me crash with her for a few days.”
“You’re not staying with her. You’ll stay with me. Let’s go.” He takes my hand in his again and I can’t argue, hell, I don’t want to argue. I’d let him take me anywhere at this point.
At the bottom, near the lobby and front door we wait for Bullet, who is supposed to be picking us up. Neither one of us talks. It’s almost like exhaustion is too much for us.
Liem keeps his focus on the outside, and at the diner.
I lean against the cold wall, letting myself give up, letting the nightmares trickle through my memories. “I really hate my fucking life. I wish I would have died back in that warehouse.”
Liem rounds on me, then braces his hands on either side of my head and I straighten. “Never say that to me again.”
I scoff. “But it’s the truth.” I hold firm in my words.
He glowers down at me, his eyes black like night. “You will survive. You will take back what happened to you, and you will fuckinglive.” He’s stern. But it’s not harsh or mean, it’s passionate.
I suck in a sharp breath, darting my eyes between his beautiful ones.
There’s a moment when he glances down at my mouth like he wants to devour it and my god, I wish he would. Right here, right now, I wish he’d devour every single part of me. Let me forget. With his strong body engulfing mine.
He moves closer.
My eyes hood over, fluttering closed as I take in the scent of him. The delicious safety of his presence. Holy hell I crave it. I want every part of Liem.
He blinks and that’s when he steps back, nostrils flaring in a heated regret.
So close.
What is he doing to me?
When Bullet pulls up, that’s when Liem takes his eyes off mine. A deep and heavy sigh rolling out of him.
He takes my hand in his like he has minutes ago and guides us to Bullet, who glances down at our interlocked hands with a surprised look.
“You all right? We gotta talk about what happened,” Bullet mutters over to him, trying to keep me from over hearing.
Liem nods as he opens the door for me, and I take more time than I should as I climb inside the back.
“I know.”
