“My favorite color and food is what a relationship entails?”
“I get the feeling you wouldn’tknowwhat a relationship entails.”
He turns to me slowly, and I can’t tell if he genuinely doesn’t care about what’s coming out of my mouth or if he’s too tired to care.
He turns back to the pancakes without a word, but then it clicks.
“You never had a girlfriend before.”
“Yes, I–”
“Afterhigh school!”
He doesn’t respond, and my jaw slightly drops.
“Oh my God, I’m your first real girlfriend!” I’m at a loss for words, but Liam just flips another pancake before shaking his head at my epiphany.
“I don’t think I want to date someone who doesn’t have past experience.” I think out loud and–
“I think the way I make you scream my name shows just how much experience I have.”
“That–” Nothing else comes out, and when I shut my mouth, a smirk grows on Liam’s face. “That is not the kind of experience I meant, mister.”
“No?”
“No.”
He raises his brows like he doesn’t believe me and serves our food. “It’s the only experience that matters.” He walks over to the counter, but I’m stuck in place.
“No, it’s not.” I shake my head at him as he takes a seat. “I was this guy’s first girlfriend in college, and it wasexhaustingteaching him how to be a boyfriend. By the time he was half as good, I was done with the relationship, and when I was literally on my way to break up with him, he sent mea two-linebreakup text!”
Yes, I’m still annoyed about that because I had the decency to do it in person, and in the end, I didn’t even get to do it first. At least it was mutual… sort of.
“Sounds like all the experienceyouhave was bad. This is why I don’t date. It’s exhausting,” He buries his face in his hands. “like now.” He sounds exhausted, too, but I stop in my tracks. I notice him steal a glance at me before shaking his head softly.
“That’s not what I meant;you’renot exhausting. I just–” He runs a hand down his face, but I don’t say anything as I grab my plate and take it to the couch.
“Dory…”
I grab my iPad beside me and get back to editing the thumbnail for last weekend's vlogs. Liam comes next to me on the couch and doesn’t say anything, but I feel his eyes on me.
“Eat your food.” His words are soft, but I only lean into the couch.
“Sorry I made you get out of bed to cook, but I’m not hungry.”
“Dory–” He lets out a breath as if he really is tired of me, and I get up to go to bed. “Stop being like that, come here.” He grabs my hand as I pass him and makes me sit on his lap. I keep my eyes on the screen as he kisses my cheek a few times and rubs my thigh.
“You’re not exhausting.” He kisses my neck before leaning his head on my shoulder. “I said ‘like now’ because I’m fucking tired right now. I’m not tired of you or our conversation.”
He lifts his head from my shoulder and turns my head to kiss me, but I don’t move an inch. He pulls away and looks between my eyes like he’s offended. “Kiss me back.”
He leans forward to kiss me again, and when I don’t return it, he lets out a breath before kissing my cheek and leaning back on the couch. He’s quiet for a while, and when I steal a glance at him, his eyes are shut. I try to stand, but he keeps his arm around my waist.
“Please eat.” He sort of whispers before laying more comfortably on the couch, his arms still around me.
I grab my plate and eat two of the mini pancakes before putting them aside. When I get up, Liam doesn’t grab me, and I realize he fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
