I place my glass of wine on the coffee table and head into the foyer. The only people who have access to the penthouse level have keycards, so I’m not overly concerned that it’s a stalker.
When I pull the door open, I’m greeted by a massive bouquet of flowers, but it’s the man holding them that steals my breath.
My tears come unbidden as Liam lifts me into his arms. I wrap myself around him, holding on for dear life as he walks us into the apartment. I sob into the crook of his neck, letting weeks of pent-up emotion flow through me.
“What are you doing here?” I gasp out the words between broken sobs.
“Couldn’t stand to be away from you any longer. I missed you so goddamn much, Goldie.”
I press my lips to his, my tears mingling with the taste of wine still on my tongue.
He sets me on my feet, and when I look up, Connor is standing in the foyer with a sleepy Aiden in his arms. “The reunion is cute and all, but this kid is getting heavy. Where can I put him down?”
“Down the hall,” I say. “Third door on the left is the guest room.”
“I’ll show you,” Abby says, standing. “I need to use the bathroom anyway.”
“You have ten minutes,” I say. “You have to be here when the single drops.”
Abby downs the rest of her wine and deposits the empty glass on the kitchen island. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, babe.”
Once they’re out of sight, Liam pulls me against him and swipes the tears from my face. “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he murmurs. “I was starting to wonder if I had imagined all of it.”
“So you came all the way here to make sure?”
“I came all the way here to support my girlfriend when she makes her comeback.” He kisses my forehead, letting his lips linger on my skin.
“Will you still love me if it flops?”
“I might have to go into hiding,” he says with a smirk. “But you can come with me, and we can live happily ever after.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He sweeps a lock of hair away from my face and trails his knuckles over my jaw. “It’s not going to flop. You’re gonna blow them all away.”
I press my lips to his in a soft kiss as footsteps echo through the hallway, getting closer and closer. “Wine?” Abby asks, her question directed at Connor.
“Got anything stronger?”
I show Connor to the bar cart and we settle on the sofa with our drinks. There’s barely a minute left until the clock strikes midnight, and I either become Cinderella or the pumpkin.
I rest my head on Liam’s shoulder and release a contented sigh. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Abby counts down the seconds like it’s New Year’s Eve. When she gets to five, we each hold up our shot glasses. “Four. Three. Two. One.”
We all knock back a shot of whiskey, and Liam seals his mouth over mine before I can even register the flavor, like the best fucking chaser in the world. When he pulls back, I’m completely breathless.
At least two phones chime, but neither of them is mine. I had the foresight to turn it off before the release.
I glance down at Liam’s. It’s full of alerts from social media and online forums.
He meets my gaze and shrugs. “Told you I was obsessed with you. You didn’t believe me?”
Connor snorts and snatches the phone from his hand. “This is almost stalker level.”
“I think it’s sweet.” Abby smiles down at her own phone and scrolls through her own notifications. “You’re popping off, babe. Hashtag Rebel Ruby is trending everywhere.”
