MayaI didn’t leave the house for the next few days. Not just because I was avoiding Jenny and Tom—which, to be honest, topped the list—but because it was actually comfy inside.Most of my time was spent glued to the couch. I only went upstairs at night because Liam insisted I wasn’t going to sleep down here. So, we kind of… shared the bed. Not the most comfortable arrangement, but it gave me an excuse to stretch out my return to California.Liam was out all day and only came back at night. We barely talked. We’d sleep, wake up, and repeat the same routine. I was getting bored—fast. Which is how I ended up curled on the couch under a blanket, binge-watching a show.My phone pinged. I grabbed it, eyes still fixed on the screen. The show was testing my patience. The villain—silent, masked, and aggressively annoying—had gone three full episodes without a face reveal. I glanced down at my phone. A text.From my boss.Guess who finally remembered I exist after four weeks. And no—
Maya“So what’s the plan? I think I’m being stalked by Jenny,” I said, and Liam raised a brow—too casually—placing his arms behind his head. He was way too relaxed for my liking.“Why would you think that?” he asked, and I frowned.“The first time was a coincidence. But not the second,” I bit out. He chuckled.“I’ve heard something like that—first time’s a coincidence, second time’s luck, third time’s fate.” He smirked. “Nice to know you got something wrong.”I gave him a flat look. “I’m not joking here, Liam.”He sat up straighter and nodded. “Okay, okay, sure. Let’s assume your sister and ex are stalking you—which I don’t think is what’s happening,” he met my gaze. “But if that’s the case, what do you plan on doing?”I stared down at myself. My fingers curled into my palms.That was the question. I had no idea what came next.“I’ll figure something out,” I muttered and raised my eyes. His green eyes searched mine for a second, too long, before he shook his head.“You have not
LiamI sank onto the couch, a sigh escaping me. It was safe to say I was a little annoyed.Was I wrong for expecting an explanation? If I would be dragged into this mess, the least she could do was offer one—and she wasn’t even ready to give that.I know we don’t have the best history, but come on. After a few minutes, the door creaked open, but I didn’t turn around.I knew who it was anyway. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.Her footsteps were soft and light as she shut the door and walked toward me. I peeled my eyes open and looked up. She stood in front of me, not meeting my gaze.She fiddled with the hem of her shirt—my shirt—that, annoyingly, looked good on her.“Hey. I’m sorry about the way I talked to you earlier,” she muttered.I raised a brow, cocking my head slightly.“It’s nothing,” I said, keeping my tone flat. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncertain, before finally sitting down on the other end of the couch.“U
Maya“Bellissima,” Liam said, ruffling my hair with his free hand. He turned to Tom, who frowned. I tried my best to look relaxed with Liam touching me — and oh boy, God knows that’s the hardest thing I’ve done in a while.“How can we help you?” Liam asked.Tom shifted on his foot, eyes darting to me before returning to Liam. “Look, man, I just got some things to say to Maya.”I scrunched up my nose. Liam tilted his head.“Liam,” he said. “I’ve been watching you from over there.” He pointed at the hill, and I glanced at it. Great. Now I was being watched from the same cool shed I’d once thought was perfect for spying on people.“And it’s pretty obvious my girlfriend doesn’t want you around her, so can you stay the fuck away?” He gave a smile that had no humor in it and ran a hand through his hair.I glanced at Shay, whose mouth hung slightly open. I almost rolled my eyes.“And no, I’m not asking,” he added, dropping his hand from my shoulder.I drew in a breath, relief floodin
~• Maya•~I took a walk to the beach the next morning. Liam had not come downstairs yet, so, well, it was impossible to shower while he was in the room. The thought of sharing space with him still felt awkward, and I didn’t feel like dealing with that yet.I figured sitting around wouldn’t help much, so I decided to go to the beach and, if I was lucky, get some sun.The excited chatter of both men and women filled the air. It was mostly Italian, though, so yeah, I couldn’t understand much.I stopped when I was a couple of feet away from the water, spreading out my mat on the ground. I sat on it, drawing my knees to my chest as a sigh escaped me. .It was still pretty early, but the sun was already peeking out, and I was a little surprised to see all these people at the beach at this time. I stayed in that posture for God knows how long, just staring at the endless line of water and wondering what to do next.Jenny had said they were getting married, and Mum had called for me. I was
~•Liam•~She plopped onto the couch, dropped her head in her hands, while I carried her bag in and shut the door behind me.And yeah, she was back—in my space. Again.I stood by the door for a second. Because why not? A lot had gone down in the last thirty minutes.First, Maya told her “sweet” sister that I was her boyfriend. The nerdy guy standing next to her looked pissed. Then Maya stormed out, and I had to follow—because, well, apparently I was her boyfriend now.I had no idea how I was supposed to feel about that.Sure, I’ve been in the acting industry for a while, but that doesn’t mean I have to put on an act in my free time, either.“Still waiting,” I said dryly, and a sigh escaped her lips.“Sorry about that. I just needed to get away from them,” she muttered. I pursed my lips, then walked around the couch and stood in front of her.I crossed my arms over my chest as her hazel eyes latched onto mine.“Is there a reason for that?” I asked quietly. Her expression closed off, and