Maya“Mum,” my voice came out dry and cranky. This was spiraling so out of control.Mum was not a media person. She was barely on the internet, and if the reason she was calling—which definitely was—was me being on the internet, then it meant she was already getting bombarded with calls too.Fucking Liam.“Maya? What’s this news I’m hearing?” she asked, and I stared up at the ceiling. Yeah.No “how are you doing?” despite fully knowing Jenny is engaged to my boyfriend—ex.Mother of the year.“What news?” I asked, picking at the sleeve of my shirt. Playing dumb was the most ideal option at this point.The plan was for Liam to act as my boyfriend whenever we were outside, just in case we ran into Jenny and Tom—not for a picture of us to surface online describing us as a couple. Not fair.“You’re dating a celebrity?” she asked. I remained silent for a second before clearing my throat.“Yeah, actually,” I muttered, and I could hear her huff.“And you didn’t deem it fit to tell me? I
Liam“What the hell? Why is there suddenly a picture of me on the internet?” I asked, standing in front of the window overlooking the beach in Tuscany. I was advised to go MIA—the press wasn’t supposed to care until we’d come up with a solid comeback to counter the news circulating. And now? I’m making headlines. With Maya in them.The fuck?“Liam, we’re working on it. But the news is already spreading—it goes fast when you’re a celebrity. Everyone thinks you have a new girlfriend now,” my mum said, her tone more professional than motherly. Yeah, because she wasn’t just my mum—she was my manager.“I don’t fucking have a girlfriend,” I bit out, my jaw clenching.“We know that. But the public doesn’t, especially with the saga around your ex,” she paused, and I gritted my teeth. Of course, she had to bring that up. That’s the reason I’m here in the first place.“The PR team thinks it would help to introduce a girlfriend now.”“I said I don’t have a girlfriend.”“Yes. But we could arrang
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