Admire Me (Rough Edges 2)

Chapter 30

Harper

It's been nice gettingout and doing something fun for a change. Tessa seems like a nice girl, and someone I can get along with long term, which is a great thing since I hope to stay with Liam.

“What do you think about this?” Tessa asks, holding up a white summer dress to wear on their honeymoon.

“It won’t stay on long.”

Next week will be something for Liam and I to tackle together. We will be watching Emily while Damon and Tessa go on a weekend vacation. I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, but excited. Kids have always been something I’ve looked forward to, and Emily is a sweetheart.

“What about this?” I ask, holding up a blush colored dress. “It’s not too fancy, but not too beachy either.”

“You are definitely getting that. It’s perfect for your skin tone.”

We continue shopping, getting everything on her list, and then some.

“Are you getting nervous about the wedding?”

“Honestly, not in the slightest. Damon is the man for me. I couldn’t ask for a better father figure for Emily, and he treats me with respect. Plus, I mean it’s Damon. Have you seen him?” She fans herself. “Why wouldn’t I want to be the one to sleep next to him every night?”

Things between Liam and I have been heating up since our anniversary dinner. The sex is phenomenal, but something is missing. I’m hoping once all my memories come back, my feelings for him will not feel so forced. He’s a wonderful guy, and has done a lot for me, but I can’t know how I truly felt about him before the accident. And without that, this can’t be concrete for me.

“What’s on your mind?” she asks, nudging me. “Let’s go sit down and get a coffee.”

Tessa is the only person besides Liam I’ve felt close, too. Yet, I’m still not sure if she is the one I should be talking to about things. He is her brother-in-law and it’s hard to be unbiased.

“Seriously, what’s going on? You can tell me.”

I take a deep breath and just start talking, telling her how I just don’t feel like myself, and even though I really like Liam, it just doesn’t feel like it should. You know, that spark you feel when you are around the person you love. How do I know if it’s just because of everything he’s done for me, and being there while dealing with all these issues or if it’s really love?

“Honey, I can tell you firsthand, before your accident, you two were going places. The way you looked and talked about each other, Damon and I knew that you guys were going to end up married someday. Sometimes life throws you curveballs, but it’s the people that stick with you through them that are the ones to keep by your side.”

Maybe I’m only questioning our relationship because I don’t have anything to go off besides what Liam has told me. It’s clear he loves me, but is it fair for me to keep going not knowing if my feelings are real? Does my breathing become labored when I am around him sometimes, yes. Can I picture my life without him next to me? No. All my life I’ve prayed for a man to come into my life that can be my partner, in all aspects of life, and here he is. Yet, it still doesn’t feel real.

Suddenly, a flash of our first kiss comes to mind. Liam gently kissing me, hand on the small of my back.

“Honey, are you okay?”

“I just... our first kiss. They're coming back.”

For the next several minutes, it’s like a slideshow of our time together before the assault. All the angst and butterflies from being around him. Him and I falling asleep multiple nights in each other’s arms.

“Take me to the hotel, please. I need to see Liam.” I pick up my bags, and rush to the car.

If my memories are coming back, then I can finally be sure about him. That my feelings are valid and not just forced because he stayed by my bedside and fought for me. I was falling in love with him before any of this happened.

Her car pulls up in front of the hotel, and I run inside, up the stairs, and burst through the front door. “Liam? Where are you?”

I hear his voice from the bathroom, “in the shower.”

My clothes start coming off, each piece falling to the floor leaving a trail behind me as I slip inside with him, my hands rubbing his chest.

“What is it? Everything okay?”

My lips land on his, and for the first time since my accident, I feel like myself. He pulls me in closer, the water dripping down onto my breasts.

I pull my lips from his long enough to whisper, “I remember.”

My leg arches up around his waist, and he inches inside of me, reminding me that not only is this the man that kept me safe, but he’s the man I’m falling head over heels for and that’s okay.

He pushes into the corner of the shower, hoisting me up with his arms, and giving my breasts some much needed attention. Sex with him now is different, more sensual than ever. Electricity is bubbling throughout my entire body, and each stroke leaves me begging for more.

“I’m yours,” I whisper lightly into his ear, which only encourages him to go faster leaving both of us releasing at the same time.

He slowly puts me back down on the ground, and pushes my hair out of my eyes. “And that’s why I have been patient. I knew once you started remembering, that you would understand that you are as crazy about me as I am you. We belong together, Harper. There is a reason fate brought us together when it did. And now I’m never letting you out of my sight.”

To be continued...