Chapter 231

Aria’s POV

Under my ear, I heard the quick pulsing of Liam’s heart, hammering in his chest. Glancing up at him, I was surprised to find his eyes a little wide. Then, I realized the implications of what I had just said.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” I said quickly, blushing hard.

I wasn’t ready for sex. Though I desired Liam, in the past, sex had complicated everything between us. Right now, I wanted to continue to build our foundation of love and trust before we fell back into bed together.

Though the time for that, I knew, was coming soon.

For now, however…

“I just want to be held,” I added. “And to hold you.” I glanced away and then back. “I always slept better when you were beside me.”

The shock in Liam’s face ebbed and understanding took its place. “Of course,” he replied. “It would be my absolute pleasure.” He started to smile and it seemed such a genuine thing, so full of anticipation and satisfaction. “Should we go to bed now?”

It was getting late, and with our talk over, I didn’t see the harm in calling it a night now.

Perhaps I too was filled with anticipation and satisfaction.

We broke from our hug and headed upstairs.

“I have to go to my room to change,” Liam said. “But then I will be right over.”

“I’ll change too,” I said. “Knock on the door before you enter.”

“Okay,” he agreed and we went our separate ways.

In my room, I debated over what pajamas to wear, but knowing I didn’t have much time, I picked a comfortable pair that were newer, so, while they weren’t sexy, they didn’t have any holes or anything.

Nerves were bubbling up inside of me. I felt like a teenager going on her first date.

As soon as I pulled on my top, a knock sounded on the door. I quickly checked myself in the vanity mirror. I looked as good as I possible could, considering. Though it probably didn’t matter. In the morning, I was sure that I’d look much worse. He wouldn’t care.

“Come in,” I called.

Liam opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt, and looked absolutely handsome.

We both looked at each other and then at the bed, and back again.

“Should we… uh…?” Liam tried to ask.

Even without him speaking clearly, I understood what he meant. “Yeah,” I said. “We should.”

We both looked at the bed again, and then at each other.

“Should I…?” he asked.

“Yeah…”

Nodding, Liam walked to the bed first. He drew back the covers and slipped inside. Curiously, he remained on the same side of the bed he had slept in when we had been together all those years ago. I wondered if he always slept on that side.

After all, I always slept on the same side I had when we had been together. Perhaps, knowing how much he loved me, it wasn’t so startling that he would do the same. It was if we had both been preparing to be reunited in this way.

I went around to the other side of the bed – my side – and slipped under the covers.

For a moment, we stayed like that, him on his side, me on mine. But then he turned toward me, and I turned toward him. He lifted his arm and I smoothly slid closer to him. His arm dropped down, cradling around me as I curled against his chest. Like this, I could inhale his familiar scent, and feel the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

I could even hear his heartbeat, still thundering away in his chest.

With everything that I had been going on, I’d been overwhelmed with stress lately. Like this, so warm and safe, it didn’t take long for my eyelids to grow heavy. Slowly, they fell closed, and I drifted off to peace-filled dreamland.

Liam’s POV

Holding Aria like this was everything I had ever wanted ever since she had left me and I realized just how much I loved her. Now that I had her again in my arms, if almost felt too good to be true. Perhaps I had hit my head at some point, and this was all nothing but a dream.

After finally revealing all the secrets I’d been carrying for so long, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Aria might not just forgive me but actually feel more comfortable in our relationship.

Yet, everything had more or less worked out that way. She had not just forgiven me but also continued to love me, even with all the terrible things in our shared past.

I was incredibly grateful to her, and so eager to love her again, the right way this time, with no secrets or scandals between us.

As she drifted off to sleep, snoring slightly, pride filled my chest. She was so comfortable with me, so relaxed. Gone were the days that I gave her nothing but stress and unhappiness. Now, I brought her comfort and joy. And I’d keep doing so. That was my vow. For the rest of our lives, I would love her as she deserved.

Careful not to disturb her sleep, I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Inside my chest, my heart raced, thrilled by this closeness, by this restored intimacy.

For a while, I firmly believed that I might stay up all night, too excited to be able to sleep. But then, with Aria beside me, my body started to relax all on its own.

Between one blink and the next, happier and more comfortable than I had been in many years, I fell asleep and I stayed asleep all night.

The next morning, Aria and I decided to keep the kids home from school. We explained about the interview to come and asked them to be a part of it. They were excited to contribute, and perhaps more excited at how close Aria and I were standing to one another.

Our relationship had been giving them some stress. They likely felt relief seeing that things had returned to normal, with no more disagreement between Aria and me.

Around nine, the front doorbell rang. Aria was upstairs helping the kids get ready so I went to the door and answered it.

Immediately I was greeted with a television producer. Behind him were his staff, including a camera man, a sound person, and someone to handle the lighting. In the back, still near the news van, I recognized one of the reporters from the station whose owner I had called the favor into.

This was serious, then. Everything was happening. Even though I had been the one to prepare it, it still felt surreal.

I hoped things worked out how Aria and I wanted them to. We’d been on the losing side of this fight for far too long. Now was our chance to finally turn things around.

If it worked.

The producer looked at me expectantly. “Liam? Are you and your family ready for the interview?”

I stepped back from the door, clearing the way for the producer and the others to enter.

“We’re ready.”