The soft waves lapped against the shoreline, but I didn't notice. My fingers were still trembling from the tension that hadn't left me since morning. The island was quiet, almost impossibly serene, but inside, my chest felt like a storm was raging.
Liam sat across from me, his arms crossed, jaw tight, eyes never leaving me. I had grown used to his presence, the looming shadow of his control, but even now, it made my heart pound.
"You've been quiet all morning," he finally said, voice low, but sharp enough to make me flinch.
"I… I'm fine," I whispered, averting my gaze. My fingers twisted the edge of the drawing pad I had been sketching on. Robin had taught me to draw during my first week on the island. It was meant to distract, to heal, but now, it just felt like a reminder of everything I had lost.
Liam leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Don't lie to me. I can feel it."
I swallowed hard. How could I explain? How could I tell him that the stillness of the island reminded me of the chaos I had survived, the Smith family, the William family, even Grace's constant schemes? That the quiet made me long for a world where I could just… breathe?
"I just… I'm thinking," I admitted finally, letting my voice tremble just enough.
"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" His voice was almost a growl, low and dangerous.
Robin's name hovered on my lips, but I didn't say it. Liam's gaze was like fire, consuming everything in its path, and I couldn't risk adding fuel.
He got up abruptly, pacing, the wooden floor creaking under his weight. "Do you think I don't know?" His hand slammed against the table, making the sketches jump. "Do you think I don't see him in your eyes every time you look at me with that… soft hesitation?"
I flinched, heart hammering. I had always been afraid of his temper, but now it wasn't just anger. It was a warning, a claim. A reminder that he had already staked his place in my life.
"I… I'm not… I'm not thinking about anyone else," I said, my voice firmer now, but shaky.
"You're lying," he snapped, stepping closer. The air between us thickened, charged with tension. "And you'll never lie to me again, Fiona. I won't allow it."
His hands hovered near mine, not touching, but the promise in them was clear. I felt both trapped and strangely safe. Liam had always been complicated — the line between danger and protection so blurred that I didn't know where I stood anymore.
From the corner of my eye, Robin appeared at the doorway, leaning casually with a teasing smile. "Well, someone seems a little… territorial," he said, voice light, but his eyes held something sharper, challenging.
Liam's head snapped toward him, a growl rising from deep in his throat. "Stay out of this," he said, teeth clenched.
Robin chuckled softly. "Or what? You'll bite me?"
Liam's presence loomed, massive and intense, and for a moment, I felt the old fear resurface. But alongside it, there was something else — a pulse of excitement, of unspoken longing. Liam had always been dangerous. He had always been mine. And yet, I couldn't ignore the small comfort Robin brought, the softness that Liam could never give.
"I'm not afraid of him," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.
Robin's smile softened, and he took a careful step closer. "I know you're not," he said. "But sometimes… even the strongest need someone by their side."
Liam's eyes burned into mine. The possessiveness in them was unmistakable, but so was the pain — the ache of knowing he wasn't the only one in my thoughts.
"You belong here," he said, voice low, almost a growl, and my stomach tightened. "Not with him, not with anyone else. You're mine, Fiona. Understand?"
I nodded silently. My heart was racing, mind spinning. I wanted to protest, to argue, but there was no room for words. His claim was absolute, inescapable.
Robin stepped closer, lightly placing a hand on my shoulder. "Liam… she can think for herself, you know."
The tension snapped. Liam's hand shot up, gripping my wrist gently but firmly, stopping Robin. "No one touches her," he said. Every word was a warning, a threat, a declaration.
I looked at him, heart swelling with fear, desire, and something else I couldn't name. Liam was dangerous, obsessive, but he was also… protective. Loving in his own twisted, overwhelming way. And I was trapped in it, just as I had always been.
Robin smiled, shaking his head. "Fine, I'll leave. But don't think you scare me," he said lightly, though his gaze lingered on me.
As he left, Liam's hand lingered on mine. "Do you understand?" he asked again, softer this time, almost vulnerable.
I nodded. "Yes," I whispered, heart pounding.
Liam exhaled, releasing my wrist but keeping his gaze locked on me. "Good. Because I won't ever let anyone hurt you. Or take you away. Not now, not ever."
The weight of his words sank into me. Liam had always been intense, obsessive, and frightening. But in that moment, I realized something — his heart, dangerous as it was, was mine. And so was mine, in a way I could neither explain nor deny.
As the sun set over the island, casting long golden streaks across the waves, I felt the strange comfort of Liam's looming presence behind me. Protective, possessive, terrifying — yet undeniably mine. And somewhere deep inside, I knew that the future, no matter how chaotic, would always have him in it.