Chapter 212: Must Be the Wine
~NEW SONG IN MY YT, FB, & IG~
SONG TITLE: Found My Home - Shiroi Nami (Claim Me Captain! I’m Addicted to You!)
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Liam’s POV
"What... what can I do to help?"
Her words hit me like a lightning strike. For a second, I couldn’t move—couldn’t breathe. My heart pounded so hard it felt like the whole living room could hear it.
Did she just ask me that? Or am I losing my damn mind?
God, no—she did say it. I heard it clear as day. And now my brain is doing cartwheels, flipping through every possible meaning behind her question. None of them are remotely innocent. None of them are PG-13.
I swallowed hard, heat surging through me. If Ella could see the things racing through my head right now, she’d throw me out of her house and bolt the door shut.
Get it together, Liam. Get it the hell together.
"Liam? Are you okay?" Her gentle voice snapped me back, pulling me out of the dangerous spiral.
"I—I’m fine," I stammered, my throat dry. "I just... didn’t know how to react to that question."
Ella’s gaze flickered away as her fingers fidgeted nervously in her lap. "I see... Forget it. That was embarrassing. I don’t even know why I said that. Must be the wine earlier."
Her cheeks flushed crimson, and something about that sight made my pulse double.
"I-It’s okay—" I started, but before I could finish, she shot up from the couch.
"I should get us a new drink. A cold one, maybe. It’s... hot in here." She waved her hand in front of her face, trying to fan herself.
Hot? The AC was running fine. But her cheeks were glowing dark pink, her movements restless, her voice just a little shaky.
Wait. No way.
Could it be? Is she actually hot because of me? Did I just... turn her on?
I watched, half in disbelief, half in awe, as she went to the fridge. She grabbed two juice boxes, poured them into tall glasses with more focus than the task required, then carried them back to the sofa with a small smile.
"Here you gooo—"
Time slowed down like some cheesy scene in a rom-com. Ella stumbled on her heel, wobbled, and before I could even react...
*SPLASH!*
The glass of orange juice in her hand went flying... straight onto me. Cold, sticky juice drenched my face, my shirt, dripping down to my jeans.
We both froze. Her wide eyes locked onto mine, her lips parting in horror until they turned pale.
"Oh my God, Liam!" she gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "I... I’m so sorry! You should—uhm—you should take a shower. There are men’s shirts in the guest room, my brother’s. Please, don’t get mad. I didn’t mean to—"
She was panicking, flustered, adorable. Too cute. Getting angry? Not a chance. If anything, the whole thing was hilarious. I burst out laughing.
Her eyes blinked rapidly before she let out a nervous giggle and then laughed too.
"I’m not angry," I said, still chuckling. "You should’ve seen your face though—it was priceless."
Her cheeks flamed pink, but she rolled her eyes and extended her hand toward me, opening and closing her palm playfully. "Don’t laugh at me too much. It’s really embarrassing. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. Upstairs."
I looked down at her outstretched hand. Soft, delicate... yet firm enough to tug me up from the sofa. I took it without hesitation.
Her skin was warm against mine, surprising me since she always worked with soil and plants. You’d think her hands would be rough, but no. They were perfect.
She didn’t let go, either. Not when she led me up the stairs. Not even when we stepped into what was clearly her master bedroom—the size, the decorations, everything screamed her.
And still, her hand held mine.
Finally, she stopped in front of another door and pushed it open.
"Here’s the bathroom." Her voice was soft but still painted with embarrassment. "Wash up, I’ll find you something that might fit. My brother’s in college and smaller than you, but he likes oversized shirts, so there should be something. Fresh towels are under the vanity—you can use those."
She released my hand reluctantly and slipped out of the room before I could say anything, leaving me standing there, drenched in juice but grinning like an idiot.
I didn’t bother showering—no need. I just peeled off my juice-soaked shirt and pants, splashed water on my face, neck, and chest to wash away the stickiness, and called it good. Quick, simple. Then I waited.
And waited.
Ella was taking longer than I thought, and my patience wore thin. So I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped out of the bathroom.
The decor in her room caught my eye immediately. Feminine, warm, full of little details that screamed her. I wandered closer to a console table, where framed photos were lined up—snapshots of smiles, laughter, and pieces of a life I wanted to know more about.
I leaned in, studying them, but before I could take everything in, the door suddenly opened.
"Liam! I have your—"
She froze mid-sentence. The words died in her throat the second she spotted me standing in the middle of her room, towel slung low around my hips.
Her wide eyes weren’t on my face. They were locked lower—lingering shamelessly before she realized what she was doing.
I stepped closer, my eyes flicking to the bundle of clothes in her hands. But I couldn’t help the smirk tugging at my lips when I caught where her gaze had been.
"Is seeing me shirtless too much for you?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Her head snapped up, cheeks instantly coloring. "W-Where’s your shirt? A-And your pants?" she stammered. "I—I’ll just put them in the laundry so you can change back later."
"It’s—" I started to explain, but she cut me off.
"Oh! It must be in the bathroom," she blurted, rushing past me in a flustered blur without even handing me the clothes she’d been holding.
I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head as I watched her scurry away. Seeing me half-naked had completely scrambled her. And damn if that didn’t make me want to tease her even more.
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Thanks for the Golden Ticket!
Chauveen_R