CHAPTER 107: AWKWARD

~Bonus Chapter for today:

This Chapter is dedicated to "Cherry_Pei". Thank you so much for the review! It is really helpful!

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Ella’s POV

I woke up before the sun had fully risen, a giddy excitement already stirring in my chest. Today was the day we were finally going to the ocean park. I’d never been, never even traveled this far from home before.

Growing up, my family wasn’t poor, but we weren’t exactly booking vacations either. My parents worked hard just enough to keep us all afloat and put me and my siblings through school.

I met Georgia in junior high. We were the outsiders from day one. She, because she had this strange, unapologetic way about her that made people wary; me, because I didn’t fit the wealthy mold of our private school. I was there on scholarship. Georgia’s family owned a business, though she had no real interest in running it.

We bonded over something as simple as bees, butterflies, plants, and flowers... our shared obsession with things that grow quietly yet beautifully. My parents were managers at a modern farm, and now that I had my own business, I’d been able to help fund my younger siblings’ education.

Georgia was supposed to be my business partner, but then her father got sick and eventually passed away, and her brother pulled her into running their family’s manpower company. She chose to invest in my plant nursery instead.

At first, profits trickled in slowly, until the pandemic hit. Oddly enough, it was my breakthrough, giving me enough income to buy my own land to expand.

It was small but enough for now.

I rolled over, expecting to see Georgia still tangled in the sheets beside Katie. But the bed was empty, Katie and Wendy were still sleeping.

She must be outside, sipping coffee, I thought. But when I stepped out of the room... nothing.

No Georgia on the balcony. No Georgia in the living room.

A prickling sensation crept up my spine.

Where the hell did that woman go?

I heard a door creak open and turned instinctively. The bathroom near the front door. Liam stepped out. His hair was a glorious mess, like ten reckless birds had tried to nest in it, and he was wearing nothing but gray sweatpants. Shirtless...

Goodness gracious!

I froze.

My eyes betrayed me, tracing every inch of him before my brain could stop them. I had never, ever imagined that under those loose shirts he always wore was a body like that.

A chest sculpted as if the gods had been in a generous mood, abs cut with precision, arms that looked like they could lift me without effort. He must have spent countless hours in the gym to earn that kind of perfection.

I think my jaw might’ve gone slack, maybe even drooled a little, because he cleared his throat, and just like that, the spell broke.

"Why are you up? Planning to jog too?" His voice was casual, but I caught the way his lips twitched like he knew exactly where my gaze had been.

Jog? I tilted my head. Is that what rich people do? Stay in an expensive suite, wake up before sunrise, run along the waterfront, then lounge in some overpriced café? A slow, indulgent morning while the rest of the world rushed?

"Ella?" His brow furrowed slightly as he pulled a white shirt over his head, probably wondering if I was still half-asleep.

"Oh—no. I was looking for Georgia. She wasn’t in bed, so I thought she might be here, but... nope."

"Weird. Nick’s not in the room either."

Our eyes met, and that was all it took for realization to dawn.

We both scoffed, then burst into laughter.

"Knowing Nick, they’re probably together," Liam said, shaking his head.

"But where did they go?" I still wondered. Did Georgia even stay in bed last night?

"I guess we’ll find out when they return." His voice shifted then, casual but inviting. "Since you’re awake already... want to join me?"

My pulse skipped. "Where?" I asked, curiosity sparking, and maybe something else, though truthfully, wherever it was, I’d follow.

From the moment I met Liam, there’d been a pull. A quiet, unspoken interest that I hadn’t had the time or the nerve to explore.

He and Vicky picked me up from the port when Raymond’s cruise ship docked, and from then on, the siblings would meet with me often, planning the rescue of Georgia and Nick.

While Georgia had her complicated mess with Raymond, I had no one. I’d been too focused on building my business, too busy helping my family. The men who’d tried to win me over in the past had either been all talk or all trouble.

"I was going to walk along the marina," he said. "Yesterday, I spotted some outdoor exercise equipment there. I was planning to take a look. Do you want to check it out with me?"

"Sure." I tried to sound casual, even though my chest felt a little too tight. "I’ll just change quickly."

He gave me a nod, and I slipped back into the room, my heart beating faster than I wanted to admit.

I came back dressed in denim shorts, a loose t-shirt, and my old rubber shoes... the most casual armor I could find in my suitcase.

"All set?" he asked, eyes sweeping over me briefly before he reached for the door. I nodded, though something told me he was the one who was not ready.

"Wait!" I blurted as he twisted the knob. I took a quick step toward him, but his ridiculous height made me pause. Just like Nick and Vicky, he towered over me.

If I had to guess, Liam was a solid six feet, Nick even taller, while Vicky stood just under him. Unfair.

Absolutely unfair world, they have such good genes! While Georgia and I are shorties.

"Y-Your hair... bend down a little, I’ll fix it," I said, waving my hands in a clumsy gesture.

He caught his reflection in the large frame on the wall and smirked. "Oh, I look like Einstein."

We both laughed, and he leaned down, his head now just inches from mine. I reached up, brushing my fingers through his hair, taming the chaos into something presentable.

Even messy, he looked infuriatingly good, his features a perfect blend of Nick’s sharpness and Vicky’s elegance.

"There. All done," I murmured, pulling my hands back before they lingered too long.

"Thanks." His lips curled into a grin. "Do I look handsome now?"

The question hit me like a sucker punch. Sudden, bold, and dangerously charming. What the hell was I supposed to say to that?

This was absolutely awkward. My throat tightened, and I let out a quick, shaky laugh, praying it hid the way my pulse had just gone wild.

If I said yes, would he just brush it off like a casual answer... or would he see it for what it really was, me admitting I found him attractive?

But if I said no, I’d come off like a cold, ungrateful snob.

I stood there, caught in the middle, my lips parting but no words coming out, while his eyes lingered on me just long enough to make my skin feel like it was humming.

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Thank you for the Golden Tickets! You all make my heart melt!

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