A gorgeous transfer student just arrived at our school. She’s boasting that she’ll have my childhood best friend in her bed within three months. Liam ice-coldly told her she was delusional, then immediately tightened his grip on my hand, practically melting against me: “Since we were kids, everyone’s known I’m yours.” “You said I’d get my official title after graduation. Are you really sure we can’t move that timeline up?” The transfer student’s aggressive pursuit lasted until the start of winter break. In all that time, Liam never once gave her a pleasant look. Then came the pre-semester party. Liam was drunk. I was the one taking him home. He mumbled my name the whole way. Something in me shifted. I leaned in, ready to steal a quiet kiss from him. It was going to be my first kiss. The second my lips brushed his, his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Baby, why are you so reserved this time?” “What happened to the french kissing?” I froze in place. Free Chapters: 1 ######################### Data Divider # Chapter 1 A gorgeous transfer student just arrived at our school. She’s boasting that she’ll have my childhood best friend in her bed within three months. Liam ice-coldly told her she was delusional, then immediately tightened his grip on my hand, practically melting against me: “Since we were kids, everyone’s known I’m yours.” “You said I’d get my official title after graduation. Are you really sure we can’t move that timeline up?” The transfer student’s aggressive pursuit lasted until the start of winter break. In all that time, Liam never once gave her a pleasant look. Then came the pre-semester party. Liam was drunk. I was the one taking him home. He mumbled my name the whole way. Something in me shifted. I leaned in, ready to steal a quiet kiss from him. It was going to be my first kiss. The second my lips brushed his, his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Baby, why are you so reserved this time?” “What happened to the french kissing?” I froze in place. 1 Liam’s kiss was deep. It didn’t feel like his first time. It felt like he was a pro. He said “this time.” So, who was the “last time”? Before I could even think of the words to ask him, he let me go. Liam was too wasted. His eyes were barely open, heavy with sleep. He grunted a muffled protest, his eyebrows twitching in slight irritation. “You little idiot. Did you still not learn how to breathe?” “Did I teach you for nothing?” I took a deep breath myself, my hand planted firmly on his face, pushing him back. My fingertips were trembling. It took everything I had to keep my voice steady. “Liam. Look closely at who I am.” Liam went quiet. He squinted at me through his drunken haze. I really hadn’t expected those few seconds to be so unbearable. I knew what the answer was going to be. The truth was practically screaming itself in my head. But I still wanted to hear Liam say it. Liam slapped his own cheek, then pinched mine, sounding utterly out of it. “Baby... why are you still in my dream?” “Maya. I like you better in the dream. You just let me kiss you.” My eyelashes fluttered. The instant I heard my name, that gnawing dread was crushed. He thought this was a dream. Liam cupped my face, his damp lips pressing against mine again. “Breathe, baby. Don’t hold your breath until your face turns red like last time.” Liam’s voice was full of cooing endearments, using all the same pet names he always had for me. After he finished kissing me, he just collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in the comforter like he was embarrassed. “Ugh. This dream feels way too real.” I sat by his side, my lips pressed thin. After a few seconds, I stood up. Whatever. Liam is an idiot. He’s been chasing me his entire life. If there was something going on, he couldn’t keep it from me if he tried. Nobody was home today. I opened my phone to order some hangover soup, but it pushed its limit and shut down. I didn’t feel like waiting for it to charge, so I just grabbed Liam’s phone. The lock screen was still the latest photo of me. Liam always said he was “fond of the new and weary of the old.” So, he insisted on getting at least three new, different photos of me every week. If he didn’t, he’d get all grumpy and ignore everyone. He was a nightmare to placate. I would always tease him about it. He claimed to get bored easily, but he’d still liked the same person for so many years. He’d just shrug and smile: “Meh. I just like liking you.” The next second, the fingerprint unlock failed. Out of the five fingerprints allowed to unlock Liam’s phone, only one was his. The other four were mine. I tried them one by one. All of them failed. Did I accidentally delete them? But Liam was not that idle. I tried the passcode. My birthday. Liam had used this passcode for years. He wouldn’t have changed it. It still failed. Just then, the phone screen lit up with a notification. It was an image. From Chloe. The transfer student who had been chasing Liam for months. 2 My grip on the phone involuntarily tightened. I was thinking, when did they even become friends? Doesn’t Liam hate her more than anything? Honestly, Liam has had a lot of pursuers growing up. But he’s incredibly aloof, with a sharp tongue, and on top of that, he makes his blinding preference for me absolutely clear. Most people give up after a while. Chloe was the only one who had persisted this long. And the only one who managed to get Liam absolutely furious. One night after evening study hall, she stopped me in the hallway and said, in a cold, arrogant voice: “Maya. You and Liam aren't boyfriend and girlfriend yet, are you?” “Then we will just have to see who is more capable.” Her voice was thick with hostility. Before I could even open my mouth, Liam grabbed my backpack, slinging it over his shoulder with practiced ease. He handed me a cup of warm milk and fixed my scarf and beanie. Liam was usually quite docile, but that night, I could practically feel the low-pressure system radiating off him. He took my hand, his tall frame blocking her entirely, and said in a glacial tone: “She doesn’t need to compete with you. Because I have always been the one chasing her.” “We’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. I’m just her future husband.” Liam didn’t say a word the whole way home. I couldn’t resist poking his side: “Hey... what's wrong?” Liam’s eyes were rimmed with red, and he pinched my cheek with genuine frustration: “Are you really not jealous?” “Someone just treated you like that and you didn’t have a reaction? Do you not like me at all?” Ah. So that was why. I shook my head: “No. Because I know that your heart only has me in it.” Liam’s lips thinned, as if he had been placated. He took my hand again. “Let’s just graduate already, Maya. I really want to be your boyfriend.” I looked down, remembering his mother’s instructions. “Maya, darling, little Liam has loved you since he was a baby. I don't oppose the two of you, but could you please promise me... just promise me that you will only agree to be with him after graduation, okay?” I squeezed Liam’s hand and thought to myself. Liam, you just have to wait for me a little longer. We only have one semester left. 3 I set Liam’s phone down and went downstairs to my room. The room I’d lived in for over ten years. When I was three, my mom and dad got a divorce. My mom raised me alone, bringing me into Liam’s house. She worked and took care of me at the same time. Liam and I are the same age. We grew up together. Liam always had a "keep everyone away" vibe about him. I was really scared of him at first, but I’d still politely call him "Older Brother Liam." He’d never answer, but he’d take me along with his friends when they went out to play. I guess I was pretty popular as a kid. One time, a kid told Liam that he should just "give" me to him. Liam, usually so indifferent, exploded, pinning the other kid to the ground and telling him to get lost. It was the first time I had ever seen him angry. The first time I heard him use a bad word. I followed him home later, terrified, timidly calling him "Older Brother." He was still furious. He yelled at me for the first time in his life: “Stop calling me older brother!” He scared me so much that I avoided him for days, until he finally caught me. His tone softened a bit, and for the first time, he used my name: “Maya. Are you an idiot or something?” “Brothers and sisters can’t get married.” I froze in my tracks, my heart hammering like crazy. I had thought he disliked me, even loathed me. I had never once considered that he actually liked me. After that confession, Liam became even more shameless about treating me well. His love was a bit different from who he was as a person; it was flamboyant and passionate. To the point that everyone knew: Liam Parker will only ever marry one person in his life. And that is Maya. But tonight, I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander. The natural way he kissed me. His "baby." And that image I couldn’t see. 4 The next day was the start of the new semester. My mom had taken a month off work, and Liam’s parents were away on a business trip. The only people left at home were Liam and me. I hadn’t slept all night and then overslept. The second I opened my door, I ran right into Liam’s arms. The faint scent of citrus drifted towards me. I sniffed the air and subconsciously asked: “Did you change your body wash? It smells so unfamiliar.” He’d insisted on using the same body wash as me for as long as I could remember. He’d never changed it, not even yesterday when we went out. He still smelled like my body wash then. Liam’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He just hummed a non-committal response. He looked like he didn't want to explain. “Breakfast is ready. Let’s get to school first.” I took the breakfast he handed me, pressing my lips together: “My mom said I should take care of you...” Liam took my hand and smiled faintly: “You? You think you know how to take care of someone? You just threw me onto the bed and left last night.” I seized the opportunity: “I was going to get you hangover soup. My phone ran out of battery. And you changed your passcode.” Liam paused, then explained: “Last time, one of them guessed my passcode was your birthday. It wasn’t safe.” “You know my phone is full of your photos. I’d go mental if a single one got out.” I made a sound of understanding. He continued: “It’s the day I confessed to you now.” I nodded in understanding, but I still couldn’t help but think. There was no reason to delete my fingerprint. Just as I was about to ask him, Liam placed his phone in my hand, then leaned against the car window and closed his eyes. “Look for yourself. It’s not often I let you give me an inspection.” “You’re finally showing a little bit of interest in me.” I had never done anything like this before, but today, it was all I could think about. So I opened his chat logs. Chloe was no longer in his contacts. I dropped the phone back onto his lap: “I saw Chloe send you a message yesterday. It was an image. It's gone now.” Liam said, totally unbothered, “Yeah. She sent me an nsfw picture. I blocked and deleted her.” 5 ...An nsfw picture? My breath caught in my throat. I really wanted to ask him why he’d even added her. Didn’t he hate her more than anything? But I felt weirdly out of place. What right did I have to ask him? This thing between me and Liam. Everyone else thought I was being difficult. Liam had pursued me to this extent, and I still wouldn’t agree to be with him. But Liam’s mother had taken my mom and me in all those years ago. We were always full of gratitude. The promise I made to her was one I had to keep. And besides, it was just a little later, that’s all. Being with Liam was already enough. “Maya. I didn't know it was her when I accepted the request.” He showed me his lock screen, his expression gentle, his voice sincere: “I just thought it would make my eyes dirty. She’s nothing compared to my Maya.” Once we got to the classroom, Liam took his usual seat next to me. He expertly pulled all sorts of snacks from his backpack, along with newly bought school supplies and a few small items I’d occasionally need. He was always taking care of me with this level of meticulous detail. Chloe was the last person to walk into the classroom. In the dead of winter. She was wearing a tight, waist-revealing shirt with a thin jacket thrown over it, and a mini-skirt that didn't even cover her knees. She was chewing gum, and she threw her bag into the seat right across the aisle from Liam. Liam’s pen paused, and he glanced at me. “Maya. Swap seats with me.” Chloe tilted her chin up and huffed, taking her seat with casual arrogance. I had just moved into Liam's seat. As soon as I sat down, my nose was hit with that same citrus scent. The exact same one as Liam. And the smell was even stronger here. 6 The first period was a self-study session. I told myself to focus and started doing practice problems. Chloe handed me a note. I paused, but I opened the note anyway. He smells like me, you know. I crumpled it into a ball and irritably tossed it at Liam. Liam was still carefully organizing my corrections from my math homework. He raised an eyebrow at me and opened the note slowly. The second he saw the contents, his fingertips tightened around the paper. Liam spat out a quiet curse and pulled me out of the classroom. The disciplinary monitor tried to stop us, but he just ignored them. Our names got written on the board. At the end of the hallway, I yanked my hand out of his. “What are you doing?” “What kind of nonsense did she say to you?” I pressed my lips together: “She wasn't lying. We really do smell the same.” Liam let out a soft sigh. He told me: “Don't believe her nonsense. I bumped into her two days ago when I was getting you snacks.” “I guess she saw me when I was buying body wash. She did it on purpose.” I couldn't shake the feeling that there were too many coincidences, but I chose to believe that Liam wouldn't lie to me. “I understand. I didn't say anything. Let’s go back.” Liam tried to take my hand, but I subconsciously dodged him. I was distracted all day. Even the simplest questions were wrong over and over again. When we went home together that evening, for the first time, Liam didn’t take my hand or talk to me. In the past, that walk from the classroom to the school gate... That was Liam’s personal time to be affectionate. I actually liked hearing his mindless chatter. It was so different from his cold, silent persona in front of others. The contrast was really quite cute. But today, he was just staring at his phone. He had long legs and took big strides. He had already forgotten me, leaving me behind. I grabbed my backpack and broke into a small run to keep up.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "395320", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel