Vivian's POV
Time seemed to stop as his words hit me. My breathing became shallow and uneven. For a moment, the entire world felt like it tilted sideways. Liam remained completely still, holding me against him with desperate intensity. The water streaming over his skin suddenly felt scalding hot against my body.
"Oh," I managed to whisper, the sound barely escaping my constricted throat.
Liam kept his face pressed into the curve of my neck, refusing to meet my eyes. His breathing was ragged and unsteady, as though admitting this truth had stripped something vital from him.
I tightened my hold around him instinctively. "You should have said something sooner."
"I had no intention of discussing it, Vivian. And I still refuse to dwell on it. Right now, all that matters is having you here with me."
When he finally lifted his head to look at me, his eyes held a storm of emotions I had never witnessed before.
