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Liam rolls off me and pulls me to him. We are both breathing harshly, and my body is still tingling and shuddering.

"You okay, baby?" He asks, looking at me adoringly.

"I don't know if I can walk," I say, meaning it.

I feel gloriously sore. All we've been doing these past couple of weeks is tearing each other's clothes off whenever we get the chance. And I've loved every minute of it. I know every inch of his body, and he knows every inch of mine. He knows exactly what to do and when to do it. At this point, he knows my body better than I do. I don't know if I'll ever get enough of him. Every single time is better than the last, and I have no idea how that is even possible.

"You wanted it rough." He reminds me, and despite everything we've done, my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

I did demand harder. I actually said the word.

Liam sees my expression and his grin gets wider. I hide my face in my palms, feeling my cheeks turn red. He prys my hands away and kisses both of my burning cheeks and then my lips softly.

"I love you, Jess." He breaths, his eyes earnest, and my heart lurches the way it does every time he says the words.

"I love you more," I whisper before pulling him to me again.

We slowly kiss like we've got all the time in the world. Liam shifts, so he is hovering over me, and he slowly kisses down my neck making me moan softly. He kisses the spot below my ears, and I feel his arousal poking at me.

"Again?" I ask with amazement, and I feel him smile against my neck.

"Liam Disick!" I exclaim. "You're a sex machine."

***

Once we leave the bed, it takes us twice as long to get ready for school, but by some wondrous miracle, we make it in time. I see Jayden in the halls, and I smile, waving hello. He returns my gesture with a smile. Liam doesn't comment on it. Ever since our talk, we are both at ease with things. Jayden and I have been talking here and there. It's nowhere close to how it used to be, but it's progress. I still haven't told him I found out about Amanda. We are not in that place yet.

"Hey, you two!" Steff says, jumping between us. She has been warming up to Liam lately, and that makes me so happy. When she found out we slept together, she literally tripped over herself. Telling her and reliving the moment made me blush more than living in it did.

"Enthusiastic much?" I laugh at her.

"Liam, can I borrow my best friend?" She bats her eyelashes at him, and he smiles. I think he likes that she is being nice to him again.

"Sure. Keep her out of trouble." He says, and she brings a hand up to her temple in a salute.

"Ay, ay, Captain."

Liam presses a lingering kiss on my lips before pulling away and grinning at me. I grin back at him, and I ogle his ass shamelessly as he walks away. My my!

"You've turned into a fiend!" Steff exclaims.

My eyes widen, and I look around, hoping no one heard that.

"No, I have not."

"Please." She rolls her eyes. "You're positively glowing, and you can't even walk properly. You should see yourself from behind." She throws her head back with laughter. "Damn! I guess it's true what they say about him, eh?" She wiggles her brows suggestively.

"Steff!" I shriek. "I can't believe you! Wait— am I really walking funny?" I ask and wince when I feel an ache deep inside me.

Steff turns around to give me a pointed look as if to say I've made my point. Before I can even defend myself, I'm wincing again, and her mouth slightly hangs open.

"I have a newfound respect for Liam. That boy can fuck." She says, and I feel the urge to run into a wall. She throws her head back again with a roar of laughter, enjoying my horror.

I groan.

"Did you hear back from NYU?" I ask, changing the subject.

Her face falls slightly.

"Not yet." She sighs. "Have you heard back from any of the colleges you applied to?"

"Yeah, a couple of the early admission ones. I got into that photography school in Paris I told you about. They have a great International Student Program."

She raises a brow with a frown.

"Does Liam know you're applying to Colleges across the world?"

"No, I applied when we were "broken up." But it doesn't matter because I'm leaning towards the University of California or Rochester. If I get accepted, that is."

"Rochester! Please, let it be Rochester. I can just imagine us renting a cute little apartment in Downtown Brooklyn and living happily ever after." Steff squeals with delight, but her face falls again. "If I get into NYU or Parsons, that is."

I put my arm around her shoulders.

"You'll hear back from them soon."

***

The day goes pleasantly. At lunch, Liam joins us, and together we witness an awkward exchange between Jeremy and Steff. Ever since she found out about the Penelope Delacruz thing, things have been a little weird at lunch. Then Liam and I have a discussion about the race. It's supposed to be held tomorrow on Route-9, a dirt road that's not even pleasant for cars. It leads to a dead-end, which is why they chose it. No one ever goes there unless it is to break the law. Which is what is worrying me. I don't like the fact that it is illegal. But Liam assures me that everyone who takes part is someone they know and trust. No cop ever goes there unless they get tipped off, which he says is highly unlikely. It isn't their first and won't be their last, but it still makes me uneasy. I'll just have to trust that he knows what he's doing.

When we leave school, it's snowing pretty hard. We were supposed to go over by the bike shop to hang out with the crew, but I don't think it's safe to drive over town limits in this snowstorm. Liam says we'll just see them tomorrow at Route-9 if it doesn't get postponed because of the weather.

"Physics is a nightmare. I hate every single second of it. Ms. Jones gives assignments nonstop. We can't catch a break." I complain as we drive up to Liam's place. More like our place since mom is now allowing me to stay with him whenever I want.

"Can't you transfer?" Liam asks, quickly darting his eyes to me before returning it back to the road.

"Not this late into the semester. I only chose it to avoid having Brittany in my class in the first place. But it's so not worth it." I huff.

"Does she still bother you?" He turns around to meet my eyes, worry written all over his breathtaking features.

"No."

Yes.

She or one of her little pawns wrote every ugly word imaginable about me in the girls' bathroom yesterday. Poor Mr. Bowen, the janitor, was scraping in there all day.

"If she was, you would tell me, right?" Liam asks, and I look out the window.

"Baby?" He reaches over and grabs my hand. "You need to tell me if she is still messing with you." His hold on my hand is light, soothing, but his voice has an authoritative bite.

I take a deep breath and nod.

"I will tell you if she does."

He sighs, not really buying it. He places our intertwined hands on his thighs, and we drive the rest of the way in silence.

Once home, we change and do some school work. I try to focus on the task at hand, but Liam is too handsy. I try my best to act unbothered, shooting him warning glares here and there, but he only grins wider. As he slowly kisses my neck, the pen slides out of my hand. Liam nibbles my ear while whispering naughty things. My limbs immediately become weak, and my heart thuds against my chest. His hot breath is fanning my neck as his wicked tongue slowly licks my earlobe.

"Liam." My head rolls back with a sigh.

"Shhh," He whispers, trailing open mouth kisses down my neck. "I can't be inside you now. You're too sore for that. But I've got you."

His dark promise excites me, and I lean back, allowing him to take control.

***

When Liam cooks dinner, I watch him with dreamy eyes. He makes me so happy. My heart is completely overwhelmed by him. The snow hasn't calmed down one bit, and with the world so far away, it feels like we are the only two people alive.

"Here." He brings the wooden spoon to my mouth so I can taste the delicious marinara sauce he is working on. He is making us Pasta tonight.

"Hmm, it's so good." I close my eyes, savoring the taste.

He is a perfect cook. It should be a crime to look this good and have killer cooking skills. How does any girl stand a chance?

"Do you ever think about going to Culinary School?" I ask, putting the Ice Cream I was enjoying aside.

Liam looks thoughtful for a second. We've never actually discussed college much. It's a subject we try to avoid as much as possible. I can't imagine having to do long distance considering how heavy I feel when we spend a night apart.

"I haven't given it much thought. But I do enjoy cooking. So maybe..." He trails off.

"Do you think you'll go back to modeling once we graduate?" I ask.

I am not opposed to the idea or anything, but the thought of him spending most of his time around tall, beautiful women makes me uneasy.

"I don't think so. I only did it because I needed the money." He turns around and frowns at me. "Does it bother you that I haven't applied to any colleges yet?"

I sigh.

"No, Liam. But I don't understand why you didn't. I know your GPA is impressive. Do you not want to go to college?" I ask softly.

Liam looks uncomfortable, and I hate that he feels like he can't talk to me about this.

"My track record isn't exactly great, Jess. I don't think any admission board will be jumping at the opportunity to have me."

"Your track record might not be great, but they can't deny the fact that you're brilliant. I just don't want you to make a decision you will regret later. Now is the time to think about the future." I say, and he turns the stove off. He comes to stand between my legs, so we are face to face, and he rests his hands on my waist.

"I do think about the future, Jess. I think about you in my future. I am not throwing my life away if that is what you're worried about. I just need to figure out a few things first before I make any decisions." He says, and I nod, feeling some of the weight lift off my chest. He takes the spoon out of the Ice Cream jar and cleans what's left before placing it in the dishwasher.

"That tasted so much better off you." His eyes shimmer with mischief, reminding me of the night the Ice Cream joined us in bed. I blush at the memory, and he laughs at me before leaning in to give me a kiss that leaves me breathless.

Once it's plated, we take the mouthwatering meal to the family room to eat by the fireplace. We sit under a blanket, surrounded by a cocoon of pillows, and it couldn't be cozier. Liam keeps feeding me the food, so I stop using my own hands.

"You're spoiling me too much," I tell him, and he flashes me a boyish smile that makes my chest flood with warmth.

Once we are done with the food, we do the dishes, and I make us hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows before we return to our spot.

***

Before I know it, it's the next day. Route-9 is a creepy abandoned road that belongs in a horror movie. But with all these people here, it seems a little less scary. The weather has completely cleared, and I'm waiting at the finish line with Jane and Kendra. I am uncomfortable, but I try to keep a small smile on my face. No one likes a Debbie Downer.

Kendra seems much taller than the last time I saw her, which is a little unsettling. Every single person here is cheering and yelling, making my anxiety rise to the max.

"How long before they make it back?" I ask Kendra, and she looks at her watch.

"Any minute now." She smiles, towering over me with her scary height.

I nod. It feels like we've been waiting for hours.

The screaming suddenly gets louder, and we hear distant roaring. I lean over some girls to see two bikes coming towards us. When they get close enough, I spot Liam's bike. They're both almost neck to neck. I feel adrenaline rush through my veins as we wait to see which one would make it here first. My heart pounds harder as they near us. I hold Jane's hand, not being able to stand the tension.

Just then, a loud crash comes, and the place immediately erupts with horrifying screams.

It takes me a second to realize what has happened. Both bikes are lying side by side, and everyone is rushing towards them. I push people aside, running on legs that feel like jelly. Kendra tries to hold me back when I reach them, and she is saying something, but it doesn't register.

I watch as Lola kneels to take his helmet off. The ground beneath him instantly floods with blood, and my entire body shakes as tremors pass through me.

I rush to him and push Lola away. I lift his bloody head, and I place it on my lap. I try to shake him awake, calling his name over and over, but he is unmoving, lifeless.

"I'm sorry, he is gone. I'm so sorry." Kendra wraps her arms around me, and I forget how to breathe.

Her grip on me slowly tightens, and she starts shaking me. Her touch feels foreign, and I'm gasping for air.

My eyes snap open.

"Jess? Breathe, baby. You're okay. Breathe." Liam's eyes are wild with panic as his hands frantically touch my face.

It takes me a minute to form a coherent thought and realize that it was just a nightmare. We must have fallen asleep on the carpet. The heat from the mantel is burning my skin. I'm covered in sweat, and I can't stop shaking.

It wasn't real. It wasn't real.

"Liam!" I sob, wrapping my arms around him. "You're here." A wail like sound escapes my chest.

Every part of me is consumed with unbearable agony. The snowstorm outside seems to have gotten worse. It's coming down harsher, the sound of the howling wind adding to my dread. My body is shaking uncontrollably, and I'm powerless to stop it. I have never experienced something this— devastating in my life. The thought of losing Liam like that is unimaginable. I wouldn't survive it.

"Baby, please. It was just a bad dream." Liam's pained voice fills my ears. "Don't cry. It wasn't real. Don't cry, baby."

The grief is still too fresh, and realizing that it wasn't real doesn't help slow my tears. The dream— or rather, nightmare was too vivid. It felt too real.

"I... I thought..." Another sob breaks free, and fresh tears stream down my cheeks.

The horror of seeing his face like that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I am sure of it. He was gone. No! I love him so much. I don't even want to imagine a world where he does not exist.

Liam scoops me up, and he moves us, so I'm seated on his lap. He cradles me in his arms like a child, holding me while I weep silently.

"Fuck! I don't know what to do." He says bitterly. "Please, come back to me."

He rocks me back and forth while I cling on to him for dear life. I inhale his familiar scent, and I slowly will myself to push the nightmare in the furthest corner of my mind where it belongs, in the darkness. Reality slowly starts to settle in, and I eventually stop shaking.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Liam asks when he sees that I have somewhat calmed down.

"Don't race tomorrow. Don't, please." I beg quietly. "I saw you... you were..." I trail off, unable to finish, but he gets it.

He turns me around, so I am facing him, and his eyes fill with sadness.

"The snow won't be letting up. Kendra texted after you fell asleep to say the race has been postponed."

I let out a sigh of relief. I don't know if I'll ever be okay with him racing at all, but I know how much he loves it. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I just want to hold him and remind myself that he is okay.

After a while, Liam takes me upstairs to bed and turns off the lamps before climbing in and spooning me.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"A little after 3." He places a kiss in my hair.

"I woke you up?"

"At first, I thought I was dreaming. But then I recognized your voice. You were calling out my name. You couldn't even breathe. You were crying so hard." He holds me tightly to him. "You scared me half to death."

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"No, don't apologize." He kisses the back of my neck. "Try to get some sleep, okay?"

I snuggle into him, and I close my eyes reluctantly.

***

When I wake up in the morning, the bed is empty. I see that it's still snowing outside, and I groggily roll on my stomach to pick my phone up from the nightstand. I gasp with shock when I see the time. But before I start freaking out, I see a text from the Principal's Office, and I open it to discover school has been canceled due to the extreme weather. I sigh with relief and begin to get up, but I spot a piece of paper on Liam's side of the bed.

I lean over to pick it up.

Turns out, school is canceled, so I decided to go out and get us some groceries. You looked so peaceful in your sleep, I didn't want to wake you. Don't worry, I will drive safely. I promise to return with Ben and Jerry's, now that we're all friends. ;)

Yours always,

Liam

I laugh, shaking my head. I read it once again before placing the paper neatly on the nightstand and getting out of bed. I feel a whole lot lighter this morning. I wash my face and brush my teeth while debating on whether to take a shower or do some laundry. Since I'm basically living here, Liam has given me my own drawer, but I still don't have that many clothes here. So I decide on laundry, and I get my clothes in a basket before heading down. I remember what Liam told me about the detergents being in the storage room, so I place the basket down and walk upstairs again.

I open the door to the unfamiliar room and turn on the lights. It's empty except for a few boxes here and there. I walk over to the shelf, and I reach for the detergent, which is on the top shelf. It's a struggle with my height, but after a few failed attempts, I finally grab it. When I pull it down, two mails fall to the ground, and I frown, picking them up. They are both unopened. My eyes dart around, and I spot one box on the floor that isn't closed the whole way.

My legs carry me to it, and I open it to find it filled to the brim with mails. The amount of mail stacked in there is shocking. I turn the ones in my hand around to see the sender, and my eyes widen with shock.

Both are signed, Sophia Disick. Liam's mom. His deceased mom.

I frantically dig through the stash of mails, reading the sender's turn by turn. It's from her. All of it. The latest one, dating back to last week.

What the hell?

***

Hey, friends! I feel like we should talk about what is going on in the world. How is it going where you are? Is everyone staying