Liam's P.O.V.
"Wake up, you idiot!"
The voice felt too close to my ear, and yet, I ignored it, determined to stay within the warm embrace of my dreams. The peace didn't last long.
Smack.
Something hit me, not hard, but enough to make me groan and shuffle. The unmistakable thud of a pillow being swung came again.
"Liam, come on, wake up! It's already noon," the voice persisted, this time more insistent. A girl's voice, to be exact.
Sophia. Of course.
I groaned louder, pulling the covers over my head in protest. "Soph, get out. I want to sleep," I muttered in my best groggy, I-don't-care voice.
For a blissful moment, I thought she was done torturing me. She stopped pulling the covers, and I could almost feel myself drifting back into sleep—back into the quietness that cradled me so gently.
But peace shattered with a bark.
Oh no.
My eyes flew open. "No, no, no—"
I whipped the covers off my head, and there she stood by the door, smiling like she had just discovered a new way to ruin my morning. And worse much worse, next to her stood my living nightmare. Max, her golden retriever. Leash in hand, Sophia grinned.
"Did you seriously have to do this? Is it necessary to bring your dog into my room?" I hissed at her, already feeling my nose begin to itch.
Sophia gave me a careless shrug, taking a step closer with Max, who looked a little too eager to invade my personal space. "You didn't wake up when I came the first time, so...I had to bring Max."
She knelt down, her eyes sparkling with mischievous glee. "Isn't he adorable?" she cooed, loosening the leash just enough so that the furry menace could jump onto my bed.
I leaped back, too slow to avoid the fluffy ambush.
Immediately, the sneezing started. "Sophia... 'achoo'... take... 'achoo'... that... 'achoo'... beast... 'achoo'... away from me!" I sputtered, each word broken by an uncontrollable sneeze. Why, of all things, did I have to be allergic to dogs?
"I see you're awake now!" Sophia smirked, not an ounce of guilt in her. She backed up, tugging Max toward the door. "Go freshen up. Brunch will be ready soon."
I glared at her through watery eyes, watching as she disappeared down the hallway, dragging that devil of a dog with her. After a few more sneezes, I finally managed to calm down. Great, now I was wide awake, and I had to change my bedsheets again.
Groaning, I stumbled into the bathroom, mentally cursing Sophia's love for chaos and dogs. But then, I couldn't really stay mad at her, could I?
Sophia wasn't just anyone. She was practically family.
When Melissa, my long-time nanny, first started working for us, Sophia was just a baby. We had grown up together, and while she could be an insufferable brat sometimes, she was like the little sister I never had. Five years younger, with her ever-curious brown eyes and dark brown hair that matched her mischievous personality, she was still in college, while I had long since entered the real world. I had taken up the role of a big brother, watching over her, guiding her whenever she needed me.
Which was probably why she felt so entitled to wake me up in the most annoying way possible.
Once I'd showered and dressed, I walked out, feeling that familiar tickle in my nose. Max had clearly made his rounds through the house. Trying not to sneeze again, I passed the maids and ordered them to clean everything and change my sheets. I wasn't going through another dog-related sneeze attack anytime soon.
The sound of laughter echoed from the kitchen as I approached. I pushed open the door to find Melissa stirring something on the stove, and Sophia perched on the counter, happily munching on strawberries. Their heads turned toward me in unison, and I greeted them with a hug for Melissa and a kiss on the cheek.
"Good morning," I mumbled, grabbing a strawberry from the bowl on the counter. Sophia glared at me, and I just winked at her, popping the strawberry into my mouth.
"It's more like afternoon, Liam," Melissa corrected, shaking her head.
I ignored her comment and turned toward Sophia. "How are you? How's college?" I asked, reaching for another strawberry.
Sophia shrugged. "Same old, same old." She looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye, clearly about to stir some trouble. "Sooo, I heard you've got a girlfriend now. Destiny, right?"
I froze mid-chew.
"Where the hell did that come from?" I asked, glancing toward Melissa, who was now sporting a sly smile.
"Oh, really, Melissa?" I groaned. "You met her one time, and you're already assuming we're a couple?"
Melissa raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. "Well, you both did look pretty cozy together, didn't you? She's a great girl. I could see that right away."
I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Destiny. She really was something special, and Melissa was right, she was great. But I wasn't about to admit that out loud, especially not with Sophia grinning like a Cheshire cat beside me.
"I wanna meet her if my mom thinks she's great," Sophia chimed in, leaning back on her hands. "Why don't you call her and invite her over? We could all hang out."
I shook my head quickly. "No way. I can't just—"
Before I could finish, Sophia bolted from the kitchen, sprinting for my phone. I gave chase, already knowing where this was headed. I found her in the living room, my phone already in hand.
"Sophia, give it back!" I lunged for the phone, but she danced out of my reach, giggling as she ran back into the kitchen, hiding behind Melissa.
Melissa, to her credit, was laughing at the whole ordeal.
"Either you call her, or I will," Sophia teased, waving the phone in front of me.
I sighed, knowing I had no choice. "Fine, I'll call her. Now give it back."
With a triumphant grin, she handed me the phone. I went back into the living room, pacing nervously as I dialed Destiny's number. After a few rings, she picked up.
"Hello?" she answered in that sweet voice of hers.
"Hey, Destiny," I said, feeling my stomach do a little flip. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today. I could pick you up if you want."
There was a pause, and I could almost hear the hesitation in her breath. "I'm sorry, Liam. I'm visiting my parents right now. You know, where we went to high school," she said softly.
"Oh..." I tried not to let the disappointment show in my voice. "That's okay. I hope you're having a good time."
"I am, thank you." There was another pause, and I could hear the faint sounds of people in the background. "How are your parents?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.
"They're good. We haven't seen each other in a while. And I finally met my nephew, he's adorable!" Her voice lit up with excitement.
I chuckled. "I'm sure he is. But wait—how did you get there? You don't have a car."
"I took the bus," she said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
I frowned. "You should've called me. I could've driven you."
There was an edge of irritation in her voice now. "Liam, it's fine. I've been taking the bus for years. I don't need you to chauffeur me everywhere."
I sighed, feeling the conversation slipping away. "Okay, well...let me know when you're back, and I can pick you up."
"Liam, I'll be fine. I'll see you at the office tomorrow. Bye." And just like that, she hung up.
"Did she just hang up on me?" I stared at the phone, bewildered.
"Looks like someone's not as interested in you as you are in her," Sophia called from behind me, her voice dripping with teasing amusement.
I shot her a glare, but she just grinned and shrugged. Typical Sophia.
Ignoring her, I went back into the kitchen to eat my brunch. As I sat at the table, my thoughts drifted back to Destiny. I couldn't help but worry. Would she be safe on the way back? I didn't like the idea of her being out there alone, not after what happened back in London. The memory of that sleazy guy made my blood boil. What if something like that happened again?
I clenched my spoon so tightly I thought it might bend.
"Liam, the spoon didn't do anything to you," Melissa's voice brought me back to reality.
I looked up to see her and Sophia watching me with concern.
"The food's great, Melissa," I said quickly, trying to deflect the attention.
"Don't change the subject," Melissa said, crossing her arms. "What's going on? You've been awfully quiet, and that's not like you at all?"