Chapter 126

EMILIA

It takes me less than a minute to slip into Liam’s place. At this point, I’m basically part of the furniture—the doorman and I are on a first-name basis, and I don’t even gawk at the apartment’s ridiculous size anymore. Progress.

It’s quiet inside, which isn’t exactly shocking. Liam told me I didn’t need to come over, that he’d swing by and pick me up himself. One of his teammates is throwing a barbecue, and no matter how much I tried to fake my way out of it (“Oh no, I think I’m coming down with… uh… allergies?”), he wasn’t buying it.

Maybe it won’t be terrible. I’ve met a few of his teammates before, and they were sweet in that loud, chaotic, “we’ve adopted you now” kind of way. Still, an entire house full of them? That’s a lot of energy for someone who spent her morning making croissants.

I kick off my shoes, wash my hands in the kitchen, and fight off a yawn before wandering into his bedroom. And there he is—sprawled out like he’s auditioning for t