Chapter 52: The Ride Home
Liam’s legs lodged their formal complaint the moment he stood up. There was no point for him.to remain here any longer.
It started in the quads — a deep, structural protest that travelled upward through his hips and downward to his knees simultaneously, as if every muscle group had agreed in advance to file a joint grievance. He stood at full height, took one experimental step, and walked toward the exit with the careful, deliberate gait of a man navigating a surface he no longer entirely trusted.
Mike called something from across the floor.
Liam raised a hand without turning around.
He pushed through the door and the outside air met him — cool against his skin, carrying the particular relief of open space after an enclosed hour of suffering. He stood on the pavement for a moment, gym bag over one shoulder, letting his body recalibrate.
He heard the door behind him.
"Hey — wait." A voice called out.
He stopped and looked over his shoulder.
Sophia came through the entrance with her gym bag in one hand and her water bottle in the other, ponytail slightly looser than it had been twenty minutes ago, the green set still doing everything it had been doing all morning. She pulled up a few feet from him slightly breathless, which was interesting given that she had just been on a treadmill.
Liam turned to face her properly. "You’re done? That was faster than I had anticipated."
"Five more minutes technically but—" She caught herself.
"But or butt?"
She looked back at the gym door briefly. "I was basically done."
Liam tilted his head. "You had five minutes left and you’re outside."
"I said I was basically done, geez."
"You hopped off a treadmill mid-session to catch me in a car park." Liam wasn’t letting it go.
"I walked out of a gym. People do that when they are done, Liam."
"With their full bag and their water bottle and their—"
"Liam."
He let the silence sit for exactly a couple of seconds, then smiled. "Could it be that I made you carry out a completely impulsive action?"
Sophia rolled her eyes in disbelief because how did he come to this conclusion with a single action but Sophia was well aware that Liam was teasing her.
"Oh please. I was done either way."
She held up the bag as evidence. He granted her that one without comment.
She looked past him at the empty kerb, then back. "Where’s your car?"
"I didn’t drive today." Liam shrugged which was understandable considering his condition.
Something moved across her expression — quick, practical, reconsidering. She glanced at the road. "Uber?"
"That’s the plan."
"I’m going to need one too," she said, in the tone of someone accepting their fate.
Part of the reason she had rushed out was because she hoped to get a lift.
"Funny coincidence."
"Don’t." She pointed at him. "Don’t make it a thing."
"I wasn’t making it anything." Liam was already pulling out his phone. "Split the fare?"
She considered it for approximately four seconds, which told him she had already decided and was performing the deliberation for her own benefit. "Fine. Yeah, okay."
He ordered the ride and they stood on the pavement in the easy quiet of two people who had run out of sparring material for the moment. The afternoon had settled into something mild and grey, the kind of Seattle weather that couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. Sophia checked her phone. Liam stretched one leg out experimentally and regretted it instantly as it was hit with cramp right away.
The Uber arrived in just over five minutes, a clean silver Hyundai, driver already confirmed. They loaded in, Liam behind the passenger seat, Sophia beside him with her bag between her feet.
The first stop loaded on the driver’s screen.
Sophia glanced at the address, then at Liam.
Then she laughed — short, quiet, to herself.
Liam looked over. "What is so funny?"
"Nothing." She was still smiling at the window.
"You laughed at my address."
"I didn’t laugh at your address." Sophia denied.
"Sophia, are you gaslighting me right now?"
She turned. "No! You’re from the fancy part of Seattle." Sophia giggled.
"That’s correct." Liam said with pride.
"Like — properly fancy."
"Upper class, yes." Liam said it with complete straightness. "I don’t talk about it much but I’m secretly the son of a royal family. It’s been a burden pretending to be an average citizen."
It happened again — the same way it had happened in the gym, the laugh arriving before she could organise a response to stop it. And with it, her hand came down on his forearm. A full grip, instinctive, the kind of contact that happens when the body reacts before the brain sends the memo.
She let go just as fast.
"Sorry—" She was still laughing, pressing her lips together, the apology arriving on top of the tail end of the laugh so they came out together. "Sorry, I don’t know why I—"
"It’s fine."
"I just—"
"Sophia. It’s fine. I get it, my charm can be overwhelming."
She faced forward, composing herself, and Liam looked out his own window with quiet satisfaction.
The car pulled up outside his building and Liam reached for his bag.
He paused with his hand on the door and looked back at her.
"You want to come up for a minute? Freshen up before your ride continues."
Sophia opened her mouth.
Liam watched the calculation happen — curiosity versus caution, the honest interest of a woman who wanted to see how this particular man lived against the instinct that said accepting could send the wrong message as well.
"I’m just saying, my apartment has water..." Liam added. "... very abundant water situation up there and it also looks like you’re out."
Her eyes dropped to her bottle. Empty, the way it had been for the last twenty minutes.
She looked back up at him.
"Maybe just a glass of water," she said.
"You have a deal," Liam said, and pushed the door open.
