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He shakes his head and purses his lips.
“You know to stay away from the cliff, Penny,” he says. “I can’t imagine what would have happened if Tex hadn’t led me to you. You know no one comes here.”
“I know.” A deep sigh leaves my mouth. “I wasn’t on the cliff at all. I was surfing on a ledge, and when I started to walk back, it just gave way under me.”
“The stones are getting weak,” Liam says. “Just remember to avoid going close to the cliff. Okay?”
“Trust me. I’m probably never coming back here. My life flashed before my eyes. I thought I was going to die.”
He laughs, and I join him. Tex licks my hand and wags his tail. I know Liam has a lot of questions, but I appreciate him not asking just now. I don’t even know where I would start. Do I tell him I left Andrew at the altar because of him? I stop and take a deep breath as I feel myself start to panic all over again.
“How do you feel now?”
“It still feels like there’s no ground beneath my feet.” I shudder. I still feel like I can fall to my death at any moment.
“I understand,” he says. “I’ve been there before.”
My head whips to the side, my brows furrowing slightly. “What?”
He nods, a smirk on his handsome face. “It was in Morocco,” he explains, a faraway look in his eyes. “My team was dispatched to search for bomb victims in a cocoa forest. We spent the entire day rescuing victims from beneath the rubble. When it was time to go, I heard a faint scream. I told my team about it, but no one was willing to risk their life because I wasn’t sure of what I heard.”
Liam smile wavers, and shakes his head. “I did save the victim, but I stumbled and got stuck on my way out. I spent the whole night there. It was the worst night of my life.”
My mouth falls open at his recount, and I stare at him, wondering how many times he had come close to death and lived. The reason I broke up with him in the first place was that I knew that if he had died, I wouldn’t have survived it. But now I know I would never forgive myself for leaving him either.
“Oh, my.”
“When I was rescued, my legs just wouldn’t stay underneath me,” he chuckles. “I kept falling. I was ordered to take a few days of bed rest.”
I sigh and lean my head against the tree. “Thank you, Liam. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Wait. What were you doing here?”
Liam pushes himself to his feet and begins to gather up his rope. “Tex needed some stimulation and exercise, so I decided to bring him here,” he explains. “I wasn’t going to come to this side of the mountain, but Tex knew that someone needed help and wouldn’t let me go any other way.”
I shake my head. “What time is it?”
He glances at his wristwatch. “Four o’clock.”
He’s staring at me, waiting for an explanation, but I don’t know where to start. Still, he doesn’t push me. Everyone now knows that I won’t be showing up for my wedding. That I left Andrew at the altar. I am not looking forward to returning to town and seeing the people I left behind.
My heart starts to pace, and my palms start to sweat. I am terrified that my mom and Andrew will never forgive me. And then, there’s Stacy, who will be utterly disappointed in me. Tears prick at the back of my eyes, but I hold them in, especially with Liam’s eyes on me.
“I think we should go,” Liam says. “I need to take you to the hospital.”
I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
Liam crouches in front of me, looks me in the eye, and arches his brows. “That’s what everyone who falls from a cliff says. But I’ll only believe it when the doctor gives you an all clear.”
His eyes search my face for a moment, and I suddenly feel completely transparent. I lower my head before he sees everything I’m hiding.
After a few moments, Liam asks, “Can you stand?”
“I think so.” Liam holds my arm and helps me to my feet. But when I stand, my legs wobble and shake until I’m sliding down again.
“Sit down,” Liam says, gently lowering me back to the ground.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble. “I don’t know why my legs won’t stop shaking.”
“Stop it,” he says softly. “You just had a traumatic experience; this is a normal way for your body to respond. Just take your time. Okay?”
