Liam's POV

I wake up before dawn with Penelope curled against my chest, her blonde hair spilling across my shoulder. The hotel room is dark except for the numbers on the digital clock glowing red: 5:47 AM.

She's beautiful when she sleeps. No walls up, no careful guards around her heart. Just Penelope, soft and warm and here with me.

But even in sleep, she's not really mine.

I brush a strand of hair away from her face, careful not to wake her. Her breathing is deep and even, her lips slightly ...