Aria’s POVSophia stormed into Liam’s office, her heels clicking sharply against the floor, the tension rising with each step. I watched from the chair across from Liam’s desk, arms folded, knowing exactly what was coming."Liam," she began, her voice high-pitched, almost whiny, as she rounded the c
"You believe me?" I asked, my voice quieter now, unsure of how to interpret his unwavering gaze."Of course," Liam replied without a second’s hesitation, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.I felt a jolt of surprise. For all our history, for all the battles we’d fought over the years,
Liam’s POV"What are you doing?!" Aria’s voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet room as she stood up from her chair, her eyes narrowing at me.I didn’t flinch, keeping my tone calm. "We’re still married. What’s the problem?"Aria scoffed, her hands flying to her hips in a dramatic gesture. "You
Aria’s POVBusy bustle of the hospital surrounded us, but Logan’s voice pulled me back to the present. He sighed, glancing at me with a mixture of concern and relief."Joe was worried about you, Aria. That’s why we came to the hospital." His tone was gentle, but there was an edge to it, as though he
Aria’s POVThe soft clinking of champagne glasses and the low murmur of voices filled the opulent ballroom, but none of it could drown out the tension simmering in the air.Liam’s friends, gathered in a semi-circle, eyed me with surprise as I stood by the entrance.Their eyes darted between me and L
His sweet voice greeted me the moment I finished, no fear in his voice. "Mom, when are you coming home? I want to see Dad!"Before I could respond, Liam snatched the phone out of my hand with a quick swipe."Hey, buddy," he said into the receiver, his voice softening as he spoke to Joe."Uncle Liam!
Aria’s POVDespite his promise, the car ride remained silent.We pulled up to my driveway without having said anything further. Irritation sparked in me.“Liam, you brought me here to talk about our divorce papers. Get on with it.” My tone was firm. He just reached over and popped the door open.“Af
Aria’s POVLiam's breath was slow and heavy as I guided him up the stairs to our—no, his—old house. His weight sagged against me as he stumbled, the alcohol slowing his steps, and I half-carried him through the door.“Come on, Liam,” I muttered, shifting his arm over my shoulder to keep him upright.
Liam’s POV I headed to Sophia’s house after work to spend time with William. I expected to find a babysitter there, not Sophia. I wondered if she would ever learn to be a responsible mother. William loved her so much, and she barely gave him the time of day. If she didn’t change her act, and soo
“It won’t happen again,” I said, meaning it. My feelings for Liam were tangled and complicated. I wanted him in my life romantically, but at the same time, I was terrified of what he might do with that much power over me. I didn’t want to ever feel as much betrayal again as I did when he chose Sop
Aria’s POV Walking into Liam’s office, I felt like a kid called in front of the principal. I knew if nothing else, I was definitely in for a lecture. I had been careless, sending that email instead of coming to Liam with my order form directly like I usually did. Then I had made everything wor
Joe’s POV At school, Joe sat next to William during lunch period. William had seemed really down lately, but he was even worse today, his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast. Joe didn’t like seeing his friend sad, so even though Joe was feeling his own unhappy feelings regarding the fight be
But Sophia? For years, I’d been at her beck and call, overwhelmed with guilt and loss at the death of my best friend, her brother. I tried to step in to support Sophia, as he would have done. All she did was take and take and try to take even more. Despite the clear boundaries I’d tried to estab
Aria’s POV Logan’s words bothered me more than they should have. I would never be angry about Liam’s devotion to William, his son, but thought of his continued running off to serve all of Sophia’s desires left me with the same unresolved frustration I had felt six years ago. Liam had changed in
Liam’s POV It had been a good long while since I stepped into a boxing ring. Even longer since I’d actually wanted to throw a punch this badly. As Logan and I circled each other in the ring, our boxing gloves on and mouth guards in, all I heard in my head again and again were Aria’s words. Whe
Liam’s POV “Of course it is,” Logan said. “She still cares for me. Is that what has you so aggravated? You still have competition?” He was goading me, and if I had been in a better state of mind, I would have been able to properly handle that. As it was, I was already pissed as hell, so his goad
Aria’s POV At some point in the evening, I must have drifted off, because when I blinked my eyes open, the sun crept through the curtains and the sound of Joe’s laughter echoed up from downstairs. Glancing left to right, I realized that I was alone in the massive king bed, but the spots on eithe