Liam was unpredictable, and I couldn’t risk Joe getting hurt if things fell apart again.“I get it.” I said finally, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “Goodnight, bud.”“Night, Mom,” Joe whispered, closing his eyes as I turned off the light and left the room.---The next morning, I arrived at the
Aria’s POVThe next few days were a blur of cold, tense exchanges between Liam and me. I kept my distance, barely speaking to him unless it was necessary, and when we did talk, the words were clipped and sharp.It didn’t go unnoticed—gossip buzzed around the office, the team clearly picking up on th
It was one thing after another—sponsors needing information, crew members asking about last-minute adjustments, and Jackson checking in with me between laps.“Aria, we’ve got an issue with the front left tire,” one of the pit crew members said through the comms, his voice tight with urgency.I swore
Aria’s POVThe office buzzed with the typical hum of activity—people typing, phones ringing, muted conversations in the background. But none of that noise reached me.“You’re not listening to me, Liam,” I snapped, leaning forward in my chair. The conference room felt too small, like his frustration
“Liam, I’m sorry, I—”But he cut me off with a cold, measured tone that sent a shiver down my spine. “No, Aria. You’ve made yourself incredibly clear. If that’s what you think of me, then we don’t have anything further to discuss.”I opened my mouth to argue, to apologize again, but the finality in
Aria’s POVThe office buzzed around me, but the tension between Liam and me was almost suffocating. It had been days since our fight, and though I threw myself into my work, I couldn’t shake the lingering sense of regret.Every time I passed Liam in the hallway or sat across from him in meetings, it
Logan’s expression flickered, but he kept his cool. “What do you mean?”“I mean... maybe your interest in me wasn’t as genuine as I thought. Maybe it had more to do with Liam than with me.”He didn’t deny it. Instead, he smiled that charming, disarming smile of his. “You’re smarter than people give
Liam’s POVThe words from our last fight looped endlessly in my mind as I paced the empty office. I hadn’t been able to focus since Aria stormed out, her cold stare etched into my memory.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her standing there, accusing me of being the same man I was six years ago. It
That was enough to quiet me for now. “I’m listening.” “His birthday is coming up. We’re all throwing a surprise party for him at his house.” When Robert said that, I assumed he meant the house Liam and I had shared together. It was still strange hearing it referred to as Liam’s house, even thoug
Joe’s POV Joe saved the precious prize, Liam’s hair first. Then he grabbed the money, knowing twenty dollars was quite a lot. William’s hair, however, he dropped, but he was pretty sure that it landed on his shirt. Only… he didn’t know which. He and William had similar hair colors and lengths
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