Aria’s POVI sit at my desk, absently clicking through emails while my mind swims with the unresolved weight of everything. The looming job promotion, my tangled feelings for both Liam and Logan, and of course, Joe’s place in all this.A knock at the door snaps me out of my thoughts.“Hey, Aria, som
Aria’s POVThe auditorium at Joe and William’s school buzzes with excited energy as parents, teachers, and students gather for the science fair presentations. I take a seat in the front row, my eyes scanning the stage for the boys.They’re near the back, standing beside a large, papier-mâché volcano
Aria’s POVThe phone buzzes on my desk, cutting through the soft hum of the office. I glance at the screen, already knowing who it is before I pick up.The executive’s name flashes across my phone, and a knot forms in my stomach. I’ve been expecting this call, but that doesn’t make it any easier.“A
Liam’s POV The rhythmic hum of the printer fills the room, each sheet of paper sliding out one after the other. I watch them as if they're about to reveal the secrets of the universe, but my heart pounds a little harder with every page that lands on my desk.My assistant gives me a tentative smile
Liam’s POVThe morning sun filters through the windshield as I drive William to school. The radio’s on, playing softly in the background, but the weight in the car feels heavier than usual.I glance at William in the rearview mirror. He’s unusually quiet today, which isn’t like him.Normally, he’d b
Aria’s POV For days, I had agonized over this choice. I had pushed it off for as long as I could, finding every possible excuse not to face this imperfect decision. There were so many reasons to choose either side. I liked it here as things were, but it would be a disservice to me and the good o
Anything to keep the growing doubts from rising up in my mind. I made the right choice, I told myself, again and again. Any choice would have had doubts attached. But this one has new opportunities and room for advancement. I survived a few hours before a company-wide congratulatory email went o
Liam’s POV It was the wrong thing to ask. I knew that the instant the words left my mouth. No, before that, when I was walking down the hallway to Aria’s office, repeating to myself, Congratulate her. Be happy and proud of her. Your own feelings can wait. Lot of good that pep talk did. Fifteen s
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