“So he filled in for you.” “He did.” Liam swallowed thickly. “And then… he crashed…” “Oh, Liam.” I took another, wider step, moving right up against his side. I reached out my hand and placed it on his arm. He looked at me, his eyes haunted but… softening… I felt like an invisible gap that h
Aria’s POV “You should go back to the party,” I said. Lightly, he shook his head. “I prefer it in here with you.” My heart skipped a beat. He was hard to resist when he laid on the charm like this, and without the previous misunderstandings standing in our way, I felt myself drawn to him like
Liam’s POV I was a lot of things to a lot of people, but I knew for a fact that I was not Sophia’s property. I wasn’t her boyfriend of her lover. Maybe I was a brother-figure or a friend, but neither of those titles had been implied when Sophia had called me hers. And now she wanted to have a ch
Joe’s POV At school the next day, Joe handed William the letter in the hallway before homeroom. William looked at the ripped-up top of the envelope. “You opened it. We said we’d open it together.” “I was curious,” Joe said. “Well, what does it say?” William asked, nervous excitement in his v
Liam’s POV Two days passed, and I still hadn’t heard anything more from Sophia. If it was her alone, I would not be as concerned. She had a tendency to disappear for long periods, particularly when she was mad at me. But never in the past did she include William in her silent treatment. For Will
Immediately, relief filled me. “Aria, it’s Liam. Hey, listen. Has Joe told you anything else about William?” “You still haven’t heard from William or Sophia?” she asked. “No.” She made a worried hum. “No, Joe hasn’t said anything more, Liam. But I can ask him tonight when I get home.” “If
Aria’s POV After pushing the doorbell for the third time, I knocked on the door to Sophia’s house instead. “Mom…” Joe sounded nervous. Maybe we should leave. I could call the police and have them do a wellness check rather than have us out here, possibly endangering ourselves. Turning to Joe,
“All this time, he has been lying to you,” she said. She walked toward me the way a cat would towards its prey. When she was close enough, she held out the letter for me. “What’s this?” I asked. “Proof,” Sophia said, without any clarification. Reaching up, I accepted the letter and then opened
Liam’s POVI watched my phone as it rang, seeing Joanna’s name on the screen. After talking with the investor, and already receiving texts from the others that mirror his opinions, I had next to no desire to answer this call and speak with Joanna herself.And after what she said on television… She p
Aria’s POVI sat on the couch between Liam and Joe, with William sitting on the other side of Liam, watching as the interview was about to air on television.I’d been nervous, even up to a minute ago, but now I only felt numb. I had no idea what was about to happen, but in this moment, I had nothing
Joe’s POVAfter school the next day, William and Joe are supposed to go to the bus and take it home, but they sidetrack, heading downtown instead. Using one of the kids at school’s phone, they already texted Isabelle their plans, asking her to pick them up. They didn’t stick around to see if there w
Aria’s POVIt was the easiest question of my life. “Of course I do. I love Liam very much.”“Then that’s really all you need,” Jackson said. Seeing I was about to dismiss him, he hurriedly continues. “Listen, I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the honest truth. Does it matter what anyone else thinks?
Liam’s POVI stared at Joanna, as the dread crept up inside of me. She was clearly trying to intimidate me though, as if hoping to see if I’d buckle under pressure, and I absolutely refused to give her that satisfaction. So I rallied myself, standing straighter, and told her plainly, “I won’t be int
Liam’s POVWho the hell did this guy think he was, coming into our home and attacking Aria like that? The interviewer Craig had a bad attitude from the start, but I’d been willing to overlook all of it for the sake of the actual interview. To even get the crew here, I’d had to call in some favors. I
Despite that look, the first half of the interview seemed to go alright. Liam and I introduced Joe and William, and the kids talked for a bit about how much they loved us, as well as some of their favorite pastimes.“I want to be a racecar driver when I get older,” William said. “Just like my dad.”
Aria’s POVThe producer suggested that we start with the full family interview as we eased into things, so, after the crew set up the cameras in lighting in the living room, we sat down.The interviewer, the reporter from the station Liam had called a favor into, kept us waiting for a while, as he s
Aria’s POVUnder my ear, I heard the quick pulsing of Liam’s heart, hammering in his chest. Glancing up at him, I was surprised to find his eyes a little wide. Then, I realized the implications of what I had just said.“I didn’t mean it like that!” I said quickly, blushing hard.I wasn’t ready for s