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
Aria’s POV Back at home, I paced back and forth in the kitchen. Joe was out in the living room, finishing his homework with the television on. I didn’t have the heart to force him to focus, not when I wanted to make certain he wouldn’t overhear this conversation. Isabella sat on one of the kitch
Joe remembered all the lessons about stranger danger. He knew they shouldn’t accept things from people that they didn’t know or trust.Even accepting this pie was probably a bad idea, though Joe thought that so long as they stayed in the diner, it would be okay.He kept glancing at the door.William
Aria’s POVIn our search for the children, we traveled along the roads to the park. There, I searched the kids’ favorite play areas: behind the slide, around the swings, near the seesaws and the jungle gym.William and Joe were nowhere to be found. Likewise, I saw no evidence that they had been here
Joe’s POVWhen William told Joe he was leaving, Joe knew he couldn’t let William go alone. The world was a dangerous place, and William was far too confident about things. Plus, with how William was talking, he sounded like he wasn’t planning on coming back.Joe hoped to convince him differently.So
Aria’s POVFor most of the day, I did my best to avoid Liam, but it was difficult. He seemed to be doing the same, giving me the space I requested, yet every once in a while, we’d find ourselves entering the same room or hallway, or going the same way toward the stairs.There was an awkward moment o
Aria’s POVBitter thoughts of Markus made me feel sick, but I pushed those dark feelings away and turned off the television again. With Markus gone, he could never hurt anyone ever again. He couldn’t haunt or stalk us.Liam might have already made his choice, but at least the children and I would be
Liam’s POV“Isabelle, I just need to talk to Aria,” I said, pleadingly. “If you just tell me where she is –”“Then you’ll continue to bother her.” Isabelle, arms crossed, glared at me in open disgust and distain. “She told me what she saw. And it makes me feel a thousand times worse, for having told
Liam’s POVI took my own car to Mr. Peters’ office. Several times on the route, I nearly turned and drove home instead, desperate to talk to Aria. Once, I stopped so long at a red light that Joanna called me on the phone.“Your father is dead, Liam. You have an obligation to him now. Aria will still
“I’m so sorry,” Isabelle said, her face downtrodden, her own make staining streaks down her face. We must have looked like quite the pair. It’d be laughable if my heart wasn’t so very heavy. “I totally misread the entire situation. When I saw that ring…”“How could you think anything but what you di
Liam’s POV“I don’t care what you think, Joanna,” I said coldly. With everything going on, now she wanted to threaten me? Didn’t she realize that without Aria, I had nothing left to lose? “With Markus gone, I have no reason to stay in this relationship.”“We had an agreement,” Joanna said. Her anger