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
Aria’s POV After Liam had gone, Isabella left Joe to play in his room while she came down to talk to me. “I know you are already thinking of moving, but before you do anything drastic, why don’t you and Joe just come to stay with me for a while?” she offered. “You’d be out of the house but still
So much pain. I pulled Joe into a tight hug. “Me, too, honey,” I told him. “But some things just aren’t meant to be.” Joe lowered his head onto my shoulder, and mother and son, we clung to each other as we would to a life raft, if we were adrift out on the ocean. “It’s going to be okay,” I tol
Liam’s POV The next morning, as I walked into the office, I carried with me a confusing mixture of different feelings. It was nice to be on good terms with Sophia and William, though I still felt like they both were hiding things from me. Sophia seemed determined to act like everything was fine, a
Liam’s POV “Be serious, Sophia.” “You think I’m not serious?” Her voice carried a harsh edge, but even that, I’d heard before. She was ever the kind who cried wolf, but never actually meant it. “Just put your clothes back on and take a nap,” I said. “Maybe eat something.” “I’m not a child, L
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