CHAPTER 99: LIAM

The sky outside is still dark when I finally pull myself out of bed, the weight of last night's conversation pressing heavily on my chest. Emma's voice is still echoing in my head, soft and slurred from the alcohol, but full of the raw emotion she usually keeps so well-hidden. Hearing her like that… it did something to me.

I run a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the lingering grogginess. I couldn't sleep much after her call, my mind too busy replaying every word she said. She loves me. She said it. But what does that even mean now?

I've been trying to keep my distance, to give her the space she needs to figure things out, but hearing her last night brought back everything I've been trying to push down. The memories, the feelings, the longing—it all came rushing back, stronger than ever.

And now, I'm stuck. I want to reach out to her, to comfort her, to tell her that everything's going to be okay, but I know that's not my place anymore. Not after the way things ended. Not aft