Page 95 of When We Are Falling

The tension between us crackles, both of us staring at one another, but then Liam steps in between us, hand firm on my shoulder. “Alright, enough. Come on.” He pulls me back, steering me away from the group as I grit my teeth, fists clenched. Once we’re far enough, he turns to face me, his gaze steady. “What’s going on, man? This isn’t just about the cleanup. Talk to me.”

For a moment, I consider firing back, but Liam is faster: “Look, you’re not doing anyone any favors today. Whatever it is, we’re here if you need us, but you gotta pull yourself together.”

His words finally cut through the haze clouding my mind. He’s right. Bandit catches my eye from where he’s still watching me from the bank, and the weight of the shovel in my hands suddenly seems heavier, like it’s connected to all the tension I’ve been carrying.

I take a deep breath and the emotions subside a little, replaced by a clarity I’ve been missing. These guys are my team, my brothers. If I keep going the way I’m going, I’m no better than the person Blake accused me of being—controlling and overbearing.

And I’m not that person. I’m just a guy foolish enough to fall in love.

Dropping the shovel to my side, nodding at Liam, a silent acknowledgment that I’ve heard him, that I’m trying to pull myself out of this.

“Do you want to talk about what’sactuallygoing on? ‘Cause I know this sure as hell isn’t about the fact we’re still out here cleaning oil.”

“Nah, I’m fine.”

Liam gives me that knowing look, the one he’s perfected after years of dealing with my crap. “Uh-huh.” He stares at me for a long moment. “This is about Blake, isn’t it?”

I swallow, the words catching in my throat. I don’t want to get into it, but I know Liam’s not going to drop it. “We broke up,” I say, staring at the wetlands, my voice flat.

Liam raises his eyebrows, clearly surprised. “Shit. I thought you two were solid.”

“Yeah, so did I.” I run a hand through my hair, the familiar tightness in my chest. “I messed up. Tried to fix things my way, and it blew up in my face.”

Liam stays quiet, letting me talk, his eyes focused on me but not pushing. It’s something I appreciate about him—he listens when it counts.

“I set up this lunch, you know? Tried to get her moms to sit down with us so we could show her how we’re all here for her. Thought I was helping. Like maybe if I fixed that, everything else would fall into place.”

Liam remains quiet, and I tell him about what happened after Blake arrived at the lunch, a little about the other fights we’ve been having. As I speak, a realization starts to dawn on me, a weight lifting off my chest only to be replaced by a different kind of pain—one that’s even more unbearable.

I wanted to fix our relationship, to make her see that she didn’t have to handle it all on her own. But I never stopped to think about what she actually needed.

My voice trails off and I stare at the ground. Saying what happened out loud, processing it all in the face of Blake leaving me… the penny finally drops, and everything becomes painfullyclear. All this time, I’ve been so focused on protecting her, on being the one who could save her, that I didn’t see what I was really doing.

If I wanted her to let me in, I should have held back, let her break down those walls from the inside out with patience and time, rather than me trying to smash them down with a sledgehammer, determined that she opened up to me.

Liam finally breaks the silence, confirming everything I’ve just been thinking. “I get it. You’re used to being the guy who can sort everything out. But not everything needs fixing—at least not like that. Sometimes you’ve gotta let people handle their own shit, even if it’s hard to watch. Especially a woman like Blake.”

I look away. “I really screwed this up.”

Liam claps me on the shoulder, his grip firm. “Look, we could all see how much she loved you. Maybe there’s still a chance to make things right.Showher you get it, don’t tell her. I reckon you’ve still got a shot if you play it right.”

“Yeah, maybe. I just hope it’s not too late.”

A hint of humor creeps into Liam’s voice. “Well, one thing’s for sure. Being an asshole and wallowing in your own misery isn’t going to fix things.”

The tension eases just a little. “Yeah, no shit. Thanks, man.”

Liam gives me a last pat on the back before stepping away. “Anytime.” He glances over his shoulder at the others. “Come on, let’s finish this up.”

“Just give me a minute.”

“No worries.” Liam grins at me, then heads back to the boys.

Once I’m alone, I glance at the sky, making a silent vow: if there’s any way of getting Blake back, I’m going to find it. But this time, I’m going to be there for her however she needs me.

Blake has this way of making people feel seen and heard, of offering her support without overshadowing them, without trying to solve their problems for them. She never swoops inwanting to be a hero, instead, she’s more like an anchor, holding people steady while they find their own way.

True support like that doesn’t mean taking the reins, doesn’t mean stepping in and fixing things just because a person can.

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