Page 92 of All That She Needs

"I'm going to see Liam now," I said, standing up from my seat. "I hope he's in the office."

"I haven't seen Liam in weeks. I usually run into him while waiting for the elevator." Dennis said, and then he paused. "Have you talked to him since you've been back?" he asked, stillchewing another chocolate. He seemed unable to stop eating them.

"No," I shook my head.

"But you've talked to him on the phone or something, right?" he asked. I shook my head again.

"Not since I left." I sighed. "I know I told him to give me time and space and not contact me. But I miss him, Dennis. I miss him so much."

"So why didn't you call him instead?" Dennis looked confused.

"Because that would be the same as if I were here with him. I wouldn't be able to think clearly and clear my head. I wouldn't know if what I felt for him was real or just a result of needing a rebound."

"And how about now?" Dennis asked carefully.

"Now..." I paused, trying to sort through everything I felt for Liam. "I want him. I want him so much. I just hope I'm not too late."

"Go get him, Asha," Dennis said excitedly, practically jumping from his seat. "Go get that man right now!"

*** *** ***

I stood outside Liam's apartment building, looking up and scanning the windows until I spotted the one I thought was his. Earlier, I had gone to his office, but the friendly new guy at the front desk told me Liam was working from home today. I asked about the pixie-haired girl who used to sit there, and he mentioned that Liam had moved her down to the 29th floor and that she had joined the General Affairs department.

Oh, well. That's good, then. I had been bracing myself for a confrontation with that girl.

Standing there, a wave of emotions rushed over me. I thought about everything that had happened in the past year—how I'd gone from being emotionally dependent and weak to finding a strength I never knew I had. I'd endured a heartbreaking betrayal, let go of a love that had lasted twenty years, and made it through. All of it didn't break me. My life had changed, but I felt ready for whatever was next. My kids were healthy and, I believe, happy. I'd quit my job to pursue my passion, a journey I couldn't wait to begin. I had everything I needed—except one thing.

And I was about to walk through that front door to get it.

I stepped closer to the door and found the panel where I had to enter the code. The passcode was my birthday—1212. I wondered if he had changed it.

After taking a deep breath, I pressed the numbers.

The soft click of the door unlocking was all I needed to hear.

As I entered the lobby, a security guard greeted me and asked who I was there to see, clearly recognizing I wasn't a resident. I told him I was visiting Liam Banks and mentioned that I knew the code to his apartment. He nodded but still pointed to the panel on the wall near the elevator, reminding me that I'd need to request permission from the resident to go up.

That was a very good security measure, I thought to myself.

As I stood in front of the panel, a wave of nervousness froze me in place. What if he wasn't alone? What if he had someone else—a woman—with him? Or worse, what if his feelings had changed and he didn't want to see me anymore? We hadn't spoken in months; neither of us had reached out.

Why hadn't I called or texted before just showing up?

The guard pointed to a button and told me to press it. I took a deep breath, and then I pressed it.

I waited. And waited. It felt like the longest minute until I finally heard his voice. "Asha?"

At the sound of his voice, I felt all the bones in my body melt. For a moment, I stood there with my eyes closed, letting the warmth of his voice wash over me. Oh, how I missed him. I thought about how understanding he had always been, how unwavering his love was for me. He had slowly, stubbornly worked his way into my heart, made a home there, and stayed.

But then it suddenly hit me—how did he know it was me? I looked around, trying to figure it out, until it dawned on me that the panel must have a camera. I'd always lived in a house, never in a building like this, so I hadn't realized how these things worked. He must've seen my expression from the screen.

I swallowed hard and spoke into the speaker. "Hi... Umm... Can I come up?"

Then there was silence. And it was absolutely nerve-wracking.

"Yeah," Liam's quiet voice finally came through the speaker. "Come on up."

"Okay," I replied.

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