Page 134 of Falling for Love

“Evie.” Liam’s voice was soft but firm, stopping me mid-step.

I glanced over my shoulder, attempting a smile. “I’m fine, Liam. Really. It’s just… a lot.” I waved my hand vaguely, hoping he’d let it go.

He didn’t.

“You’re not fine.” His steps were slow and measured as he crossed the room toward me. “And you don’t have to be.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. My vision blurred slightly as tears welled up, and I blinked them back furiously. I couldn’t fall apart. Not now.

Liam stepped closer, his peaceful presence supporting me. “Evie,” he said softly, reaching for my hand. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m not—” I started, but the lie dissolved under the weight of his gaze. “I hate that he came here. He doesn’t get to do this. He doesn’t get to show up and make me feel...”

“Like this,” Liam finished for me, his voice tinged with quiet anger.

I nodded, my throat tightening. “I thought I was past it. Past him. But seeing him... hearing him...” I trailed off, unable to articulate the storm raging inside me.

Liam’s hand slid to my shoulder, then down my arm, his touch both gentle and reassuring. “Come here,” he said quietly, pulling me into his chest.

I resisted for a moment, the part of me that always insisted on being strong screaming at me to push him away. But the exhaustion, the fear, the sheer weight of the moment won out. I sank against him, my head resting against his solid chest as his arms wrapped around me.

His scent—a mix of cedarwood and something faintly spicy—filled my senses, grounding me in the present. His hand moved in slow, soothing circles on my back, and for the first time since Kyle’s sudden appearance, I felt like I could breathe.

“It’s okay to be upset,” Liam murmured. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

I let out a shaky laugh, though it sounded more like a sob. “I’m not good at this.”

“At what?”

“Letting someone... be there for me.” I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. “It’s always just been me and Hayden. And I’ve gotten so used to handling everything alone that I don’t even know how to...”

“You don’t have to figure it all out right now,” he interrupted gently. “But you’re not alone, Evie. Not anymore.”

The sincerity in his voice broke something loose inside me, and I felt the tears slip free. I pressed my face into his chest, embarrassed but too exhausted to care. His arms tightened around me, as if he could shield me from all of it—Kyle, the fear, the uncertainty.

“Thank you,” I whispered after a long moment, my voice muffled against his shirt.

“For what?”

“For being here. For not... running away from all this chaos.”

Liam chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. “Evie, I’m not going anywhere. Chaos and all, I’m here.”

I pulled back slightly to look up at him, my tears drying as a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “You say that now, but you haven’t seen the full extent of it.”

“Is that a challenge?” His grin was teasing, but his eyes were serious.

“Maybe,” I said, my smile growing a little wider.

Liam reached up, brushing a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb. “Evie, I don’t scare easy. And I meant what I said—I’m all in. For you and Hayden.”

The warmth in his gaze sent a fresh wave of emotion through me. I wanted to believe him, to let myself trust in the possibility of something good. But the fear lingered, a quiet voice in the back of my mind reminding me of how quickly things could fall apart.

“I’m scared,” I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “Of what this means. Of how it might affect Hayden. Of... everything.”

“I get it,” Liam said softly. “But you don’t have to do this alone. Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.”

His words settled over me like a warm blanket, easing some of the tension in my chest. For the first time in what felt like hours, I felt a flicker of hope.

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