Page 99 of Falling for Love

I forced myself to stand straighter, focusing on the morning's mundane tasks. I put away the dishes from breakfast, wiped the countertops, and brewed a fresh pot of coffee. But my mind wasn’t on any of it. It was spinning in circles, caught in the loop of possibilities, fears, and what-ifs.

My phone buzzed on the counter, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I reached for it, grateful for the distraction, and saw Liam’s name on the screen.

Thanks for coming over last night. I know it wasn’t easy to talk about everything, but I’m glad you did.

My lips tugged into a faint smile despite myself. I couldn’t deny how much lighter I had felt after telling him. He had this way of making the impossible seem manageable, even if I wasn’t entirely sure how to let him help.

I quickly wrote back.

Thanks for listening. It meant a lot, and it helped.

I placed the phone back on the counter and went to pour myself a cup of coffee. But before I could take a sip, the phone buzzed again.

What’s his full name?

I blinked at the screen, my heart skipping a beat. I knew exactly who he meant, but seeing the question laid out so plainly caught me off guard.

Whose name?

A moment later, his reply came through.

The ex. Hayden’s dad. The one who thinks he has any right to disrupt your life.

I stared at the message as my mind raced. I knew Liam’s protective streak well enough to realize he wasn’t just asking for curiosity’s sake. He had something in mind.

Liam, you’re not going to do anything, are you?

His response was almost immediate.

That depends on your definition of “anything.”

A nervous laugh erupted, but I kind of liked the thought.

Liam, you’re twice his size. You’d terrify him just by standing in the same room.

He texted.

Exactly my point.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. He had a way of cutting through the tension with humor, and I appreciated it more than I could say.

You’re not seriously planning to confront him, are you?

He wrote again.

No. Not without your permission. But I still want the name to sniff around.

I stared at the screen, my fingers hesitating over the keyboard. Part of me wanted to tell him—wanted to let him barrel into this mess and fight it for me. But another part of me, the one that had been handling everything on my own for so long, balked at the idea of handing over even a shred of control.

The three little dots popped up almost immediately, signaling his reply.

Evie, I get that this isn’t my fight. I do. But I want to help. I want to stand beside you in this. Whatever that looks like, I’m here. If a little Googling makes me feel productive, is that bad?

I typed back his full name and a smile emoji before setting my phone back down. I smiled, thinking about Liam and then picked it up again and typed one more thing.

You shouldn’t go charging in like a knight in shining armor.

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