Chapter 7 Unraveling Threads

The days that followed Ethan's departure were a blur of guilt and silence. Maya had spent the first few hours after he left in a daze, too numb to process anything. She had expected Ethan to be angry, but she hadn't expected the coldness, the way he had walked away without even a second glance. That hurt more than anything.

Now, in the solitude of her apartment, Maya sat in the dark, her hands clenched tightly around a glass of wine she hadn't even tasted. She hadn't spoken to anyone-least of all Liam-since the confrontation at the restaurant. The silence between her and Ethan felt like an unspoken verdict, a sentence she had unknowingly handed herself.

What have I done?

Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from Liam.

"We need to talk."

The words sent a shiver down her spine. Every time he reached out, it felt like the air in her lungs was being stolen. She wasn't ready to face him-not after everything that had happened with Ethan. But the truth was, she couldn't avoid him forever.

Her fingers hovered over the screen. She could already feel the weight of his eyes on her, the intensity of his presence, even through the text. Maya had known Liam was a force to be reckoned with, but now, she was unsure if she was strong enough to handle him-or her own feelings.

She typed a quick reply, though her hands shook slightly as she did. "I'm not sure this is the right time, Liam."

Almost immediately, he responded. "It's never the right time, Maya. But we're out of time."

Maya stared at his words for a long moment, the weight of them sinking deep into her chest. Out of time. What did he mean by that? What was he asking of her? She didn't have the answers-hell, she barely understood her own emotions anymore.

She set her phone down, closing her eyes in frustration. The desire to escape, to forget everything and start over, was overwhelming. But deep down, she knew that wasn't possible. Her world had already shifted, and no matter how much she wanted to deny it, Liam was a part of that shift.

She stood up and walked toward the window, gazing out at the city below. The world outside seemed so far away, distant, as if everything had changed overnight. She felt disconnected, like a stranger in her own life.

---

The next evening, Liam showed up at her door without warning, as if he had been waiting for her to come to her senses. Maya wasn't surprised-he had always been the type to act on instinct, to take control of situations, no matter how messy or complicated they were.

When she opened the door, Liam didn't waste a moment. His eyes swept over her, sharp and knowing, as though he could see right through the carefully constructed facade she had been trying to put on.

"Maya," he said, his voice low, almost too calm. "We need to talk."

She stepped aside to let him in, closing the door behind him. The silence between them was thick, charged with an energy neither one of them could ignore.

"I'm sorry," Maya said, her voice barely above a whisper. She had to say it, had to let him know she understood the mess she'd made. "I didn't want to hurt you, Liam. But I've hurt everyone involved."

Liam's eyes softened slightly, but the intensity never left his gaze. He was a force to be reckoned with, and Maya wasn't sure if she was strong enough to handle the storm he carried with him.

"I'm not asking for an apology," Liam said, his voice steady. "I'm asking you to be honest with yourself. You can't keep living in the in-between. You need to choose."

Maya felt her heart race at his words. Choose. That word echoed in her mind, but she didn't know what choice she was supposed to make. She didn't know if she could choose. How could she? Ethan was everything she had ever wanted, but Liam-Liam was everything she had never expected.

"I don't know how to choose," she admitted, her voice breaking. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Liam took a step closer to her, his presence enveloping her. "You don't have to have it all figured out, Maya. But you have to stop pretending that you can keep avoiding this."

He reached out, his hand brushing against her arm. The touch was electrifying, sending a shiver through her entire body. Her pulse quickened, the heat between them undeniable, and Maya could feel herself faltering. She could feel herself being pulled toward him in ways she had never imagined.

"Liam..." Her voice trembled as she tried to find the words. "I'm scared."

Liam's expression softened, his hand sliding to her back, pulling her closer. "I know. But that's why we have to do this. Because fear is the thing holding you back."

The air between them seemed to crackle with tension, each breath they took heavy with unspoken desires and confessions that neither one of them was ready to admit. Maya's heart was racing, the conflict inside her only growing stronger.

"I don't know if I can let go of Ethan," she whispered, the words coming out before she could stop them. "I don't know if I can walk away from everything we've built."

Liam's eyes darkened, his hand moving to cup her face, lifting it gently so she could meet his gaze. "And you think you can live your whole life caught between two people, Maya? Between two versions of yourself? That's not living. That's just surviving."

Maya closed her eyes, unable to meet his gaze any longer. The truth was too much to bear. She had known for a while now that something was missing in her relationship with Ethan. Something she hadn't even realized was there until Liam came into her life.

"You deserve more than survival," Liam continued, his voice quiet but fierce. "You deserve to live, to feel, to choose without fear. But you can't do that if you keep running."

Maya's heart clenched in her chest. She wanted to believe him, wanted to throw herself into the unknown, but the reality of the situation-the weight of her past with Ethan-was hard to ignore.

"Then what do I do?" she whispered, the words barely audible as she looked up at him, her eyes searching for answers.

Liam's hand slid down to her waist, pulling her closer, his lips hovering just above hers. "You stop running."

And with that, the distance between them disappeared.