Chapter 9 Torn Between Two Worlds

Maya's hands trembled as she gripped the steering wheel, the familiar streets of the city blurring by in a haze. The night had fallen heavy, pressing down on her chest, but nothing compared to the suffocating feeling that had taken root inside her. She had left Ethan's apartment in a daze, her heart shredded in ways she hadn't thought possible. His words, the finality of them, echoed in her mind.

Goodbye, Maya.

How could she have let it get to this point? How could she have allowed herself to fall into this tangled mess of emotions, caught between two men who both demanded parts of her that she wasn't sure she had left to give?

Her phone buzzed in her bag, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced at it without hesitation, her heart skipping a beat when she saw it was a message from Liam.

"Where are you?"

The simple question hit her harder than it should have. He had a way of making everything feel urgent, like she was running out of time even when she didn't know what time it was.

Maya stared at the screen for a moment, debating whether or not she should respond. Could she face him now, after everything? Could she look him in the eye and tell him that she wasn't sure if she was ready for this, or if she even knew what she wanted anymore?

She typed a reply, her fingers moving slowly. "I'm on my way. I need to talk."

The message sent before she could second-guess herself. She knew she couldn't keep avoiding him, just like she couldn't keep avoiding herself. The time had come for decisions to be made, for truths to be spoken, even if they shattered everything she had tried to hold together.

When she arrived at Liam's apartment, her heart was pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath before stepping out of the car, her legs shaky as she made her way to the entrance. The weight of her choices felt heavier with every step she took. She didn't know if she was ready for this conversation, but she knew it was necessary.

Liam opened the door before she could knock, his face unreadable as he stepped aside to let her in. The tension in the air was palpable, thick with unspoken words and unfinished feelings.

Maya took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Liam, I-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," he interrupted, his voice low but firm. "I know where you stand."

The coolness in his tone sent a pang of guilt through Maya's chest. He had always been direct, always cut through the bullshit. But this wasn't the Liam she had come to know over the past months. This Liam seemed distant, like he was already preparing himself for something he knew was coming.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I need to explain. I can't keep pretending like I don't care about you, Liam. But I also can't keep pretending that I'm not still in love with Ethan."

Liam's eyes softened, but the intensity never left them. He moved closer to her, his presence overwhelming, but he didn't touch her. Not yet.

"You don't have to apologize for your feelings, Maya," he said quietly. "You didn't choose this. I get that. But you can't keep sitting in the middle of two worlds, hoping they'll somehow merge into one. You need to choose."

Her throat tightened at his words. Choose. That word had become a constant in her mind over the past few days. She had been trying so hard to avoid it, but it was becoming clear that it was the only way forward.

"I don't know if I can," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can choose between you and him. I care about both of you, but I feel like I'm drowning in this."

Liam studied her for a moment, his expression softening just a fraction. "I'm not asking for you to have all the answers right now, Maya. But I am asking you to stop running. To stop hiding from what you feel. If you don't, you'll lose both of us. And I won't let that happen."

Maya closed her eyes, the weight of his words sinking in. She had always prided herself on being strong, on being able to handle whatever came her way. But now, in the face of her own confusion and indecision, she felt small. She felt like a fragile thing, caught between two forces she couldn't control.

"You want me to choose," she whispered. "But what if I can't? What if I can't make the choice I know you both want me to make?"

Liam's expression hardened, his jaw tightening as if he were holding back something-something deep and unresolved. "You have to, Maya. For your own sake. You can't keep doing this. You'll end up losing more than just us. You'll lose yourself."

The words hit her harder than she expected. Losing herself. Wasn't that what had already happened? Hadn't she already lost herself in the whirlwind of emotions she couldn't untangle? And yet, part of her couldn't let go of the hope that somehow, everything would work out, that the answers would come to her without having to choose between the two men she cared for.

Maya let out a shaky breath, her mind racing. She could feel Liam's eyes on her, waiting, hoping she would make the decision he so desperately wanted her to make. But could she? Could she really walk away from Ethan, from the life they had built? Could she turn her back on him for something that might not even last with Liam?

"I need time," she said, her voice barely audible. "I need time to think."

Liam didn't say anything at first. He just stared at her, his gaze intense and unwavering. Finally, he nodded, his face unreadable.

"I can give you time," he said softly. "But you can't keep hiding, Maya. You can't keep running from the truth."

With that, he turned and walked toward the kitchen, leaving Maya standing alone in the living room, the silence between them deafening. She didn't know how much time she needed, but she knew that the moment to choose was coming. And when it did, there would be no turning back.