Chapter 4 Aria (4)

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The rest of the days passed in a haze of tension. It was as if the moment Liam and I came face-to-face, something hardened in the air between us-something dense, something I couldn't quite put words to, but something that clung to us with every glance, every conversation. And I hated myself for it.

I couldn't just allow him back into my life like that, not after all this. *Not after the way he left me*, the way he had left me with no explanation. I had tried to leave him behind, to obliterate the pain of his departure.

But it could not be. Every move I made, every thought that entered my mind, appeared to draw me back to him. He was now part of my reality in ways I could not change, even if I wanted to.

And here he was again, back in my life, filling up the space around me with the kinds of presence that only he knew how to command. And it was destroying me.

By the third day, I hardly had a means of evading him. Wherever he was, whether he was in the garden or patrolling the grounds, he seemed to be. But what bothered me most was how little he seemed to shift. He remained the same: calm, controlled, with that quiet, self-assured presence that I once loved.

We hadn't spoken much, just exchanged the usual greetings. It was as if he was holding out for me to make the first move, to start something. But I wasn't ready. I didn't know if I ever would be.

And yet, whenever I saw him, something within me shifted. A spark of recognition. A spark of desire. And I couldn't seem to get rid of it.

***

It was towards the end of the afternoon and I was sitting once more on the back porch, gazing out over the garden. There was the soothing buzz of cicadas in the air, and the sun had dropped into its leisurely decline, casting the estate in a golden, warm glow. It had been a hot day, steamy air hanging on everything, and I couldn't help but be lured by the invitation of the refreshing evening breeze.

I wanted a moment of silence, of peace. Or so I thought.

I opened the door and, there he was, Liam, parked on the garden stairs, a glass of whiskey sitting in front of him. His gaze met mine and I froze.

For a moment, there was nothing but the rough, painful silence between us. His gaze searched me, his intense stare mapping my face as if he were memorizing every aspect of it for the second time.

"Didn't expect you to come in tonight," Liam said, his voice deep and casual, but challenge lurking almost shamelessly behind his words. As if he were privy to some information that I was not.

"I needed some air," I told him, trying to keep my voice even. I wasn't sure why I had come out, to be honest. I didn't want to be near him, but I was helpless against it. The pull was undeniable.

He took a sip of his whiskey, never looking away from me. "It's a nice evening. You should sit."

I glanced at the empty seat beside him and figured I'd leave. My legs, though, had other ideas, pushing me towards where he was sitting, until I was just a foot away from him.

"I wasn't sitting," I explained to him, my voice tighter than I'd intended. "I'm not here to keep you company, Liam."

He didn't bat an eyelid at my demeanor. He simply took another sip of his beverage, deliberately, with his eyes still on mine. "Right. But you're here anyway, aren't you?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to shield myself from the sparks that began firing between us. "I did not come to quarrel."

He snorted a soft laugh, the rich tone vibrating low in his chest. "So what did you come for?"

I took a breath, forcing myself to look away for a moment, trying to calm the pounding in my chest. "I just needed some space. I needed to catch my breath."

He didn't utter a word at first. Just looked at me like he could see right through me, like he could read all the thoughts running through my head. I hated how easily he could do it, how he still had the power to make me feel vulnerable, naked.

"I don't require you to explain yourself to me," he said finally, his tone low but firm. "I'm not here to judge you, Aria."

I laughed, but it didn't come out with any amusement. "You're not? Because it damn well feels like you're judging me every time you glance in my direction. Like I'm some breakable thing you can't hurt." I felt my voice shaking, the anger rising. "I don't need your sympathy, Liam. Not now or ever."

He did not flinch at my statement. Instead, he set his glass aside on the step beside him and slowly stood up, bridging the space between us with one deliberate step. My heart thudded as his body closed in on me, and I took a step back involuntarily. But he did not stop. He continued moving until there was no place for me to move.

I gulped hard, my heart racing in my chest. His face was inches from mine now, his warm breath on my skin. For a moment, I couldn't think, couldn't breathe. It was like the entire world had condensed to just us two.

"Stop," I whispered, my voice shaking in spite of myself. But I didn't mean it. Not really. "Don't do this."

He did not notice me. Instead, he reached out and cupped my cheek in his palm, his thumb caressing the softness of my skin. The touch sent shivers of heat through me, making my knees go weak.

"I don't want to hurt you," he spoke softly, his voice low and husky. "But I can't walk away from you, Aria. Not this time."

His words hit me like a slap across the face, and for a second, I couldn't process them. He hadn't hurt me on purpose, but he had done the very same thing before. He had left me without a second thought. He had broken me.

But now... now he was coming back, and the chemistry between us was stronger than ever.

"Why did you go, then?" I sucked in a breath, the words tumbling out before I could grab them back. I hadn't meant to ask, didn't want to know. But he spoke anyway.

"I was scared," he admitted, his voice grating. "I was afraid of what we were, of what I felt for you. I didn't think I could handle it."

I stared at him, amazed by his honesty. For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

"I'm not the same man I used to be," Liam continued, his voice low but resolute. "I want you, Aria. I always did. But I need you to understand that. To understand that I'm different."

I didn't know what to do. The words sat on my lips, all knotted, imprisoned in the storm of emotions tearing at me. My heart pounded, my brain screamed for me to step back, to stay away. But my body betrayed me, inclining toward the burn of his warmth.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust you again," I finally said, the words heavy in my chest.

"I'm not asking you to trust me," Liam said softly. "I'm asking you to give me a second chance. Just one."

I could feel the tension between us, dense and oppressive, pulling us in. My breath was caught in my throat, and for a moment, everything else simply vanished. All I could think about was the way his hand stayed cupped around my face, the heat of his touch seeping into my skin.

I was almost at my breaking point. I could feel it in my very bones, the need to be near him, to be with him. But I didn't know if I could endure going through that again.

Liam's thumb brushed against the bottom of my lip, and I shook off a wave of reaction. "I won't hurt you again, Aria."

I let myself believe him for a moment.

And for one moment, I forgot the past. All that mattered to me was the man in front of me, his gaze locked on mine, filling with something I didn't know how to define.

But I couldn't find the strength to pull away. Not tonight. Not when everything inside of me screamed for him.