Chapter 100

Aria’s POV

While William and Joe headed upstairs to play, Liam and I moved into the living room to talk. Well, we had said we were going to talk, but now that we were here, neither of us were saying anything.

We also didn’t look at each other. At least, not at the same time. Not for long, anyway.

I’d chance looking up and catch Liam looking at me, then he would look away. If I caught him not looking, and stared a moment too long, he would find my gaze, forcing me to be the one to avert my eyes.

It was ridiculous, almost like we were teenagers, dancing around each other’s feelings, but I was still too rattled to try to solve it.

Then, finally, Liam spoke up. “Is Joe really my son?”

It was a relief, almost, having the truth out there after having held it in for so long. I’d assumed he’d overheard earlier, but if he wasn’t going to bring it up, then neither was I.

Only he had brought it up now, so I also had to address it.

“Did you think he wasn’t?” I asked.

“I tracked the timeline,” Liam said. “I guessed he’d been conceived when we were together, but I didn’t think… I mean, I wasn’t sure…”

Anger pulsed inside of me, at his words. “You thought I was unfaithful.”

“So did you,” he said.

“Yeah, but you were leaving me behind to be with Sophia. I had never given you any reason to –”

“I’m not trying to fight,” Liam said.

“Then be more careful with your words.”

We both fell silent again.

I glanced up at Liam and caught him watching me. This time, he didn’t look away. Neither did I.

In the depths of his gaze, more than anger, I saw hurt.

“Why would you keep this a secret from me?” he asked, his voice soft. “Did you think I wouldn’t welcome it?”

“I knew you wouldn’t,” I replied, equally as soft. “You said from the start that we had two rules. One was to always keep us a secret. The other…” Did I really need to remind him?

Realization crossed his face, signaling to me that no, I didn’t.

“No kids,” he said.

“That final night before I left, I knew I was pregnant. I tried to tell you, but… you were busy…”

He’d left to be with Sophia, to save her from some crisis or another. He hadn’t listened to me then, and that had been the last straw for me.

“I wanted the baby more than anything else, so I left,” I said.

Liam swallowed hard. “I was such an idiot then.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said at once. Stepping back, I put some much needed space between Liam and me. It hurt to be too close to him in this moment.

“Like hell, it doesn’t,” Liam said, some fire returning to his eyes. “Maybe I was an asshole then, but I’m not now. Joe is my kid, and I’m going to be there for him.”

“I’m not giving up full custody, if that’s what you want,” I snapped.

“I didn’t ask you for that.”

“I struggled too hard for too long to build up a perfect life for Joe and me, just to have you come in and try to take it from me.”

“Aria, I wouldn’t –”

“Mom!” Joe called from upstairs, just as William called, “Dad!”

Liam and I were instantly silenced, though we continued to glare at each other.

“Come up here!” Joe called.

“We have something to show you!” William added.

“The kids are calling us,” I said.

Liam nodded. “We should see what they need.”

On that, at least, we could agree. Turning away from him, I headed up the stairs first, though he was quick on my heel.

Once we were upstairs, I saw Joe and William standing outside of Joe’s room.

“In there,” Joe said, pointing. “You have to see.”

Liam and I walked closer. We both peered through the open doorway.

“I don’t see anything,” Liam said.

“Over by the window,” William said. “You have to get really close to see.”

That seemed suspicious, but I wouldn’t deny the kids their fun. Maybe they were playing a prank on us or something.

Sighing, I stepped into the room, walking toward the window. I felt more than saw Liam following me.

As soon as Liam had cleared the door, it slammed closed.

“Hey!” I said.

Liam walked to the door. It wasn’t locked, couldn’t be, but both kids must have been holding the doorknob from the other side, because Liam couldn’t open it very far without it slamming closed again.

I imagined he wasn’t using his full strength out of fear of hurting them.

“You have to stay in there until you talk!” Joe called.

“No more fighting!” William agreed. “You are stuck in there until we say so!”

“Yeah!” Joe said.

“Yeah!” William agreed.

Liam exhaled a heavy breath as he turned to look at me.

“This is ridiculous,” I told him.

“Maybe,” he said. “But maybe they’re right. We’ve done a great deal of talking over each other and not much listening.”

“That’s not all my fault.” It was only half my fault.

“I’m not saying it is.”

We both fell silent again.

“Aria,” Liam said, after a few seconds. His voice was gentle, so much like how he used to talk to me when we had been together, before everything fell apart. “I’m sorry.”

I startled. I hadn’t been expecting that.

“My stupid rules pushed you away. I was only thinking of myself. And those rules… they were only meant to be temporary anyway. I always wanted kids with you. Someday. I just wasn’t ready then. Or I thought I wasn’t. I don’t honestly know what I would have done if you told me.”

I stayed silent, watching him. He took a step closer to me.

“I don’t blame you for leaving me. I imagine you felt like you didn’t have much choice.”

“I only wanted a partner,” I told him.

“I know that… now,” Liam said. “And that’s what I want too. I fu—”

He stopped himself short, glancing behind himself at the door, where two errant children were likely listening, with their ears pressed against the door.

Looking back at me, he continued, softer. “I messed up, Aria. Royally. But there is one thing that never changed for the entirety of our knowing each other. Not when we were married, not after you left, not while we were separated, and certainly not now.”

“And what’s that?” I asked.

He held my gaze and shrugged. He made it sound like the simplest thing in the world when he said, “I love you.”

My heart totally stopped for a fraction of a second, then all at once, picked up speed, racing so hard that I feared it might punch straight out of my chest.

Liam took another step toward me. It felt like he was crossing an impassable canyon, one that had split us apart for six years.

“I want you and Joe to move in with me and William,” he continued. “I want to start again. This time, with a version of me that’s not so much of a screw-up.”

My heart yearned for that. I knew Joe would want that too.

I was still riding the high of his love confession.

If he meant this, even a part of it, wasn’t it worth seeing this through?

Weren’t all the things he was saying, things he was promising… Didn’t I want those for myself too?

“I can’t promise you I’ll never make you mad, or say the wrong thing,” Liam continued, moving a third step closer. “But I can promise you that I will love you until the day I die.”

“Liam.”

It was too much. My heart ached with love for this man.

He reached out his hand for me.

He came all this way, but it was up to me to close the final lingering distance between us.

“What do you say?” he asked, hope and fear waging war in his eyes.

I looked at him, and could only see my future.

Lifting my hand, I placed mine in his.

“Okay,” I said, and it was a promise.

He smiled.