Chapter 24
Aria's POV
The news about Joe and William fighting again hit me harder than I’d expected. Another scuffle, another incident of William getting under Joe’s skin.
I could tell it was wearing Joe down, even if he didn’t say much about it. That’s when Logan stepped in, offering a distraction I didn’t even know we needed.
“How about we take Joe to the local fair this weekend?” Logan suggested, his voice calm yet confident, as if he’d already made up his mind.
I hesitated for a moment. “I’m not sure… after the week he’s had…”
“Exactly. He needs this. You both do,” Logan interrupted with a knowing look. “It’ll be fun. Let him just be a kid for a while.”
Joe’s face lit up when I mentioned the idea, and before I knew it, Logan had made all the plans. It was set. A weekend at the fair.
The air at the fair was thick with the smell of cotton candy and fried food. The bright lights of the rides flickered in the afternoon sun, and Joe, with a huge grin on his face, sprinted toward the nearest attraction—a towering Ferris wheel.
“He’s already happier,” Logan remarked, walking beside me as we followed Joe.
“He really needed this,” I replied softly, my eyes on Joe as he handed over his ticket to the ride attendant.
Logan nodded, his gaze also fixed on Joe, but I could feel him sneaking glances at me. I tried to ignore the tension building between us, but it was hard to ignore when we were here, walking through the fair together like this.
To the outside eye, we might even look like a regular family. The thought almost made me blush.
We watched Joe race from ride to ride, and when he finally needed a break, he dashed over to the jungle gym area, climbing up the ropes and ladders with a gleeful determination.
Logan and I stood side by side, leaning against the fence that bordered the playground. For a moment, we just watched Joe.
The way he moved, the carefree way he laughed—it brought a warmth to my chest that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
But there was also a gnawing sensation in the back of my mind. My thoughts wandered, uninvited, to Liam. I couldn’t help but wonder what he would think if he saw us here, like this.
“You know…” Logan’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I turned to look at him. His tone was careful, but there was a seriousness in his eyes.
“I know I’ve been forward with how I feel about you. And I don’t want to make things harder, but…” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know Joe’s happy when I’m around. I just want you to know I could make you happy too. If you’d let me.”
His words hung between us, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. I appreciated Logan—more than I could put into words—but I wasn’t sure I was ready to accept everything he was offering.
“I… I don’t know, Logan,” I finally replied, keeping my eyes on Joe as he climbed higher on the jungle gym. “It’s not that simple.”
He nodded, looking disappointed but understanding.
“I figured you’d say that. But I just wanted to put it out there.” He paused, then added, “You deserve to be happy, Aria. And so does Joe.”
The sound of Joe calling out from the top of the jungle gym brought a smile to my face, and for a moment, I pushed the complicated feelings aside.
“Look at him go,” I said, watching as Joe proudly waved down at us.
Logan smiled too, but I could feel the weight of the unspoken words still hanging between us. I knew sooner or later, I was going to have to make a decision.
Later that evening, the weight of reality crept back in as I headed toward Liam’s office. The fair had been a welcome distraction, but now the situation with Liam and the blackmail loomed over everything.
I needed answers, and I wasn’t leaving without them.
When I arrived, Liam was hunched over his desk, papers scattered around him in a familiar disarray.
His jaw was tight, and there was a tension in his posture that immediately set me on edge.
“Liam,” I began as I stepped into the office. “We need to talk.”
He looked up, his expression guarded. “About?”
“About this blackmail situation,” I said, crossing my arms. “You haven’t told me nearly enough for me to help you. And I’m not going to just sit back while you keep me in the dark.”
Liam exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair.
“It’s not that simple, Aria. There are things I can’t—”
“I don’t care if it’s simple or not,” I cut him off, my frustration boiling over. “You asked for my help, and I agreed. But if you won’t give me the details, how am I supposed to help you?”
Liam was silent for a long moment, his gaze shifting to the floor. I could see the stress etched into his face, the weight of whatever he was keeping from me pressing down on him.
But still, he didn’t speak.
“Liam,” I pressed, my voice softening slightly. “I want to help. But you need to trust me.”
His eyes flicked back up to mine, and for a moment, I thought he was going to tell me everything. But then he shook his head. “I can’t risk it. Not yet.”
I sighed in frustration, throwing my hands up. “Then what do you expect me to do?”
“I don’t know!” Liam snapped, standing up from his chair. His sudden outburst startled me, but he quickly reined himself in.
“I just… I don’t know what to do. I’ve never dealt with something like this before. Greg’s not just threatening me—he’s threatening everything.”
The vulnerability in his voice caught me off guard, and I softened. “We can figure it out,” I said gently. “We just need to stay ahead of him.”
Liam sat back down, rubbing his temples. “You really think paying him off will work?”
“It’s an option,” I replied. “But I don’t think Greg is the type to just take the money and walk away.”
Liam sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. “No. He’s not.”
As the conversation stalled, I noticed the brightly colored wristband on my arm—the one from the fair earlier that day. Liam’s eyes flickered to it as well, and his expression shifted slightly.
“Where were you today?” he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
I hesitated for a moment, knowing where this was going. “I was with Joe.”
“And Logan?” Liam’s tone was sharper now.
I nodded, deciding not to dance around it. “Yes. Logan was with us.”
Liam’s jaw clenched, and I could see the flicker of something—jealousy, anger, frustration—pass over his face. “You seem to spend a lot of time with him these days.”
