Aria’s POVLiam's breath was slow and heavy as I guided him up the stairs to our—no, his—old house. His weight sagged against me as he stumbled, the alcohol slowing his steps, and I half-carried him through the door.“Come on, Liam,” I muttered, shifting his arm over my shoulder to keep him upright.
Aria’s POVLiam's voice crackled through my phone, its usual sharp edge softened, but not absent. “Can you come to my office? We need to discuss a potential contract.”I hesitated, holding the phone tightly in my hand. After the night at his house, I had been careful about how much time we spent tog
I took a deep breath, steadying myself before speaking.“We focus on tailored nutrition plans that address the individual needs of each driver. It’s not just about maintaining physical health, but optimizing mental clarity and stamina as well. For instance, a lot of teams focus heavily on carb-loadi
Liam’s POVThe sound of rustling papers filled the room, my fingers flicking through document after document in a frenzy. I couldn’t focus.Every sheet I pulled out seemed to carry a new problem, a fresh reminder of the looming crisis I now found myself in. Greg's veiled threat from the conference e
Aria's POVThe 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 ev
Aria’s POVI crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe. Liam stood rigid, his jaw clenched, eyes narrowing as he stared at me. The tension in the room felt suffocating, thick and heavy."So, you and Logan spent the day at the fair with Joe," Liam said, his voice tight, like he was holding back
Liam’s POVI slammed the car door shut, feeling the rush of adrenaline still pumping through my veins. It was done. Mason Thornhill wouldn’t be blackmailing me—or anyone else—anytime soon.The look on his face when I confronted him was something I’d remember for a long time. Shock, panic, and then a
I smiled at the thought, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the wine. “Remind me never to get on your bad side. You really helped me out back there.”Aria glanced at me, her expression unreadable. “I didn’t do it for you, Liam. I did it because Mason’s the kind of person
Liam’s POVI stared at Joanna, as the dread crept up inside of me. She was clearly trying to intimidate me though, as if hoping to see if I’d buckle under pressure, and I absolutely refused to give her that satisfaction. So I rallied myself, standing straighter, and told her plainly, “I won’t be int
Liam’s POVWho the hell did this guy think he was, coming into our home and attacking Aria like that? The interviewer Craig had a bad attitude from the start, but I’d been willing to overlook all of it for the sake of the actual interview. To even get the crew here, I’d had to call in some favors. I
Despite that look, the first half of the interview seemed to go alright. Liam and I introduced Joe and William, and the kids talked for a bit about how much they loved us, as well as some of their favorite pastimes.“I want to be a racecar driver when I get older,” William said. “Just like my dad.”
Aria’s POVThe producer suggested that we start with the full family interview as we eased into things, so, after the crew set up the cameras in lighting in the living room, we sat down.The interviewer, the reporter from the station Liam had called a favor into, kept us waiting for a while, as he s
Aria’s POVUnder my ear, I heard the quick pulsing of Liam’s heart, hammering in his chest. Glancing up at him, I was surprised to find his eyes a little wide. Then, I realized the implications of what I had just said.“I didn’t mean it like that!” I said quickly, blushing hard.I wasn’t ready for s
Liam’s POVI worried about revealing the full truth to Aria. Our relationship felt so fragile. I didn’t want to put even more pressure on it by revealing our ugly past.But she was right. The truth was long overdue, and the only way for us to move forward, stronger than ever, was to face and overcom
Aria’s POVWhile Liam went into the kitchen to make his phone calls, I headed upstairs to speak with the kids. As I started up the stair, I heard the telltale pitter-patter of scurrying feet that told me the kids had eavesdropped for a while.I found them both now sitting on the floor in Joe’s room,
Liam’s POVI was afraid to get my hopes up, not wanting to make any assumptions about what Aria was truly implying before she actually said the words. We’d had far too many misunderstandings between us, plenty of which were my fault.From now on, we needed crystal clear communication. No more assump
Liam’s POVI parked out front of the house and then rushed inside. I’d already called the non-emergency police to alert them of the situation. They had promised to send over a few officers to help maintain the peace but they haven’t arrived yet. As such, I felt it was a miracle the reporters did not