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010

Author: J.O
last update Last Updated: 2025-07-01 16:56:35

LIAM

I pulled into the driveway just past eight. The dashboard lights threw a soft blue glow across the interior, catching on the bags of Thai takeout sitting beside me like peace offerings. Or maybe guilt offerings. Probably both.

I don’t know why I thought bringing her favorite food would make a difference. Like pad Thai and spring rolls could patch the mess I’d made with silence and too many unspoken things.

She used to light up at the mention of Thai.

Back when we stayed up talking on her front steps until the sky hinted at sunrise. Before I made everything complicated.

I sat there for a while, fingers clamped tight around the steering wheel, like if I let go, everything inside me would fall apart.

The engine hummed under me. The neighborhood was quiet. I could see our porch light from here…still off. That did something sharp to my chest.

I didn’t want to walk into that quiet house. But I also didn’t want to sit out here like some lovesick loser waiting on a sign from the stars. S
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  • THE WEIGHT OF LOVING YOU   085

    JESSICA My heart wouldn’t calm down.I sat in front of the vanity, staring at my reflection while the makeup artist blended foundation into my skin like her life depended on it. Outside the window, I could hear the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore — soft, rhythmic, like the universe reminding me to breathe.Samantha, Ava, and Macey were buzzing around the dressing room like caffeinated bees. Samantha was steaming the last dress, Ava was fiddling with jewelry, and Macey was taking a hundred candid photos of literally everything. The whole room smelled like roses and perfume and nerves.I whispered under my breath, barely audible, “This is it.”Samantha glanced up from across the room, catching it. A soft smile tugged at her lips. “This is it, babe. The day we’ve been waiting for.”I laughed nervously but immediately swallowed hard, trying not to smudge my lipstick. My stomach fluttered in ways I couldn’t control — excitement tangled up with fear, like I was about to j

  • THE WEIGHT OF LOVING YOU   084

    LIAMI hated hospitals. The smell. The silence. The way the white walls made you feel small and fragile. But the worst part? The way Jessica’s eyes had been red for two days straight.“Careful, Liam. Don’t rush,” she said as the nurse gently removed the IV from my arm. Her voice was soft, but I knew that tone.I winced a little at the sting and shot her a grin. “I’m fine, baby. Stop hovering.”Her glare hit me instantly, sharp, full of warning, but it softened just as quickly, like it always did when her worry won over her temper.“You almost died, Liam,” she whispered, her voice breaking for just a second. “You don’t get to joke about this.”That killed me. Watching her fight to keep it together while I was sitting there being an idiot. I reached for her cheek, brushing my thumb over her skin. Her eyes finally met mine, and I kept my voice low, steady — like I could transfer some of my strength to her just by saying it out loud.“I’m here,” I told her. “And I’m not going anywhere.”S

  • THE WEIGHT OF LOVING YOU   083

    JESSICA I didn’t even think before the words slipped out of my mouth.“We’re getting married this weekend.”The room went still. I swear I could hear the beeping of the monitors louder than my own heartbeat. Liam froze against the pillows, his lashes fluttering as his tired eyes locked on me.“Wait… what?” His voice was rough, like gravel and exhaustion, but his gaze was sharp — confused, searching, almost like he thought he’d misheard me.I fidgeted with my ring, refusing to meet his eyes. My throat burned, but I pushed through it. “This weekend,” I said again, steadier this time. “No delays. No more waiting.”He blinked at me for a long moment before exhaling softly, dragging a hand down his face. “Jess…” His voice was softer now, careful, like he was trying not to spook me. “You’ve barely slept. You’ve been scared out of your mind. Are you sure this isn’t just..."“I almost lost you, Liam,” I blurted, louder than I meant to, and then my voice cracked halfway through his name. “I t

  • THE WEIGHT OF LOVING YOU   082

    LIAMI shouldn’t have been driving that fast.I knew it.God, I knew it.But knowing didn’t matter. I couldn’t stop.Jessica’s smile was still in my head, looping like a song I couldn’t shut off — soft, unguarded, almost shy when I dropped her home from the airport. There was something in the way she’d looked at me… quiet, lingering, like she wasn’t ready to let go yet. And if I was honest, neither was I.I’d wanted to stay. I should’ve stayed.But then the phone rang.An urgent call from work. Numbers. Deadlines. A client losing their mind over something I couldn’t even care about. I barely listened, just muttered, “I’ll be there.” Because that’s who I was — the guy who showed up, no matter what.So I drove. Fast. Reckless. My mind wasn’t in the car at all. One hand on the wheel, the other resting on the gearshift, my head filled with nothing but the memory of her laugh — low, warm, the kind that reached into your chest and stayed there.I thought I had all the time in the world.I d

  • THE WEIGHT OF LOVING YOU   081

    JESSICA I woke up smiling.The kind of smile you can’t control, the one that starts soft and then takes over your whole face. My fingers instantly reached for the ring on my left hand, tracing the delicate band like I still couldn’t believe it was real.Engaged. Again. To Liam.God, my chest felt too full.I lay there for a moment, replaying everything from last night... the lights, the ocean breeze, the way he went down on one knee like something out of a movie. And the look on his face. That stubborn, soft, beautiful look that said, You’re mine and I’m not letting you go.I was still lost in the memory when a low voice drifted across the room.“Well… someone’s glowing.”I startled and sat up, my hair probably a mess, only to find Liam leaning lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed, bare chest on display, and hair perfectly imperfect like he’d just rolled out of bed.I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re staring.”He smirked. “I’m admiring.”I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him,

  • THE WEIGHT OF LOVING YOU   080

    JESSICAI swear, my heart forgot how to work.“Oh my God… Liam. What the fuck are you doing right now?” My voice came out shaky, broken — somewhere between shock and panic.His head lifted slowly, and I caught that familiar look in his eyes — the one that always managed to undo me, no matter how mad I was at him.“Jess,” he said softly.I couldn’t breathe. My heels clicked against the hardwood as I rushed forward, my chest tight, my hands trembling. “Get up,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Please, get up. You don’t have to do this.”But he shook his head, slow and stubborn, the way he always did when he’d already made up his mind.“No,” he said quietly. “Please. Just… listen.”My stomach twisted so hard it hurt. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to stop him, to run, to not let him do this — because if he said the words I thought he was about to say, there was no coming back.His voice was rough when he spoke again, breaking just slightly at the edges.“I know the wedding we had…

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