“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I said quietly. “But I know where I need to be.” <fn343f> Latest content published on find~novel</fn343f>


    Jason nodded. “That’s enough.”


    I leaned back, phone in hand, heart in turmoil.


    I wasn’t running anymore.


    I was choosing.


    Even though the flight back to LA had been smooth, my body felt like it was carrying the weight of another world.


    The moment Jason’s car pulled away, I just stood there at my door, keys in hand, staring at the knob like I was afraid of what would be on the other side.


    Inside, the silence felt both familiar and foreign. My shoes echoed softly on the hardwood as I walked through the apartment, my eyes scanning every corner like it might suddenly look different.


    It didn’t.


    I dropped my bag in the hallway and wandered into the bathroom like muscle memory. Everything moved in slow motion. I turned on the shower and stepped under the water before I could talk myself out of it. The temperature stung my skin in the best way, a punishment and a cleanse.


    The water was scalding, the kind of heat that stripped awayyers. I didn’t cry. I just stood there, letting it burn. Letting it wash away the makeup, the perfume, the tour, the sh of cameras, the whispers of strangers. The look in Liam’s eyes from that photo Sophia had sent <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    It wasn’t until I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel that I really exhaled.


    I caught my reflection in the fogged–up mirror–tired eyes, cheeks pale, hair clinging to damp skin. I barely recognized myself. And yet… there was something familiar in the way my chin tilted slightly upward, in the quiet stubbornness behind my gaze.


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    Determination.


    I took my time getting dressed. Simple jeans. A white top. Nothing fancy. ts instead of boots. No makeup. No distractions. Just me.


    By the time I gathered myself, there were no more excuses left.


    I grabbed my phone. My keys.


    And I walked out.


    Sophia opened the door with a look of total surprise.


    “Emily?”


    I gave her a small smile, unsure of what I expected her reaction to be.


    A secondter, her face softened and she practically yanked me into a hug. “Oh thank God.”


    My arms folded around her instinctively. I hadn’t realized how much I missed her presence until that exact moment.


    “Hi.” I mumbled.


    She pulled back, her brows lifting. “Please tell me you’re here to put my brother out of his misery. Because I swear, I am exhausted.”


    I blinked. “Is he home?”


    Sophia stepped aside, letting me in. “No, he left about an hour ago. Didn’t say a word. Just walked out looking like a man who lost a fight with a mirror. He’s been like this since you left. Brooding. Moody. Not eating properly. ssic Liam ck.


    <i>” </i>


    I followed her inside. The house smelled faintly of espresso and something woodsy. Lived–in but still quiet. I took everything in slowly, the nket crumpled on the couch, the half–eaten croissant on the counter, a hoodie draped over the armchair like someone couldn’t be bothered to fold it.


    “He’s hurting,” Sophia said quietly. “But don’t expect him to admit it.”


    I sat down slowly, my palms resting on my thighs. “I’ll wait.”


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    Sophia nodded, then looked me over like she hadn’t had the chance before. “You look tired.”


    “I am.”


    She didn’t say anything else. She just gave me a quiet, understanding look. The kind that didn’t push. The kind that knew.


    We sat like that until the front door clicked open.


    My heart lurched.


    Liam stepped inside like he didn’t know what he was walking into. Like my car outside had raised his suspicions but he didn’t want to believe it. His eyes swept the room like a man scanning for ghosts.


    Then theynded on me.


    Our eyes locked.


    Everything inside me stilled.


    He looked… not broken exactly. But stretched thin. Dark shadows under his eyes. A stiffness in his shoulders like he hadn’t slept right in days. Yet somehow, he still managed to look impossibly, heartbreakingly beautiful.


    His lips parted. For a moment, I thought he was going to say something.


    But he didn’t.


    He just blinked once, turned his face away, and walked straight past us into his room.


    Sophia let out a dramatic groan beside me. “Wow. That was… so him.”


    I blinked hard. “Yeah. I noticed.”


    The silence after that felt louder than anything Mason’s tour ever sted.


    I sat there for a while, pretending the cushions werefortable and that I wasn’t fighting the urge to go after him.


    Eventually, I stood.


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    Sophia didn’t stop me. She just gave me a small nod, her eyes soft.


    His door wasn’t closed all the way. I pushed gently and stepped in.


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