“I know.” He stood up too. “I kept hoping that I could make it work, that if I just tried harder it might click back into place. For you. For Nora. But I—”
“Don’t.” Her voice fractured. “Don’t stand there and talk about hope like it’s noble. You were cheating on me. You were building a second life behind my back.”
The words ripped through him. He had no defense, just a hollow ache and the painful truth. “You’re right, there’s no excuse.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes quickly, furious at herself for crying. "I gave you our daughter,” she whispered.
"And I’ll never stop being grateful for that. I’ll be there for her. Every part of her life. I swear it.”
She shook her head, tears streaking down unchecked. “You think that makes this okay?”
“No. Nothing makes this okay. But it’s the truth.”
She looked at him like she didn’t recognize him. “God. I thought I had more time. I thought you were just lost. That maybe you’d come back.”
"I’m so sorry."
Her voice broke low. “I won’t beg someone to stay who’s already gone. There’s nothing left to fight for, Liam. You made sure of that.”
Tears burned his eyes. “You should never have to beg.”
She looked at him, fighting to keep her composure. “I hate you right now. I don’t even want to look at you, but I won’t keep you away from Nora. She deserves a father and I won’t take that from her.”
He swallowed against the tightness in his throat. “Thank you.”
Emma turned away, bracing herself against the counter, shoulders trembling. “I need time. I need space. Please leave.”
It took everything in him not to cross the room and wrap his arms around her. He wanted to fall on his knees and beg for her to scream, to do anything but stand there breaking quietly. But he couldn’t fix this; he was the problem. The only thing he could do was turn and leave her alone with her grief.
The sound of her broken cries followed him out—an echo he knew he’d carry with him for the rest of his life.
***
The drive to Jacob’s house felt longer than it was. The world outside was a jumble of turns and lights, none of it sticking. He only remembered standing on Jacob’s doorstep for what felt like an eternity before he finally rang the bell.
When the door opened, Jacob’s eyes softened the moment they found him.
Liam fiddled with the strap of his bag. “Can I stay here?”
Jacob stepped aside, voice gentle. “Always.”
Inside, the house was quiet. Plain walls, clean lines, morning light sliding across the floorboards—nothing remarkable,nothing that should have mattered. Yet the second Liam stepped inside, his chest loosened and his shoulders dropped. It wasn’t the house that made him feel this way; it was Jacob.Hewas the reason this place felt safe, somewhere Liam could finally let his guard down and just be. The moment he let that truth in, everything inside him gave way.
His shoulders hunched over and his breath fractured. Jacob was instantly there, pulling him in without hesitation. Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him together as he broke apart. He buried his face in Jacob’s shoulder, the sobs tearing out of him, soaking Jacob’s shirt completely.
“I did it,” he choked out, the words muffled against Jacob’s neck. “It’s over.”
Jacob crushed him closer, his palm dragging firm and slow circles over his back. The grip wasn’t gentle—it was unshakable. A hold that said Liam could break as hard as he needed to, and Jacob would always be there to catch him, no matter what.
He cried until his chest hurt and his sobs dulled into hiccups. When the worst of it passed, Jacob guided him to the couch and eased him down. He slipped away for a moment, then returned with a glass of water, pressing it gently into Liam’s hands before kneeling beside him, waiting until he drank every drop.
Jacob set the empty glass aside and settled close, letting Liam lean into the solid warmth of his shoulder. He felt bone-tired and hollowed out, eyes swollen and heavy with the last of his tears.
“I hate what I did to her,” he whispered. “She didn’t deserve any of it.”
Jacob’s arm came around him, firm and grounding. “I know.”
He let himself nestle into him, cheek pressed against Jacob’s chest. The ache in his heart didn’t vanish, but it shifted, dulled by the weight of being held. For the first time in months, hewasn’t pretending or lying; he could simply exist, nothing left between them but the truth.
