I bang on the door, loud and hard, like I’m picking a fight.
Because maybe I am.
There’s a pause—long enough for my heart to hammer up into my throat.
Then the door swings open.
Liam’s standing there in a T-shirt and joggers, barefoot, and very obviously still pissed. His expression doesn’t change when he sees me. If anything, his jaw tightens.
“Wow,” he says flatly. “Brave of you to show up.”
I don’t waste time. “Is she here?”
His eyes narrow. “What?”
“Olive. Is she here?”
He crosses his arms. “Why the hell would she be here?”
“Because she’s not at my place. She’s gone. Packed up. Took everything. I thought maybe—” I stop, exhale hard. “I figured she might come to you.”
Liam lets out a sharp, bitter laugh. “So you did it. Just like I said you would—you broke her heart. And now you think you can just waltz back in here and expect her to talk to you? You really think that’s how this works?”
“I don’t knowhowany of this works!” I snap, louder than I mean to. “All I know is she’s gone and not answering her phone, and I thought—hoped—she’d be with you.”
He shakes his head slowly. “You really don’t get it, do you?”
I grind my teeth. “Getwhat?”
“That this is exactly why you should’ve stayed the hell away from her.” His voice is low now, dangerous. “This right here. You play your games, keep your distance—and then what? You let her fall for you and shut down the second it gets real? You don’t get to be surprised when she leaves, man.”
I don’t respond. Because Ididlet her fall. And I didn’t catch her.
“You think Iwantedyou two together?” he goes on, arms tightening across his chest. “I knew how this would end. That it would blow up and she’d be the one left bleeding.”
“And yet,” I say through gritted teeth, “I’m the one standing here trying to find her.”
Liam gives me a long look. It’s not pity. It’s not anger. It’s something worse—disappointment.
“Then maybe you should’ve thought about that before you went and fucked everything up.”
I run a hand over my face, the frustration boiling over into my veins. “I’m not here to argue with you, Liam. I just need to know if she’s safe.”
He studies me for a long moment. Then, finally, sighs.
“She’s not here,” he says. “I haven’t seen her.”
My stomach drops.
“I’ll make sure she is okay,” he adds reluctantly. “But that doesn’t mean I forgive you.”
I blink. “That’s okay. Thank you.”
His jaw tightens. “She’s my sister.”
Right. Of course.
I step back.“Just… let her know I’m looking. That I care.”
