Days passed, quiet and predictable, filled with the comfort of Liam’s steady presence. I laughed more freely with him now, felt the warmth of his hand in mine, and let myself sink into the certainty that I had chosen correctly. Liam was constant. Liam was safe. Liam was mine.
And yet…
There were moments—small, fleeting—that caught me off guard. Moments when I realized how often I had expected Aiden to be there. Not looming, not interfering—but present. Always. Even just as a shadow.
I shook my head, trying to push it away. It’s nothing. I chose Liam. I love Liam. It’s him I want.
But then I remembered the way Aiden had moved, the ease in his gestures, the quiet intensity he carried, even in his distance. His absence didn’t feel neutral—it felt like a space missing, like a rhythm I had
