The Story Of Us

Threads Of Trust

Chapter four: Threads of trust

The morning sunlight streamed through the bookstore windows, painting soft gold pattern on the wooden floor but for Ava, there was no warmth in it, her heart felt heavy, too full of questions, too full of disbelief.

The night before, after Liam left her apartment, she noticed the envelope on the table. At first she thought it was another kind note. Maybe an encouragement or a small token of friendship but when she opened it and saw the letterhead "Mathew Corporations", her struggles to find her breath.

Her eyes had gone straight to the bottom where his signature was printed.

Liam Alexander Mathews

The truth had stared her in the face all along hidden behind gentle smiles and kind gestures, the same man whose family name ones broke her dreams.

She had not slept all night. Between anger, confusion and heartbreak, she tried to convince herself there must be an explanation. Maybe he was planning to tell her, maybe it was not as cruel as she thought but the ache wouldn't leave.

As she tried to arrange books on the shelves her hands trembled slightly. Grace noticed.

"Grace noticed".

"Hey, you look like you've seen a ghost" Grace said softly leaning over the counter.

Ava tried to smile but it faltered.

"Did something happen?" Grace asked.

Ava hesitated. "Do you remember Liam?" She finally asked.

"The handsome mystery man who buys coffee and makes you blush every five minutes, hard to forget" Grace said with all smiles.

"He is not who I thought he was" Ava finally said

"What do you mean?" Grace's expressions turned cautious.

"He is that Liam Mathews from Mathew Corporations"

Grace blinked "wait, as in the Mathew Corporations? The one that.."

Ava nodded quickly, "yes, the same one"

Grace let's out a low whistle. "Wow. That's a lot."

"I don't know what to think," Ava whispered.

" He knew what that company meant to me. He new how much it hurt. And still he..." She stopped herself pressing a trembling hand to her chest. "Why didn't he just tell me?"

Grace exhaled slowly. "Maybe it because he wanted you to see him, not his last name"

Ava shook her head "but I feel lied to".

"I get that, but maybe he was just scared too, everyone wants something from people like him so maybe he wanted something real" Grace gently said.

"Real or not, he should have just trusted me with the truth" Ava said.

Grace reached out for her hand " then Maybe it's time you ask him why."

That evening, Ava stood in front of the towering glass building of Mathew Corporations. It looked like a memory she never wanted to revisit. The revolving door glistened under the city light and a security guard eyed her politely before asking for her name

She hesitated before whispering her name then proceeded to telling him she was there to see Mr Liam Mathews.

The guard checked his list, nodded and directed her to the elevator. Her heart pounded as she stepped inside, each floor the elevator climbed felt heavier than the last as of the truth itself was weighing her down.

When the doors opened, she found herself in a quiet hallway, filled with sleek paintings and minimalist decor. Everything smelled of money and polish, a world indeed far from hers.

And at the end of that hallway, standing by a window overlooking the city, was Liam.

He turned when he heard her footsteps. Surprise flickered across his face,.quickly replaced by something softer, worry or maybe even fear

"Ava?" He said gently. "You're here."

She nodded, her voice trembling, "I found your letter."

He closed his eyes briefly, "I was going to tell you."

"When?" She interrupted, her tone barely steady. "After I cared about someone who lied to me?"

His expression pained. "I never lied to you."

"You didn't tell me the truth either" he whispered..

"You made me talk about my past including how your company's rejection made me feel worthless and you just stood there, pretending to understand."

"I wasn't pretending " he said quietly. "I do understand, more than you think."

Her eyes flashed. "Then why hide it? Why make me believe you were someone else?"

Liam took a step forward " because I didn't want to be that Liam Mathews with you, I have spent my life surrounded by people who see the name before the person, then I met you, for the first time, someone looked at me and saw peace instead of power".

Ava's throat tightened, "you could have told me. I would have still trusted you.

Tears welled her eyes, " you do not understand Liam, you reminded me of everything I was not, every door that closed, every dream I had buried and still I trusted you"

Liam looked shattered "Ava I never wanted to hurt you. I just did not know how to tell you without loosing you"

"You already did" she whispered.

For a moment, silence filled the room, the kind that cuts deeper than shouting ever could. Liam's gaze dropped to the floor, then back to her. "Ava, please, if I could rewrite the way you found out, I would.

She turned toward the window, blinking away tears. "It's not just the truth Liam. It's what it means. You live in a world where people like me do not belong."

He stepped closer, his voice low but firm "do not say that".

"It is true" she said softly. "You have everything, money, influence, respect, the list is endless Liam." "And me? I'm just a girl who paints her pain because I can not afford a therapy."

"Ava...you think I care about any of that? Do you even know how much peace you have brought to my life?”

She swallowed hard, her back still turned, "peace does not erase differences."

"Maybe not, but love bridges differences" he said with a tender tone."

She froze, her breath catching her breath. Slowly she turned to face him. "Love?"

He nodded. "Yes. I tried to fight it but I can't anymore. I love you Ava, and not the version of you that hides behind strength but the real you. The woman who laughs softly, who sees beauty where others see flaws, who makes me want to do better."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Don't say that", she whispered. "Not now".

"Why not?"

"Because I want to believe you but I'm scared , every time I have trusted someone like you, I have been left with scars I can not explain" she said with her voice shaking.

He reached out slowly as if afraid she might disappear. "Then let me be the one who helps heal them"

Her eyes flickered with pain and hope, all at once. " You can't fix me Liam."

"I don't want to fix you, I just want to walk beside you, scars and all", he said.

Something in his words broke her defenses.

Her heart screamed to run but her soul longed to stay, she took a shaky breath, stepping back slightly, torn between fear and longing.

"This isn't easy for me Liam"

"I know"

"I don't even know if I can trust you again"

He nodded, his voice quiet. "Then let me earn it."

The silence stretched between them, heavy but full of unspoken truth. Ava wiped her eyes and looked at him, her voice small. "Why me?" You could have anyone".

He smiled faintly. "Because no one else looks at me the way you do. I will trade every deal, every little time, just to keep that"

Her lips parted but no words came. The sincerity in his eyes felt like something holey, fragile, real, undeserved. She wanted to believe him , yet the weight of her past still pressed against her heart

"I need time" she finally said.

He nodded, pain flickering across his face but he did not argue, "take all the time you need, I will be here".

As she turned to leave, he called out softly. "Ava?"

She paused at the door

"I'm sorry I hid who I was, but I swear, everything I said, every moment we shared was real"

She nodded ones, then walked away.

Outside the city felt louder than usual. People hurried past her, cars honked, lights blurred through her tears. She kept walking, clutching the strap of her bag like it was the only thing holding her together.

By the time she reached her apartment, her phone buzzed, a message from Liam.

"You ones said pain taught you how to see light in broken things, I hope someday, you'll see me that way too."

Ava sat on her couch staring at the message, her tears fell freely this time, not from anger but from the ache of something real, something too pure to ignore.

She whispered into the quiet, why does love always have to hurt first?"

Her apartment was still. Somewhere deep inside her heart, beneath the fear and doubt, a small light refused to go out.