Chapter 12: A Whisper in the Dark
455 Words
Ella’s fingers hovered over her phone, heart hammering as she stared at the message.
"You can’t ignore this, Ella. It’s about Liam."
Her pulse raced.
The past and present were colliding too fast. Too dangerously.
A gust of wind sent a chill down her spine as she turned the corner, slipping into a dimly lit alley. The city was alive behind her—neon lights flickering, the distant hum of traffic—but in this narrow space, it was just her and the truth waiting to be uncovered.
She hesitated.
Then, with a slow breath, she tapped the screen.
Ella: Where?
The reply came almost instantly.
Unknown: Warehouse district. An hour.
She exhaled, slipping the phone into her coat pocket, trying to still the unease unraveling in her chest.
Then—footsteps.
Ella stiffened, her instincts sharpening.
Someone was behind her.
She didn’t turn immediately. Instead, she listened. Measured.
One person.
Steps slow. Deliberate.
Then—his voice.
“You’re not as subtle as you think, sweetheart.”
Ella’s breath caught.
She turned, pulse stuttering as she found Liam leaning against the brick wall, arms crossed, watching her like he already knew every secret she was hiding.
Damn him.
She schooled her features, keeping her expression neutral. “Following me now?”
Liam’s smirk was slow, lazy, but his eyes—his eyes were anything but.
“You walked out on me. That was rude.”
Her jaw clenched. “I didn’t think you cared about manners.”
He pushed off the wall, taking a single step closer. Then another.
“I don’t,” he admitted. “But I do care when a woman I just kissed looks like she’s about to walk into something she can’t handle.”
Ella forced herself to hold his gaze, ignoring the way his words sent a shiver down her spine.
“I can handle myself.”
Liam tilted his head, studying her.
“Maybe.” His voice dropped slightly, dangerously smooth. “But I don’t like unfinished business, Ella.”
A chill ran through her—not from fear, but from something deeper. Something reckless.
He took another step, now close enough that she could feel the heat of him, the scent of whiskey and something undeniably Liam.
“What are you running from?” he murmured.
Ella swallowed hard. “Not everything is about you.”
His smirk widened, but there was something else in his gaze now. Curiosity. Challenge.
He reached out, fingertips barely grazing her jaw. A whisper of a touch.
“No,” he said, voice low. “But I’m starting to think it should be.”
Ella’s breath hitched.
And just like that—
She knew.
Liam wasn’t going to let this go.
- Writer
