CHAPTER FIVE: A PAST REVEALED
283 Words
The morning air was crisp, tinted with the promise of a storm. As Naomie walked toward Cloud Nine Café, her steps felt heavier than usual. She rehearsed her words over and over - how to ask, how to listen, how to not fall apart.
She arrived early and chose the booth in the far right corner - their booth. Ten minutes passed before Liam arrived, dressed in a black turtleneck and dark jeans. His face was unreadable. When their eyes met, something silent passed between them.
He slid into the seat across from her and said nothing. Naomie took a breath.
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
Liam looked away, then back at her. "Because I wanted you to know me without the weight of my past."
"But it’s not just your past. It’s your truth, Liam."
He nodded slowly, pain flickering across his eyes. "My father was involved. I wasn’t. But guilt by association is the most brutal kind. It ruined everything - my relationships, my education, my job prospects. So I left. Changed cities. Changed my name."
"Your name?"
"My full name is William Adewale. I dropped the 'Wil' to make it harder to trace."
Naomie stared at him. "So everything was a lie?"
"No," he said softly. "Just the parts I thought would make you walk away."
The silence between them grew thick.
Naomie felt her heart war between compassion and betrayal. She wanted to scream. She wanted to reach out. She wanted to leave.
But instead, she whispered, "And what now?"
Liam leaned forward. "Now, you decide if you're still willing to get to know the man sitting across from you. Not the son of a scandal - just me."
- Writer
