Somewhere in the city, Liam lingered at a street corner with his hands shoved into his pockets, staring at the address lit up on his phone.
Zayden's place.
Where Ayla was.
Where he had left her feeling heartbroken and alone.
His thumb sat on the screen, stuck with doubt. One part of him wanted to turn around and vanish into the shadows where he was comfortable. The other part, the part that still remembered her laugh and how it felt to be close to her, knew he couldn't keep running.
"You owe her the truth," Azalea's voice played in his head. "And give yourself a shot at happiness."
But did he even deserve happiness after everything he had done?
He thought about the note he left: cold, distant, and cowardly.
"I'm sorry. I have to go. Please don't come looking for me."
Five years of special forces training, and he couldn't even confront the woman he loved.
"Pathetic," he muttered under his breath.
