Elena sat on the rooftop of her apartment building, the city lights of Los Angeles stretching infinitely before her. The cool night breeze brushed against her skin, but it wasn't enough to clear the whirlwind of emotions inside her.
Liam.
His name alone sent a flood of memories crashing over her. Memories she had spent years burying, convincing herself that they no longer held power over her. But now, they had resurfaced, raw and unrelenting.
Why did he have to come back?
Her fingers gripped the edge of the bench she was sitting on, her knuckles turning white. She hadn't expected to see him again—especially not like this, not with that same piercing gaze that once made her feel safe but now only unsettled her.
She exhaled shakily, allowing herself to relive that moment in the café.
—Earlier that day—
Elena's breath had caught in her throat the moment she turned around and saw Liam standing there. The world around them faded, the bustling café noise turning into a distant hum.
"Liam…?" Her voice had barely been a whisper.
He had looked the same—yet different. The same strong jawline, the same deep-set eyes that once held so much warmth. But now, there was something unreadable in them, something distant.
"I didn't expect to see you here," he said, his voice lower than she remembered.
She forced a smile, but it felt unnatural. "Yeah, me neither."
The air between them was thick with everything unspoken.
Before she could say anything else, her friend Ava had returned to the table, oblivious to the tension between them. Liam had simply nodded at Elena before walking away, disappearing into the crowd.
But that brief encounter had been enough to leave Elena shaken for the rest of the day.
—Present—
The door to the rooftop creaked open, snapping Elena out of her thoughts. She turned sharply, her heart stopping when she saw him.
Liam.
Again.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, standing up.
"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, stepping closer. "But I remember… this used to be your spot."
Her stomach twisted. He still remembered.
Elena crossed her arms. "You've been back for weeks, and you didn't bother telling me?"
Liam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't know if I should."
Anger flared in her chest. "So, what? You just planned to pretend I didn't exist?"
"It's not like that," he said, his voice heavy with something she couldn't quite place. "Elena… I didn't come back to hurt you."
She scoffed. "You already did that years ago."
Silence stretched between them.
"I never meant to leave the way I did," Liam finally said, his voice softer now. "I—"
Elena shook her head. "Don't."
She wasn't ready. Not yet.
But as she looked into his eyes, she realized something terrifying.
She wasn't sure if she'd ever be ready.