Chapter 6
1/3
Nora’s Point of View
Liam brought a hot pot of coffee into the kitchen the following morning while I was still gazing at
the writing. After setting one in front of me, he leaned down to plant a kiss on my temple.
“Good morning,” he murmured, softly and casually, as if there were nothing wrong between us.
I pretended to grin, put my phone in my pocket, and said, “Good morning.” The message that
seemed to be penetrating my determination was obscured by the dimming screen.
With an inexplicable enthusiasm, Liam pulled out the chair across from me. “So, I’ve been
thinking,” he murmured at first, his smile growing as though he couldn’t help it. “You have been
working really hard recently, and I know that our connection has been a little strange lately. We
should take a vacation, in my opinion.
“A rest?” With caution, I asked the question.
With a swift response, “Not that kind of break,” he leaned across the table and grasped my hand. A
weekend away, that is. No interruptions, no job, just you and me.
My heart sank as I gazed at him. With that childlike smile that used to melt my heart, he
appeared as endearing as ever. However, I had a hint of suspicion rather than enthusiasm. Was he
trying to divert my attention with this? Before I told him what I had discovered, was it a ruse?
I murmured, carefully removing my fingers, “I don’t know, Liam.” “I have things to do, and it’s kind
of short notice.”
Leaning forward, he exclaimed with a childlike eagerness, “I’ve already taken care of everything. “I
worked with your assistant to clear your calendar so that we could reserve a cabin on the lake.
Nora, you’ll adore it. It’s peaceful and secluded, just what we need.
“I don’t-” Liam said.
He replied, “Please.” in a quieter tone. “Just say “yes”
With the decision’s weight bearing down on me, I hesitated. I felt compelled to tell him that I
didn’t want to pretend everything was fine. However, the part of me that still yearned for the man I had fallen in love with thought that perhaps this was a chance to see whether anything was worth retaining.
I finally whispered, “Okay,” even though I didn’t think the word tasted genuine.
I briefly saw the Liam I had loved as his face brightened. He walked up to clear our mugs and said, “You won’t regret this.”
We were traveling by Friday afternoon. With one hand on the wheel and the other comfortably
Chapter
2/2
resting on the dashboard between us, Liam drove with his typical assurance. I hardly noticed the
swirl of the scenery outside the windows. My focus was sidetracked by a tangle of doubts and
queries
Liam looked at me and said, “You’re quiet.” “What are you thinking about?”
With a small smile, I lied and said, “Just tired,”
Saying, “Well,” he squeezed my knee and said, “youll have plenty of time to relax this weekend.“*
Just us–no work, no stress.”
I looked back out the window and nodded. The thought of it being just the two of us chilled me.
The cabin was as quaint and secluded as he had described, with a broad perspective of the lake
that shone in the afternoon sun. Even though I was still apprehensive, Liam’s joy was infectious
as he carried our things inside.
He took my hand and ushered me out onto the deck, saying, “Come on.” “Take a look at this view.”
The cool air and gentle murmur of the trees did little to soothe the rage within me, so I grudgingly
followed him.
“Don’t you think this is ideal?” Liam wrapped his arm around my shoulders and asked.
I said, “It’s beautiful,” but I didn’t seem too certain.
His face was genuine as he turned to face me. “I understand that things have been difficult lately,
Nora. You cannot imagine how much you mean to me. I keep my affection for you a secret.
His words caused my chest to constrict. They were fake, but they also seemed genuine, as if he
was making too much of an effort to remind me of something I no longer trusted.
“I love you too,” I muttered in a lifeless, robotic voice.
With a smile, Liam leaned over to give me a gentle kiss. For a few moments, I allowed myself to be
engrossed in his touch, acting as though we were the same relationship we once were.
Even though there was stress simmering beneath the surface, I observed how fluid Liam’s
movements were as I sat at the kitchen counter that evening and watched him prepare supper. He
joked and told me stories in an attempt to make me laugh. And I did, against my will.
I let my defenses down for a second, thinking that this weekend might be a turning point.
We split a bottle of wine and relaxed by the fire after supper. Liam’s fingers gently stroked my shoulder while his arm lay on the back of the couch.
“Do you recall our journey to Napa?” His voice was low and mournful as he asked.
Despite the pain in my chest, I grinned and nodded. “That weekend was enjoyable.”
“Yes,” he said. I would like to spend more weekends with you in this manner. Nora, I want us to be
Chapter 6
content once more.
I gazed at him as the flickering firelight illuminated his face. He seemed sincere, and I briefly felt
like my determination was waning.
I whispered, “I want that too,” but my heart wasn’t sure it believed me.
Liam organized a picnic in a remote location and a cruise around the lake for the next day. He was thoughtful and compassionate, and he did his best to remind me of the man I had fallen in love
with.
I laughed and smiled with him, but the reality kept nagging at the back of my mind.
Liam’s phone buzzed on the blanket as we were packing up the picnic. He soon took it up, and as
he read the screen, his attitude shifted a little.
“Work?” I posed the question politely.
“Yeah.” The phone was put into his pocket. “I’ll take care of that later.”
I could still see the twinge of stress in his eyes after the moment had passed.
I slipped out of bed that night after Liam had gone to sleep and taken his phone off the
nightstand. I typed in his passcode with trembling hands, and the screen softly clicked to unlock.
There was Isabel’s message.
We miss you. When you can, give me a call.
The words made my breath catch, and the glimmer of optimism I had given myself during the
weekend vanished.
I heard Liam wake behind me, so I hurriedly locked the phone and put it back on the nightstand
while he rolled over.
“Is everything alright?” He muttered drowsily.
“Yes,” I muttered as I withdrew behind the blankets “Everything is good.”
However, it wasn’t.
And I would face the reality tomorrow, no matter what.
