The message from Liam haunted Amara throughout the day. She tried to bury it beneath work applications, phone calls with recruiters, and the dull hum of her apartment. But every time her phone buzzed, her heart skipped a beat—only to sink when she saw his name.
Liam:
"Look, I'm sorry about the mess. You don't deserve this."
She wanted to scream at him to leave her alone, but the raw honesty behind the text unsettled her.
Her phone rang. She almost didn't answer, but something in his voice made her pick up.
"Amara, listen... I didn't mean to ruin your job." His voice was softer now, stripped of the cocky edge she'd seen in person.
"So why did you?" she snapped, frustration bubbling over.
"Because I'm an idiot," he admitted. "I was lost, confused, and frankly, I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. I never wanted to hurt you."
Her anger wavered. Maybe it was the loneliness, or the vulnerability in his voice, but she found herself hesitating.
"Look, I have no idea what's next for me," he said. "But maybe... we can figure this out."
She laughed, a bitter, shaky sound. "You and me? The worst mistake ever."
"Or the best one."
That night, Amara lay awake staring at the ceiling. The man she hated was now the only person who'd reached out when everything else had fallen apart.
Maybe some mistakes were worth holding onto.