Liam nodded silently, his thoughts a chaotic mix of guilt, confusion, and something he couldn't quite name, a feeling that only seemed to grow stronger every time he looked at Nova.
*****
Days passed, and Liam tried to focus on his vacation with Eva, hoping to strengthen their relationship. He told himself this would help, that maybe he could shut out the thoughts of Nova that lingered in his mind. But no matter how hard he tried, those moments, the way she looked at him, the sound of her laugh, refused to fade.
Eva noticed his distant expression. She approached him as he sat on the balcony, gently massaging his shoulders.
"Babe, you seem lost in thought... What's on your mind? Aren't you enjoying this?" Her voice was soft, but there was a hint of concern.
Liam forced a smile, shaking his head slightly. "Nothing serious, just thinking about the tour, there's a lot to prepare, and time's slipping away." He hoped the half-truth would mask the real turmoil.
Eva continued, trying to lighten the mood. "Everything will be fine, darling, if I wasn't so busy, I'd come with you... but my schedule's packed."
He nodded, grateful for the shift in conversation. "I know you would, your work is important too." He paused, searching for words to fill the silence. "You've seemed distant lately... texting more than meeting, what's going on?"
Eva hesitated, and then spoke, her tone quieter. "Honestly... I've felt insecure around Nova, she's cute, sweet... she has everything any man would want in a woman, whenever I see her, I wonder... if she's going to take you from me."
Liam frowned, caught off guard. "Eva, that's not... aren't you confident in us? What are you thinking? Yes, I spend a lot of time with the crew, but everyone knows I'm with you..."
She cut him off, voice tightening. "Do you know what she said to me that day? She told me she'd take you from me, she's so confident... it's like she thinks she can have anyone she wants." Eva's eyes flashed her words sharp with fabricated indignation. "That's why I confronted her, she got mad and started bragging about how she could steal you away."
Liam's expression hardened his mind racing. "Has she always been like this? I mean, since you knew her in school?"
Eva played her part, feigning reluctance. "She's always used her looks to get what she wants, I avoided her to keep from arguing... or worse, getting her fired, I didn't want to stoop to that level."
Liam ran a hand through his hair, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "That doesn't mean you shouldn't come and see me, I need you by my side, Eva."
She hesitated, her voice small. "Do you even love me, Liam? You said you needed time... to see if you could love me back, has anything changed?" Her eyes searched his face for an answer.
Liam stood, avoiding her gaze. "Eva, let's talk about this later, I need... some air, I need to think."
She nodded, hurt flickering in her eyes. "Alright, we'll talk later, do what you need to." She turned away, heading to bed, leaving Liam on the balcony, staring into the night.
But Liam made her stop "What does that supposed to mean?" He asked like he wasn't okay with the answer
"What do think it means? Liam you made fool of my love enough times but I still stand by you, I still love you" She looked at him tears lingering in her eyes "But what do I get in return huh?"
"So this is what about? Why aren't you telling me if you feel like I'm playing with your feelings? Do you want me to lie to you? Do you want me to say I love you when I don't even mean it? I'm trying to love you Eva…" He raised his voice in anger
"Trying to love me stopped ever since that fucking bitch came into your life… honestly I never even feel like you're trying to love me, you always wanted someone to…" She couldn't finish her sentence when Liam crushed the bottle of wine in anger
Eva was startled, she never imagine for him to be this angry, she looked at him in disbelief. Liam ran his hand into his air walking around without saying a thing then he turned real quick to Eva
"What do you want me to do? If my heart is struggling like this what the fuck do you want me to do? I can't live with a lie… I am struggling in many ways, Liam is fucked in different ways, how do you expect me handle all of this on my own? What do you want Eva?" He looked at her but she had tears already.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" She tried to apologize but Liam wasn't done
"What the fuck do you want? Maybe you should tell me specifically, if you want me to lie to you that I love you then tell me, if you want me to pretend, just tell me whatever the fuck you want I will do it" He had tears already he is so fucked as he said
"Then stay away from Nova? Fire her? Or do whatever it is to stay away from her… that's what I want… I don't want you near her" She couldn't hold back
"You know well that we signed a contract, I have a tour coming up and I need money for all that… and you want me to break the contract and pay all the money? Then what will I do? Where will I get enough money to prepare for all this shit?" Liam said tears still falling
"I didn't think…" Eva tried to say something
"Yeah, you never think about my fucking business, I tried to ignore the fact that you're selfish but now it's very clear, do you want me to fuck up in my career just for your selfishness? I didn't expect this from you" He turned to leave but Eva stopped him
"I'm sorry Liam, I don't know what happened to me but…" She tried to convince him
"Please, leave me alone" Liam said that and grabbed the door knob to open but he felt a hug from his back
"I know I'm being selfish but I'm insecure Liam, I know you have feelings for Nova, even if you say million times that you don't have feelings for her, I just feel it and that makes me restless, I love you so much that I can be selfish of your love, even if you still don't find me in your heart but I will keep trying, I will keep reminding you how much I love you" She cried at the his back like a baby
Liam turned to look at her, his face was unreadable, was he sad? Is he struggling?
"I will try my best taking my time to understand you, so please don't leave me, don't get mad at me… please forgive me my love, let me make this right… I'm not ready to lose you" She looked at him but he was just looking at her listening "Please say something Liam"
He looked down then away for a second then turned to look at her, holding her hands "Honestly I… I came here to shake things off, I felt like something is wrong with me, I came here to enjoy with you and I needed just few minutes to think, to be alone… I'm sorry if said something that hurt your feelings but let me be alone for some time"
Eva looked at him "I'm sorry, I am really sorry for ruining your mood, I will be inside"
She kissed him and opened the door to go back to the bedroom.
As the door closed behind her, he exhaled, the weight of her words pressing down on him. He couldn't shake the feeling that everything was unraveling and that Nova was at the center of it all.
*****
Liam walked into the bustling studio, the low hum of conversation and clatter of equipment filling the air. The familiar chaos of the crew at work usually grounded him, but today, his thoughts were a tangled mess. His eyes instinctively searched for her, his pulse quickening when he finally spotted Nova on the far side of the room. She was laughing softly, surrounded by a few crew members, her hair falling over her shoulder as she tilted her head back.
'Why does she look so... different?' he thought. There was a distance in her demeanor, a carefulness he hadn't seen before. She wasn't avoiding people, just him.
Ryan's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. "Back from paradise, huh?"
Liam forced a smile, masking the turmoil beneath. "Yeah, back to reality."
Ryan's eyes followed Liam's gaze and landed on Nova, he smirked. "You've got it bad, don't you?"
Liam scoffed, shifting uncomfortably. "Don't start, Ryan."
Ryan leaned in, lowering his voice so only Liam could hear. "I'm just saying, man... She's been different, especially around you… ooh she looked so happy when you were not here."
Liam's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Ryan crossed his arms, giving Liam a knowing look. "She keeps her distance, won't even look your way unless she has to, something happened, didn't it?"
Liam clenched his jaw, his eyes flicking back to Nova. 'What is she hiding?'
Ryan continued his tone serious. "Look, I don't know what went down between you two, but you need to figure it out… before it's too late."
Liam's voice was tight. "It's complicated."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Well, complicated or not, she's got a way of getting under your skin, and if you don't sort it out, you're gonna regret it."
Liam's mind raced, he knew Ryan was right, but how could he explain the pull he felt towards Nova, the way her laughter lingered in his mind, or how her absence left emptiness he couldn't shake?
He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. "I'll handle it."
Ryan smirked. "Sure, just don't wait too long."
He clapped Liam on the shoulder and walked away, leaving him standing there, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on him. 'What am I supposed to do now?' Liam wondered, his eyes drifting back to Nova.
Later on as Nova and Lara sat in the corner of the lounge, the faint hum of music playing in the background, the day had been long, and Nova leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms with an exhausted sigh.
Lara took a sip of her coffee, her eyes studying Nova. "Nova, you've been distracted lately," Lara said, her voice soft but probing. "Something's bothering you."
Nova glanced at her friend, hesitating she picked at the edge of her cup, avoiding eye contact. "It's nothing, just work stress."
Lara wasn't buying it. "Come on, I know you better than that, this isn't just about work, is it about... Liam?"
Nova's eyes widened slightly, and she tried to suppress the reaction. "Lara, please, I don't want to talk about him."
"Why not? Everyone can see there's something between you two, even Ryan mentioned it… that you have been acting distant and weird since he came back"
Nova's expression hardened. "There's nothing, besides, he has a girlfriend, I'd never cross that line."
Unbeknownst to them, Liam had entered the lounge, pausing just out of sight, he hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but hearing his name made him freeze, he leaned against the wall, listening, and his heart pounding.