Page 79 of Landing Liam

She nods against my chest. “Yeah, I have to get back or… I might not have a job by the end of the day.”

The words hang heavy between us. I swallow down everything I want to say. Stay. Don’t leave. We’ll figure it out. We’ll figure us out. But I can’t say that—not when I know how much her career means to her, not when she’s worked so hard for it.

Instead, I press a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the faint scent of her shampoo. “I get it,” I say, though the ache in my chest tells me I don’t.

Her hand rests over my heart, her touch gentle, almost hesitant. “This doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here,” she says softly.

“I know,” I murmur, even though part of me wonders if that’s true.

And as we lie there in the fragile quiet of the morning, I realize I have no idea what’s going to happen next. But right now, with her in my arms, I let myself believe that this doesn’t have to be the end. Maybe it’s the beginning of something real and honest for the first time in my life.

“Tell me about your family,” I say quietly, my fingers brushing lightly up and down her arm as she nuzzles her face into the crook of my neck.

She stills for a moment, and I feel the tension ripple through her body. “Uh, there’s not much to tell.”

“What do you mean?” I prod gently, not wanting to push too hard but needing to know more about her.

She shrugs against me, her shoulders tight. “My mom passed away when I was in high school, and my dad left when I was little. He started a new family, and… I haven’t talked to him in years. I don’t even know him anymore. I have half-siblings, but I’ve never met them. We’re strangers.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the chest. My life is chaotic, messy, and sometimes overwhelming, but it’s filled with people—people who love me, support me, and rally around me no matter what. Maggie, on the other hand, has built a life entirely on her own, without that safety net.

I press a kiss to her forehead, hoping it can convey what I don’t have the words to say—that I wish I could take away that ache, that loneliness I hear in her voice. But some wounds are too deep for words to reach.

“I can come see you,” I offer, my voice steady, though my heart feels anything but.

She lifts her gaze to me, her blue eyes searching mine. “You have a lot going on here,” she says softly, her fingers playing with the edge of my shirt.

I tighten my hold around her. “It’s a short drive. And I have plenty of time these days.”

She nods, but there’s something in her expression that makes my chest ache. “I know,” she whispers, her voice catching slightly. “But…”

“But what?” I ask, tilting her face up so she can’t hide from me.

She stares at me, and it feels like she’s looking straight through to the core of who I am. “We both have things we have to do, Liam. Hard things. Things that make it impossible for us to physically stay in the same place right now.”

Her words settle over me like a rain cloud. “Kind of feels like you’re breaking up with me, Cooper,” I say, forcing a weak smile to cover the raw emotion threatening to spill over.

She smiles back, but there’s a sadness in it. “I didn’t know we had something here that required a formal breakup.”

The way she says it—lighthearted and teasing—only makes it hit harder. I chuckle, even though it feels hollow. “Fair enough.”

She reaches up, cupping my face in her hand, and pulls me into a kiss. It’s slow, steady, and real, like she’s pouring all the words she can’t say into it. It’s everything I never knew I needed, and the thought of letting her go feels unbearable.

“I have to go,” she whispers against my lips.

I don’t let her pull away completely, not yet. “I want you to know,” I start, my voice rough with emotion, “this isn’t just some fling to me. It’s…” I trail off, struggling to find the right word. What do you call it when someone walks into your life and changes everything?

She smiles softly, her fingers tracing my jaw. “I know, Liam,” she says, her eyes full of understanding.

She kisses me once more, a lingering, tender kiss that feels like both a goodbye and a promise. Then, she pulls away completely and stands, leaving me feeling hollow and untethered as I watch her go.

The room feels colder without her in it, and the silence is deafening. I sit there for a long moment, staring at the spot where she stood, before finally getting up and pulling on my clothes. The emptiness in my chest follows me with every step.

***

I show up to my training session with Zach, my stomach churning despite the calm I try to project. Maggie’s gone, but she left me with everything I need to confront the person I once trusted. The proof is undeniable now—Zach, and maybe Lyla, have been the ones feeding those doping allegations and fueling the rumors spreading like wildfire.

“Hey, man!” Zach greets me with an outstretched hand, his tone as casual as ever. He pulls me in for a half-hug, like everything’s fine. Like we’re still on the same team. It takes every ounce of self-control not to shrug him off. “How’s it going?”