The next few days passed in a blur of work, social obligations, and unspoken tension between Jenna and Liam. Their paths had crossed again at a charity event, but there had been no overt conversation — just a few fleeting glances that sent sparks flickering beneath her skin.
It was late afternoon when her phone buzzed again. A text from Liam.
Liam: I've been thinking about our dinner. We need to talk. I'm free in an hour.
Jenna hesitated. He wanted to talk? After their last conversation, she wasn't sure if she was ready to dive into whatever this was. But she also knew that avoiding him wasn't an option. So, she quickly typed back.
Jenna: Fine. But I'm not making promises.
Liam: I don't need promises. Just your attention.
The simplicity of his response struck her. It wasn't pushy. It wasn't demanding. It was just... a request.
She sighed, running a hand through her hair before setting the phone down. A few minutes later, she was heading out the door, her mind racing as she made her way to the small café they'd agreed on. It was the perfect place — neutral ground, away from the spotlight, where they could have a real conversation.
When she arrived, Liam was already sitting at a corner table, casually dressed in a dark jacket and jeans. He looked up as she entered, a subtle flicker of something in his eyes before he stood to greet her.
"Jenna," he said with a soft smile, but there was an edge to his voice she hadn't heard before. "Thanks for coming."
She sat down across from him, her heart racing for reasons she couldn't fully explain. "What's this about?"
Liam wasted no time. "I've been thinking a lot about what we talked about. About you, about me... and about us."
Jenna raised an eyebrow. "What are we exactly?"
Liam met her gaze, his eyes intense but not forceful. "I don't know. But I think we're on the edge of something. Something real. And I don't want to pretend I'm not interested in exploring it."
Jenna bit her lip, weighing his words. "And you think it's just going to be easy? That we'll just walk into whatever this is without... complications?"
"No." He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping lower. "I know it won't be easy. Nothing worth having ever is. But I'm willing to try."
For a long moment, Jenna didn't speak. She felt the weight of his words pressing against her, the vulnerability she'd kept hidden threatening to rise to the surface.
"I don't do easy, Liam," she said finally, her voice steady. "I don't do casual either."
Liam's eyes softened. "Neither do I."
Her heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to stay composed. "Then why are we sitting here, talking about this? What's the point?"
He took a deep breath, his gaze never leaving hers. "The point is this — I think there's something here that we're both afraid of. But we won't know unless we take that step. I want to take it. With you."
Jenna's pulse raced. She wanted to pull away, to retreat back into the safety of her controlled world. But something about his sincerity made her question everything she'd believed about keeping her distance.
"I don't need saving, Liam," she said quietly. "And I won't settle for something that doesn't match what I'm looking for."
"I'm not here to save you, Jenna," Liam replied, his voice steady. "But I am here to figure out what we're both afraid of — and see if we can make it work."
Jenna swallowed, suddenly feeling exposed in a way she hadn't expected. She could run, keep him at arm's length as she always had. But there was something about him that made her want to take a chance.
"Okay," she said, her voice softer now. "Let's see what happens next."
For the first time, she allowed herself to believe that maybe — just maybe — Liam Ryder could be the one person who could make her let go.