Days turned into weeks, and Hazel found herself lost in Liam's company. They would sit in quiet cafes, sharing stories about their childhoods, their dreams, their fears. He was gentle with her in ways Oliver never had been. With him, it felt like she could breathe again, like the darkness Oliver had left behind was slowly being illuminated.
Liam had a way of making her feel whole, like she was someone worth loving again. He didn't pry into her past, didn't ask about the heartbreak she carried. He only focused on the present, on the moments they had together. It wasn't long before Hazel realized she had fallen for him, completely, irrevocably.
One night, as they lay in each other's arms, Liam brushed a strand of hair away from her face. His touch was so tender, so full of emotion that Hazel felt her chest tighten. She wanted to tell him - wanted to confess the depth of her feelings - but something held her back. What if he didn't feel the same? What if he saw her brokenness and decided he didn't want to deal with it?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, his voice a soft murmur.
"I don't know," she whispered, forcing a smile. "Just thinking."
"You think too much," he teased, but there was concern in his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, you know."
Hazel wanted to believe him. She really did. But there was a part of her, still raw and jagged from Oliver's betrayal, that wouldn't let her trust too easily.
Weeks passed, and their relationship deepened. Everything seemed perfect, until the day Hazel stumbled upon the truth - Liam was Oliver's brother.
The realization came like a punch to the gut, and it left Hazel breathless. How had she not known? How had she fallen in love with the brother of the man who had once destroyed her?
She felt sick. She couldn't breathe. Memories of Oliver flooded back in a torrent of pain and betrayal, mixing with the new, complicated feelings she had for Liam. What would he think when he found out? Would he leave her, just like Oliver had?
Hazel knew she had to tell him, but fear kept her silent. Every time she tried to bring it up, her throat closed, the words dying before they could reach her lips. And then, before she could prepare herself for what was coming, the secret was ripped out into the open.