The days following their confrontation were a blur of silence and distance. Liam couldn't look at her the same way. Every time their eyes met, there was a storm brewing behind his gaze, a mixture of anger, hurt, and confusion.
Hazel felt like she was drowning in guilt and sadness, unable to make him understand. She wasn't some vengeful woman trying to get back at Oliver. She had truly fallen for Liam, in ways she hadn't even known were possible. But how could she convince him of that when all he could see was the shadow of his brother lingering between them?
She tried to talk to him, but every conversation ended in a fight.
"You used me, Hazel," Liam accused one night, his voice shaking with emotion. "You're using me to get back at Oliver."
"No! I swear, Liam, it's not like that. I never wanted to hurt you."
"But you did!" he shouted. "You hurt me, Hazel. You hurt both of us."
His words hit her like a blow to the chest, and Hazel felt her heart breaking all over again. How could she fix this? How could she make him believe that her love for him was real?
But deep down, she knew it didn't matter. The damage was done. No matter how much she loved him, no matter how much she wanted to be with him, the ghost of Oliver would always stand between them.