When Gratitude Turns Bitter

pening and closing broke the

plate of food in front of her, cold

osening his tie. He glanced at her,

r you," she said,

oward the stairs. "Don't bothe

words made her flinch. "Yo

ed, an annoyed expression on his face.

d slightly under the table. He used to be hers. Even

d. "Sophia is going to be living here soon. I expect

breathe. He wanted her to welcome the woman who had ta

e barely a whisper. The formal

sture and the pale, defeated look on her face. A flicker of something, maybe guilt,

nt upstairs with

orced a few bites into her mouth. The food was tasteless,

en. She curled into a ball on her bed, a low groan esca

en. Liam stood there, his face etch

could barely speak, only man

d, already moving to help her up. He pulled hi

inst the waves of pain, a tiny spark of hope ignitin

through the pain. Bu

he phone. It was Sophia. Her voice was faint but laced wit

y again, but his expression had changed. The con

to go. Soph

d. "But... you said you were

ively. "You're always so dramatic. Sophia

isy. A minor car accident ver

u," he offered, as if t

d tasting like ash. "It

run into a burning building for her was gone

rstanding. "You're not a kid anymore, Ava. It's good

ound of his car speeding away. The tears she had been hol

in pain, with no way to call for help. She tried to stand, to get to the land

strange, floating sensation taking over. Maybe

the pain had subsided, leaving a dull ache. She felt

am and Sophia. They were standing by the pharmacy window. Liam had his arm around Sophia's

heart a dead weight in her chest. Then,

her voice calm and

shed the moment he saw her. Hi

"I thought I told you to come last night. Or

hitched. "I..

h, Liam, don't be so harsh. Ava, you should have called him

perfectly delivered, it alm

hard and unforgiving. He looked at her like she was a nuisance, a

here, and gave up. There was no point in

ooking down at the floor

n his eyes. He was used to her fighting back,

he had becom

if to check her f

avoiding his touch as if it wer

ment," she said, her voice f

er back straight, her steps m

Something was wrong. It felt like he was watching a str

then another, ca

fter now. "Are you really oka

was surprised by the flicker of genuine

you for everything he had ever done for her, for the years he had raised her. It was