31. Liam
31
LIAM
A Week Later
Life in Willow Creek doesn't stop just because we took down Vanessa Chase.
The city keeps moving. People go to work, grab their coffee, make weekend plans. Headlines flash across newsstands about the high-profile arrest, the corruption scandal unraveling in real-time, the offshore accounts now under federal investigation. But for the most part, life continues.
And maybe that's what shocks me the most.
How, after everything, the world still spins like it always has.
Vanessa is gone, her carefully constructed empire crumbling under the weight of her own deception. Cliff Reyes, in a move of poetic justice, turns into the prosecution's best friend, spilling every last one of her secrets to save himself. Andrew was pretty great, too. The files Tyler uncovered are now in the hands of the authorities, each document another nail in her coffin.
She won't be walking away from this.
But even with her gone, the fallout remains. Tyler is still deep in his investigation, tracing the loose ends she left behind—accounts under fake names, unknown associates who may still be pulling strings in the background. It's not over, not entirely.
But for the first time in months, I don't care about the loose ends.
Because for the first time in months, I know exactly where I belong.
And that's how I end up here, standing outside the Bennetts' front door, trying to remember how to breathe.
Ava nudges me with her elbow, smirking. "You look like you're about to face a firing squad."
I exhale, adjusting my grip on the bottle of wine I brought—a peace offering, though I'm not sure it'll do much good. "Dean might be worse."
She grins. "Probably."
The porch light casts a warm glow over her face, and for a second, I forget about everything else—the lingering tensions, the watchful eyes waiting inside. All I see is her. The woman who walked into my life like a storm and refused to leave, who made a home in the places I didn't think one could exist.
I reach for her hand, threading our fingers together.
She squeezes once, a silent I've got you .
And together, we step inside.
Dinner at the Bennetts' is loud, chaotic, and—admittedly—one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Dean, true to form, goes all out in the kitchen, whipping up something so damn good that even Ryan stops mid-bite to groan in appreciation.
Halfway through the meal, Ryan leans back in his chair and shoots me a smug look.
"Wild that you and Ava ended up together," he says, feigning innocence. "Did not see that coming."
Emily smirks from the corner. "Yeah, total shocker, what say, Nate?"
Nate chuckles. "I'm with you on this, Em."
Ava groans, slumping in her chair. "Oh, my God."
Dean just shakes his head. "You two are insufferable."
Ryan grins. "Please. We earned this." He turns to me. "I mean, fake dating? That's the best you could come up with?"
I sip my wine. "Seemed like a solid plan at the time."
Nate raises a brow. "And when did it stop being fake?"
Ava peeks at me through her fingers, and I smirk. "Depends who you ask."
Ryan groans. "Gross."
Laughter ripples through the table, and for the first time, I feel it. I'm not an outsider anymore.
Even Dean, who has spent most of the evening watching me with his usual unreadable expression, finally exhales, shaking his head as he reaches for another serving.
It's subtle, but I catch it.
A silent you did good .
I nod back.
And just like that, I know we're okay.
Later that night, after dinner has turned into drinks and old stories, I pull Ava outside.
The back yard is quiet, wrapped in the soft glow of string lights draped across the trees. The air is cool, crisp, carrying the scents of pine and earth. The old wooden swing, the one she once mentioned, the one she spent summers on as a kid, sways gently in the breeze.
Ava sighs, running a hand through her hair. "This feels weird."
I tilt my head. "Weird?"
She smiles, turning toward me. "Good weird. Like… I don't know. Like I can finally breathe."
I step closer, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "So breathe, Bennett."
She does.
I watch her close her eyes, tilt her face up toward the sky, take a slow inhale like she's finally letting go of everything that's weighed her down.
When she opens her eyes again, they shine.
I take her hand, guiding her to the swing. She sits, and I stay in front of her, hands bracing the ropes on either side of her.
"For the past week," I say, my voice steady, "I've been thinking about everything that happened."
I exhale, tightening my grip on the rope. "You know, for a long time, I thought I was better off alone. That if I didn't let anyone in, if I didn't get attached, then no one could hurt me."
Her smile softens, her fingers brushing against my arm.
"But you?" I murmur, watching her, watching the way she looks at me like I'm something worth holding onto. "You ruined that."
Ava tilts her head, teasing. "Wow. Romantic."
I laugh. "Shut up."
Then, softer, "I mean it."
I cup her face, my thumb tracing her cheekbone. "You're not just my partner, Ava. You're my everything."
Her breath catches.
I can feel the way her heartbeat picks up, the way her hands tighten around mine, the way her entire body melts into mine like it knows. Like it's always known.
And then, she's kissing me.
Slow, deep, sure.
There's no hesitation anymore. No fear.
Just us.
When we finally pull apart, she leans her forehead against mine, exhaling a quiet, breathy laugh.
"You know," she murmurs, "falling for you was the biggest risk I've ever taken."
I grin, brushing a kiss to her forehead.
"Good thing I'm worth it."
Ava laughs, wrapping her arms around my neck, and I know this is it.
This is home.
And I'm never letting it go.