Sunny #2
“You know what scares me most?” Sunny asked, staring into the flames rather than at him. “It’s not that you might hurt me again, though that terrifies me too. It’s that I might not be what they need — what you need — in the long run.”
“Sunny—” Liam began, but she held up a hand, stopping him.
“Please. Let me get this out.” She took a deep breath, the firelight reflecting in her eyes.
“I’ve spent my life being temporary. The girl who passes through.
The one who doesn’t stay. And just when I thought I’d found a place to belong, it all fell apart.
What if that’s just… who I am? What if I’m not meant to be permanent in anyone’s life? ”
The vulnerability in her voice, the deep-seated insecurity laid bare — it was the core of her fear, exposed in the flickering darkness.
Liam shifted closer, not touching her but close enough that she could feel the warmth of him. “You’re not temporary, Sunny. You never were. What happened between us wasn’t because you weren’t enough. It was because I was scared. Because I let my fears override what I knew in my heart was right.”
Sunny glanced over at the stuffed bear, now sitting on the coffee table. “She stole her sister’s most precious possession,” she murmured. “Kate’s last gift.”
“She did,” Liam confirmed, following her gaze. “That’s how much you mean to her, Sunny. How much you mean to all of us.”
The realization settled over Sunny like a warm blanket — she was loved. Truly, deeply loved by this small, broken, beautiful family. Despite all her fears, despite her history of rejection, despite the pain of their recent separation — she was loved.
Outside, the storm continued to rage, wind howling around the corners of the cabin, rain pelting the windows in sheets.
But inside, beside the crackling fire, a different kind of storm was calming — the turmoil in Sunny’s heart gradually giving way to something else.
Not certainty, not yet. But possibility.
“I need time,” she said finally, turning to face Liam fully.
“Not to decide if I love you — I do, Liam. I love you so much it terrifies me.” Her hands twisted in her lap, fingers interlacing and separating in a nervous rhythm.
“But I need to believe this is real. That we’re both stepping into this with our eyes open.
That when the next challenge comes — and it will come — we don’t break apart. ”
Rather than disappointment, relief washed over Liam’s face. “Time,” he repeated, nodding slowly. “I can give you time. As much as you need.”
“But,” Sunny continued, a small smile forming despite the gravity of the moment, “I think I’d like to come back.
Not to pick up exactly where we left off.
Not because everything is magically fixed.
” Her smile faltered slightly, uncertainty creeping back in.
“But because those girls deserve better than what we’ve given them. ”
Hope blazed in Liam’s eyes, so bright it was almost painful to witness. “Really?” he asked, his voice low, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile moment.
“Really,” Sunny confirmed, her own heart lightening as she spoke. “Because running away hasn’t solved anything.”
Liam reached for her hand, his movements slow and deliberate, giving her every opportunity to pull away. When she didn’t, he enfolded her fingers in his much larger ones, the familiar calluses of his palm rough against her skin.
“That’s all I ask,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “A chance. To earn back your trust. To be the man you deserve.”
Thunder rumbled again, but farther away now, the storm beginning to move past them. Through the window, Sunny could see breaks in the clouds, patches of night sky beginning to emerge, a few stars twinkling defiantly through the remaining haze.
“The storm’s passing,” she observed, feeling the symbolism of the moment.
Liam followed her gaze to the window. “It is,” he agreed softly. “But we don’t have to leave tonight. We could wait until morning. Head back when the roads are safer.”
The suggestion wasn’t presumptuous — just practical, considerate. Still, Sunny felt a flutter of nervousness at the thought of spending the night in this small cabin with Liam, with so much still unresolved between them.
“That makes sense,” she agreed carefully. “The sofa pulls out into a bed. You can take the bedroom.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Liam’s face, quickly masked. “Of course,” he said, squeezing her hand lightly before releasing it. “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
Sunny stood, needing movement, needing to process the whirlwind of emotions the evening had brought. “I should see what I can salvage of dinner. Power outage or not, we still need to eat.”
“I’ll get the fire going stronger,” Liam offered, rising as well. “We can cook over it if necessary.”
As they moved back into their earlier rhythm, Sunny felt something shift inside her. For the first time in five days, she felt something beyond pain and loneliness.
She felt hope.
And for tonight, in this small cabin by the lake, with the storm receding and the stars beginning to emerge, that was enough.