Is it love?

Chapter XX - Sorry not sorry

Marcus's question cut through the air like a knife, and suddenly, everything was suspended in silence. The kind that feels louder than any argument. No one said a word. The weight of it all settled in, suffocating us. Hallie hadn't spoken. Lucy hadn't either. And Liam—he just stood there, like the ground beneath him had given way, his eyes cast down as if he couldn't bear to look anyone in the eye.

Liam finally released Lucy, stepping back, and his gaze slowly shifted to Hallie. She was sitting cross-legged on the sand, just a few feet away from me, but it felt like all eyes were on her now. She didn't move. She didn't flinch. But Lucy—God, her face. The pain etched in her expression was unbearable. She looked so...broken. Like she'd just realized something that shattered her, something she couldn't unsee. And I couldn't tell if it was Hallie's betrayal or just the fact that everything was out in the open now, laid bare for all of us to see.

Hallie, with that infuriatingly calm expression, met Marcus's gaze. "It wasn't my story to tell," she said, the words dripping from her lips with a venom that took me by surprise.

Marcus's eyes narrowed. "I can understand that," he said, stepping closer to me, his hand finding my shoulder as he locked his gaze on Hallie. "But why let Liam hate Lucy for something she didn't even know? At least apologize for that."

The weight of the accusation hung in the air, thick and suffocating. I glanced at Lucy, hoping for some kind of reaction, some sign that she was okay, but her face had gone blank. Cold. Like she'd shut down every feeling, every emotion. Like she was protecting herself from the inevitable pain.

Lucy sighed, her voice barely a whisper as she turned toward us. "It's okay, Marcus. I don't blame her. Me and Liam were never a thing. I think it wasn't mutual from the start. So why bother?" Her words were detached, her gaze distant, as if she'd already given up on any sense of closure. Like it didn't matter anymore. But I knew better. She still cared.

Hallie straightened, her eyes hardening. "You see? I'm not going to apologize for something I didn't do wrong," she shot back, her tone laced with amusement, as if the whole thing was ridiculous. She looked at Marcus with that smirk, the kind that told you she believed she was right. And nothing you said would change that.

I exchanged a glance with my brother, his face unreadable. But the tension between him and Hallie was undeniable. His gaze was intense, like he had so much to say but didn't know where to start. It wasn't just anger—it was betrayal. From his own girlfriend. And the worst part? She didn't even realize it. Or worse, she didn't care.

Then Liam spoke, his voice cutting through the tension like a whisper. "You know, Lucy, it was mutual," he said, turning to her, and for the first time, meeting her gaze head-on. "I just... didn't know what to say to take it to the next step. And then Hallie came into the picture, and things got cold between us." His voice cracked, and I could see it in him—the regret, the confusion. But he couldn't even bring himself to look her in the eyes when he said it.

Hallie flinched. For the first time, I saw her vulnerability, that flash of fear that maybe she had ruined something between them. And when she looked at Lucy, it wasn't with contempt or superiority. It was with jealousy. Pure, raw jealousy. As if she knew that no matter what she had with Liam, a part of him would always belong to Lucy.

Lucy didn't say anything. Instead, she rose to her feet, her face a mask of controlled emotions. "Excuse me for a second," she muttered, and before any of us could react, she was walking away, toward the sea.

I couldn't let her go. Not like that.

"Lucy! Wait!" I called after her, jogging to catch up, my heart racing. By the time I reached her, she had collapsed onto the sand, tears spilling down her cheeks. She was crumbling, and it broke my heart to see her like this.