Fleeing the Moment

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The soft glow of the twilight sky faded into deep shades of purple and blue as Mia and Liam resumed their drive. The kiss still lingered on Mia's lips like a spark she couldn't shake off, but instead of warmth, she felt the cold weight of fear settling in her chest. Vulnerability crept up on her like an uninvited guest, and her mind raced with the potential for heartbreak. She had let Liam in—just for a second—and now the urge to retreat, to protect herself, was overwhelming.

She had no idea why she kissed him back. Or maybe she did, and that was the problem. She liked him. He was funny, surprisingly kind, and after the moments they had shared together, she could see he was just as broken as she was. But that kiss—it was dangerous. It was a step toward something she wasn't ready for, something that could end in more pain.

Her heart was already fragile, a mosaic of cracks from her last relationship. She wasn't sure it could take another hit.

Liam's words replayed in her head: "I do know I care about you, Mia. And that scares the hell out of me."

He cared about her. That terrified her more than anything because she knew what caring led to—attachment, trust, and eventually, betrayal or disappointment. That's how it had always gone. She had trusted her ex once, given her heart over freely, and he'd crushed it. The idea of doing that all over again made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

Mia glanced at Liam out of the corner of her eye. His expression was unreadable, but she knew he could sense her pulling away. She could feel it herself, a wall rising between them, invisible but solid. It was the only thing she could think to do—put up her defenses before it was too late.

The silence in the car was different now. It wasn't just the absence of sound; it was thick and heavy, filled with words they both weren't saying. Unspoken feelings hung in the air, making the space between them feel smaller and suffocating.

Liam hadn't said much since they got back on the road. His hands were loose on the wheel, his eyes focused ahead, but Mia knew he wasn't as calm as he seemed. He was giving her space, and for that, she was grateful, even though it only made her feel worse. She knew he deserved more than her retreating into her shell, but the fear of what could happen if she didn't pull back was too great.

She didn't trust herself to speak. The words would come out wrong or too raw, and she didn't want to deal with that. Not now. So she stared out the window, watching the darkness creep over the landscape, hoping that the miles would somehow provide enough distance between her and her emotions.

But no matter how far they drove, she couldn't escape the thoughts swirling in her mind. The kiss had felt so natural, so right in the moment, and now she was running from it like it was the worst mistake she'd ever made. It wasn't fair—to her or to Liam—but she didn't know how to face it. She didn't know how to let herself be vulnerable again.

Eventually, the tension became too much. She shifted in her seat, pulling her jacket tighter around her even though the night wasn't that cold. Liam glanced at her briefly, his eyes full of questions he didn't ask. His silence was almost unbearable, but at the same time, Mia was relieved he wasn't pushing. She wouldn't know how to answer if he did.

Instead, she tried to distract herself. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, hoping for something—anything—that would take her mind off the kiss. A new text flashed on the screen from her ex.

Her heart sank. She hadn't heard from him in weeks, not since she left, and seeing his name on the screen felt like a punch to the gut. Against her better judgment, she opened the message.

We need to talk. You can't keep avoiding me forever.

A knot tightened in her stomach. Even though she had left, even though she had vowed never to speak to him again, he still found a way to pull her back in. She didn't owe him anything—least of all a conversation. But part of her felt the familiar tug of obligation, the same feeling that had kept her in that toxic relationship for far too long.

Mia swallowed hard and locked her phone, not wanting to deal with the flood of emotions the message stirred up. But it was too late. The familiar fear, the doubt, the sense that maybe she was the problem after all—it was all there, bubbling just beneath the surface.

Liam must have sensed something shift in her because he finally spoke, his voice low and careful. "Everything okay?"

Mia nodded quickly, not trusting herself to answer. She couldn't let him see her like this, not after everything they had just shared. She couldn't let him see how messed up she still was, how much her ex still had control over her even from miles away.

Liam didn't push, but she could feel his concern hanging in the air between them. He was giving her space, but that didn't make the weight of her silence any easier to bear.

They drove for another hour in near silence, the hum of the engine the only sound breaking the tension. Mia's mind raced, bouncing between her ex's message, the kiss, and her fear of getting too close to Liam. She couldn't seem to escape the whirlwind of emotions, and it was exhausting.

Finally, she spoke, her voice quieter than she intended. "I'm sorry."

Liam glanced at her, surprised. "For what?"

"For... for pulling away. For being all over the place." She kept her gaze fixed on the road ahead, unable to look at him. "It's just... a lot."

"I get it," he said softly. "You don't have to explain."

Mia closed her eyes for a moment, grateful for his understanding but also frustrated with herself. She didn't want to be this person—the one who couldn't just let herself feel something without retreating into fear. But after everything that had happened with her ex, she didn't know how to be any other way.

"It's not you," she said after a long pause. "It's me. I just... I don't know how to do this anymore. I don't know how to let someone in without being terrified of getting hurt."

Liam didn't respond right away, but when he did, his voice was soft, almost tender. "I know. I'm scared too."

His words hit her harder than she expected. She turned to look at him, surprised to see the vulnerability in his expression. He wasn't just saying it to make her feel better. He meant it.

"I think we're both a little messed up," he added with a half-smile. "But that doesn't mean we can't figure it out."

Mia's heart ached at the sincerity in his voice. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that they could find a way through the mess of emotions they were both dealing with. But the fear was still there, lurking beneath the surface, whispering that it was safer to keep her distance.

"I don't know if I can," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Liam nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "That's okay. I'm not asking you to have it all figured out. I'm just saying... I'm here. And I'm not going to push you."

Mia felt a lump form in her throat at his words. She didn't deserve this—his patience, his kindness. But the fact that he was giving it to her anyway made her want to cry.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Liam gave her a small smile, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, he turned his attention back to the road, the silence settling between them once again. But this time, it wasn't as heavy. It wasn't filled with the same tension and uncertainty.

They drove on through the night, the road stretching out before them, and Mia couldn't help but wonder if maybe—just maybe—there was a way forward after all.

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