Hearts on the Run

Confrontation

The motel room felt even smaller the next morning, as the quiet between Mia and Liam thickened like a heavy fog. Mia sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the threadbare carpet, her mind racing with a dozen thoughts she couldn't seem to untangle. Across from her, Liam leaned against the door, arms crossed, watching her but not saying a word. They had spent the night in a tense silence after their conversation, and now, everything felt on the verge of breaking.

She didn't know how they had gotten here. The tension between them had been building ever since that kiss, but last night had pushed it further. Their words lingered in the air, unresolved, unspoken, and Mia felt like she was suffocating under the weight of everything left unsaid.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Why do you do that?" she asked abruptly, her voice harsher than she intended.

Liam blinked, his expression shifting from confusion to wariness. "Do what?"

"Hide," Mia said, standing up. "Every time something real happens, you crack a joke, or you shrug it off like it doesn't matter. Why can't you just be honest?"

Liam straightened, his brow furrowing. "What are you talking about?"

Mia threw her hands up in frustration. "I'm talking about you! Every time we get close, you pull back. You laugh things off like none of it matters. It's like you're afraid to let anyone see the real you."

Liam's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. "You don't know what you're talking about, Mia."

"I think I do," Mia snapped. She took a step closer, her frustration bubbling over. "I see it every time you make one of those stupid jokes to deflect. You act like nothing bothers you, like you're just floating through life without a care, but I know that's not true. You're hiding behind all of it, and I'm tired of pretending like I don't see it."

Liam's expression darkened, his posture stiffening. "I'm not hiding anything."

"Yes, you are!" Mia's voice rose, her heart pounding in her chest. "You've been hiding since the moment we met. I've been open with you, I've let you in, but you won't do the same. You keep putting up these walls, and I don't understand why."

Liam scoffed, his arms dropping to his sides. "You think you've let me in? You've done nothing but push me away since we kissed! You're scared of trusting anyone after what your ex did to you, and now you're blaming me because I'm not spilling my guts to you?"

Mia flinched at the mention of her ex, her anger flaring. "Don't you dare bring him into this. This has nothing to do with him."

"Oh, it has everything to do with him," Liam shot back, his voice sharp. "You think I haven't noticed how you've been pulling away? You think I'm blind? Ever since that kiss, you've been building up walls, and now you're trying to put it all on me because it's easier than admitting that you're scared."

Mia's breath caught in her throat, her hands trembling. "I'm not scared."

"Yes, you are," Liam said, his voice softer but no less intense. "You're terrified. And I get it, Mia. I do. You've been hurt, and you don't want to go through that again. But you're never going to move forward if you keep running from it."

Mia clenched her fists, anger and hurt swirling inside her. "You don't understand," she whispered, her voice shaking. "You don't know what it's like to have someone tear you apart like that. To make you feel worthless."

Liam's expression softened, but his eyes were still hard. "No, I don't know what that's like. But I know what it's like to ruin your own life. To make one mistake and watch everything you worked for fall apart. You think I'm hiding? Maybe I am. But I'm not the only one."

Mia felt her throat tighten, her emotions threatening to spill over. She didn't want to cry. Not now. Not in front of him.

Liam's voice was quieter now, but no less pointed. "You're scared to trust, and I'm scared to fail again. We both have our demons, Mia. But you can't keep using yours as an excuse to push people away."

Mia's chest tightened, and for a moment, she felt like she couldn't breathe. Everything he was saying hit too close to home, but she wasn't ready to admit it. She didn't want to face the truth—that he was right, that she had been pulling away because she was scared of getting hurt again.

"I'm not pushing you away," she said, though the words felt hollow even as she spoke them.

"Yes, you are," Liam said, stepping closer to her. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "You're pushing me away because you're scared. And I get it. I do. But you can't keep running from this, Mia. At some point, you have to stop."

Mia shook her head, her vision blurring with unshed tears. "It's not that simple."

"It is that simple," Liam said firmly. "You either trust me, or you don't. You either let me in, or you don't. But you can't keep stringing me along, pretending like you want something more and then pulling away every time it gets too real."

Mia's heart pounded in her chest, her emotions swirling like a storm inside her. She wanted to yell at him, to tell him he was wrong, but she couldn't. Because deep down, she knew he wasn't.

She had been pushing him away. Ever since that kiss, she had been retreating, afraid of what it meant to let herself care about someone again. She had been so focused on protecting herself from getting hurt that she hadn't even realized she was hurting him in the process.

Liam took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. "I like you, Mia. I've liked you since the moment we met. But I'm not going to keep chasing you if you're just going to keep running. I can't do that."

Mia swallowed hard, her throat burning with unshed tears. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell him she liked him too, that she didn't want to push him away, but the words wouldn't come. All she could think about was how scared she was of getting hurt again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't want your apology, Mia. I just want you to be honest with me. If you don't want this—if you don't want me—then just say it."

Mia's chest ached as she looked up at him, the weight of his words crashing down on her. She didn't want to lose him. She didn't want to walk away from whatever this was between them. But the fear was still there, gnawing at her, telling her it was safer to keep her distance.

"I do want you," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm just... scared."

Liam's expression softened, and he stepped closer, reaching out to gently cup her face in his hands. "I know. But I'm not him, Mia. I'm not going to hurt you like he did."

Mia closed her eyes, leaning into his touch as the tears finally spilled over. She had been holding on to her fear for so long, letting it control her, but in this moment, she realized that if she didn't let it go, she was going to lose something—someone—she truly cared about.

"I'm trying," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Liam nodded, his thumb gently brushing away her tears. "I know. And I'll be here while you figure it out. But you have to let me in, Mia. You can't keep shutting me out."

Mia opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. For the first time in a long time, she felt like maybe—just maybe—she could let someone in. That she could trust Liam, even if it terrified her.

"I'll try," she said, her voice steadier now. "I promise."

Liam smiled softly, and for the first time since the accident, the tension between them seemed to ease. The air felt lighter, the fog of uncertainty lifting just a little. They weren't fixed—not by a long shot—but maybe they didn't need to be. Maybe, for now, it was enough to just try.

As they stood there, the silence between them no longer felt so suffocating. It felt like the beginning of something—something real, something worth fighting for.