Incision of the Heart ✓

Chapter 26: Breaking the Boundaries

The days blurred into one another like a string of fading memories, each one melding into the next as Emily fought to maintain her composure.

She couldn’t allow herself to become distracted by Liam, not with everything else at stake.

The pressure of being a premed student at Harvard, shadowing at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world—it was a delicate balancing act, and one she was determined to manage without getting pulled into the whirlwind of emotions Liam stirred in her.

But the closer she got to him, the harder it became to pretend like nothing was happening.

The sharp, biting tension between them was undeniable.

Every encounter, whether it was in the hallway, the lecture hall, or the operating room, left her feeling unsettled, like an itch she couldn’t scratch.

This morning, as she sat at the edge of the hospital rooftop, Emily found herself staring out at the skyline of Baltimore, the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders.

It was early, and most of the hospital was still waking up, but Emily had always been an early riser.

She needed this quiet time to collect her thoughts, to clear her mind before the chaos of the day began.

Liam had been on her mind all night. The conversation they had in the hallway had left her reeling, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to change—something bigger than either of them could control.

But she didn’t want to face it.

Not now.

Not when her future was so close, so within reach.

She rubbed her eyes, her fingers brushing the cool metal of the railing.

As she leaned forward, letting the early morning breeze hit her face, she heard the soft crunch of footsteps behind her.

Her heart skipped in her chest.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

"Emily," Liam’s voice was low, almost hesitant, as he approached her on the rooftop. “I didn’t expect to find you up here.”

She didn’t respond right away, not sure what to say.

She could feel the tension between them, thick and heavy, but she didn’t want to break the silence. Not when the words between them had been so carefully guarded lately.

Instead, she kept her eyes focused on the horizon, pretending like she wasn’t aware of how much his presence affected her.

Liam hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “I’ve been thinking about what you said… about not being ready. And I get it, I do. But I can’t keep pretending like this—like what’s happening between us isn’t real. I don’t know how to let go of it.”

Emily’s heart stuttered in her chest.

She felt exposed, like he had somehow peeled back the layers she had so carefully built around herself.

"Liam, I…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say. Her mind was racing, her thoughts tangled in a web of confusion.

She wanted to tell him everything, but she didn’t know how.

She didn’t know if she was ready for the vulnerability that came with it.

But Liam wasn’t giving up that easily.

He stepped closer, closing the distance between them until he was standing right next to her, his presence overwhelming in a way that made her heart race.

She could feel the heat of his body, the intensity of his gaze on her, and despite herself, she felt the pull of him like gravity.

“I get it, Emily,” he said again, softer this time, his voice almost a whisper. “You don’t want to let go. You don’t want to let someone in. You’ve been doing this on your own for so long, and I respect that. But I’m not asking you to forget who you are. I’m just asking you to let me in. To let me be a part of this—whatever this is.”

The words hung in the air between them, the weight of them sinking deep into her chest.

He wasn’t asking for her to change, but he was asking for something that terrified her. Something she had spent her entire life avoiding.

She turned her head slightly to look at him, her eyes meeting his with a mixture of uncertainty and something else—something she wasn’t ready to name. “And what happens if I let you in, Liam? What if I give you a piece of me, and it’s not enough? What if you walk away, and I’m left with nothing?”

Liam’s expression softened, and for the first time, she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the fear that mirrored her own. “Emily, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to walk away. But I can’t keep pretending like we’re just enemies—like nothing matters between us. Because it does. It does.”

The words hit her like a wave, crashing over her with an intensity that took her breath away.

She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to respond. All she knew was that standing here, with him so close, with the truth hanging between them, she couldn’t deny it anymore. She felt it too. The pull. The connection. The need.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Liam,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “I don’t know if I can give you what you want. I don’t know if I can open myself up to you—not when everything I’ve worked for is on the line.”

Liam reached out, his hand brushing hers. The simple contact sent a jolt through her body, and for a brief moment, Emily allowed herself to relax into the touch. She didn’t pull away. She didn’t try to shield herself from the warmth of his hand, the raw honesty in his touch.

“You don’t have to decide right now,” he said, his voice low and steady. “But just know that I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you tell me to.”

The weight of his words settled over her, and Emily closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself breathe.

The turmoil inside her chest, the tightness that had been there for so long, finally started to loosen. Maybe it wasn’t a mistake. Maybe they weren’t a mistake.

She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze again, this time without the walls she had so carefully built around herself. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this, Liam,” she admitted softly, “but I think… I think I’m willing to see where fate leads us to.”

Liam’s expression softened, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Emily felt like she could breathe again.

It wasn’t going to be easy, and it wasn’t going to be without its challenges, but maybe—just maybe—they could figure it out together.

And that thought, the idea of being vulnerable, of allowing herself to feel, was terrifying in its own right.

But for the first time in a long time, it didn’t feel like a burden.

It felt like the start of something new.