when love lasts | wroetoshaw

twenty four

the day had been peaceful up until that moment. harry and i were finally finding our rhythm again after everything that had happened over the last few weeks. the flat was quiet, save for the occasional muttered comment from harry as he scrolled through house listings on his laptop.

when the knock came at the door, i wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary—maybe a delivery or a neighbour. harry looked up first, frowning slightly.

"you expecting anyone?" he asked.

"no," i said, drying my hands on the tea towel.

"i'll get it," he said, standing up and heading to the door.

but when he opened it, his entire posture changed. his shoulders stiffened, his easygoing expression disappeared, and his voice took on an unfamiliar sharpness.

"can i help you?"

"i'm here to see abbie," a voice replied, one i hadn't heard in years but recognized instantly.

my stomach dropped.

i stepped quickly into the hallway, and there he was—liam, standing in the doorway with his hands shoved into his pockets, wearing the same smug expression he always had.

"liam?" i said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"hey, abbie," he said, his tone casual, like this was some normal encounter. "long time no see."

harry glanced over his shoulder at me, his jaw tightening. "you know this guy?"

i swallowed hard. "yeah. he's... my ex."

harry's gaze snapped back to liam, his stance shifting slightly. "what are you doing here?"

"i just wanted to talk to abbie," liam said, glancing past harry to look at me. "is that alright?"

"no," harry said flatly.

"harry," i said softly, stepping forward. "it's fine. let me handle this."

he hesitated, his eyes flicking between me and liam, but eventually stepped aside, his expression hard.

"i'll be in the living room," he muttered, his voice low as he walked away.

i closed the door behind me, standing in the hallway with liam, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.

"what are you doing here?" i asked, keeping my voice as steady as I could.

"your mum gave me the address," he said, shrugging. "i wanted to see you. to talk."

"about what?" i snapped.

"i heard about the baby," he said, his tone almost accusatory. "and it got me thinking. we never got closure, abbie."

i stared at him, incredulous. "closure? liam, we broke up years ago."

"yeah, and you never let me explain," he said, his voice rising slightly.

"explain what?" i shot back. "the way you treated me? the way you constantly made me feel like i wasn't enough?"

his expression shifted, his smirk fading as something darker took its place. "you're being dramatic," he said. "i didn't make you feel like that. you just couldn't handle the truth."

~ flashback ~

his words brought back memories i'd tried so hard to bury.

"why do you always make everything so difficult?" liam had said, his voice cold and sharp.

we'd been standing in the kitchen of his flat, the remnants of dinner still on the counter. i'd cooked for him, hoping it would ease the tension between us, but nothing ever seemed to be enough.