Rain whispered against the café windows as Aria sat tucked into a corner booth, her fingers curled around a cooling cup of tea. The clock ticked past noon, and still, Liam hadn't arrived.

Each minute stretched thin with dread. Every face that entered the café made her flinch. She told herself she shouldn't be here; that meeting him again after what happened was reckless, but her heart refused logic.

When the door finally opened, Liam stepped inside, raindrops clinging to his dark hair, his ...