Later that afternoon, Liam found Nova alone in the break room, her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee as she stared blankly at the wall, her posture was tense, her jaw clenched as though she were bracing herself for something.
Liam hesitated at the doorway, debating whether to walk away or confront the storm head-on, he stepped inside, his voice breaking the silence. "So, this is it? You're backing out of the tour?"
Nova didn't look up, her fingers tightening around the cup. "I already told management, they're fine with it."
"That's not what I'm asking," Liam said sharply, his frustration rising. "Why are you really doing this?"
She sighed, finally setting the cup down. "I just think it's better if I don't go, I need a break."
"Better for who?" he demanded, stepping closer.
She glanced at him, her expression guarded. "For everyone and for me especially."
"That's not an answer," he said, his voice low and cutting.
Nova's gaze met his for a fleeting moment before she looked away. "What answer are you looking for? Tell me… Actually, it doesn't matter because I made my decision."
His jaw tightened as he closed the distance between them. "It does matter, so stop running and just say it... this is about what happened between us."
She flinched, but her voice was steady when she replied, "What happened between us was a mistake, it shouldn't have happened and it won't happen again."
Her words were like a slap to the face, but Liam refused to back down. "Don't give me that, you kissed me, Nova… you didn't pull away, don't stand there and pretend it didn't mean anything."
Her voice rose, sharp and trembling. "It didn't mean anything, Liam! It was a stupid, impulsive mistake... one that I regret."
His eyes darkened, anger flickering to the surface. "You're lying, I know you're lying."
"Don't do this," she pleaded, her voice cracking.
"No," he snapped, his voice rising. "You don't get to decide how I feel, I know what I felt, Nova, and I know you felt it too."
She threw her hands up, exasperated. "You don't know me, Liam! You've only seen me here, in this building, for the past few weeks, that doesn't mean you know me."
His mouth opened to argue, but she pushed forward, her words tumbling out like a flood. "I've watched you for years, followed your career, I had a crush on you, okay? But this..." She gestured between them, her voice breaking. "This isn't right, I made a mistake trying to get close to you, it's not what I thought it would be."
Liam's expression shifted, his anger giving way to something raw and uncertain. "What are you saying?" he asked softly.
"I'm saying," she said, her voice trembling, "That this... whatever this is... will only hurt us, thinking about what happened between us will ruin us, Liam, curiosity will ruin us, we can't keep going in circles, talking about the same thing."
Her tears spilled over as she spoke, and she hastily wiped them away. "It's not like doing what we want will make us happy, sometimes curiosity only leads to pain, it hurts others… It ruins the people we care about, so don't try so hard to figure this out."
"Then why are you doing this?" Liam asked, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. "You're acting like I did something wrong, like I'm some kind of bad person."
Nova shook her head, her tears falling freely now. "No, you're not a bad person Liam, I'm doing this to clear my head, Liam, to move on, to forget what happened between us." Her voice softened as she gave him a small, trembling smile. "And you should too."
"What if it happens again? What if I kiss you again?" He looked at her, but there was no answer. "Will you push me away? Will you bite me? Will you stop me? Or will you kill me?"
"I won't let it happen, whether in my dreams or in this life," she said, meaning it.
"I don't love Eva, I've been with her because I was scared of being alone… and that is the mistake I regret, But thinking of you, starting to love you… is not something I'm scared of, It's something I want to embrace, something I want to hold onto forever… So please, stop pushing me away. Stop thinking about others and think about yourself."
By the time he finished speaking, he was already close to her. Nova was lost in his eyes and his words, her mind racing. What will I do? What is going on? Why can't I deny him? Why am I so obsessed with him?
He cupped her face with his hands and slowly leaned closer, looking into her eyes. She didn't move, she just stared at him, staying still, betraying her own words and boundaries. He kissed her tears away, slowly, passionately, lovingly.
"Just let us see where this is taking us… please," Liam said after he finished wiping her tears.
Liam began to step away, increasing the distance between them, but Nova wasn't ready to be apart from him, he was already all over her mind, for a moment, she forgot everything… her fears, her insecurities.
She grabbed Liam's face and pressed her lips against his, it surprised him; he hadn't expected it. It took him a few seconds to process what was happening, when Nova started to pull away, thinking she might have done something wrong, Liam held her back, deepening the kiss. It was passionate enough to steal their breath away. She couldn't get enough, she wanted more and more as it grew increasingly intimate.
Her fingers slid to his neck and into his hair, tangling there. Liam cupped her face, guiding her back against the wall, his hands moving from her neck to her waist, roaming slowly. When they could no longer breathe, Liam finally pulled away.
He stared at her, stunned into silence. His chest heaved with unspoken words, his frustration, hurt, and confusion swirling together in a storm he couldn't contain. But before he could say anything, Nova brushed past him, her footsteps hurried as she fled the room. He didn't turn to watch her go. Instead, he stood frozen, her words echoing in his mind like a cruel refrain.
"To forget what happened between us, how can I forget after this kiss we just had… if she wants to forget everything why did she kiss me?" Liam clenched his fists, his jaw tightening, forgetting was the last thing he wanted.
*****
The next day, Nova didn't know how to confront Liam or talk about what had happened. She just kept walking around, trying to act like everything was fine. She avoided him all day, until it was time to leave.
They met in the elevator, Nova was relieved, thinking the day was finally over but just as the doors were about to close, Liam was about to step in. When he saw her, he paused and waved for her to go first instead.
"It's okay, just go ahead… I'm not in a hurry," he said, then went back to his phone.
He had noticed that Nova was avoiding him and wanted to give her space, but she suddenly stopped the elevator and let him in, he wasn't expecting that from her, especially after what had happened, but he stepped inside.
"I thought you were avoiding me today," Liam said. "Did I misread you?"
Nova looked at him and smiled awkwardly. "No, you didn't misread me… but I wasn't doing it on purpose."
Liam turned toward her again, smirking. "So what was that about? Are you shy, maybe? Is it about yesterday?" he asked teasingly.
"Liam, stop," she said shyly, laughing and covering her face. "Honestly, it might be because of yesterday, but it's not like what you think."
"If it's not what I think, then what is it about?" he asked, serious this time.
She looked at him, and then turned away. "Liam, you were right about everything you said yesterday… but I'm not, I just…" She looked at him again. "I'm not the kind of girl who fools around with someone else's man especially my boss, I don't feel good about what I did, but…"
"If that's the case, then should I break up with Eva? Or should I fire you so I won't be your boss anymore?" he said, looking at her.
She stared at him, confused. "Liam, this isn't the time to joke around, you know?"
He smiled and suddenly stopped the elevator.
"What are you doing?" Nova asked nervously.
"Don't worry, I'm not doing anything to you… we're just talking," Liam said, keeping some distance between them. "Nova, if you think I can't love you just because of whatever fucking reason you have… you might be wrong, I don't mind breaking up with Eva for you, and I would never do anything that might hurt you, I understand what you're thinking, and I respect it"
He looked at her eyes then proceeded "That's why I want to get to know you first, I want to give you the space you need until you feel its right to be with me. I won't push you into anything… just be free to do whatever you want."
He looked at her with a smile mixed with sadness, the kind of smile that feels like a goodbye. Then he continued, "If you don't want to go on the tour, that's okay, I'll allow it… even though I would've enjoyed traveling with you, but it's fine… I won't die because of it." He smiled after saying that.
"Liam…" She said only his name, staring at him.
"But I have one request," he said, looking at her gently. "Please don't run away from me, don't be distant, pretend I never said anything, and let us just be friends I'd really appreciate that."
Nova looked at him, smiled, and then hugged him. "Thank you."
Liam didn't expect it, but he hugged her back, burying her face against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back slowly, it was the kind of hug that made them forget almost everything around them.