Mia's POV
The city lights blurred into streaks through the rain as I walked beside Ace, our hands occasionally brushing, a silent tether holding me steady. My chest still throbbed from the adrenaline, from the confession, from the kiss that had finally broken the dam inside me.
But the storm wasn't over.
Liam.
The thought of him gnawed at my nerves. I knew he wasn't gone. I knew he wouldn't vanish without a fight. I knew that, sooner or later, he would try to reach me again, to remind me of the past, to tempt me with nostalgia, with regret, with love I had once felt.
And yet… walking beside Ace, feeling the steady warmth of him, the way his hand brushed against mine deliberately without forcing closeness, I realized something.
I didn't want to run anymore.
Not from Ace. Not from myself.
We reached the small café where Lily and James had insisted we meet to "reintroduce normalcy," and the sight of them waiting there, slightly damp from the rain but grinning like idiots, made me want to laugh despite everything.
"Look at you two," Lily said, standing and clapping both hands together. "So wet. So dramatic. It's like watching a soap opera with extra water effects."
James raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought this was supposed to be a serious intervention. You're making jokes?"
"I'm always making jokes," Lily said, smirking. "Besides, someone has to lighten the emotional weight of this apocalypse you two are living in."
I laughed softly, the sound mingling with the drizzle. Ace's lips quirked in the slightest smile, and I felt my chest warm.
Before I could settle, Liam's voice called from across the street.
"Mia!"
My stomach twisted.
I turned. He was there, drenched, soaked through to the bone, and yet he stood tall, determined, eyes fixed on me.
Ace's body stiffened beside me. He didn't speak, didn't move, just gave me a look that said stay close, don't leave my side.
I swallowed hard. Lily and James exchanged a glance.
I had to face him.
Liam walked closer, voice steady despite the drizzle. "Mia… please. Just hear me out. I promise I'm not going to hurt you. I just—"
Ace's hand found mine and squeezed. "Mia," he said softly, his voice a warning and a comfort all at once. "Are you ready for this?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes."
Liam's eyes softened, a flicker of relief in them. "Thank you."
He stepped closer, but Ace subtly shifted, his presence a silent wall. Liam flinched slightly, then nodded. "I… I know I hurt you. I know I left, and I can't take that back. I can't erase the pain I caused. But I've spent years regretting it, thinking about you, wondering if I'd ever see you again, if you'd forgive me… if you'd even want me back."
I swallowed. My chest felt like it would split.
"I never stopped loving you, Mia. I don't expect anything. I just…" His gaze flicked briefly to Ace, then back to me. "…I needed you to know. I needed you to hear me. Because even if you never feel the same, even if it's too late… I needed to be honest. I needed to face it."
Ace's jaw tightened. "And now that you've said it… what do you want from her?"
Liam's expression faltered. "Nothing. I just… I wanted the truth out there. So she knows."
I felt a strange, bittersweet relief at his words. Relief mixed with lingering confusion. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to step back. I wanted to scream.
Ace's hand on mine tightened, almost protective. "She doesn't need you right now," he said quietly. "She has me. She's not obligated to you—or anyone—ever again."
"I know," Liam whispered, eyes dropping. "I just… I needed to say it."
I stepped forward, raising my voice so both men could hear. "Liam. I… I forgive you. For everything. But we are… friends. That's all. I can't go back to what we had. I can't. I won't. But I forgive you."
Liam's shoulders slumped, but there was a faint smile, tinged with sadness. "Friends," he said softly. "Okay. I can do that. Thank you. Truly. Thank you."
Ace exhaled slowly, visibly relaxing. I finally realized the tension coiled in his shoulders since the moment Liam appeared was easing.
I turned to him. "And you," I whispered. "I'm here. With you."
His lips curved in a soft smile, eyes dark and full of emotion. "I know," he murmured. "And I've waited for this. I've waited for you to stop running from yourself—and from me. And I will wait for as long as it takes. You don't have to choose now. You don't have to decide everything in this moment. But I want you to know… I'm not going anywhere."
And in that moment, standing in the rain, with Lily and James cheering quietly from the sidelines, I realized the full weight of my heart.
It belonged to Ace.
Liam had been my past, my first heartbreak, my nostalgia. But Ace… Ace was steady. Ace was real. Ace had been there for me when I was broken. Ace had waited. Ace had never left.
I reached out, taking his hand firmly. "I… I choose you."
Ace's lips twitched into a smile that made something inside me melt. "And I choose you, Mia. Always."
Lily clapped her hands. "Finally. Took you two long enough."
James grinned. "Welcome to adulthood. It only took three years of chaos to get here."
I laughed softly, letting the relief wash over me. The storm inside me was quieting. Liam stood a few steps away, nodding at me with understanding, finally accepting his place as my friend, my past, my chapter that had closed.
I didn't feel guilty. I didn't feel torn. Not anymore. I felt… whole.
Ace leaned closer, resting his forehead against mine, rain dripping around us. "No more running," he whispered.
I shook my head, smiling through tears. "No more running."
And for the first time in years, I believed it.