Liam's POV 
I don't know what I was expecting when I drove over to Ethan's house I had a small gift in my hand, nothing big, just something I thought might lighten the mood. Maybe I should've brought flowers, or maybe some candy, or even just a stupid joke, anything to make this less awkward. But no, I decided on a small, wrapped box. It felt like the right choice. The only choice.
But the moment I stepped out of the car, I knew this wasn't just another visit. This wasn't just me and Ethan hanging out like we had so many times before, it wasn't going to be casual. It wasn't just a simple gift I was bringing
I stood there for a moment, staring at his house, trying to steady my breath. I knew why i was here. I knew what I had to do. The thing was, I wasn't sure I was ready for it. Maybe I never would be. Maybe some things were just too big for you to be ready for. But I had to do it.
I knocked on the door, the sound too loud in the silence. My palms were sweaty as I waited, the little box almost feeling like a weight I didn't want to carry anymore.
Ethan opened the door, and I saw the surprise in his eyes. He wasn't expecting me. But I couldn't back out now.
"Liam?" he said, raising an eyebrow "What's up?"
I swallowed, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. "I, uh, brought something for you."
I held out the small gift, and he took it from me with a shrug. "What's this?"
"Just a thing. Nothing special."
"Okay, come on in." He stepped aside and motioned for me to enter. The place smelled like home-coffee, stale pizza, and the faint scent of something else, maybe old books. It was comfortable. It was Ethan's world, and I was just a guest
I followed him into the living room and sat down. I looked around, trying to find the words. But it was hard. My mind was a mess of everything I'd been feeling lately, and now was the time to sort through it. To admit it.
"So, uh," I began, my voice cracking a little. I hated that. "I've been thinking a lot about everything lately."
Ethan didn't say anything at first, just sat there, waiting. He always had that way of making me talk, even when I didn't want to.
I don't know when it started," I said, looking down at the box in my hands. "But I think I figured it out. I came here because I owe you an explanation"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Explanation about what?"
I took a deep breath. I didn't want to say it. I didn't want to admit the truth, but I had to. For both of us. "It's about Aika," I said, my throat tight. "I've been blind. And stupid."
Ethan's expression shifted, something crossing his face that I couldn't quite place. "What do you mean?" I hesitated, trying to put the words together in a way that wouldn't sound like a mess of regret. But it was all tangled up, and I knew I couldn't sugarcoat it.
"I didn't see it before, Ethan," I said, looking him right in the eyes now. "But I see it now. The way she looks at you. How she smiles when she's with you. It's different. It's... special."
He stiffened a little, like he didn't know where I was going with this, but I had to keep going. I had to
make him understand.
"I thought she was mine, I continued, the words almost coming out in a whisper. "I thought she wanted me. But I was wrong. I never got that smile. I never got that look. She only gives it to you."
I paused, the truth hitting me harder than I thought it would. "I never realized how much I was fooling myself, how much I was pretending. But I see it now. She chose you, Ethan. She chose you from the very start, even if she didn't say it out loud"
The room was so quiet after that. My heart felt like it was pounding in my ears, and I couldn't look at him. I didn't want to see the disappointment in his eyes.
I wasn't ever the one," I said, my voice small. "I didn't make her happy like you do. I didn't make her laugh, or smile that smile. That smile-damn it, Ethan it's the only one that matters. And I didn't earn it You did"
I felt like I was falling, like all the air had been sucked out of the room. It was too much. Too real. But I had to face it. I had to admit it, even if it hurt like hell..
"I'm stepping back," I said, barely able to speak. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending like I'm the one for her, when I know I'm not. You're the one she needs. Not me."
I waited for his response, hoping praying that he'd understand. It wasn't about losing her. It wasn't about giving up. It was about understanding. About realizing what was right in front of me all along.
Ethan didn't say anything for what felt like an eternity. His face was unreadable, his eyes locked on mine, but I couldn't read them. I didn't know what he was thinking. Maybe he was pissed off. Maybe he thought I was just giving up. But I had to do this. For Aika. For him. For myself.
"I thought I was supposed to fight for her," I said, my voice trembling. "But maybe.. maybe the real fight is knowing when to let go."
The silence between us was heavy, like everything I'd said was sinking in. Maybe he didn't want to hear It. Maybe he didn't need to. But the words were out now, and there was no taking them back.
"You're not mad?" I asked, looking up at him.
Ethan's expression softened. He finally spoke, his voice quieter than I expected. "No, man. I'm not mad." I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "Really?"
"Yeah. I get it." Ethan nodded slowly, still processing, but his eyes weren't angry. They weren't sad either. They were just understanding
"I think I always knew," he said. "But hearing it from you... it feels different."
I smiled weakly. "I didn't want to be that guy. The one who stands in the way"
Ethan looked at me, his expression thoughtful. "You've never been in the way, Liam. You're just... you're just figuring things out. Like me."
For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in his eyes-something that told me he wasn't just talking about Aika. He was talking about us too. And maybe, just maybe, I wasn't losing everything after all.
"Guess we both have a lot to figure out, huh?" I said with a small, strained laugh.
Ethan chuckled, nodding. "Yeah. But I think we're getting there."
And in that moment, I realized something else. Letting go didn't mean losing. It just meant accepting. And maybe that was the hardest part of all.