Updated Dec 29, 2025 • ~9 min read
Two weeks after telling Julian, Tessa was still in Liam’s city. Still crashing at his apartment. Still trying to figure out what the hell happened next.
Liam had converted his home office into a temporary room for Leo. Bought a toddler bed, toys, books—everything a two-year-old could need. He was going overboard. Tessa knew it. But she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.
He’d missed two years. Let him spoil their son a little.
“We need to talk about logistics,” Liam said one morning after Leo was settled with cartoons.
Tessa looked up from her coffee. “Logistics?”
“Where you’ll live. Custody arrangements. My rights as his father.” He paused. “I want to be in his life, Tessa. Really in it. Not just weekends and holidays. I want—I want everything I missed.”
“I know you do.”
“So what does that look like? You stay here? I move to your city? We—we figure out joint custody?”
Tessa’s stomach twisted. She hadn’t let herself think that far ahead. “I don’t know.”
“We need to figure it out. Soon. Because Leo needs stability. Routine. He can’t just—just float between two cities indefinitely.”
“I know that.”
“Then what do you want to do?”
What did she want? To go back to her quiet apartment three states away? To the life she’d built alone? That life felt impossible now. Like trying to fit back into clothes she’d outgrown.
But staying here meant facing Julian every day. Meant watching the hurt in his eyes. Meant—meant building a life with Liam when they’d barely begun to figure out what they even were to each other.
“I don’t know what I want,” she admitted. “Everything’s changing so fast. Two weeks ago, it was just me and Leo. Now you’re here and Julian’s involved and I’m—I’m trying to adjust but it’s hard, Liam. It’s really hard.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to push. I just—I don’t want to lose any more time with him. Or you.”
“You’re not losing us. But I need—I need time to figure this out. To figure out what’s best for Leo. What’s best for all of us.”
Liam nodded slowly. “Okay. We’ll take it slow. But Tessa? I need you to promise me something.”
“What?”
“No more running. If this gets hard, if you get scared, if you—if you want to leave—you tell me first. You don’t just disappear. You don’t take Leo and vanish. You talk to me. Deal?”
The request was fair. More than fair. “Deal.”
“Good.” He stood, grabbing his keys. “I have a meeting with Julian. About the business. Are you—are you okay here with Leo?”
“We’ll be fine. How are things with Julian?”
“Tense. He barely speaks to me unless it’s about work. But he’s—he’s trying. For Leo’s sake.”
“Has he asked about me?”
“Every day. But I told him to talk to you directly. This isn’t something I can fix for either of you.”
Tessa’s eyes burned. “I miss him.”
“Then call him.”
“He said he needed space—”
“It’s been two weeks, Tessa. Maybe he’s ready now. Or maybe he needs to hear from you first. Either way, you won’t know unless you try.”
After Liam left, Tessa stared at her phone for twenty minutes before finally calling.
Julian answered on the third ring. “Tess.”
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
Silence. Awkward and heavy.
“How’s Leo?” Julian asked finally.
“Good. He asks about you. Wants to know when Uncle Julian is coming to play trucks again.”
“I’d like that. To see him again.”
“You can see him whenever you want, Jules. You’re his uncle. You’re—you’re family.”
“Am I? Because family doesn’t lie to each other for two years.”
The words stung. “I know I hurt you—”
“Do you? Do you have any idea what it felt like? Finding out you had a son—my nephew—and you kept him from me?”
“I was scared—”
“Of what? Me? Did you really think I’d react so badly that you had to hide him?”
“I didn’t know what you’d do. I didn’t—I didn’t want to destroy your friendship with Liam.”
“So instead you destroyed mine with you.”
Tessa’s breath hitched. “Jules—”
“I’m trying, Tess. I really am. But every time I look at you, all I see is the lie. All I feel is the betrayal. And I don’t—I don’t know how to get past that.”
“Tell me how to fix it. Please. I’ll do anything.”
“You can’t fix it. You can’t give me back the two years I missed. Can’t—can’t undo the lying. Can’t make me forget that my twin sister—the person I trusted most in the world—looked me in the eye and lied. Repeatedly.”
Tears streamed down Tessa’s face. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know you are. But sorry doesn’t change anything.” He paused. “I need more time, Tess. I love you. You’re my sister, my twin, my—my other half. But right now, I can’t—I can’t just forgive you because you’re sorry. I need time.”
“How much time?”
“I don’t know. Maybe weeks. Maybe months. Maybe—maybe years. I don’t know.”
“Years?” Her voice broke. “Jules, please—”
“I’m not saying we’ll never fix this. I’m saying I can’t do it right now. So please. Stop pushing. Stop calling. Just—just give me space to figure out how I feel. Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“I’ll still see Leo. As much as possible. Because he’s innocent in all this. But you and me? We need time apart. At least for now.”
He hung up before she could respond.
Tessa sat on the couch, phone in her shaking hands, and let herself break down.
She’d lost him. Her twin. Her best friend. Her—her other half.
All because she’d been too scared to tell the truth.
When Liam came home hours later, he found her still crying on the couch.
“Tessa? What happened?”
“I called Julian.” She wiped her eyes. “He needs more time. Weeks. Maybe months. Maybe—maybe years before he can forgive me.”
“He said that?”
“He said he loves me but he can’t look at me without seeing the lie. Without feeling the betrayal. He said—he said we need time apart.”
Liam sat beside her, pulling her into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
“I destroyed everything. Our relationship. Your friendship with him. All of it. Because I was too scared to tell the truth.”
“You were protecting yourself. And Leo. You did what you thought was right.”
“But I was wrong. I should’ve told you both immediately. Should’ve faced the consequences instead of running. Should’ve—”
“Stop. You can’t change the past. You can only—only move forward. And yeah, you made mistakes. We both did. But we can’t let those mistakes define us. We have to—to do better. Be better. For Leo.”
“What if Julian never forgives me?”
“Then we deal with that too. Together.” He cupped her face. “But Tessa? I know my best friend. And he loves you more than anything. He’s hurt right now. Angry. But he’ll come around. Eventually. You just have to give him time.”
“What if time isn’t enough?”
“Then we figure it out. But I’m not letting you spiral. I’m not letting you—letting you run again. We’re in this together, remember?”
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
“Now. Let’s talk about something happier. I found a preschool nearby that has openings. They do tours tomorrow if you want to check it out.”
Tessa pulled back. “A preschool? Here?”
“Yeah. Unless—unless you want to go back to your city? I’ll move there if that’s what you want. I’ll do whatever it takes to be near you both.”
“You’d move for us?”
“In a heartbeat. My company is mostly remote anyway. Julian and I can work from anywhere. So if you want to stay in your apartment, we’ll make it work. But if you’re willing to stay here—to build a life here—I’d like that too.”
Tessa looked around Liam’s apartment. At the toys scattered across the living room. At Leo’s makeshift bedroom. At the life they were building, piece by messy piece.
Could she stay? Build a life here? With Liam?
It was terrifying. Uncertain. Completely overwhelming.
But also—also maybe what she wanted.
“I’ll think about it,” she said finally.
“That’s all I’m asking.”
That night, after Leo was asleep, Liam showed Tessa the preschool brochure. They talked about custody arrangements. About how to co-parent. About—about what they even were to each other.
“Are we together?” Tessa asked suddenly. “Like, officially?”
Liam smiled. “Do you want to be?”
“I don’t know. Maybe? I just—I don’t want to rush into something because of Leo. I want—I want us to be real. Not just convenient.”
“I get that. So how about this: we date. Actually date. Go out for dinner. Spend time together without Leo. Figure out if—if this thing between us is real or just—just history and obligation.”
“You want to date me?”
“I’ve wanted to date you for years, Tessa Brooks. I’m just glad I finally get the chance.”
She laughed despite herself. “Okay. Let’s try it. Dating. Co-parenting. All of it. And if it doesn’t work—”
“It will work.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Watch me.” He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “I’ve loved you for years. And I love our son. I’m not letting either of you go. So yeah, we’ll make this work. However long it takes.”
Tessa wanted to believe him. And for the first time in weeks, she actually did.
They’d figure it out. Somehow. Together.
For Leo. For themselves. For—for the family they were becoming.
It wouldn’t be easy. Nothing about this was easy.
But maybe—just maybe—it would be worth it.
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