I can’t believe I’m actually following Misty’s advice. But, hey, she was right, wasn’t she? Aside from that trench coat thing, that is.

After leaving my office building (or, rather, after Misty forced me to leave), I grabbed a taxi and headed straight toward Liam’s apartment building. It was a short ride, yes, but my heart was hammering against my chest the whole time. I never thought I’d feel this anxious for a man, but there you have it - sometimes love sneaks up on you like this, no warning shots at all.

Misty’s words still echo in my head, too. She talked of true love, whatever that means, and these two words have been buzzing inside my head ever since I left the office. I mean, what the hell is true love? Is it about trust, sex, or something else? Is it about these butterflies inside your stomach, or that dizziness you feel when your crush looks your way?

I always thought that love - let alone true love - was nothing more than a fantasy. A trick played by a smart cocktail of hormones, carefully prepared over millions and millions of years. A biological sleight of hand, if you want.

But ever since I met Liam… It’s hard to explain, but now I understand how people get shot through the heart with that elusive arrow. More than just biology, it’s a feeling that transcends all that… Sure, it’s possible that I simply lost myself in an illusion, but something inside me tells me that’s not the case.

Whatever there is between Liam and I, it’s real.

And it’s exactly because I’m certain of that realness that I’m now inside an elevator, making my way up to the top floor of his apartment building. With my arms folded over my chest, I tap my foot against the floor of the elevator anxiously, watching as the numbers climb up in the electronic panel mounted over the doors.

When the doors finally slide open, I stroll in the hallway confidently, making my way toward his apartment door. Taking a deep breath, I rap my knuckles against the door and wait anxiously, trying to hear if there’s any sound coming from the inside. I hear nothing for a few seconds, and so I just knock again.

I’m almost ready to give up after my third try, but then I hear footsteps coming from the other side of the door. My heart picks up the pace once again, and it does it so fiercely that I feel myself growing slightly lightheaded.

And that’s when the door swings open.

“Liam, I --” I start to say, but then I shut up real quick as I realize that the man facing me isn’t Liam.

“You must be Cara,” the man tells me with a smile. He’s tall and handsome, his sleek brown hair combed back, and he’s wearing dress pants and a white button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He’s probably the same age as Liam, but he doesn’t seem to be part of the Donovan family: the lines in his face lack that ruggedness, and the twinkle in his eyes doesn’t have the same intensity that shone in both Liam and his father’s eyes.

“I am,” I reply, surprised. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Connor,” he says, offering me his hand. “I’m a friend of Liam’s. And his attorney as well.”

“Uhm… Where’s Liam? I need to see him,” I tell him as I shake his hand awkwardly. Something in his eyes, though, tells me that I won’t like the answer he’s going to give me.

“Liam isn’t here,” he replies, one hand of his still grabbing the door. “He was here with me a while ago, going through some paperwork, but then he left. You just missed him.”

“Where did he go?” I insist, even though whatever hope I had of finding Liam has already been crushed into a million little pieces. Even if this Connor knows where Liam is, I doubt he’ll tell me.

“I have no idea,” Connor shrugs, looking at me with an expression of pity. “I’m sorry,” he then adds. “You gave him a lot to think about, Cara. He’s probably just clearing his head right now.”

“Oh,” I say, averting my gaze as I feel tears flooding my eyes. “I see. I’ll… I’ll just come back later,” I continue, already turning on my heels to leave. I walk toward the elevator as if I’m in a daze and, the moment I hear Connor closing the door behind me, I feel my heart tightening up into a fist.

Like Connor said, Liam’s just clearing his head. Which probably means that he’s clearing me out of his head. Oh, I’m such a fool. What the hell did I even come here for? Just like my foolish clients, I went after an illusion… And it’s my fault that whatever future I had with Liam became an illusion.

Oh, what if I ruined things for good? What if there’s no turning back the clocks? I don’t know if I can keep my head up without Liam by my side. I know, I’m acting like an heartbroken fool right now… But that’s exactly what I am: an heartbroken fool.

Maybe this is why I avoided love like the plague - it wasn’t because I didn’t believe in it, despite what I told myself. Instead, I was afraid. You see, love is like fire - it can warm you, yes, but it can also consume you whole, leaving nothing but ashes behind. And I was afraid of that… Afraid of the pain that walks hand-in-hand with unrequited love.

“I miss you, Liam,” I whisper to myself as I step inside the elevator. The doors close behind me, and I press my forehead against the full-body mirror. Closing my eyes, I let the tears stream down my face, dark sorrow wrapping itself around my heart.

Oh, please, God - tell me I didn’t screw it all up.

Just give me another shot.