Chapter 7 : I Still Want You The days blurred . I didn't count them. Mornings became evenings without notice . I ate what I could , stared at the ceiling more than I slept . I was disoriented and could hardly recognize myself anymore. I didn't feel like Arianne Hatton - the devoted mother who once planned birthday parties three months in advance . Instead , I was now a woman lost in translation . Hollowed out by betrayal and bureaucracy . I left everything behind for that boy - my pride , my name , my future . And yet here I was , pacing the tiny kitchen of my cousin's cramped condo , unsure if walking away was a form of strength or cowardice . The gut - wrenching pain lived in my chest like a song with no chorus . " Arianne , " Sherry , my cousin , called from the living room , " You should eat something . You're scaring me . " I gave her a weak smile and nonchalantly said , " Later . I'm not yet hungry . " She stood and walked over , arms folded tightly across her chest . " You can't keep doing this . Liam's not the only one who lost something . You did too . " " I know , " I whispered . " But you didn't lose everything , " she added , her voice softening . " You still have a choice . " That word hit me like a slap because I'd made one already - and that was to walk away . That afternoon , I called Neil and told him about my situation . I gave him my address and not too long , he sent me a classified document about Zach's case . " Trust me on this , Arianne ," Neil said before he ended the call . I almost dropped the envelope as I opened it . Inside was a set of documents- financial statements , custody records , and a private investigator's report . It proved what I had suspected - Zach and Celine had been living together long before they admitted it . Their joint assets were proof enough . There was even a signed document ― a petition to make Celine Liam's medical proxy . Zach had called it precautionary . But to me , it was war . I stared at the paper , wondering how someone who once held your hair back while you vomited during pregnancy could turn around and treat you like a liability . Like you were the threat . And maybe I was . I placed the file back in the drawer , closed it , and took a deep breath . I could burn everything down . Or I could walk into the fire with my head held high . The next day , I texted Zach for the first time since I left . Arianne : I want to see him . Just once . Zach : Come tomorrow . Celine will be out for two months . Her pregnancy is delicate so she's in the villa for bedrest . Arianne : I'll be there . I wasn't going to fight . I just needed to see Liam - even if only as a visitor . I arrived just before noon the next day . Zach's new townhouse was quiet , the front porch lined with perfectly trimmed plants - Celine's touch , no doubt . When he opened the door , I saw it . Not guilt . Not even anger . But something else - regret . " Come in ," he said , stepping aside . I looked past him , half - expecting to see Liam running down the hallway , but the house was still . " Where is he ? " I asked . Zach rubbed the back of his neck . " In his room . He doesn't know you're here yet . I thought ... it might be better if you prepared yourself . " My chest tightened : " You think I can't handle seeing my own son ? " He didn't answer and instead , he nodded toward the kitchen . " Can we talk first ? " The conversation was a blur . Apologies without ownership . Explanations that sounded like rehearsed lines . Zach told me Celine wasn't trying to replace me , that he was only thinking of what's best for Liam . That I chickened out , disappeared and left them with no choice . " I didn't disappear , " I snapped . " You pushed me out , Zach . " After a beat , he said , " He's not eating well . Keeps saying his tummy hurts . The doctor thinks it's emotional . He cries for you every night . Celine ... she tries . She reads to him . She plays music . But he won't respond to her . He still sleeps with the blanket you gave him . Even when it's too hot . " I blinked back tears . " He's still my son ." " That's never changed , Arianne ," Zach agreed . At that moment , neither of us needed to say it out loud - Liam would always be the thread that tied us together , no matter how frayed the ends . We stared at each other for a second until a familiar voice washed over between us . " Mommy ... ? " My heart thumped rapidly . I turned and met his innocent doe eyes . There he was . Pajamas wrinkled . Hair's a soft mess . Eyes wide with disbelief . " Y - You're really here ?! " I knelt , arms out . " Yes , baby . " He ran into my arms , warm and trembling . I inhaled his scent - powder , shampoo , something boyish and precious - and held him like he was the last piece of me I had left . " I missed you so much , " I whispered into his hair . " I missed you every day , Mom ," my little boy sobbed . He pulled back just enough to look at me . " Are you staying with us this time ? " My heart constricted inside my chest . " No , sweetheart . Just visiting . " His smile faltered . " But ... why ? " Before I could respond , Zach stepped in . " Hey , bud . Let's not make this hard , okay ? " Liam turned away , shoving his Daddy's hand away . " Living here without Mom is already hard . " I stood slowly , heart splintering as silence blanketed the room . Zach froze - his face suddenly unreadable , like someone caught between a mirror and a flame . But the damage had already been done . The truth had come from the only mouth that mattered . I knelt back down to Liam's level , brushing the hair from his face . " I can't stay , " I whispered gently , " but I'm here now . And if it's okay with Daddy , maybe I could ... make lunch ? " Liam's tear - streaked face lit up , cautious but hopeful . " You'll cook the spaghetti ? The one with the cheese on top ? " I smiled through the lump in my throat . " Extra cheese . Just like always ." The kitchen felt like an enemy's crib - Celine's territory . Every drawer was perfectly organized , the stainless - steel pans hung in size order . It smelled of eucalyptus and too much order . Still , I moved like I belonged . Because once , I did . Zach stood at the threshold , watching silently as I moved through the kitchen . My fingers remembered the rhythm even if my soul felt foreign . Liam sat at the counter , swinging his legs , watching me like he was trying to memorize every moment - afraid it might vanish if he blinked . " I missed this smell ," my little boy hummed softly . I turned my head toward him . " Me too . " I didn't look at Zach , but I could feel the weight of his glances poking on me . When I sprinkled grated cheese over the steaming plate of spaghetti , Liam clapped buoyantly . We sat at the table - the three of us - like ghosts of a life we once lived . Zach across from me , Liam between us . His small hands digging into his plate with joy , his smile more precious than gold . For a flickering moment , it was like nothing had Chapter 7 : 1 Still Want You 211 25.00 ever broken . Liam looked up between bites and grinned . " It's like we're a family again ." I froze , fork mid - air . Zach looked at me across the table . His eyes met mine - soft , conflicted , burning . There was something in them I couldn't name . " We'll always be family , baby . No matter what . " I swallowed the knot in my throat and forced a smile for Liam . But my hands trembled beneath the table . When it was time to go , Liam clung to me like a vine . " Please don't go , Mommy . " My voice cracked . " I have to for now . But I'll be back ." " You promise? " I nodded , blinking fast . " Pinky swear ." His little pinky wrapped around mine , sealing a promise I wasn't sure I could keep . Zach walked me out , silent most of the way . When we reached the front door , I turned to him . " He needs consistency , " I said . " If Celine's staying ... I won't fight it . But I won't vanish either . " His jaw clenched . " That's not what I want . " " Then what exactly do you want , Zach ? " He looked at me , the same way he did years ago before he kissed me for the first time . Like I was a puzzle he almost solved but couldn't quite finish . " I don't know , " he said , shaking his head . " I mean ... I just know I still want you , Arianne . " 19:38 Tue , Sep 30 Chapter 8 : Truce or Lust ? Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!