Perhaps I never loved enough,
If only I'd loved much more;
I would not nearly, had so much,
left waiting, for you in store.

If I had given away my heart—
to those who came before;
it would be safer left in parts—
but now you have it all.
- Lang Leav

_____________________________________

'Lee, it's okay. They are not going to hurt me.' The man's voice stirs memories from deeper recesses of my mind.

'No.' Lisa holds him tighter, her face still buried in his back.

From the opposite corner Maaz casts a meaningful glance at me then at Lisa.

The man murmurs another soothing response. I use his distraction to lunge at Lisa and pull her away from the man. But she clings to him with force uncommon for a child.

The man turns towards me and Maaz advances towards him from behind and tackles him in a stranglehold.

'Liam?' I gasp.

'Mopey head.' He grins at me which he really shouldn't considering the position he is in.

'You know him?' Maaz stares at me with his eyebrows arched upwards.

'I knew you had a thing for me but I never pinned you as the stalker type.' Liam says nonchalantly, his apple green eyes shining in the dark.

'You've met him too, at the library.' I ignore Liam and answer Maaz.

'Not a memorable face then.' Maaz says but I imagine a hint of jealousy coating the casual denial.

Blond hair, eyes the colour of a rain washed forest, and lips always curved up in a grin revealing dimpled cheeks Liam was anything but not memorable. Maaz had admitted to visiting the library multiple times, of course he knew Liam.

And perhaps also seen him do his daily dose of flirting my mind supplies.

Lisa finally lifts her head off Liam's back and sees me. Her eyes widen in shock, long black hair obscure her face. At last she loosens her clutch on him and takes a small step towards me.

I hold my arms up for her, she looks back at Liam seeking permission and I feel my heart pinch. He nods at her and she accepts my embrace.

After three cups of tea and a cup of hot cocoa for Lisa, we are seated in Liam's drawing room. Maaz has called Aylin and informed her we are safe.

'You mean you are her uncle?' I ask once again.

Liam shakes his head in exasperation, 'For the millionth time, yes!'

'What was your brother's name?' Maaz takes a sip of his tea.

'Ryland.' Liam answers in a split second. 'He was older by six years. He married Rosalie, Lisa's mother, after college. Three years later they split but she was pregnant by then. Ryland only found out once she had left.'

I glance at Lisa, she snores quietly on Liam's shoulder. Liam gently picks her mug of half drunk cocoa and places it aside. He slips her onto his lap, wraps an arm around her and draws a small blanket over her. She snuggles into him and I force myself to look away.

My heart pounds in my throat and I feel sick. My Lisa... she was mine.

My ever observant husband sneaks his hand towards me and slips his pinky into mine.

It's only Liam I tell myself. Goofy, funny Liam. He means no harm, and Lisa deserves the love but why does it feel as if he has stolen my heart from me?

Absorbed in my thoughts I miss the next part of Ryland's story.

'What couldn't you adopt her legally?' I hear Maaz ask. I focus on Liam's words and hold in my envy.

It was like leashing a bull.

All I can think of is lifting Lisa off that couch and transferring her to my lap.

'I am not financially stable.' Liam indicates the peeled plaster of the walls, candle grease smudges on the table, the dining table which only has two chairs, out of which one has three legs.

'I am not the best candidate for adopting. It would be rejected. I couldn't let my brother's last evidence be taken away from me. She is my niece.' His eyes soften.

'What proof do you have?' He turns to me detecting the bite in my voice

'Have you seen her?' Liam's question is rhetorical.

'Yes I have since the past six years of my life.' I snap.

Maaz scoots closer to me, he frees me the cup from my hand. Wise decision I must say because otherwise I would have emptied its content on Liam's head.

In retrospect, what Liam said is true. The physical similarities were too obvious, the same curve of the face, thin arched eyebrows, small button nose and especially the forest green eyes. The only difference was...

'She gets her hair from Rosalie.' Liam answers my thought running his hand through his short blond hair.

'How do you assume you can look after her if you aren't stable?' I ask, keeping my emotions in check.

'I am a final year law student. My part time job at the library will sustain us for now. I have savings too. Once this semester ends I will be getting a full time job, move to a better place, keep her happy.'

'I will file for adoption after that.' Liam adds.

'How did you find her?' Another question slips out from me.

'Obviously I knew Ryland had a child. He had been searching for her since a long time. He told me himself.'

'Why didn't you stand up for him in court? I assumed he didn't have any living relations and hence the case was closed.' Maaz taps his chin.

'I was broke. I couldn't afford a lawyer. And even if I managed to, would that bring my brother back?' Liam's head hangs low, his eyes resting on Lisa.

'You let it go?' My voice is tinged with surprise and a certain envy. How could he let go so easily and I couldn't?

'What else could I have done?'

'We will keep this to ourselves. This is for our own reasons. But if anything happens to her your secret will no longer be safe. You maybe a lawyer but a kidnapping case would end your career even before it starts.'  Maaz stands up dusting his pants and placing his cup on the table.

'Thanks, that is all I ask of you.' Liam shakes Maaz's hand.

'I'll schedule a DNA test for next week, just to be sure.' I say looking straight into Liam's eyes.

He doesn't blink, 'Sure!'

'A friend of mine will assist us.' I add.

'You have friends?' Liam asks with a grin.

I glare at him.

'Hey! I thought I was the only one.' His lips turn upside down.

'He is... was a colleague of mine.'

He points a finger at himself, shaking it vigorously, 'Again me.'

'From the hospital Liam.' I explain exasperatedly.

It's really not my fault that I never told him things about my past.

'Hospital? You are a nurse?' His eyes increase in size, scrutinising me.

'She's a doctor.' Maaz shakes his head, clearly annoyed.

'Why the hell did you work at the library!'

'I wanted to.' I shrug.

I bend over Lisa and place a kiss on her forehead.

'We will stay in touch.' I say.

A knife clatters to the floor. The kid who dropped it begins to wail. His parents hurriedly shush him, smiling apologetically at me. I avert my gaze.

'You should not have left her with him.' Arhaan's voice rises over the din.

Two men from the adjacent table glance at us. I sink lower into my seat and prop up the menu in front of my face.

Arhaan rolls his eyes but ignores me.

'It is the right thing to do. We already have so much on our plate. Lisa wouldn't be safe with us.' Maaz replies unperturbed.

'We don't know Liam.' He argues again, this time he is careful to lower his volume.

I place the menu back on the table, 'You don't but I do. Liam is trustworthy.'

Arhaan opens his mouth to argue. Maaz lifts his hand signaling the waiter who immediately materializes at our table, effectively cutting off the argument.

'We still need to go to Henley's Ranch to meet Anna's parents.' Maaz and Arhaan walk together in front of me.

'We can leave day after.' Arhaans says.

'Why not tomorrow?' I approach them.

Arhaan stares at his feet, 'Just because.' He shrugs.

'What are you doing tomorrow?' Maaz asks curiously.

Arhaan glances sideways at me, 'I am going for a movie.'

'Alone?' He squirms under my gaze, eyes drifting over me.

'We will come along with you.' Maaz says.

'No!'

'No? Now I definitely want to come with you.' Maaz grins.

'It's a date.' He blurts out.

Leaving me frozen in shock, Arhaan hurries to his car and drives off. A date? With who? Oh no. He definitely meant Eliza. His reaction has made it obvious it can only be my little sister.

'Calm down. It is just a movie!'

'Yes, a dark enclosed room, think of the possibilities!' I glare at him.

He grins at me, eyes sparkling with mischief, 'Would you dare to explore those possibilities with me?'

'On the contrary I have dared to sleep in a dark enclosed room with you every night. Yet nothing came from it.' I retort momentarily forgetting Eliza.

My response stuns him into silence. I realize that I am stepping over the boundaries that I had created between us, erasing the lines that I had drawn, crossing the invisible barrier that held our relationship.

But it feels right. I don't feel guilt gnawing at me. I wait for my heart to rebuke me, accuse me but it stays silent, pounding away two beats per second.

***

A/N ; All I am going to say is, Thank you for sticking with me. And I hope that you guys continue to shower your love and support.

It is your tremendous love that keeps me going and I can't be grateful enough for it.                           

I'd love to hear what answers are you waiting for? What revelations keep you coming back?

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As soon we hit 3k votes.

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