But he hadn't. Liam watched from a distance, conflicted. This is madness. 'She's just a girl I barely know', yet, the more he watched, the harder it was to look away.
As Liam watched Nova disappear into the crowd, a familiar weight settled on his chest. His thoughts drifted, uninvited, to Eva. His relationship with her had never felt right, but it was easier to accept than to confront the void inside him. It had started so simply, a chance meeting at an industry party. She'd been bold, confident, approaching him when everyone else had been too intimidated.
At first, it seemed harmless, just a fling. He never expected it to become more. But as time passed, he realized that for her, it was never just about fun. Eva loved him, there was no denying that and she had shown it in ways that sometimes made Liam question himself. He wondered, did he even know how to love? He had been hurt too many times before, betrayed, cheated on, and left with nothing but the hollow promises of a relationship built on the wrong foundations.
He was famous and rich, people loved him for those reasons, but he had never felt love in the way it was meant to be Eva had sent him messages on Instagram at first, 'just another fan' he thought, another person who saw his fame and wanted something from it. He ignored her, dismissing her as just another part of the crowd. But she persisted, and one night at that party, she approached him. There, in the middle of the flashing lights and noise, she confessed that she wasn't interested in his money, what she wanted was his attention, to be seen by him, to be someone in his world.
He didn't know it then, but there was more to her intentions. Eva hadn't just wanted his attention, she wanted to be known, to rise above the sea of faces and become something bigger. She had bigger ambitions, she wanted to be an influencer, and being with Liam, someone famous, was her ticket to that life. At first, he hadn't minded, after all, she loved him, right? She had the qualities he thought he needed, someone who wouldn't leave him, someone who would stay.
But now, as he thought back, he wondered if that had been a mistake, had he chosen Eva because she loved him, or because he was simply afraid of being alone, afraid of being hurt again? Was he settling for something that wasn't real? And now, with Nova on his mind, he couldn't help but wonder. Was she different? Could there be something more there? Something that wasn't about fame or attention.
Liam sat on the edge of his bed later on when he gets home, his mind spinning in circles. The thoughts of Nova wouldn't leave him. He argued with himself, trying to make sense of it all.
'Should I just let it go?' The thought, 'if I let it go, will it eat me from the inside out?' The memory of her eyes, those damn eyes kept haunting him. Every time he thought about them, his heart raced, his mind blanking out, losing itself in her gaze. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like something had shifted inside him, something that hadn't been there before, 'should I fire her?' he wondered, his mind spinning.
'If I get rid of her, I won't have to see her again, I won't have to think about her anymore' But the idea of firing her felt wrong. 'What about her? How can I kick her out like that?' He shook his head, the thought of ruining her career unsettling him. It's her work... it would be selfish to take that from her just because of how I feel 'And what if she needs this job?'
His phone buzzed on the table beside him, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the screen. It was a message from Eva. He hesitated before opening it, but then his mind was pulled back to Nova 'Maybe I should try ignoring her' he mused, 'and then I can save my relationship with Eva' But the thought of doing that didn't sit right. He couldn't just push Nova out of his thoughts, not when everything inside him was drawn to her.
His phone buzzed again. This time, it was a call from his assistant at work.
"Yeah?" Liam answered, irritated at the interruption but too tired to ignore it.
"We need you to sign off on the new contracts before tomorrow," came the voice on the other end.
"Got it," Liam muttered his mind still a little foggy. "I'll deal with it in a bit, just send them to me." He hung up quickly, but the distraction was brief.
He was still trapped in his thoughts, fighting the urge to throw his phone across the room. The tension in his chest built again as his mind swirled back to Nova, and everything he'd been trying to avoid.
*****
Nova wiped down her makeup station; it was another day of work where the talents were taking pictures for their new album. She hadn't seen Liam all day, and, though she hated to admit it, she missed him. The urge to apologize for her behavior last time lingered, heavy on her mind. Lost in thought, she barely noticed the studio winding down around her. A familiar, friendly voice broke through the hum.
"Nova! I haven't seen you since that day in the club, how's it going?"
She turned to see Ryan, one of the sound engineers, approaching with a grin. His easy-going nature was a welcome break from the day's tension.
"Oh, hey, Ryan," Nova replied, managing a tired smile. "Just trying to keep up, It's been... a long day."
Ryan leaned against the counter, studying her. "Yeah, I get it, first days are always crazy, few of us are heading out tonight, just a little crew mixer, you should come."
Nova hesitated, the idea of socializing after the day she'd had wasn't appealing.
"I don't know... I'm pretty drained."
Ryan's grin widened. "Come on, it'll be fun, Liam's probably going to be there too."
At the mention of Liam's name, Nova's heart did a small, unexpected flip.
She tried to play it cool, shrugging. "Why would that matter to me?"
Ryan laughed mischief in his eyes. "Relax, I've seen you watching him from a distance, everyone has a crush on him, no big deal." He pushed off the counter, tossing her a wink. "Trust me, you'll regret missing out."
Ryan looked at her "Ooh and about last night forget it, he is not such a bad person, I'm sure in time you will understand him, he can be crazy sometimes"
Before Nova could respond, he was already heading out, leaving her standing there, pulse racing
*****
Later on at the beach club, everything was lively, the hum of conversation and soft music filling the air. Nova stepped inside, nerves on edge. She scanned the room until she spotted Ryan, waving her over to a table near the back.
"There she is!" he called out, a broad smile on his face.
Nova walked over, trying not to search the room for Liam. She joined the group, forcing herself to relax as Ryan introduced her to a few crew members.
The chatter was light, the atmosphere almost calming. Then she felt a shift in the air, a subtle change. She turned and saw him. Liam had joined the group, a drink in hand, his presence commanding as always. His eyes found hers almost immediately.
"Ryan!" Liam greeted, his voice smooth, but his gaze lingered on Nova.
He couldn't ignore her even if he wanted to and that drives him crazy
"I didn't expect to see Nova here?" He acted as if he wasn't interested, but the intensity in his eyes betrayed him.
"Yeah," Ryan chimed in, oblivious to the tension. "She is my friend, I just wanted her to have fun too, small world, huh?" Answered like nothing happened
Nova nodded, trying to keep her voice steady. "Yeah, I didn't think I will meet him again too… after all I just wanted to have fun." She added playing along.
Liam's eyes didn't leave hers.
"Yeah we all came here to have fun, so Nova you will have fun, don't mind him." Ryan, still chatting, didn't notice the unspoken exchange between them.
Nova felt the weight of Liam's gaze, the unasked questions hanging in the air. Was he remembering the same fleeting moments she couldn't forget? Whatever had started in the studio or at the club wasn't over.
Tonight felt like just the beginning. Ryan's phone buzzed, breaking the moment.
"Gotta take this, Lara is calling" he muttered, stepping away from the table.
Suddenly, it was just the two of them, everyone left. Liam's eyes stayed locked on her, his fingers tapping lightly on his glass, the silence stretched, heavy with unspoken words. Liam's eyes remained on her, unreadable yet intense.