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Understanding dawns in her eyes, followed quickly by concern. "Oh no. Marcus, I'm so sorry. I should go-"
"No," I say, perhaps more forcefully than I intended. I soften my tone. "No, you don't have to leave. This... this was bound to happen sooner or later. We might as well face it head-on."
She nods, but I can see the apprehension in her eyes. I lean in, pressing a quick, reassuring kiss to her forehead. "It'll be okay," I murmur, wishing I felt as confident as I sounded.
I climb out of bed, quickly pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Zoe follows suit, slipping into her clothes from yesterday. We share a look of mutual support before I open the bedroom door and head downstairs, Zoe close behind me.
The scene that greets us in the living room is exactly what I feared. Liam is sprawled on the couch, a nearly empty bottle of whiskey dangling from his hand. The crash we heard was apparently a vase he knocked over in his drunken stumbling.
As soon as he sees us, his eyes narrow, focusing on Zoe with an intensity that makes me want to step in front of her. "Well, well, well," he slurs, struggling to sit up. "If it isn't the happy couple."
"Liam," I say, keeping my voice level. "You're drunk. Let's get you some water and-"
"Don't patronize me!" he snarls, suddenly on his feet. He sways slightly but manages to stay upright. "I'm not a child, Marcus. I can see what's going on here."
I feel Zoe tense beside me, and I instinctively move closer to her. "Liam, please. Let's talk about this when you're sober."
But Liam's not listening. His gaze is fixed on Zoe, hurt and betrayal written all over his face. "How could you?" he asks, his voice breaking. "I thought... I thought we had something."
Zoe steps forward, her voice gentle but firm. "Liam, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. But what we had... it wasn't real. It wasn't going anywhere."
Her words seem to break something in Liam. He lets out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Wasn't real? Wasn't going anywhere? And this is?" He gestures wildly between Zoe and me. "My brother and my girlfriend? That's real?"
"Ex-girlfriend," I can't help but correct, immediately regretting it when I see the flash of pain in Liam's eyes.
"You're supposed to be my brother," Liam spits out, his anger now fully directed at me. "You're supposed to have my back. But instead, you go behind my back and steal my girl?"
I feel my own temper rising, but I force it down. Getting angry won't help the situation. "Liam, it's not like that. We didn't plan this. It just... happened."
"Oh, it just happened?" Liam mocks. "Like it just happened that you were always Dad's favorite? Like it just happened that you got to be the pack beta while I'm stuck doing grunt work at the construction site?"
His words hit me like a physical blow. Is that really how he sees things? "Liam, I never-"
But he's on a roll now, years of pent-up resentment pouring out. "You always get everything, Marcus. The respect, the power, and now Zoe. What's left for me, huh? What do I get?"
I'm at a loss for words, the weight of his accusations crushing me. I've always tried to protect Liam, to be there for him after our parents died. How did I miss this much pain?
Zoe steps forward, her voice trembling slightly but determined. "Liam, this isn't about you versus Marcus. What happened between us... it's not anyone's fault. Sometimes people just don't fit together the way they thought they would."
Liam's laugh is hollow. "And sometimes they fit together perfectly, right? Like you and my brother?"
The bitterness in his voice is palpable, and I can see Zoe flinch. Her eyes dart between Liam and me.
"I..." Zoe starts, her voice trailing off. She takes a step back, creating distance between herself and both of us. "I think I should go," she says softly, her tone tinged with hesitation.
I can see the conflict in her eyes. Part of her is silently pleading with me to stand up for our relationship, to declare that she belongs here with me. But another part is clearly struggling with the weight of coming between two brothers.
"You two need to talk," she continues, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to be the reason your family falls apart."
I feel torn. I want to reassure her, to tell her that she's not coming between us, that our issues run deeper than her. But with Liam's volatile state, I'm worried about how he might react if I defend our relationship right now.
"Zoe, could you wait outside for a bit?" I say, my voice low and urgent. "Don't go far though. It's not safe out there with the current threat. I just need a moment alone with Liam."
I see a flash of hurt and anger in Zoe's eyes. Her jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think she might argue. Instead, she nods curtly. "Fine," she says, her voice clipped.
She turns to Liam, her expression softening slightly. "I truly am sorry, Liam. I hope someday you can forgive me."
Liam doesn't respond, his gaze fixed on the floor. Zoe looks at me one last time before she slips out the front door.
