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“What would make you so observant of this and me so blind to it?” Liam asks, and I can almost see his incredulous expression

“First, because you loved her,” Jackson explains, cool and collected “Second, because I know someone like her”

“Your father,” Liam states

“Once you see that greed in sonize it anywhere”

There’s a long pause My heartbeat is hae,tonow that she knows Jackson’s side of things

Lia me is true, why did you not explain all this to me after it happened?”

“Would you have listened?”

Another pause “No, I suppose I wouldn’t have”

There’sto know if they are looking at the floor or at each other Into find some way back from what happened between thehout this conversation, it’s clear they were close and—even if they don’t want to admit it—they hurt each other deeply Because now I realize that Jackson had given up his friendship with Lia with Sophia would cost him but he did it anyway And that’s the Jackson I eance

It’s obvious Liam realizes this, too, because his voice is soft when he asks, “Why have you come here, Jackson?”

“To make peace”

“Why?”

“Because I want Aria not to feel torn between us anythe first one to say it’s time to put this behind us Not for us But for them”

I mouth to Aria, “Oh, my God”

She nods slowly in agreement