“Let’s not throw stones, okay?” I rub my tired eyes with the tips of my fingers and tuck my hair behind my ears. “I don’t know. Part of me wishes he never came. Then things could have gone on as they were.”

“Right. And you could have felt vindicated as you mucked off into your lonely existence. Trust me, I speak from personal experience when I tell you it’s not as appealing as you think.”

“I just want things to be over, one way or another.”

“They can be,” Liam says simply. “Forgive him.”

I pause and take a breath. “I don’t know if I can.”

“That’s fine, too. Toss the journal and carry on without him.”

The thoughts of letting Ryan go or forgiving him seem equally impossible. My face must reflect my emotions, prompting Liam to go on, “Listen, Ryan is either a liar who showed his true colors, or he’s a good person who made a mistake. Whether you chose to work through this with him or not, you’re taking a risk. You just have to decide if the risk is worth the reward.”

“Ugh,” I groan, tilting my head up towards the ceiling before looking at him again. “What would you do?”

“I’m not going to answer that. I’ve already messed up my own life beyond repair. I don’t need the fate of your future resting on my conscience as well.”

I give him an unappreciative but understanding nod. “Fair enough.”

“I will, however, offer you a small bit of advice if you swear you won’t hold it against me.”

“I swear.”

Liam leans forward and clasps his hands together. “When making an important decision, I find it’s useful to think about the life that you want to have. Sit and visualize it, and ask yourself if the choice you’re about to make will help you or hinder you in getting to where you ultimately want to go.” I think he’s about to go on when he sits back again. “That’s it. If you require any further assistance, I’ll have to charge a modest fee.”

I chuckle and stretch out my legs, placing my slippered feet down onto the floor. “I can’t really afford unnecessary spending at this point, but I appreciate your words of wisdom.”

Liam pushes his palms against his knees and stands. “Well then, seeing as this will most likely be a day of reflection for you, I suppose I’ll get going. Will we be back to business as usual tomorrow?”

“That we shall.”

“Excellent. Until tomorrow.” With that, he walks out of the room and disappears into the hallway. A few seconds pass and I still don’t hear the apartment door open or close. I get up to investigate when Liam reappears back in the living room doorway.

“Sorry, before I go, can I make one small request?”

“Sure.”