I thought you said forever over and over
To Liam's credit, he didn't immediately storm to the skyport on the first ship to Halo to find Noah and demand an explanation, though it was a very near thing. The rational part of him knew that the Sentinel had been friendly towards Maea, and even if he hadn't been, Liam knew the man well enough to know that he would never have hurt her knowingly. But that protective, possessive streak that Maea apparently brought to the surface was not rational, and it took a great deal of effort to remain standing with his partner rather than seeking out someone on whom to exact vengeance.
Hearing her blame herself was somehow worse than hearing her blame someone else. Liam tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with a shaking hand that betrayed his myriad emotions: anger at Thalassa, who seemed to have been the catalyst for the entire thing; relief that Noah had managed to heal Maea, even if it had taken her to Torchline; guilt that he hadn't stuck by her side to prevent any of it from happening in the first place.
Letting out a shaky breath, Liam cupped Maea's face in his hands. "I don't blame you," he told her. He hesitated, and then added, "And I don't blame Noah." Thalassa, though... Thalassa, he could blame. And maybe that was just to avoid the truth: that above all, he somehow blamed himself.
Hearing her blame herself was somehow worse than hearing her blame someone else. Liam tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with a shaking hand that betrayed his myriad emotions: anger at Thalassa, who seemed to have been the catalyst for the entire thing; relief that Noah had managed to heal Maea, even if it had taken her to Torchline; guilt that he hadn't stuck by her side to prevent any of it from happening in the first place.
Letting out a shaky breath, Liam cupped Maea's face in his hands. "I don't blame you," he told her. He hesitated, and then added, "And I don't blame Noah." Thalassa, though... Thalassa, he could blame. And maybe that was just to avoid the truth: that above all, he somehow blamed himself.
A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion
Liam
