Secrets, Spies, and a Painful Truth

Monday morning arrived with a flurry of text notifications on my phone. I blinked awake to find three messages from Liam.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Missing you and Leo today."

"Hope your week starts well. There's a surprise coming your way."

I smiled despite myself. True to his word, Liam had been persistent all week. Each day brought a new gift—flowers on Monday, chocolates on Tuesday, a silver bracelet on Wednesday. By Thursday, my coworkers were placing bets on what would arrive next.

Today's surprise turned out to be a gorgeous leather-bound planner with my initials embossed in gold. The card read: "For planning our future together. –L"

"He's not giving up, is he?" Chloe remarked when I showed her the gift during our lunch break.

"Not even close," I admitted, tracing the embossed initials with my fingertip.

"And those nightly phone calls?"

I felt my cheeks warm. "They've been... nice."