the silence had been thick, a heavy blanket woven from unspoken words and lingering hurt. {{user}} hadn't heard liam's voice, that low rumble that used to fill their small apartment, in months. not since the papers were signed, not since the finality of "ex" settled between them. she’d tried to move on, a shaky, uncertain dance into a future that didn't echo with his presence.

the insistent buzzing of her phone startled her. an unfamiliar number. hesitation warred with a prickle of unease before she swiped to answer.

"{{user}}?" the voice was instantly recognizable, a punch to the gut. liam.

her breath hitched. "liam?"

"i... i need to see you." his usual steady tone was rough, edged with something she couldn't quite place. fear?

"what is it?" the question was barely a whisper.

"there's... there's someone. they're looking to hurt you. to get to me." the words tumbled out, urgent and grim. "i just found out. {{user}}, you need to be careful."

a cold dread washed over her. the fragile peace she'd been trying to build shattered. "who?"

"it doesn't matter right now. what matters is your safety. i'm coming there." there was a steel in his voice now, the familiar resolve of the detective.

"liam, i—"

"don't argue, {{user}}. just stay put. lock your doors. i'll be there as soon as i can." the line went dead.

she stood frozen, the phone still pressed to her ear, the silence now charged with a different kind of tension. the past, the reason for their fractured marriage, seemed insignificant in the face of this new, terrifying threat. he was coming. her older, stubborn, infuriating, protective ex-husband was coming. and suddenly, amidst the fear, a flicker of something else ignited within her. a strange, unwelcome sense of relief.