The next day at Princeton University…
"The classes are about to start, why isn't she here yet?" Liam's voice carried a note of concern as he scanned the parking area.
"Let me call her and check," Ria offered.
"No use, I tried already, but it's switched off," Liam replied, still searching for Lea.
"She'll show up, Liam. Relax, why are you so worked up?" Rayan tried to reassure him.
"I don't know," Liam admitted with a heavy sigh.
"I just have this feeling that something isn't right," he added.
"Are you really just searching for the truth, or are you falling for her, Liam?" Sharen's question caught Liam off guard.
"What are you talking about?" Liam's confusion was evident.
"I've known you since we were kids, Liam. We've been best friends for years. You've never reacted to anyone the way you do when you hear Lea's name. There have been countless girls pursuing you, but this is different," Sharen confronted him.
"I'm only close to her because..." Liam began, but Sharen interrupted firmly.
"Don't feed me that line. I've been watching you since I arrived. You're not fooling me or anyone else; you're fooling yourself," she said, her gaze unwavering.
"Take your time to process this, Liam. If she's not who you think she is, and she turns out to be a regular human, our rules dictate that we can't pursue a relationship with her," Sharen reminded him.
"You're overthinking it. I've only known her for a few days; how could I fall for her so quickly? There's nothing like that," Liam insisted, placing a reassuring hand on Sharen's shoulder.
"I'm just voicing what everyone's been thinking. Love is tricky, Liam. It sneaks into our lives without warning. It's not the time spent with someone that sparks love; it's the person themselves that can ignite those feelings," Sharen replied, patting his hand gently.
"You'll only hurt yourself more by denying it. It's better to confront your feelings early on," she added.
"Sharen's right, Liam. You should take some time to think this through," Rayan chimed in, offering his support.
A brief silence settled over the group before Liam nodded and said, "Okay, I'll think about it."
As he finished speaking, the bell signaling the start of classes rang out.
"Alright, let's head to class, guys. It's getting late, and we can check on Lea later if she doesn't show up today," Alex suggested, and the group dispersed, heading to their respective classes.